The Good Place

The Good Place

A news story about the thematic connections between the Russian Doll and The Good Place shows. The idea of the show caught my attention. So, I checked out the show's backlog on Netflix. The first two seasons are on that site. I've seen all of the first season of The Good Place and I am almost done with S2.

Michael Schur created the show. Schur worked on Black Mirror Brooklyn Nine-Nine Parks and Recreation and The Comeback. So, he knows his way around humor and dark issues. This show has a bit of a The Comeback vibe to it.

Given it is a “big four” network show, I already had a bias against it. To my surprise, I really enjoyed the first season. It has a quirky, yet cynical, charm to it. Plus, you can throw in a bit of raunchy-ness in there. The shows has a tone more akin to something that should be on Netflix if they added more cussing and nudity.

I enjoy how they convey the afterlife with as a 50s style suburban location and partly a parody of What Dreams May Come. It is almost too good to be true. Then, you have Kristen Bell's character realizing she doesn't belong in the Good Place. She should have gone to “The Bad Place” instead. So, the rest of the season is Bell trying to become a good person.

-Ted Danson is the straight-laced leader of the Good Place. He also built this branch of the Good Place. He seems to be on edge as things go wrong because of Bell's presence. He is great in the role.

-Jameela Jamil: She is tall and lovely. She plays a version of those Jenner family members but grown up. She wants to be known for being famous more than anything else.

-D'Arcy Carden : She plays the AI Janet. She reminds me of those Cideal AI programs from the Mass Effect series. I thought Carden was the woman from The Wonder Years, but she is a different person. She plays two different versions of Janet. Bad Janet and Good Janet.

There is a major twist at the end of the season that I actually laughed out loud with glee. It was a smart major turn of events for the series. I won't give it away for people that haven't watched it before. I am not sure how much of it holds up if I re-watch the first season again. (Shades of 24's first season). I have to give the show extra credit points for throwing this twist upon us late in the season. In turn, it changes the show completely that point on.

The show is both cynical and hopeful at the same time. It also has that 30 Rock sense of humor added to it with some really raunchy jokes (female masturbation) for a network show. Bell is charming as the anti-hero and quick with the jokes. I love that each season is a completely different take on the idea of the afterlife. To my surprise, Network TV can make a funny and entertaining show. Wow.

Grade: B