S1E4_ Part B: Character Design & Structuring | 2/2 — “The Rule of Depth” (The Gold in Bojack’s Character)_UNFILTERED

SHOW NOTE

 

What’s the secret to making characters come alive? Why can’t we just leave a character to be superficial or flat? We explore this question in this episode.

 

Spoilers Warning! 

This episode contains major spoilers for BoJack Horseman. If you haven't watched the series yet, consider this your invitation to binge it first—then come back and join the conversation.

 

 

RECAP

The journey continues from where we left off: exploring BoJack as a rounded, dynamic character whose transformation never feels forced. We revisit the physical paradox of a horse who rejects his own horse-ness, the moral grayness that makes him simultaneously sympathetic and frustrating, and the internal dialogue that reveals his fractured psyche. These elements of complexity set the stage for today's deeper exploration.

 

 

INTRO

While complexity makes a character interesting, depth makes them real. The creators of BoJack Horseman didn't just follow this storytelling commandment—they mastered it, creating an industry-standard icon of adult animation in the process.

In this episode, Betty and Rita break down the critical distinction between these two essential character-building tools and reveal how depth serves as the bridge between complexity and development. Think of it as the middle ground where character motivations, backstories, and emotional landscapes converge to create something truly memorable.

 

 

PART A: What Really Is "Depth" in Characters? (And What It's Not!)

The Superficial vs. The Substantial

The hosts kick things off with a thought experiment: What comes to mind when you hear someone described as "superficial" or "shallow"? Rita shares her instinctive reaction—that feeling when a character exists solely to make the protagonist look good, lacking any substance beyond their surface-level function.

Betty defines it more formally: superficial characters lack intellectual or emotional depth, focusing on appearances, material possessions, and social status rather than deeper truths. They avoid introspection, seem self-centered, and judge others based on outward characteristics rather than inner substance.

 

Complex Shallowness: The Stereotype Trap

Here's where things get interesting: a character can be complex without having depth. The hosts dissect several stereotypical archetypes that illustrate this paradox:

• The Gay Best Friend in Rom-Coms: Complex by virtue of their identity, yet often reduced to shopping companions and sassy one-liners without any exploration of their inner life
• The Angry Black Woman Hustler: Presented with complexity through cultural identity but lacking the "why" behind her anger and ambition
• The Wise Minority Mentor: Surprisingly wise but never given a backstory that explains their wisdom
• The Fiery Latina: All passion, no explanation
• The Laid-Back Hippie: Always high, always chill, but never explored beyond the archetype

 

Betty and Rita take a moment to address harmful stereotypes, particularly the "Nigerian Prince" scammer trope, emphasizing that stereotypes become problematic when they're used without nuance or connection to actual human experience. The key isn't avoiding stereotypes entirely—it's using them with purpose and depth.

Simple Depth: When Less Is More

On the flip side, a character can have depth without being particularly complex. The hosts explore several examples:

• Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender: A simple character whose desire for independence masks her fear of being underestimated due to her blindness
• Lorelai from Gilmore Girls: Not overtly complex, but her witty dialogue reveals deep motivations rooted in her relationship with controlling parents
• Luffy and Zoro from One Piece: Simple motivations, but rich backstories that explain their drives
• Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory: Robot-like in his simplicity, yet we understand his inner world
• Phoebe from Friends: Simple and carefree on the surface, but given moments that reveal deeper layers

 

Defining Depth

So what exactly is character depth? Bee breaks it down:

Depth refers to the richness and nuance of a character's inner life and backstory. It's about how well the audience understands the character's motivations, feelings, and the experiences that have shaped them. Depth explores what goes on behind the scenes—behind all the traits and actions you've shown us.

Key distinction: Complexity is about what a character is (contradicting personalities, moral grayness, paradoxes). Depth is about why and how they became that way.

 

 

PART B: Utilizing Depth in Character Design - The Major Points

Betty presents research-backed strategies for developing character depth, emphasizing that these aren't just her opinions but established storytelling principles:

1. Understanding Character Motivations

You cannot have character depth without knowing what motivates your character. Period.

Ask yourself:

• What are my character's goals, desires, and wants?
• Why do they want these things?
• What are their fears and values?
• How do these influence their actions?

Example: A character wants to become president. Cool. But why? "Because it's cool" feels flat. There must be a deeper reason rooted in their history, values, or fears.

 

2. Exploring Their Inner Life

While complexity shows internal conflict (contradicting thoughts, deliberation, struggle), depth simply shows what a character is thinking before taking action. It doesn't always have to be conflicted—it just needs to be revealed.

In character-focused storytelling, show your audience things from the character's point of view. Let them see thoughts, feelings, and internal processes.

 

3. Giving Them a Rich Backstory

The origin of a character's wants and motivations should come from something. It doesn't need to be complex or complicated, but it must be present and convincing.

People want things for various reasons—finding these reasons is part of your character's backstory, and that adds depth.

 

4. Adding Relatable Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Important distinction: Flaws ≠ moral grayness.

• Flaws are connected to personalities and internal negative vices (being too obsessed with facts, being overly logical)
• Vulnerabilities are connected to physical, environmental, socioeconomic, or cultural disadvantages (fear of water, disability, cultural position)

The key is making these flaws and vulnerabilities relevant to the story plotline. Don't tell us your character has a honey allergy unless it impacts the narrative. Even something as trivial as an allergy can spin a compelling story if used purposefully.

Bee illustrates this with a brilliant example: A character with an allergy whose first partner ignores it, but whose second partner remembers and protects her from it—showing attentiveness and care through that small detail.

 

5. Giving Them Moments of Action (Not Inaction)

Nobody wants to watch passive characters who "go with the wind." Even in slice-of-life stories like Studio Ghibli films (Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle), the characters are proactive—they defy odds and take action.

The hosts dive into anime examples:

• Shikamaru from Naruto: Typically lazy and passive ("what a drag"), but when his mentor Asuma dies, he single-handedly takes down an Akatsuki member, transforming from background character to fan favorite
• Hinata from Naruto: Extremely passive and shy, but her moment of standing up to Pain to protect Naruto gave her depth and made audiences see her differently

Show their agency. Characters should actively shape their own stories, not wait for the plot to shape them.

 

6. Showing Their Relationships with Others

People don't exist in a void—neither should characters. Even loner characters need interactions to elaborate on their existence. Otherwise, as Bee jokes, "I may as well just watch a rock existing beside a river."

(This leads to a hilarious tangent about Rita making a movie starring The Rock—the actor—as a literal rock, winning awards and revolutionizing cinema.)

Show how characters interact with others: their conflicts, alliances, dependencies, and how they resolve disputes. These relationships add crucial depth.

 

7. Adding Realism Through Behavioral Details

Every character starts from an archetype—a basic template. But you add depth through subtext and dialogue that reveals inner thoughts and feelings. Show, don't tell.

In real life, we infer what people are thinking through body language, speech patterns, and behavioral quirks:

• Chewing fingers when nervous
• Pacing when anxious
• Shaking legs when thinking hard

Betty shares personal examples: chewing the inside of her mouth when focused (painful but subconscious), and Rita biting her nails when deep in thought.

Critical point: These behavioural ticks must be tied to your story. BoJack Horseman has countless animal gags, but many fly over viewers' heads because they're not connected to the main narrative. If they were tied to character development or plot, they'd be memorable depth-builders instead of forgettable jokes.

 

 

 

PART C: How Was Depth Added to BoJack's Character?

The hosts examine how BoJack Horseman's writers masterfully tied complexity to development, creating profound character depth.

The Pattern of Shame and Avoidance

BoJack is deeply flawed, but we understand why and how he became that way:

The Herb Kazzaz Betrayal: When BoJack's best friend Herb—the man who gave him his platform to fame—was fired from the sitcom, BoJack chose self-preservation over loyalty. But the unforgivable part wasn't the initial cowardice; it was never calling Herb afterward, never returning his calls. Why? Shame. Fear of being connected to Herb's downfall. Fear of facing his own moral failure.

The Kelsey Pattern: Years later, BoJack repeats this behavior. He convinces producer Kelsey to break into a library to film a scene for Secretariat. When only she gets fired, he does the same thing—avoids her, hides from her, pretends it didn't happen.

The Secretariat Advice

Remember the advice BoJack received from his hero, Secretariat? "Run away. Run as fast as you can. Never look back."

This single piece of advice becomes a lens through which we understand BoJack's entire pattern of behavior. Every time he faces difficulty, he runs. The depth comes from understanding that this isn't just cowardice—it's learned behavior from his childhood hero, reinforced by a household where avoiding conflict was the only way to survive.

 

The Hollyhock Moment: A Glimmer of Change

In the episode "Stupid Piece of Shit," BoJack spends the entire runtime calling himself terrible names, drowning in self-loathing. At the end, his (supposed) daughter Hollyhock asks him: "This voice in my head that tells me I'm no good, that I'll never be beautiful... it goes away, right?"

In typical BoJack fashion, we expect brutal honesty: "No, it never goes away."

But he doesn't. He looks at this scared teenager, considers his words carefully, and lies to protect her: "Of course it goes away. Are you stupid? Of course not."

For viewers who've spent seasons with BoJack, this is profound. His first instinct has always been self-protection, brutal honesty as a weapon. But here, he chooses selflessness—or perhaps guilt, or shame, or some combination. Whatever the motivation, it's a moment that foreshadows his capacity for change.

 

 

CONCLUSION

The True Test of Depth

Betty concludes with this insight: The true test of depth in a character is the audience's ability to deeply understand the character's actions and inactions, motivations and needs throughout their development and transformation.

A character has depth when the more time you spend with them, the more you understand them. Not every character achieves this—some remain superficial despite abundant screen time. But when done right, depth transforms a character from interesting to unforgettable.

Character complexity and character depth are two major elements in creating rounded characters. While you don't always need depth (minor roles, slice-of-life stories), if your goal is to create a truly rounded character, depth is non-negotiable.

 

What's Next?

In the next episode, Bee and Rita tackle the final ingredient of the rounded character recipe: Transformation and Development. How does a character evolve without losing their essence? How does BoJack serve as the ultimate case study for a life in flux? Join them as they close out this character series with insights that will change how you view character arcs forever.

 

Subscribe & Follow

Available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcasts.

For more quality full unfiltered experience, explore our website, leave a comment, and let us know what you think.

We'll see you on the next page. Bye!