Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University
Type	University
Location	Middletown, Connecticut
Inhabitants	Dean Squooshyface (Dean of Students) BoJack Horseman Scene Study Professor (formerly) Hollyhock (student) Tawnie (student) Amy (student) Helena (student) Whitfield (student) Stan (student, formerly) Lab Coat Woman (student) Chemist (student) Regina (student)
Members	BoJack Horseman (Former Drama Professor)
Behind The Scenes
First appearance	The Light Bulb Scene (Picture) The Face of Depression (Debut)
Last appearance	Sunk Cost and All That

BoJack calls Hollyhock in The Light Bulb Scene

Wesleyan University is a location first mentioned in The Light Bulb Scene, in Season 5 of BoJack Horseman. BoJack is shown visiting his half-sister Hollyhock there in The Face of Depression, in Season 6.

Physical Appearance

Wesleyan is a red building based on the real-life college.

Background

Season 5

In The Light Bulb Scene, BoJack goes to his fridge and drinks his allotted amount of alcohol for the night. He likes one of Hollyhock's pictures on Instagram and calls her to make sure she knows that one of the hearts was from him.

He tells her that he misses her, as she is away at college at Wesleyan University, and she tells him that she misses him too and she'll call him Sunday afternoon like they always do.

Season 6

In The Face of Depression, BoJack arrives in Connecticut where Hollyhock greets him at the airport with a hug, to which BoJack returns. While driving in her car, Hollyhock invites BoJack to go to a concert with her and her best friend, Tawnie, who unbeknownst to BoJack was in the backseat, due to her and Hollyhock apparently being in a fight.

At the concert, Hollyhock and BoJack both agree they think the music is terrible, and Hollyhock admits she only came to cheer up Tawnie. She explains their fight started because they canceled all the drama classes, due to the acting professor quitting as he got cast in a regional commercial, and now Tawnie has to change her major.

BoJack comments that a lot of actors would love to teach in a place like this, and wonders if they’re looking for a replacement. Tawnie comes up to Hollyhock, and after the two talk it out they makeup and hug. BoJack, Hollyhock, and Tawnie head out to the dance floor and Hollyhock asks BoJack where he'll go next. BoJack asks where it isn’t winter, but he dislikes Hollyhock and Tawnie's suggestions.

BoJack returns to L.A. and asks Princess Carolyn to lie about him like she’s done for the last twenty years and be his reference for a job recommendation for a drama professor position at Wesleyan University. She tells him she'll be back in the office tomorrow and to have them call her cell because her assistant is terrible.

Two months later, BoJack is seen talking to the Dean at Wesleyan, questioning why he hasn’t heard anything back yet. She explains they have other applicants being considered for the job.

Later, BoJack then gets a call from the Wesleyan Dean, telling him he got the job, and the spring semester starts next week. BoJack smiles and accepts, saying he'll be on the next plane.

In Intermediate Scene Study w/ BoJack Horseman, The episode begins with BoJack rehearsing his first lecture at Wesleyan University in the mirror. He then leaves his room and rides his bike to the lecture hall. In the classroom, he writes his name on the board and continues to practice.

The episode then cuts to BoJack's first day of class where he introduces himself to his new students. He then proceeds to ask the class what is acting. Everyone then proceeds to raise their hands at once. BoJack calls on a few of them and they each give their interpretation of what acting is.

A student expresses concern that the class is becoming too theoretical and another student asks him what acting is. BoJack acts like he doesn't know what acting is and then pretends to be leaving the class in defeat. He then turns around and tells them he's not quitting, he was just acting. He then tells the class they are dismissed and a student points out there is an hour and twenty minutes left in the lecture. He then once again tells them he was acting. A different student tells BoJack he sounded serious. BoJack retorts that instead of judging his acting, he should judge the students instead.

Tawnie then suggests they could show him the scenes they were working on in the previous semester. The students then show him their scenes and he gives them pointers of where they need to improve. They wind up working overtime and being twenty minutes late to their next class. BoJack then dismisses them for the day.

In BoJack's office, he is talking to a student named Whitfield. He tells Whitfield they've been in class for six weeks and questions him on how it has been going. Whitfield says he thinks he's crushing class so far. BoJack tells him he admires his confidence but, he should take other classes besides acting as a safety net in case acting doesn't work out. Whitfield misunderstands and tells BoJack he will prove to him that he is a wonderful actor.

Later, when BoJack is at an AA meeting, Whitfield shows up with a shopping cart filled with bottles of alcohol. He then tells the people at the meeting he is a drunk. BoJack for a second believes Whitfield is an alcoholic and says he had no idea. Whitfield then says alcohol took everything from him. BoJack then realizes Whitfield is trying to impress him by acting. BoJack then apologizes to the other people at the meeting explaining Whitfield is one of his students. Whitfield continues to act while BoJack says this performance is disrespectful. He concludes his performance and the AA members applaud his performance.

At a rugby game, BoJack cheers on Hollyhock, who is playing, from the stands. BoJack sees women tossing women in the game and doesn't understand that is how the game is played. Another spectator in the stands explains that is how the game is supposed to be played. After the game, BoJack congratulates Hollyhock on playing really well. She tells him he doesn't have to come if it's not his thing. BoJack says he's happy to support her and she reiterates it's OK if they are doing different things. BoJack asks if Hollyhock wants to get something to eat.

Hollyhock then tells him she is going to a bar with friends to celebrate since her team won the game. BoJack offers to come along and she tells him he shouldn't since there will be alcohol and underage girls there. He questions what that has to do with anything and Hollyhock simply responds that she is stating a fact. BoJack then tells Hollyhock she's cool and she thanks him as she walks off.

In class, BoJack asks Tawnie if she understands why Hollyhock is now into playing rugby. Tawnie tells him she doesn't get it and Hollyhock became super aggressive after spring break and decided rugby was what she was all about. BoJack then tells her he is going to get on board with Hollyhock playing rugby.

At another game, BoJack continues to cheer Hollyhock on. He learns what a try means in rugby.

Later, he is seen reading up on the sport to understand how it's played. He goes to cheer Hollyhock on for several more games.

Unbeknownst to BoJack, Hollyhock has quit the team all of a sudden. He finds out and goes to her dorm and asks her why. She replies she has realized she is in college to learn and wants to focus on school. BoJack then protests rugby was their thing. Hollyhock replies her thing should be being a student and his thing should be being a professor. BoJack questions if she's feeling OK. She hesitantly tells him she'll be at his showcase before shutting the door.

In his office, BoJack gets a call from his accountant Gaz. Gaz tells him he noticed BoJack spent a lot of money on rehab last year. Gaz then suggests BoJack will be fine if he makes another movie. BoJack says he's not working on another movie as he is now a college professor. Gaz sounding shocked asks him if he hates money. Gaz then suggests unloading some assets and suggests BoJack sells Elefante.

BoJack says he'd love to get rid of Elefante but he doesn't know who'd buy it.

In class, BoJack tells Terry he can't use an old man's voice for every character. Terry explains the voice is his gimmick. BoJack says that in show business they cast real old men to play old men characters. Terry then runs out of the room telling BoJack he'll show him. BoJack tells him not to and that they have twenty minutes of class left.

At BoJack's AA meeting, Terry walks in and starts doing his old man routine. BoJack once again explains that Terry is one of his acting students trying to impress him and apologizes for it. Whitfield then comes in and joins the act pretending to be Terry's son. Terry then hugs Whitfield concluding their act and the AA members applaud them.

Later, in class, BoJack has Princess Carolyn teach the class the business side of acting. The students then ask her various questions about getting discovered. A student named Stan, who was sitting in the back, and the only one not asking a question catches the eye of Princess Carolyn.

After class, Princess Carolyn asks BoJack about Stan and tells him she thinks he's got the looks and potential. She then tells BoJack she wants to sign Stan and BoJack counters he needs to finish school as he is a Sophomore. Princess Carolyn states this is perfect because he's a legal adult who looks young and therefore can play roles that other young actors can't because they keep going to rehab or getting in legal trouble.

BoJack once again states he thinks it's a bad idea. Princess Carolyn then says they should let Stan decide for himself.

In BoJack's office, Princess Carolyn tells Stan she wants to be his manager. BoJack tells him L.A.'s not going anywhere and that he needs school to keep him grounded. Princess Carolyn tells him he has a great opportunity and he's done with school. BoJack tells Stan that one day he'll realize that these were the last days he was truly free and in the brutal world of show business there is nothing to protect him. Princess Carolyn tells him he will get a Birthday Dad jacket for being in the show.

BoJack once again tells him the campus is a safe space and that his whole career he wanted to get someplace like where they are and he didn't know it and not to make the same mistake he did. Princess Carolyn then offers Stan a chair with his name on it. He then gets excited and runs over to Princess Carolyn who tells him he's a good boy and they are getting his teeth fixed.

Todd is walking with Ruthie around campus where he passes by a female student in a lab coat who is standing by a table with marshmallows. In a lab, the student puts a marshmallow on a plate in front of Ruthie. Todd eats the marshmallow. The student explains the marshmallow was for Ruthie. The student explains that if Ruthie abstains from eating the marshmallow for fifteen minutes she'll receive a bigger reward than the marshmallow.

Todd then calls his girlfriend Maude and asks what he should do with the marshmallow. She advises him to eat it, as he doesn't know what the world will be like in fifteen minutes. Todd then eats the marshmallow. He then calls Maude again realizing what he did. Maude suggests going to the cafeteria for a new one. Todd rejects this idea and asks Maude what marshmallows are made of. She tells him she thinks they are made of chemicals.

Todd then decides to take Ruthie to the chemistry lab where he bursts in on a male chemistry student. The student tells Todd he is trying to cure brain cancer. Todd then tells him that's not important right now and if he doesn't produce a new marshmallow a psychiatrist will get mad at Ruthie. The student then tells Todd he is tired of the soft sciences wagging the dog in conversations of behavioral development. He then decides to help Todd concoct a new marshmallow to teach them a lesson.

Todd and Ruthie then take the new marshmallow back to the experiment room. The experimenter comes back in the room and tells him he failed the experiment because she knows he ate the marshmallow. He produces the new marshmallow from his pocket and puts it on the plate in front of Ruthie.

Suddenly, a man barges in and says Todd has won the school. He introduces himself as Willie Wesleyan and says he needs someone to take over the school when he sheds his mortal skin. Two female students walk in to get him, apologizing, saying they were doing LSD research in the next room. Everyone except Todd and Ruthie leave and Todd says "so this is college."

In BoJack's office, a student named Amy walks in. BoJack expresses concern that the showcase is coming up and Amy seems tired all the time, she's been forgetting her lines, and also has been missing a lot of class. Amy promises to prove she can be better.

Backstage, BoJack sees the seat reserved for Hollyhock is empty and wonders where she is. The students tell BoJack they are ready when he is. He tells them to dim the lights. BoJack heads out and introduces the show saying the students have come a long way and he's proud of them. The performance begins. BoJack then heads backstage again and calls Hollyhock. She does not pick up the call. He then heads to her dorm and she tells him she forgot about the showcase. He tells her people came from California and Chicago to see him and that he is upset she couldn't come across campus to see him.

The Showcase

Hollyhock tells him it was her world before he got there and he could have asked her before taking the position. BoJack then says that his sister could have supported him and Hollyhock says they don't really know each other. She continues to say they both had lives before they met. BoJack says he doesn't want to be that person that he used to be and then apologizes for coming to Wesleyan before asking Hollyhock if it was OK and admits it was selfish of him. Hollyhock accepts this apology.

BoJack tells her he doesn't have to come back next semester if it's too weird having him around and he can get a different job somewhere else. Hollyhock tells him Tawnie said he was a really good teacher and it could be fine with her if he comes back next semester. BoJack then tells her he needs to get back to the show. She tells him they need to take their relationship slow which BoJack agrees to.

BoJack then runs back to the showcase as Terry is finishing his act. The students then tell him to join them on stage. One of them hands him flowers and BoJack thanks everyone for coming. The students then take a bow.

BoJack suddenly gets a call from Charlotte and he goes into a panic seeing her number on the screen of his phone. He then heads outside to take the call. He answers and Charlotte angrily demands he stops the reporters from talking to Penny. Charlotte says she does not want herself or her daughter to be included in whatever's happening. He questions what reporters and says he has no idea what she's referring to. She tells BoJack to figure it out before hanging up.

In Sunk Cost and All That, Princess Carolyn and Diane are seen dragging an unconscious BoJack inside of his office. They are followed by Todd and Ruthie.

After Todd shuts the door Diane asks what happened. Todd tells her he saw BoJack getting off a phone call and he tried to give constructive criticism about his play but then BoJack fainted. BoJack suddenly startled comes out of his unconscious state. They question him on what happened and BoJack says no one can know about this or talk to any reporters. Diane reassures him it'll be okay.

The scene cuts to Mr. Peanutbutter who is with Max and Paige at Elifino. He tells them he'd be delighted to answer questions about his good friend BoJack. Paige tells her husband they are back from New Mexico and still on the trail of their story. Mr. Peanutbutter tells Max that BoJack sold the restaurant to him and Joey Pogo.

In BoJack's office, he narrates what happened with Penny and Charlotte in New Mexico. Princess Carolyn says that's not a story because BoJack did nothing illegal and even the not legal thing, he didn't do. BoJack counters that yet, this thing continues to haunt him. Diane then points out that it's not about the legality, and Todd says BoJack has been acting sketchy.

BoJack then agrees and admits he has been acting sketchy. Diane suggests New Mexico is not the story and the reporters are working on something bigger. Todd then asks him about before rehab to which BoJack replies they can't get him for old things he did in the past. Diane suggests it could be a combination of things. Princess Carolyn then says they should make a list of every bad thing he did.

BoJack starts making a list of all the bad things he did on a whiteboard. Princess Carolyn points out that none of the things he wrote are big stories. BoJack then asks what's the point of working on himself and getting better and sober if people out there trying to tear him down. He then questions who the reporters are and wonders if that maybe they can dig up dirt on them in order to teach them a lesson about not considering the fact he may have changed.

Todd then questions if he's really changed because this feels like the old BoJack and he likes the new BoJack who directs plays and is thoughtful. He then says he's putting Ruthie to bed and to call him when the new BoJack is back.

Diane, BoJack, Princess Carolyn continue to make a list of all of BoJack's past wrongdoings on two whiteboards. BoJack says they are not going to figure this out tonight and maybe he should go to the cast party. He is interrupted by Diane getting a phone call from Paige asking if she knows BoJack and what night she saw BoJack with Sarah Lynn. Diane then pretends to have sliced her finger in a bagel guillotine and says she requires medical attention and then hangs up on Paige.

Diane then tells BoJack and Princess Carolyn the story the reporters are trying to cover is about BoJack and Sarah Lynn.

BoJack then asks what he's supposed to do when the story comes out. Princess Carolyn says he'll release a statement saying how sorry he is about certain parts of the story but other parts of the story aren't true. She then goes on to say that in everyone's head BoJack has apologized for the really bad stuff without legally implicating himself. BoJack then asks if that works and Princess Carolyn says all the time.

Diane then asks why Princess Carolyn is telling BoJack to lie. Princess Carolyn says that this BoJack is good. She says this is working, but it's so precarious. BoJack questions if he'll lose his job at Wesleyan saying that has nothing to do with this.

Diane tells him he's about to be pushed out of a plane and Princess Carolyn and BoJack are talking about ways to get back on the plan but they can't because the plane is gone. Princess Carolyn counters she is speaking in absolutes and they can wriggle their way out of this. BoJack tells Diane he's asking her for help because this job is his lifeline. Diane tells him he should do the hard thing and be honest. She tells him things will get worse before they get better but he won't have to spend the rest of his life waiting for the other shoe to drop.

BoJack then gets a call from Paige who asks him questions about Sarah Lynn saying they are running a story about Sarah Lynn and his relationship with her next Thursday. BoJack denies the allegations against him. After BoJack hangs up Diane asks him what happened to being honest. He says he didn't think it would happen so fast. Princess Carolyn says they have a week to plan in order to minimize the damage.

Diane says she no longer wants any part in this as she has her book to write as she leaves the office.

Princess Carolyn asks him what he has written for his apology. BoJack reads what he has written and says there is no way to not sound insincere. BoJack then says Wesleyan and rehab were supposed to be fresh starts for him. He goes on to say no matter how many fresh starts he gets there is always the same ending—everything falls apart and he ends up alone.

Princess Carolyn then tells him she's still here. BoJack then questions why. She says she doesn't know it's probably because she's a fool and he was her first client. She says she has loved BoJack for twenty-five years and when she tells her daughter the story of the great love of her life she wants it to have a happy ending. BoJack asks if it's possible letting him go is the happy ending. She tells him she has gone with him this far "sunk cost and all that."

BoJack then says Diane is right and he needs to take responsibility. BoJack says he wants to so that Princess Carolyn can tell her daughter she helped him do the right thing. BoJack tells her he's looking forward to it. She then asks if he's sure. He hesitates and then says no. She laughs at this. The episode ends with BoJack shutting out the lights and leaving his office for the night.

In Xerox of a Xerox, BoJack gets good publicity after his first interview with Biscuits Braxby and he is invited to teach at Wesleyan again by the Dean.

In The Horny Unicorn, everyone in town acts hostile towards BoJack months after his second interview with Biscuits Braxby comes out. It is revealed he settled with Sarah Lynn's family in court for five million dollars, and his offer to return to Wesleyan was withdrawn.

Trivia

• In The Face of Depression, Dean Squooshyface mentions Raven-Symoné “circling” the drama professor job at Wesleyan to BoJack, and he remarks "That is so...like her," which is a bait and switch to referencing "That’s So Raven," which Raven was the star of.
  • The Dean later mentions Raven turned down the position by saying "Nevermore!," which is a reference to Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven."
• BoJack gets a letter from Hollyhock, which has a return address from Wesleyan University where she's studying. However, the address is from Middleton, whereas Wesleyan is actually located in Middletown.
  • This could be a play on dropping one letter from Hollywood to make Hollywoo. The dorm "Bradley Whitford" from the envelope does not exist, although Bradley Whitford (of West Wing fame) did attend Wesleyan. The displayed zip code 06459 is correct for the campus.