“Yeah, it was nice while it lasted” I don’t have a clue where to start with this review because this episode encompasses so much for me and I don’t think I have the ability within me to do every little part justice, but I’ll have this review serve as an ode to what is now one of my favourite tv episodes, and with time could become my favourite. The idea that the show should have ended with the view from halfway down was always something I agreed with, but almost blindly, because it doesn’t conclude bojacks story the way it should have like it does here and nor does it conclude any of the other storylines, and since I was thinking about the shows conclusion recently I decided to rewatch the episode, and I’m very glad I did. With the view from halfway down, I think this episode is strengthened into something new entirely and gives us the most stylistic, but raw version of bojack, who has been faced with the ultimate fear, and is essentially stripped bare of himself. His growth as a character all culminates here, his relationships aren’t completely torn apart but neither have they been salvaged, and given the context of the show and bojacks actions I don’t think it could have ended in a better fashion. The whole episode feels uneasy as if you’re directly in bojacks shoes. bittersweet and awkward, we see him try and reconnect with his friends, all knowing full well this is probably the last time they will see each other. He can’t go back on what he’s done, there’s no retribution for a man like him, and over the course of the episode as it becomes apparent that there’s no way for him to have a truly happy ending, and all he can really do is reflect, the same feeling instilled upon the audience. His talk with Diane on the roof is easily the highlight of the episode and has some of the most realistic and entertaining dialogue in tv. Close enough to touch but so far apart, there’s a feeling of true finality, no grand send off, no huge shifts, it’s just over, and all you do is be grateful that those people were once in your life. Diane makes idea very clear but in a beautifully told way, she’s already moved on but bojack can never seem to let go despite the fact he knows it’s over. There’s no cascading tension, no big fall out, but rather the most true to life passage, where people just move apart. While bojack has just began accepting who he is and just what he’s done, the people he’s relied on most are now all so far away from him, and it creates a very empathic feeling of singularity and loneliness which I haven’t seen replicated in any other television episode. I know I’m in the minority when I say this but the final scene is without a doubt one of the best moments in fiction, or at least one of my favourites. The episode itself is of course a masterpiece but the final scene really sells the whole experience as a true farewell to the series and characters and makes for one of the most beautiful moments, of bojack and Diane starring into the night sky, both shaped by each other, and now now in a place where they feel uneasy just being next to each other. I loved this episode, plain and simple, there’s almost nothing more to be said. I just want to say that if you’re thinking about this episode I urge you to please rewatch it, because for me at least, it made for the most enjoyable viewing experiences and is probably the most emotional episode I’ve seen to date. Sum takes - #5 tv/anime episode #3-4 tv peak #3 character conclusion #3-5 messages within an episode #1 dialogue Love bojack, love this episode ❤️‍🩹