I recently finished season 1 of this show and was quite taken by the mix of humor, imagination, character, and attention to detail – so when I saw there was a Christmas special I took the chance to follow into that. As BoJack observes early in this episode, Christmas specials are rarely much cop compared to the main series of whatever the show is, and so it is confirmed here. Part of the issue is what the show takes as its plot; essentially we watch an old Christmas episode of Horsin' Around, BoJack's old sitcom.
Now, as part of the main show, the sitcom was something shown briefly in clips, so the joke of it being the worst of sitcom clichés didn't ever have to stand up for long, plus was supported by the show doing it as one of lots of other things. By making the episode almost wholly the old show, it means it really is working in one area – which is to mock the sitcoms of old. This limits the special when compared to the show itself; although it does have modern sections, mostly we are in this one area. The writing adds in some good lines and sequences, but mostly you are watching a deliberately cheesy sitcom, albeit with good laughs from that.
It does have enough of the show's humor and style to be worth watching, but at the same time the detail and approach of the show is missing in the special.
Now, as part of the main show, the sitcom was something shown briefly in clips, so the joke of it being the worst of sitcom clichés didn't ever have to stand up for long, plus was supported by the show doing it as one of lots of other things. By making the episode almost wholly the old show, it means it really is working in one area – which is to mock the sitcoms of old. This limits the special when compared to the show itself; although it does have modern sections, mostly we are in this one area. The writing adds in some good lines and sequences, but mostly you are watching a deliberately cheesy sitcom, albeit with good laughs from that.
It does have enough of the show's humor and style to be worth watching, but at the same time the detail and approach of the show is missing in the special.