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The Good Place: What We Owe to Each Other

“What kind of monster would wreak havoc and then say nothing?”

An episode about keeping promises.

Eleanor struggles to help Michael while also keeping him from discovering the source of trouble in the neighborhood. Helping him but not helping him, as she parses. She attempts this by declaring that Michael needs to take a break from obsessing over sinister rocks and have some fun. Karaoke and bowling ensue as does playing one of those claw machines no one ever gets anything out of. You think it would be easier to win in the good place. The fact that Michael won a stuffed minion is evidence of his God-like status within the universe. Unfortunately for Eleanor, her plan works and Michael comes to the realization that the problem in the neighborhood isn’t rocks or twigs; it’s a person. Eleanor is displeased at this outcome.

Again we’re shown two sides of Eleanor. There’s the Eleanor who agreed to dogsit for a friend (although, I must point out, that friend’s house is mansion-esque and Eleanor says she’s only doing it for fast internet) and the Eleanor that abandons said dog for a Rihanna concert. In real time, if the afterlife counts as real time, we see Eleanor try to keep Michael from discovering her secret while at the same time sympathizing with his sadness and frustration. She feels bad for him. Progress? I feel confident calling that progress. She was unrepentant over the dog incident but she seems to genuinely feel bad as she watches Michael spiral in his hoodie.

Elsewhere, Chidi joins “Jianyu” and Tahani on a couples’ spa day. As in “Jason Mendoza” (the episode, not the person), we see Tahani’s displeasure with the man she knows as Jianyu. They’re not connecting and she doesn’t know why. She’s been told that this man is her soulmate, but if that’s true why is she having so much trouble trying to get to know him? Why won’t he open up? Why doesn’t he get her? Of course, we know the truth Tahani doesn’t. There’s no way that JASON is Tahani’s soulmate. Which isn’t to say he doesn’t have a good heart. When he hears she likes the Impressionists, he tries to please her by getting her a poster of an impressionist comic, the only impressionism Jason’s heard of. Oh Jason, you mean well, but you really are too dumb to function.

The trio’s storyline resolves when Chidi arranges for Jason to give Tahani a painting of herself (times three) in the style of Degas from Jianyu. Tahani declares that only her true soulmate would be able to give her such a gift. Are Chidi and Tahani soulmates? It makes some kind fo sense if both of their soulmates are phonies.

Ethical Bits

The spa in the neighborhood is called “The Good Face.”

We learn that architects don’t usually live in their neighborhoods. Why is this time different?

For part of the episode, Michael wears a bracelet made out of paperclips.

Is this the first mention of Eleanor’s mailman fetish?

The Good Quotes

Jason: “She’s so pretty like Nala from The Lion King. And she talks so smart like…uh…Nala from The Lion King.”

Tahani: “Who’s your favorite artist?”
Jason: “I mean, Pitbull changed the game.”

Eleanor: “Wow. I’m ready to be a mom.”

Tahani: “And do you like France as much as I do?”
Chidi: “Well, they enslaved my country for 300 years. So, no.”

Michael: “I feel like Friends in season eight: out of ideas and forcing Rachel and Joey together even though it made no sense.”

it gets so much better than this so I’m going to give this episode two and a half out of four fat dogs

sunbunny

1 comment:

  1. I loved how upset Michael was, saying he was the cause of all the bad going down in the good place! Ted Dansen is knocking it out of the park as Michael. Love it!

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