TV Review: The Good Place
Combining ethics and philosophy with comedy and the after-life, “The Good Place” is a binge-worthy series that is perfect for having a laugh after a stressful day. The series initially revolves around Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, as she wakes up in the afterlife. Michael, portrayed by Ted Danson, welcomes her and explains to her about the complex system where points are awarded and deducted according to every decision a human makes on Earth.
By the time of their death, the human’s sum of points determines whether they deserve to live in the The Good Place or The Bad Place. Luckily for Eleanor, Michael announces that she has qualified to be in the highly-selective Good Place but Eleanor quickly realizes that she was sent there by mistake. Throughout the first season, the series follows Eleanor as she struggles to suppress her immoral tendencies and learn how to be a better, more ethical human.
The NBC original series recently premiered its third season and is currently half-way through its run. Continuing right after the events of season two’s finale, the series opens with Eleanor, Chidi, Jason and Tahani back on Earth. After convincing the judge to give them a second chance to be placed in The Good Place, Michael tries to tamper with their lives in hopes of helping them become better people and receiving enough points to live in The Good Place. However, trouble ensues as Shawn, Michael’s ex-boss and chief of The Bad Place, tries to intervene with the humans on Earth.
As a fan of the past two seasons, I had high expectations. Ever since the pilot of the show, I was immediately drawn to the script because of its witty humor and original concept. However, I doubted that the intrigue would last for another eight episodes. After exploring the new world in season one and diving deeper into its secrets following the previous finale’s plot twist, I wasn’t sure there was more of the story to tell.
Many TV shows in the past, especially in the comedy genre, often become repetitive, recycling jokes and even resorting to clichés as the writers become less excited about the project. Even with this feeling, many production companies have famously pushed the producers and writers of the show to continue with the hopes of trying to milk every last dollar they can from an already popular show.
However, this was not the case in the third season of “The Good Place.” Though the characters start out in different places, the episode allocates enough time and cuts at precise moments to parallel Michael’s intervention at each human’s death. Much to Michael’s dismay, the characters only temporarily try to become better people but ultimately resort back to their old ways. Convinced that they’ll eventually return to The Bad Place, Michael breaks the rules by traveling to Earth, once again, in an attempt to replicate the group’s dynamic in the The Good Place that led them to becoming better people.
In this first episode, Michael’s character growth is clearly shown. Beginning as an emotionless demon at the start of the show, Michael seems to legitimately care about the humans and even sacrifices his job for them. This heart-warming change could’ve easily become cliche if not for Ted Danson’s portrayal of this character. Though Michael has now learned to care, his jokes deprecating humankind have not stopped and his excitement about human quirks have been essential to the humor of the show.
If you’ve already watched the first two seasons of the show, this new season will certainly not disappoint. Season three brings back all the characters we’ve loved but with a new setting, new concept and new goal. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a destressing show that will make you think and laugh out loud at the same time.