Fri-Yay: BoJack Horseman is as Delightfully Sad as Ever in Season 5; The Guest Book Returns Oct. 23 on TBS with More Guests

Friday, September 21, 2018

Fri-Yay: BoJack Horseman is as Delightfully Sad as Ever in Season 5; The Guest Book Returns Oct. 23 on TBS with More Guests

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

BoJack Horseman premiered its 5th season this past Friday on Netflix. If you've read anything I've written about the show in the past, you'll know that I'm a giant fan of the series, and feel it's consistently been both one of the funniest and most emotionally devastating shows on television. The show's balance of comedy and heart-wrenching drama has been incredible in its first four seasons, and that continues in a big way in its fifth season. The show hasn't missed a beat, and if anything, may be even deeper and darker in its brilliant fifth season.

BoJack has always somewhat used current events to guide its storylines (there have been prominent episodes about hot topics like abortion and sexual assault) and Season 5 is heavily influenced by the recent #MeToo movement. It makes absolute sense for BoJack to cover the topic, of course - after all, it takes place in Hollywood, and BoJack is someone with a shady past in regards to the topic of respecting women and sexual assault. (I won't spoil anything, but obviously, anyone who has seen any episode of BoJack knows he has done some horrible things over the course of the series.) This season of BoJack is one of the first expressions on the #MeToo movement, and frankly, it's hard for me to imagine any show doing much better. The show does an excellent job of posing difficult questions about redemption, forgiveness, and how much we should be willing to both tear people apart as well as forgive them for their misdeeds. As usual, BoJack presents complex shades of grey in this situation and offers gut-wrenching moments as well as big laughs. I feel like I say this almost every year, but...BoJack Horseman may quite honestly just be the very best show on TV. It's funny when it needs to be, and often gives me some huge laughs, but it's also deep and affecting, and has managed to craft characters I truly care about...even if a lot of the things they do make me wince. Sometimes, I have to even refrain from watching an episode because it's just...too much. But that's what makes it so great, and for BoJack Horseman, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Guest Book

Greg Garcia's anthology comedy series The Guest Book, which premiered as 2017's #1 new cable comedy, returns to TBS on Tuesday, October 23 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) with back-to-back new episodes. Subsequent episodes will air on Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). As planned with every new season of The Guest Book, season two features a new town, new series regulars, and new guest stars. In the small oceanside community of Mabel Beach, vacationers who stay at the Bare Feet Retreat record their confessions, alibis, and farewells in the cottage's guest book. They are hosted by town locals Bodhi, Nikki and Tommy, played by series regulars Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal), Kimiko Glenn (Orange Is the New Black), and Dan Beirne (Fargo).

Tommy and Nikki are a couple that manage Emmy Lou's Grill and Bare Feet Retreat. Bodhi is a handyman who often helps out at the grill and vacation home. Previously announced series regulars Carly Jibson (One Mississippi) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl) also star in season two. Jibson returns as Vivian, the scheming bikini bar owner, who accompanies Eddie (played by Eddie Steeples) from Mount Trace to the beach in search of a fresh start. Each episode of the season will feature different guest stars. Season two's stellar lineup of guest stars includes Pete Davidson (SNL), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire), Matt Walsh (Veep), Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Martha Plimpton (The Real O'Neals), Nat Faxon (Friends from College), Michael Rapaport (Atypical), Steve Zissis (Togetherness), Allison Tolman (Fargo), Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together), Sufe Bradshaw (Veep), Nadine Velazquez (My Name is Earl), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Barry), Adhir Kalyan (I Love Dick), Joey 'Coco' Diaz (I'm Dying Up Here), Matthew Moy (2 Broke Girls), Michael Cassidy (People of Earth), Kether Donohue (You're the Worst), Lexi Ainsworth (General Hospital), and Jon Bass (Miracle Workers), as well as Garret Dillahunt, Kellie Martin, Aloma Wright, Charlie Robinson, Lou Wilson, and Tipper Newton from season one of the series.