- Initial Thoughts -
It’s finally time for me to sit down and enjoy the hell out of The Good Place. I’ve been putting off watching this series for forever, but I have a few good reasons why. The first is that I am not the biggest fan of one of the main actors in the show. The second is that it has always seemed like it is just another basic, network sitcom with too-cheery characters and obnoxious humor. I have recently been convinced that this is incredibly wrong!
The main reason I really decided to watch The Good Place is because, well, I learned about the Big Twist at the end. I normally don’t like spoilers, but I honestly don’t know if I would have watched the series without knowing the twist beforehand (if you don’t already know it, it’s a good one, guys). It adds meaning to the entire series, and gives me faith that the writers are smarter than I had anticipated, and will most likely impress me.
I would love it if you all would follow along with me and hear my thoughts on how the series develops, season by season. I am going to be updating this post every time I finish a season, so by the end, I will have a full post about the whole series. I can’t wait to begin!
**Heads up - This is intended for those that have already watched the series. If you have not yet seen The Good Place and don’t want SPOILERS, don’t read past this portion.**
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in!
Season One
- AGAIN, THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD -
HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS! So, I have just finished Season 1, and I am actually very surprised, despite having known that this actually is The Bad Place. The reason I am so shocked is because I thought we discovered this fact at the end of the series, not the end of Season One! This means there are three more seasons of the series in which I have no idea what will be happening. I am so excited!
First, I absolutely LOVE Janet and Tahani. Actually, though, I love everyone. I was expecting obnoxiously happy-go-lucky people, when they actually are quite flawed in charming, quirky ways. Even going in knowing this is the Bad Place, I still had no idea that the main four were the only ones in there. It is such a unique twist that is so incredibly thoughtful.
I feel I will enjoy all of the characters more during this next season. I think knowing where they actually stand, and what kind of people they actually are, makes them each much more entertaining and relatable. Before, it didn’t quite make sense that people like Tahani and Chidi were described as “perfect” when they had such huge character flaws. However, knowing that they aren’t perfect gives me much more reason to root for them.
I am so impressed with how thought-out and elaborate the setting is. It makes me feel like, even though there was a huge twist already, there are some even more crazy twists that will be happening. Everything is so SMART that I can’t believe somebody actually came up with it all!
One last thing I will say is that, although I like “Real Eleanor,” I am actually glad she isn’t as perfect as she was described to be. I hope she sticks around as her real self. Also, I can’t wait to see how Eleanor’s new “soulmate” behaves, because he seems like he has a lot of potential to be a great character. We shall see, won’t we! I am starting Season Two immediately!
Season Two
Ok, now I see where this show is going! After the initial reveal that they are in the Bad Place, I wasn’t sure how this could continue. However, I love that at the end of this season, they are sent back into their lives. It wasn’t something that I was expecting to root for at the beginning of the series, but I actually believe it was executed well and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Personally, (and I confirmed this with a friend, so I know it isn’t just me) I don’t think Chidi and Eleanor have as much romantic chemistry as I would like, but I do love them as friends and love the way their energy compliments each other. The main couple I was rooting for was actually Janet and Jason, who I was sad to see aren’t together in this season. I was even upset when he and Tahani got together, but luckily they actually went back to Jason and Janet (yay!).
I really enjoy the moral quandaries that these characters face often. Especially because the rules of the Good Place are apparently incredibly strict, it is interesting to see how the characters learn to be good people. It is a unique and blatant display of character that I like to see, and shows character development super clearly.
In my Season 1 thoughts, I expressed excitement for the new soulmate they gave Eleanor. Well, that turned out to be nothing! And actually, that is fine with me. Same with the “real Eleanor.” Once I got to know her better, I do appreciate that she got punished instead of Micheal and probably won’t be in the show much more.
Overall, I am majorly impressed by the upkeep of story and development. I am so excited to start Season 3!
Season Three
This season is great. I love how the show takes the time to really outline what it means to be a good person. I think in the first two seasons, this was all in theory, but sending the four humans back to Earth really shows, first hand, how hard it can be (and sometimes how easy it is) to be a good person.
One thing that really sticks out to me in this season was Eleanor learning of her mom’s other life. Realizing that she doesn’t want her mom to change, because it means she just didn’t want to change for Eleanor, really means a lot. Not only is it a great example of the complexity of our emotions as people, but it also helps Eleanor, as a character, grow. It is a great plot point and very thoughtful!
Another plot point I like is Tahani having that nice moment with her sister. It is great that Tahani finally realizes it isn’t totally her sister’s fault. I think that moment is much needed for them both, but especially Tahani.
I sincerely enjoyed Chidi and Eleanor’s relationship this season, and actually felt they have more chemistry than ever before. In fact, their slideshow at the end of the season did make me cry (a little!). I can’t believe he’s getting his memory wiped AGAIN. At the same time, I really like him with Simone, and she is very sweet. I hope if those two don’t end up together, they allow her to meet someone nice.
Speaking of Simone! Why is she in the Bad Place? I don’t see what she possibly could have done wrong. Although, I guess everybody has gone to the Bad Place for five hundred years, so that does make sense. I just have a hard time believing she has done anything wrong, but maybe her character hasn’t been flushed out enough yet.
Lastly, I like that Janet and Jason are starting to get together again. I would like to see a little more growth for Jason’s character by the end of the series, but I think the two of them are actually quite cute together, and would like to see them end up happy. If for anything, just because Janet deserves it, because she is the best character (in my humble opinion).
I wasn’t sure how this season would go, but I am kind of excited that they are going back to the fake Good Place. It doesn’t blow my mind or surprise me too much, but I like that because it makes sense. It was impossible for me to think of a way to drive the series to the end, and I think this is a great way. I can’t wait to finish and let you all know what I think!
Season Four
I am sobbing! This is one of the best endings to a sitcom I have ever seen! Everything about this last season is so meaningful, smart, and brilliant.
First, I was actually very stressed to see if the four new humans improved, even though I knew they would somehow, and save the universe. To see it play out so well was great, since they don’t win in some crazy landslide. They win in a really human way, that includes persuasion, which was a bigger pay off for me as an audience member.
This idea of the afterlife that they imagine sounds absolutely amazing. Even the “trials” you must go through to get to the Good Place sound fun. If the afterlife is anywhere close, I sincerely look forward to it (especially those doors that can take you anywhere. What!!).
In terms of the characters, I am glad that Chidi is able to come back with all his memories intact. I think it would have been quite exhausting to see him fall in love with Eleanor again. This way just made the plot smoother and their relationship much cuter in the end. I also think his development as a character is great, such as becoming more confident. He really feels like a character that would save the universe.
Speaking of Chidi, they really don’t address what happens to his ex, Simone. I know the writers had too much to get through in the last season, so I’m not particularly mad, but I feel like her character deserves more! At the very least she should find love after being in love with Chidi twice.
Last season, I mentioned how I wished Jason’s character would develop more, and he actually develops quite a lot in the last season! In fact, he is the first one (really, I know) to walk through the door. I cried quite hard at that scene. Nevertheless, his love for Janet, and his time spent around the others really allows him to become a better person. He is never a bad person in my opinion, but he is rather a caricature. Towards the end he has real heart, and I admire his character’s growth very much.
All of the “leaving” scenes are so hard to get through, yet so well done. I think eternity is very stressful to think about, so it makes sense that the afterlife cannot last forever. This show takes all of the third season to define what being a good person means, and then all of the last season to flush out how a perfect afterlife would work out. Humans watching this show simply cannot comprehend that eternity can be a good thing. I also like the fact that humans get the chance to improve once their life is over. It is a heartwarming process to watch on TV.
I have so many emotions about this series, and I’m going to save part of it for my non-spoiler post about it. However, I do want to say to anyone reading this, I do LOVE this show, much more than I expected. I’m disappointed I waited this long to watch it. Thank you to everyone that recommended it to me!
Comments