‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 2: The 75+ Puns, Sight Gags and Hidden Gems You Missed in Episodes 1-3 (Part 1)
The cleverness starts even before you hit “Play” on the first episode of Season 2 of BoJack Horseman: The “Episode” menu button is missing the “D” (it’s up by the “Season” drop-down menu).
It’s a subtle nod to the Netflix series’ fans, who’ll remember Bojack (Will Arnett) stealing the D from the famed Hollywood sign to impress Diane (Alison Brie) in Season 1. From there, the details only get more delightful. There are callbacks, set-ups, puns, minutiae that no one in their right mind would have taken the time to think up, much less animate. But that’s part of what makes the wonderfully absurd world of BoJack such a joy to enter, and we’d be remiss in not pointing out every last clever little thing we could see, both for the benefit of you, the viewer, and to give props to the brains behind the show. Here’s everything we noticed from Episodes 1-3. (Plus: The hidden gems from Episodes 4-6, Episodes 7-9 and Episodes 10-12.)
Episode 1, “Brand New Couch”:
Sebastian St. Clair is on the TV in the background of the opening credits sequence now.
That’s actually George Takei narrating “Old Dumb Life, Brand New Attitude.”
BoJack has a PB Livin’ blender.
“Ewe Haul.” Get it?
The sign on the locker to the left of Corduroy Jackson-Jackson would like you to get “Freaky at the Preakness,” presented by “Chicken 4 Dayz.” (You’ll see why we’re pointing that out in Episode 5.)
A dog in a chicken costume, and a chicken in a dog costume.
Foxes in foxholes!
Horse Bowie.
Todd has a sleeping cap under his regular skullcap and is reading the “raw as hell” novel “Sandwich” by “Atonement” author Ian McEwan.
Rutabaga’ Rabitowitz’s guitars are signed by: Woodchuck Berry, Eddie Van Whalen, and B.B. King Cobra.
Herb’s 1988 calendar has January 1 on a Friday, which is correct. No one in the world would have noticed or cared if this tiny detail were not correct, but that’s how these guys roll.
Rutabaga has a Goodnight Moon painting on his wall that strongly implies he’s the young rabbit in the story. Also, his Bonsai tree is a carrot.
BoJack’s mom’s contact photo is a lit cigarette, and the call answer/ignore buttons are a little more colloquial.
Episode 2, “Yesterdayland”:
The bartender at this seafood restaurant is a squid. (Also, there is a lobster patron.)
Remember this girl for Episodes 6 and 8.
Todd enjoys his Mice Krispies with Alpine Sweat, rather than milk.
It’s 2012 Magazine takes us back to when everyone was really into Psy and “lolarious” autocorrects.
BoJack was on the cover of Person magazine with Steve Urkel (who inspires Todd’s transformation in Episode 3).
Worker Bees!
The puberty poster has a butterfly-man coming out of a chrysalis, because: ch-ch-ch-changes!
Bellican’s bar is right around the corner from a liquor store called “Booze.”
The San Furnando Valley! Also, note the multi-species-family decal on the purple sedan, which, according to the vanity license plate, belongs to a female roller derby enthusiast.
MBN Head of Programming Wanda Pierce’s ideas: The Kirk Cameron Show, Hey, I Think You Can Dance, having David Copperfield disappear the World Trade Center.
Ketchup is “Cat Sup.”
Signature attractions at Todd’s Disneyland: Mr. Todd’s Wild Death Coaster, Gabe Jr.’s Grease Fire of the Caribbean, Cinderella’s Magical Pile of Used Mattresses. Also, Todd gave himself an exception for the height rule, and his face is on all the balloons.
Todd put a duck in charge of the duck shooting gallery.
There are honeycombs all over the park (y’know, ’cause of the Worker Bees). And Mr. Peanutbutter’s friend Erica makes her first non-appearance this season! “Erica! You can’t be here—this place is filled with children!”
At the ’50s diner BoJack and Wanda go to, Marlin Brando is serving Stellas (and a Corona Light).
Lu-seal Ball is there, too.
Yet another appearance from “Woodchuck Berry.” (And other clever animal-musician mashups.)
There are already billboards up for Hey, I Think You Can Dance with Hank Hippopopalous.
Huh, Alex sure looks like The Americans‘ Matthew Rhys, doesn’t he? (He’s voiced by Joel McHale.) Perhaps because—spoiler alert for 10 minutes from now—he’s a KGB spy.
“Spy Shit.” Also, Character Actress Margo Martindale Update: Still in prison.
Little girl is wearing a shirt with a hippopotamus on it that says “Uncle Hanky”—Hank Hippopopalous.
Law & Order chyron and a riff on its “chung-chung”!
There are 11 gazelle (or perhaps impala) jurors. The 12th is a lion, and they are all leaning away from him. Bonus: The otter judge is referred to as “Your Otter.”
On the Disneyland (or “Diisneyland”) Articles of Incorporation, “Anaheim” is also misspelled.
“Oh No They Disn’nt!” The Worker Bees all have flowers in their drinking glasses.
In this issue of It’s 2015 Magazine: A red-and-green dress that is either blue or white.
The baboon from Episode 1 is still jogging by BoJack’s place. In fact, he jogs by in just about every episode.
The lemur DJ at the park has Beats.
Not only did someone tape up a janky cardboard sign for Todd’s Disneyland, but the bear on the California state flag is wearing clothes.
Episode 3, “Still Broken”:
Wanda is in the opening credits now.
A) Goat with a “Goatful Dead” t-shirt. B) “As long as the ratings don’t dip below a dismal 15 million a night,” Herb is saying, which is how you know it’s the 1980s. Network execs today would claw a production assistant’s eyes out to get 15 million viewers a week.
Horsin’ Around creator Herb Kazzaz was 54 when he died.
There are literal vultures circling Herb’s funeral. (They are in suits, though.)
Attendess at Herb’s funeral:
-Sibling actors Jake and Maggot Gyllenhaal
-“That Pakistani girl who keeps winning Nobel Prizes,” a.k.a. Malala Yousafzai(Note that Herb and BoJack’s deer/dear friend Charlotte is in the photo in the lower right-hand corner.)
Herman’s Hermit Crabs: A reference to the 1960s British band Herman’s Hermits.
Tina the bear-nurse is eating all the salmon hors d’ouevres.
“Famished Famished Hippos Catering” enters “Parrotmount Studios.”
Like Diisneyland, BoJack‘s lemon-lime soda from the ’90s is “Squiirt.”
The Horsin’ Around review that says the show has too many horse puns is nothing but horse puns. Also, note the ad on the other page for Hank After Dark. That’s the “Uncle Hanky” on the girls’ shirt from Episode 2, and the same guy in the billboard for Hey, I Think You Can Dance. Oh, and the reviewer’s last name is a horrifying parasite.
Back in the ’90s, the L.A. Lakers signed Shaquille O’Seal.
Embittered Herb doesn’t have a scrapbook. He has a crapbook.
Who said sharks don’t like surfers? He just wanted to say hi!
The Baby from Dinosaurs has come to a sad end.
“Chipmunk Cheek” Storage is popular among squirrels, apparently.
A) There is an AA chapter right next to a biker bar called “The Watering Hole,” which is frequented by Water Buffalo bikers. Even better, there’s a crocodile on the sign. Truth in advertising. B) There is a Skin Heads Anonymous chapter on the same block. C) A childcare center is in between these things, next to a gun store.
Red Bull pun: “Road Bull.”
“He literally wrote out ‘dot dot dot.'”
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How many of BoJack Horseman‘s hundreds of hidden jokes, puns, sight gags and pop culture references did you spot? See what you missed in Episodes 1-3, Episodes 4-6, Episodes 7-9 and Episodes 10-12.
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