Ruthie (BoJack Horseman)

Last updated
"Ruthie"
BoJack Horseman episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 9
Directed by Amy Winfrey
Written byJoanna Calo
Original release dateSeptember 8, 2017 (2017-09-08)
Running time26 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Judge"
Next 
"lovin that cali lifestyle!!"
BoJack Horseman (season 4)
List of episodes

"Ruthie" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of American animated television series BoJack Horseman , and the 45th episode overall. It was written by Joanna Calo and directed by Amy Winfrey, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season four, via Netflix on September 8, 2017. Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sharon Horgan provide voices in guest appearances in the episode. [1]

Contents

The episode is presented as a flashback, as a story told by Princess Carolyn's relative in the future. [2]

In February 2018, "Ruthie" was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation at the 70th WGA Awards. It lost to "Time's Arrow", another Bojack Horseman episode. [3]

Plot

Ruthie, who is Princess Carolyn's great-great-great-granddaughter, narrates the story of a particularly bad day in Carolyn's life for a school project. Through the day Carolyn learns that she has miscarried, fires her assistant Judah for declining a lucrative project without telling her, and breaks up with her boyfriend Ralph. [4] [5] In the end, Ruthie is revealed to have been a fantasy of Princess Carolyn, which she used to cope with her troubles.

Reception

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. In 2018, it was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation.

Lenika Cruz of The Atlantic described "Ruthie" and "Time's Arrow" as the two best episodes of the season, and saying each episode takes "full advantage of the medium to make their studies of female interiority feel like epics". [2] Vulture gave the episode 5 stars out of 5, especially praising the episode's ending. [5] Les Chappell of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade, noting the voice talents of Kristen Bell as the titular Ruthie. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>BoJack Horseman</i> American adult animated sitcom

BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated psychological tragicomedy-drama television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in Hollywood, the series revolves around the anthropomorphic horse BoJack Horseman (Arnett), a washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom who plans a return to relevance with an autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Brie). It also chronicles his contentions with his agent, Princess Carolyn (Sedaris), former rival Mr. Peanutbutter (Tompkins), roommate Todd Chavez (Paul), and his declining mental health. The series is designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, a longtime friend to Bob-Waksberg who previously collaborated on the webcomic Tip Me Over, Pour Me Out.

<i>BoJack Horseman</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the animated television series BoJack Horseman premiered exclusively via Netflix's web streaming service on August 22, 2014. The season consists of 12 episodes.

<i>BoJack Horseman</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the animated television series BoJack Horseman premiered exclusively via Netflix's web streaming service on September 8, 2017. Season 4 consists of 12 episodes.

"Fish Out of Water" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Elijah Aron and Jordan Young, and directed by Mike Hollingsworth, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season three, via Netflix on July 22, 2016. Angela Bassett provides her voice in a guest appearance in the episode.

Jordan Young is an American film and television producer and writer best known for BoJack Horseman, Drawn Together, Raising Hope, and Life in Pieces.

"Time's Arrow" is the eleventh and penultimate episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 47th episode overall. It was written by Kate Purdy and directed by Aaron Long, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season four, via Netflix on September 8, 2017. Matthew Broderick, Majandra Delfino, and Wendie Malick provide voices in guest appearances in the episode.

"Stop the Presses" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 31st episode overall. It was written by Joe Lawson and directed by Adam Parton. The episode was released in the United States, along with the rest of season three, via Netflix on July 22, 2016. Angela Bassett, Candice Bergen, Abbi Jacobson, Margo Martindale, J. K. Simmons, and Anna Deavere Smith provided voices in guest appearances in the episode.

"BoJack Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Story, Chapter One" is the first episode of the first season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman. It was written by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and directed by Joel Moser. The episode was released in the United States, along with the rest of season one, via Netflix on August 22, 2014.

"The Light Bulb Scene" is the fifth season premiere of American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 49th episode overall. It was written by Kate Purdy and directed by Adam Parton, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season five, via Netflix on September 14, 2018. Whoopi Goldberg and Natalie Morales provide voices in guest appearances in the episode.

Say Anything (<i>BoJack Horseman</i>) 7th episode of the 1st season of BoJack Horseman

"Say Anything" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman. It was written by Joe Lawson and directed by Martin Cendreda. The episode was released, along with the rest of season one, on Netflix on August 22, 2014. The episode follows BoJack Horseman's agent Princess Carolyn as she struggles with competition from her rival Vanessa Gekko as well as having difficulties in managing BoJack.

"Hank After Dark" is the seventh episode of the second season of American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 19th episode overall. It was written by Kelly Galuska and directed by Amy Winfrey, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season two, via Netflix on July 17, 2015. Philip Baker Hall, Keegan-Michael Key, Lisa Kudrow, and Scott Wolf provide voices in guest appearances in the episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's Too Much, Man!</span> 11th episode of the 3rd season of BoJack Horseman

"That's Too Much, Man!" is the eleventh and penultimate episode of the third season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 35th episode overall. It was directed by J.C. Gonzalez and written by Elijah Aron and Jordan Young, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season three, via Netflix on July 22, 2016.

"Thoughts and Prayers" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 41st episode overall. It was written by Nick Adams and directed by Amy Winfrey, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season four, via Netflix on September 8, 2017. Audie Cornish, Sharon Horgan, and Robert Siegel provide voices in guest appearances in the episode.

"Stupid Piece of Sh*t" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 42nd episode overall. It was written by Alison Tafel and directed by Anne Walker Farrell, and was released in the United States, along with the rest of season four, via Netflix on September 8, 2017. Fielding Edlow, Sharon Horgan, and Felicity Huffman provide voices in guest appearances in the episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Churro</span> 6th episode of the 5th season of BoJack Horseman

"Free Churro" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series BoJack Horseman, and the 54th episode overall. It was written by series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and directed by Amy Winfrey, and was made available for streaming, along with the rest of season five, via Netflix on September 14, 2018.

"The New Client" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American animated comedy-drama television series BoJack Horseman, and the 62nd episode overall. Directed by Amy Winfrey and written by Nick Adams, it was released on Netflix on October 25, 2019, alongside the first half of the sixth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nice While It Lasted</span> 16th episode of the 6th season of BoJack Horseman

"Nice While It Lasted" is the series finale of the American animated comedy-drama television series BoJack Horseman. It is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season and the 76th episode overall. The episode, written by series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and directed by Aaron Long, was released on Netflix on January 31, 2020, alongside the second half of the sixth and final season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Purdy</span> American writer and producer

Kate Purdy is an American writer and producer of television series. She grew up in San Antonio,Texas, United States. She is known for her work as a writer on the Netflix adult animated comedy series BoJack Horseman, which she also produced. She received the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation in 2017 for the BoJack episode "Time's Arrow." Purdy is also the creator and writer of the Amazon Prime Video series Undone.

Netflix has contributed substantially to LGBTQ representation in animation. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual and transgender characters have appeared in various animated series, and some animated films, on the streaming platform. GLAAD described Netflix as a company taking "impressive strides in viewership and impact," when it came to LGBTQ representation. Scholars have stated that LGBTQ characters on streaming services, such as Netflix, "made more displays of affection" than on broadcast networks.

References

  1. 1 2 Chappell, Les (16 September 2017). "A ruthless BoJack Horseman breaks the life of Princess Carolyn and the heart of its audience". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  2. 1 2 Cruz, Lenika (2017-12-15). "Where 'BoJack Horseman' Season 4 Shone Brightest". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  3. "WGA Awards: The Complete Winners List". Variety. 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  4. Hoofe, Liam (2017-09-16). "BoJack Horseman Season 4 Episode 9 Review - 'Ruthie'". Flickering Myth. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  5. 1 2 "BoJack Horseman Recap: The Future Perfect". Vulture. September 9, 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-30.