Netflix's New Comedy From BoJack Horseman Creator Is One Of The Most Relatable Shows I've Ever Seen, Even Though I Don't Have Much In Common With The Characters

Mild spoilers below for the animated series Long Story Short for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed the comedy via Netflix subscription.

Long Story Short is the aptly named new animated comedy from Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the mastermind behind one of TV’s all-time best sitcoms, BoJack Horseman, though it is more readily comparable to the weepy hourlong drama This Is Us than the anthropomorphic celebrity-skewing satire. The laughs are evident and plentiful, don’t get me wrong, but the timeline-spanning narrative device allows for a deeper sense of pathos than ‘toons usually provide, allowing audiences to become one with the dysfunctional Schwooper family.

I knew I would love this show, largely because of Bob-Waksberg’s involvement, but also because of the stacked and hilarious cast, including Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Ben Feldman, Angelique Cabral, Nicole Byer, Paul Reiser and Lisa Edelstein. (Not to mention the surprising number of familiar guest stars.) What I didn’t expect, however, was that I’d find nearly every single episode vastly relatable in one way or another, despite having a drastically different upbringing and family dynamic.

Long Story Short Is Vastly Different From BoJack, But With A Similarly Embattled Emotional Core

With one of the most unique storytelling devices of any series on the 2025 TV schedule, Long Story Short delivers episodes focusing on major life events for the Schwooper family members, jumping back and forth through time to showcase all the relevant character moments and details that matter the most, across childhoods, teen years, middle-aged existences and then some. A few BoJack-friendly comedic motifs such as tongue-twister wordplay and callback jokes are present throughout the first season, but for the most part, this is thematically and aesthetically worlds away from Hollywoo.

That said, Long Story Short does at times feel like a less depressing extension of BoJack’s own sordid family history, at least in terms of helping build empathy and compassion for the characters. (The fleeting looks at Naomi’s childhood were probably closer to the Horseman family’s past than I’d be comfortable thinking about.) But by limiting the fucked-up and inherently dark nature of its comedy, the new series becomes that much more relatable to audiences at large, and not just four-legged former sitcom stars.

I Technically Have Little In Common With The Schwoopers, But I Easily Relate To Their Emotional Journeys

I could spend quite a while naming all the ways my life doesn't directly compare to the Schwoopers. For one, I'm from the South, and thus am not Jewish and don't knowingly have any Jewish ancestors, and bar/bat mitzvahs are Greek (orthodox) to me. I only have one sibling, and while my sister and I are both still married (to other people, natch) with two kids each, neither of us are part of a mixed-race couple, and no one in my immediate family went through IVF treatments. My dad died when I was a teenager, so I never quite got to see my parents get old together. And so on, and so on.

Despite all of the differerences that can be found under the microscope, however, each of this show's titular stories can really be whittled down to the most elemental and core concept of family, which is one of the most relatable topics imaginable, biological or otherwise. In that vein, I know all to well what it's like to be elated, disappointed, frustrated, gobsmacked and more by familiy members, which aligns squarely with how Long Story Short's characters react to each other, sometimes with all emotions emerging at once.

I Do Know What It's Like To Have (And Love) An Outspokenly Judgmental And Demanding Mother

Lisa Edelstein delivers an award-worthy performance as Naomi, a character with a tireless ability to dish out captious criticisms regardless of how ill-advised and unwelcomed such words might be. In some ways, Naomi taps into the "Jewish TV mom" stereotypes that even she'd call out as being reductive, but instead of making sure the actors use distinct voices to speak one at a time, Long Story Short allows its cast members to get loud and talk all over each other. It's enough to cause immediate blood pressure spikes, as my own mother was like Naomi at 80-85% strength. (Sorry, lady.)

I can so relate to having discussions with a sibling about how to break a piece of news to one's mother in a way that will draw the weakest amount of blowback. I know quite well what it's like to receive compliments only when couched between nitpicks. Never did I ever doubt the immense love lurking behind her critical snipes, though, knowing that's where it all surfaced from, similar to Naomi's desire for attention coming from a non-hateful place. She's a mom.

Long Story Short Is A Hilarious And Stressful Reminder To Make The Best Memories Possible While You Still Can

You can pick your friends and lovers, but you can't pick your family, and as Long Story Short proves, we don't always have the best judgment when picking those friends and lovers, so it's always key to remember what's most important. The Season 1 finale is as much a reminder as any episode that life often goes completely against our plans and desires, and can even make an already difficult time of mourning even more soul-crushing. (Like, say, with a global pandemic.)

Not every animated comedy will make you want to call your parents, siblings, estranged spouse, children just to make sure they know you appreciate them. In fact, there are very few series that fit that description, which further helps make Long Story Short stand out among the masses. I might not be itching to talk to any exes about botched prom plans and other icky memories, but if it means hearing about a fun moment I wasn't aware of before, so be it. We only live once, and there's no flashback button.

I can only hope that more animated projects look to this show and the King of the Hill revival's aged-up timeline as proof that audiences can still follow along and relate to animated characters even if they don't eternally remain the same age. In fact, it's far easier that way, although maybe that's just my own age showing.

Long Story Short is available to stream on Netflix. Let's try to keep the Schwoopers around for more than just one season, how 'bout it?