AfteraSeasonFromHell,‘TheGoodPlace’RediscoversOptimism

ByMilesSurreyFeb2,2018TheGoodPlaceistheonlyhalf-hourcomedythatmakesyouoveranalyzepromotionalphotoslikeaWestworldfanonReddit—that’swhathappenswhenashowendsitsfirstseasonbycompletelyflippingthescriptandrevealingthatthebelovedprotagonistswhohadbeenchosentoliveinafroyo-filledutopiaareactuallytrappedinaspeciallyconcoctedplaceofeternaldamnation.Evenmorethanayearafterthefact,theSeason1finalerevealthattheGoodPlaceisactuallytheBadPlace—underscoredbyTedDanson’smaniacallaugh,ashispreviouslyaffableMichaelmorphsintoaliteraldemon—isbewildering,andleavesyouapuddleofdiscomfortandtwistedjoy.TheGoodPlacereallywentthere,andSeason2wasahardresetineverysenseoftheword—allfourmaincharacters’mindshavingbeenwipedoftheshockingrevelation.Somehow,thesecondseasonhasfollowedthattwistwithevenmoretwists,surprisinglessintheconceitthanthemannerinwhichtheywerepresented.ThatEleanor(KristenBell),Chidi(WilliamJacksonHarper),Jason(MannyJacinto),andTahani(JameelaJamil)figureouttheywerestillintheBadPlacewastobeexpected.Whatwasn’texpectedwasthattheydiscoveredthisintheseason’spremiere,andthatthroughthenextthreeepisodestheybecameallieswithMichael.Turnsoutevenanomniscientdemonmightbecapableofbecomingabetter“person,”onewillingtohelphumansventurethroughBadPlaceandbeyondtosavetheirsouls.SobeforeThursdaynight’sfinale,“SomewhereElse,”IsawaphotoofEleanorpointinginastonishmentatsomethingoutofframe,andmymindracedfromthepossibilities.WastheGoodPlaceneverrealtobeginwith?WeretheygoingbacktotheBadPlace?WilltheygettheirownMediumPlace?AretheywatchingtheJacksonvilleJaguarsfallapartinthefourthquarteragainsttheNewEnglandPatriots?(Honestly,aninfiniteloopofthatgamecouldbeJason’sBadPlace.)TheGoodPlace’spremisehasalwaysfeltexceptionallybleak.Therearejokesabouttorturingpeoplewith“buttholespiders,”butoff-screentherearemillionsofdeadhumansbeingsubjectedtothisstuff,foreternity.Ifyouwatchtheshow,you’veprobablythoughtaboutwhetheryoudeservetobeintheGoodPlace;andthescarythingis,alotofuswouldconcedethatwedon’t,consideringhowfewcharactersintheshowhaveearneditbasedontheestablishedpointssystem.Despitewhatthewallpapersays,everythingisnotfine.TheSeason1finale’stwist,transparentlycynicalinnature,onlyreinforcedthatbyrenderingthemoralstridesmadebyEleanorandtheotherhumansfeellikeacompletewasteoftime.HeadingintotheSeason2finale,itwasimpossiblenottobracefortheworstagain.Whatarelief,then,that“SomewhereElse”endedwiththeshowexpressingoptimismabouthumanity’sabilitytobetteritself—evenifitmeansthatourfourmaincharactersmustliterallycrashbackdowntoEarth.Asitturnsout,thetestsgiventoEleanor,Chidi,Jason,andTahanibyeternalJudgeGen(MayaRudolph,inalovelybitofcasting)inthepenultimateepisodeweren’tashigh-stakesastheyseemed—rather,theywerejustaformofpersonalamusementforaboredomniscientbeingwholovesburritos.Afterafewmoreattemptstofindasolutionthatmakeseveryonehappy,Michaelcomesupwitharevolutionaryidea—byafterlifestandards—forhowthehumanscouldprovetheirworth:Whatiftheyweresentback,tocontinuelivingtheirlivesafteranear-deathexperience?It’sprobablynotanactualreturntoEarthproper,butakindofsimulation,onewherethecharacters’abilitytobegoodforthesakeofbeinggoodcantrulybetested.Thisisessentiallyalitmustestfortheirhumanity;ifthelessonsfromChidi’sphilosophyclasseswillbeappliedwithouttheprospectofaheavenlyreward.ForEleanor,theonlyhumanwefollowin“SomethingElse,”thatmeansaprocessofpersonalbetterment,startingwithcleaningherfilthyroom,quittinghercrappyjob,goingvegetarian,andtellingthetruthtohershittyroommates,evenattheriskoflosingthem.ThattheprocesseventuallyweighsEleanordownandshebeginstoslipisn’tmeantasanindictmentofhercharacter,butthetaxingnatureoftryingtomakeeveryrightdecisioneverytime,andhowthatcanbackfire—you’relyingtoyourselfifyousayyou’vedoneeverypossiblegooddeedforeveryscenarioforanentireyear.InEleanor’sodysseyweseetheinherentflawsoftheGoodPlace–BadPlacesystem,whichasksfornear-perfectionwhenbeinghumanrarelyissocutanddry.TheentireethosofTheGoodPlace’safterlifeisinneedofareboot—notjustEleanor,Chidi,Jason,andTahani.AsEleanorslidesbackintoheroldways,ittakesanudgefromMichael,cheatingthesimulationbygoinginsideofitasabartender—acheekyCheersreferenceforTedDanson—tosetherontherighttrack.“Whatdoweowetoeachother?”heasksher.ThephilosophicaltreatisefromThomasScanlonwasoneofmanymorallessonsfromTheGoodPlace’sresidentphilosopher,Chidi.EleanoractuallyfindsaseminaronYouTubeofChidiexplainingtheconceptatauniversityinAustralia,andwatchesthewholething.(It’slikethreehourslong,soshedefinitelydeservesarbitraryGoodPlacepoints.)AsSeason2comestoaclose,EleanorhasboardedaplaneandflownallthewaytoAustraliatoseekChidiout;Michael,observingfromafar,letsoutatriumphant,“Herewego.”Itdoesn’tfeellikeacoincidencethatEleanor’scosmicjourneyofenlightenmentistakinghertoAustralia,whichwasalsothesettingforthefinalepisodesofTheLeftovers.It’saprimal,earthyexpansethatevokesapocalypticsymbolism,butitisalsoaplaceofself-discovery.Whereelsecanyoufindyourself,ifnotattheveryedgeoftheworld?WhenTheLeftoversended,therewasabittersweetness,butalsoasenseofoptimism;thattwopeoplewhowereirreparablybrokenbyaRapture-likeeventcouldlearntoliveandloveagain,evenifittookactualdecadesandmightbepredicatedonanelaboratelie.TheGoodPlace’sownspiritualjourneymaynotdeliverquitethesameemotionalheft—orasmanygorgeousshotsoftheOutback—butastheshowgoeson,onecanexpectEleanor,Chidi,Jason,andTahanitotesttheirmoralcompasses.Andthoughthey’llprobablystruggle,Season2endswiththehopethattheywillleavethisother-Earthasthebetterpeoplethey’vebeenstrivingtobe.ItisafarmoreoptimisticbendthanEvilTedDansonwipingtheirmindsforahardresetoftheirpersonalhell.TheGoodPlaceishopingforthebestoutofpeople,despiteafewstumblesalongtheway.What’smorehumanthanthat?https://www.theringer.com/tv/2018/2/2/16964936/the-good-place-season-2-finale