The Good Place: Complicated but Worth It

The Good Place, which just finished its 2nd season on NBC, is not your average sitcom.  From Parks and Recreation creator Michael Schur, it 's so out-there and different that it doesn't really feel like a sitcom at all.  The premise is quite complicated and even a bit convoluted, but the reward for investing in this unique little show is definitely worth the effort.  As quickly and simply as possible, let me explain...

Recently deceased Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) has just entered the Good Place, the show's version of heaven, which is filled with frozen yogurt shops and resembles a quaint little town.  But there seems to have been some sort of mistake, because Eleanor was not a very nice person when she was alive.  She worked as a telemarketer selling fake medicine to the elderly, she berated grocery store clerks and other customer service workers, and she was generally just a miserable person.  She soon meets her pre-determined "soulmate" Chidi (William Jackson), a professor of ethics, who in life was racked with anxiety, completely unable to make even the smallest decision.  They soon become friends with Tahani (Jameela Jamil), a wealthy socialite who was full of herself but still charitable and generous with her time and money.  Tahani's soulmate is Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), a Buddhist monk who doesn't speak.  It turns out that Jianyu seems to be in the wrong place too, because he's really Jason, a low level-drug dealer who also happens to be a lovable idiot.  This "neighborhood" of the Good Place is managed by Michael (Ted Danson), an ineffective and bumbling man who is excited to finally have some management experience.  His assistant is Janet (D'Arcy Carden), a robot-like woman with no emotions and an all-knowing knowledge of the universe.  Eleanor and Jason try to hide their mistaken place in heaven, and typical sitcom hijinks ensue. 

The 1st season of The Good Place for me was a bit boring and repetitive, but I continued to watch because the show was unqiue and usually pretty funny.  From the pilot, though, all of the actors have been strong, particularly Bell and Carden.  A huge twist at the end of season 1 (which I won't give away here), however, really brought the show alive.  Season 2 completely upended the premise of the show and began to venture outside of the "neighborhood".  One recent episode set in the Bad Place featured The Museum of Human Misery, which included hilarious sight-gag exhibits like "the first person to floss in public" and "the first man-splainer".  Also in season 2 we learned more about each of the characters, and they all evolved into better versions of themselves (even Janet).  There was even an episode about ethical quandaries, which doesn't sound remotely funny or interesting, but this show's skilled writers turned it into must-see tv.  The guest stars continued to shine as well, including Maribeth Monroe as Mindy St. Claire, a coked-up 80's lawyer who is the sole resident of the Medium Place, and Maya Rudolph as the Judge who determines if people end up in the Good or Bad Place.  The last few epsiodes of season 2 were particularly strong, and another twist in the finale set the stage for an even better season 3. 

Season 2 is over, but you can catch season 1 on Netflix and at least part of season 2 on Hulu.