Time's Arrow (BoJack Horseman)

The episode follows a

In February 2018, "Time's Arrow" won the

Plot

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Analysis

"Time's Arrow" is dedicated to the background and upbringing of Beatrice Horseman, explored through her own dementia-riddled mind. This episode showcases all of the most important and affecting events of Beatrice's life and pulls off the most effective twist in the entire series. Beyond making one of the series' most antagonistic characters somewhat empathetic, "Time's Arrow" is a heartbreaking look at the ways trauma can echo across generations.

The events of Beatrice's life occur out-of-order and scenes cut back-and-forth through time. One moment Beatrice is at her debutante ball, the next, she's back at home getting ready. Sometimes the reality of the present with her son BoJack sneaks into these memories, others being Beatrice's battle with scarlet fever as a child. The important pieces of these memories come through clearly while the less-important details are not present at all. Although the scenes are altered due to her dementia and feelings, it is an important depiction of how Beatrice is as a person and how she sees the world.

"Time's Arrow" is an indirect sequel to season four's "The Old Sugarman Place" and in order to fully understand Beatrice's trajectory, this look into her childhood shows the long-lasting effects on her development and her relationships. In her late teens it is shown within the episode that Beatrice's father and her relationship became more antagonistic. Although she abided by her father's wishes, she did not agree with his political and moral views. In abiding her father's wishes, she attended her debutante ball; where she met Butterscotch Horseman, who had snuck in for "free booze". This was a man that represented a lifestyle completely opposite to her father's. Butterscotch was attractive to Beatrice as a person but also appealed to Beatrice's desires to defy her father. Which led to the two of them spending the night together. Beatrice's disappearance from her debutante ball angered her father; he demanded Beatrice to give her suitor, Corbin Creamerman, another chance. Previously, Corbin represented her father's lifestyle and therefore falsely expected anyone Joseph (her father) wanted her to be with, to be an extension of his own beliefs. However, when she got to know Corbin better, she realized that he was experiencing a lot of the same insecurities that she was. But Beatrice’s realisation came too late.

After getting pregnant by Butterscotch, the two eloped with big dreams of success on the West Coast. However, nothing went as-planned. Butterscotch was ill-equipped to follow his writing dreams and his failures slowly led Beatrice to fall back on some tendencies instilled in her by her father. She eventually shamed Butterscotch into taking a job at Sugarman West, giving them the more lavish lifestyle Beatrice was accustomed to. This led to Butterscotch resenting Beatrice and he formed a relationship with their young maid, Henrietta, who eventually became pregnant with his child. This leads to another heartbreaking event: Butterscotch begs Beatrice to help him, and she manipulates Henrietta into giving up the baby for adoption. This initially comes across as Beatrice's way of helping Butterscotch, but it ultimately ends up being portrayed as Beatrice feeling as though she is actually helping Henrietta. Beatrice blames her unhappiness on Butterscotch and BoJack, and she truly believes she is saving Henrietta from a lifetime of unhappiness. The final sequence of flashbacks is beautifully haunting. Beatrice's baby doll is taken and burned in front of her, this trauma leading to Beatrice feeling the need to keep BoJack, which in turn leads to her overwhelming resentment of her life with her husband and son and then forcing Henrietta into rejecting the life Beatrice herself had, thus giving up Henrietta's baby for adoption. Which shows how generational trauma from Joseph had trickled down to her life. People are shaped by the events in their lives, the traumatic events in Beatrice's life were not her fault, but they shaped who she would become.

In the end, there is truth to the repeated phrase said by Beatrice and Joseph:

"Time's arrow neither stands still nor reverses. It simply marches forward."

Time doesn't stop for anyone. No matter the trauma or adversity that has occurred in one's life. Despite the justified anger that BoJack directs at Beatrice as he leaves her in the nursing home, he decides to help her reverse time's arrow one final time: In a moment of lucidity, a confused Beatrice asks BoJack where she is, and BoJack states that they are in Michigan at the lake house, eating ice cream. This is the last time we see Beatrice Horseman alive in the series. This episode makes the audience understand and empathize with the most-detestable of characters.

Reception