Rating: 3.5/5 stars 

For those looking to watch a silly cartoon so they can kick back, laugh and forget their troubles, the new season of Netflix’s hit animated series “Bojack Horseman” is not the right place to look.

Although there are plenty of laughs to go around here and there, the fourth season of the ridiculous comedy/drama delivers its fans some of its most emotional, gut-wrenching material yet.

Set in the fictional town of Hollywoo, where anthropomorphic animals and humans live side-by-side with one another, the show follows its main protagonist Bojack Horseman, voiced by Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”), as he has an existential struggle to find meaning in his life.

Other characters make their returns as well, like Mr. Peanutbutter, voiced by comedian Paul F. Tompkins (“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”), who starts off the season running for mayor of Hollywoo at the discontent of his wife, Diane Nguyen (Allison Brie, “Glow”),

The lovable side character Todd (Aaron Paul, “The Path”) hangs at the edge of the frame as usual, getting into all sorts of adventures which rarely have anything to do with the main plot of an episode. For example, he spent almost an entire episode flying around on a drone and eating kettle corn. 

The new season spends a sizable chunk of its time diving deep into Bojack’s family history, as he spends time at his grandparent’s old summer home in an attempt to get away from all the buzz of Hollywoo.

While there, Bojack struggles with finding a version of himself that is not the careless and crude Bojack that stumbled through the first-three seasons, but somebody that could genuinely care about other people. This is a struggle at first, as he burns one bridge after another in his usual style. 

“Let me be the first to tell you: I’m bad news,” Bojack explains as he confronts his real daughter for the first time. “You’re actually not the first person to tell me that,” she replies.

It is not until Hollyhock Horseman (Aparna Nancherla, “Late Night with Seth Meyers”) comes into the picture that he is able to start making a real, human connection with somebody else.

This is done over the course of multiple episodes, and stands as the most rewarding story arc of the season. Other plotlines are interesting, but fail to get anywhere substantial. Mr. Peanutbutter’s run for mayor storyline eventually fizzles out.

Princess Diane (Amy Sedaris, “Difficult People”) and her husband struggle to conceive a child, which is filled with some objectively awkward scenes.

Todd does Todd stuff. The real intrigue from this season comes from inside Bojack’s head. He digs out the skeletons from his family’s history, continuing to evolve as a character and push the boundaries of where animated comedies typically go. 

Although some episodes can border on tedious or just straight-up dull, the new season of “Bojack Horseman” is filled with plenty of hidden surprises, which are bound to make it a fan favorite for many people.

The show might look silly on the surface, but that is as far as it goes.

Photo: Netflix via YouTube.com