Before reading this article be aware that I explain a majority of the show’s plot. This show is not new, but if you haven’t seen it and want to experience it for yourself stop now.
WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The Good Place came out in 2016, and I am surprised and a little disappointed it has taken me this long to finally watch it. With actors like Kristen Bell, Jason Mantzoukas, Marc Evan Jackson and Ted Danson, the show brought many laughs, but also some sad moments.
The Good Place is about a group of four people, Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani, who recently died and are now figuring out what the afterlife brings them. All four characters are in the Good Place or at least that’s what they were told by the architect, Michael. The main character, Eleanor, however, believes that she is different from the rest: she shouldn’t be in the Good Place.
Chidi tries to teach Eleanor ethics in hopes she can become a better person and stay in the Good Place. But little did they know they weren’t in the Good Place to begin with.
Season one ends with the incredible plot twist that Michael is actually a demon and the four main characters are in the bad place and this is an attempt to torture them. This plot twist genuinely made me gasp and I hurried to watch the next season.
The next season features Michael erasing the four main characters’ memories again and again because they keep finding out where they truly are. Initially, this seems like an endless cycle, but then other demons form a coup and out of fear, Michael stops erasing the group’s memory.
For the remainder of the season Michael and the group lie to the other demons and surprisingly become friends. Michael learns ethics and he completely changes the way he views humans and decides that his friends deserve to be in the actual Good Place because they’ve improved as people. This idea sets up the next season where the four main characters get brought back to life to prove to a judge they could’ve become good people if there were given more time.
Now in my opinion, season three is when the show should have ended. Season four put a nice bow on the overall series as the humans and Michael attempt to change the system that decided whether a person was good or bad, but the season lost what made the show so good.
It was still funny and worth watching, but because so much had already happened it was hard to wrap my head around what could even happen next. Multiple twists and turns were present, but because there were so many they lost the surprising effect they once had. There is only so many times a new conflict can arise before it loses its spark.
Season one was excellent and you don’t even know how good it is until you watch the last episode of it. Season one contained a conflict that the audience was told about, but underneath it all had one the characters were fighting with their knowledge or ours. As the seasons went on though, it just felt like the characters were fighting a losing battle even though eventually they won.
Pacing just seemed really off. For the first two seasons I was so excited to see what happened next and zoomed through the episodes rather quickly, but in the last two, though I wanted to see what happened, it just felt like the episodes were longer and the pacing was just so slow.
The show did some incredible things though. This show was completely addicting to watch and was so funny. Whether it was jokes that were made or situations that were created, every season was filled with great humor.
While being ridiculously funny, the show also balanced it perfectly with the great moral dilemma of what makes a person truly good or truly bad. I mean the overall point of the show was to demonstrate that people who were labeled as bad could become good and that good people could be seen as bad even though they tried to be good. The idea was hinted at then it became the main character’s reason to keep fighting for change.
The idea of what truly makes a person good or bad and that people can change was also beautifully represented through the character development that was present in the show multiple times and in some cases, the same characters becoming better people multiple times.
All characters were really well developed with their own motives, ideas, and flaws which made them feel real and unique. The show gave space for each and every character to evolve in meaningful ways.
Overall the concept of The Good Place was refreshingly original, and that is one of the best parts of the show. It created its own world which is why the plot twists were genuinely surprising. If I could watch the first season again for the first one I would. This show has been on my to be watched list for way too long and I am glad I finally watched it because it was an amazing experience.
If you are looking for a show with incredible character development, humor mixed with heartfelt moments, and a lot of crazy surprises I would fully recommend watching The Good Place.
If you would like to watch The Good Place, it is available on Netflix and Apple TV for free.
