Time's Arrow (BoJack Horseman)

"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.

The episode follows a non-linear structure, looking at the life of BoJack Horseman's mother, Beatrice, and her battle with dementia and deteriorating health.

In February 2018, "Time's Arrow" won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Animation at the 70th WGA Awards.

Plot
Beginning where the previous episode left off, a furious BoJack drives Beatrice to a nursing home after she spiked Hollyhock's coffee, causing her to overdose. BoJack continues to grow frustrated that Beatrice cannot recognize him, and tells her they are going to a "magical place where she can never hurt anyone again". On the car ride, through Beatrice's fuzzy memories, it is revealed how her father (Matthew Broderick) pushes her toward a potential suitor, whom she spurns in favor of the dashing aspiring writer, Butterscotch Horseman. She becomes pregnant by Butterscotch, marries him, and they move to San Francisco. Their marriage falters as their dreams fail to pan out; she becomes unhappy and bitter. Both drink heavily and take out their frustrations on BoJack. Butterscotch later has an affair with a maid named Henrietta, an aspiring nurse. Beatrice convinces Henrietta to give up the baby for adoption so that she can continue in nursing school. The episode ends with her reliving the traumatic memory of her father burning her toy doll in a fireplace. Just as BoJack is about to leave, Beatrice recognizes him as her son, asking him where he is. BoJack lies and tells her they are at the Michigan lake house, telling her she is with her family and eating ice cream, something she was never allowed to do as a child.

Reception
"Time's Arrow" received universal acclaim from critics, many of whom described it as one of the best episodes of the season and of the series. Les Chappell of The A.V. Club, who gave the episode an "A", wrote that there was "no episode of television to simultaneously anticipate and dread more in the year than ["Time's Arrow"]. Julia Alexander, writing for Polygon, described "Time's Arrow" as "TV's best episode of 2017". In The Atlantic, Lenika Cruz noted the episode's effectiveness at its portrayal of female characters.