Come to think of it, this might be why I haven't written about the show before: I can't fully tell you what it's about. In Episode 1, you are introduced to Eleanor Shellstrop (the ever-charming Kristen Bell), a woman who died on Earth and has just woken up in the "Good Place," where she is greeted by Michael (the even-more-charming Ted Danson). Michael is the "architect" of the particular neighborhood of the Good Place she has been assigned to; think of him as a low-level angel. He shows her around, introduces her to other residents, including the silent monk, Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), British socialite, Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and the ethics professor, Chidi (William Jackson Harper), who is supposed to be her soulmate in the afterlife. There's also Janet (D'Arcy Carden), an artificial being who knows the answers to everything and can provide residents with anything they want at a moment's notice. It's all very uplifting and grand. But things start going wrong and Michael seems perplexed by how his carefully constructed neighborhood is falling to pieces. At the end of the episode, Eleanor runs to Chidi and confesses - she has been mistaken for another woman named Eleanor Shellstrop, who was a truly good and decent citizen and deserved to be here, unlike her, an "Arizona trashbag" who lived her life as a largely amoral and insensitive woman. She thinks her presence has resulted in all the chaos in the Good Place, and she needs to fix it so she doesn't get sent to the Bad Place.
That was just a description of the first episode. Every following episode ends with similar cliffhangers and twisty revelations, and by the end of the first season, the show ended on such a bombshell that it returned in a completely rebooted second season. This trend has continued each year - there is always something so drastic that happens in the season finale that you might as well be watching a brand new show next year. But the one constant is that this is a show that is deeply invested in the question of what it means to be good. How can human beings do the right thing? What, in fact, IS the right thing? How should we all be treating each other to ensure we can all get into the Good Place?
I listen to the Good Place podcast every week - if you are just starting to watch, I highly recommend bingeing the podcast alongside the show because it will so deepen your appreciation for the thought and artistry that goes into every sentence and every prop. In the words of the podcast's host, Marc Evan Jackson (who plays the demon Shaun on the show), "This is the smartest dumbest show on television." It is concerned with high-concept philosophical quandaries, but unafraid to also throw in low-brow fart jokes as the situation demands. It is impossibly funny, and impossibly thought-provoking at the same time. Creator Mike Schur (who also gave us Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is responsible for all this creative goodness, and the writers room on this show is overflowing with genuinely hilarious and thoughtful people who can craft the perfect pun alongside the most tangled ethical dilemma. This is a show that also employs philosophers as consultants - one of them is Dr. Todd May, and I ended up reading his book, A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us, a few months ago. How many TV shows lead you to read books on moral philosophy? And have a companion podcast that ends with the host telling listeners to "go do something good?" It's all absurd and wonderful.
This week, I faced a terrible situation at work where I inadvertently upset someone who then demanded an apology. I stewed over this all night, angry and mortified, unclear on how to proceed. But the morning after, I watched the latest episode of The Good Place, "A Chip Driver Mystery," which bizarrely featured a storyline where a person was being made to apologize for something and was being a total douche about it. At the end of the episode, Michael made the following observation: "What matters isn't if people are good or bad. What matters is if they're trying to be better today than they were yesterday.". Upon hearing that, all my cares melted away. I went to the office, made all my apologies, and had a (somewhat) clear conscience.
It's a lesson we need to tell ourselves all the time. Human beings are messy and complicated creatures. We do a LOT of stupid things. But we have to try. As long as we are trying to be better than we were yesterday, we have a shot at making this a better and happier world for everyone. Meanwhile, The Good Place, a magical half-hour sitcom, is out there, trying to make us all better human beings. If you haven't watched it yet, do yourself a favor. Watch it. And then go do something good.
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