What is a good place? What is a bad place? What does it mean to be a good person or just being the opposite of it? Michael Schur’s “The Good Place” is a simple, a light-hearted and easy-going comedy series that explores the consequences of ordinary people’s actions afterlife.
Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), Chidi Anagonyem (William Jackson Harper), Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) and Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto) find themselves at the Good Place run by Michael (Ted Danson). The entire neighborhood is full of nice people, beautiful houses and soulmates. Our heroes learn that they have done so much good in their life that they were rewarded to be in that very place that should bring them eternal happiness. But nothing’s so simple, and the place they call “good” is the new version of hell where a whole different level of torture on human beings is been implemented.
Eleanor is the most selfish person on Earth. Tahani has raised sixty billion dollars for charity. Jason Mendoza is a man who, most of the time, has no clue of what he is doing. Chidi has a problem with decision making. All four individuals are being identified as soulmates, Eleanor with Chidi, Jason with Tahani. And if they have any questions regarding the place they live in, they ask an automated robot called Janet (D’Arcy Carden). As they go through their daily life, they realize that the ‘good place’ is not the heaven they thought of.
Eleanor learns that the architect and the man who oversees the town got her name right, but all other details, such as her being such an angelic human before she died was wrong. As the guilt eats her up from the inside, she decides to change herself to become a better person. Chidi, her assigned soulmate, begins giving her classes that is meant to change her entire personality, so she can be a better version of herself. As you can imagine, not everything goes as expected. Strange things start happening and will continue throughout the season to help Eleanor not end up in the ‘Bad Place’ where she will be tortured in the most vicious way.
“The Good Place” is a very interesting series that brings the afterlife, people that were not so good and how they find heir own voice. They want to be better human beings, kinder and respectful. A bit late, isn’t it? But not for Eleanor. “I still believe that the only reason you improved in Michael’s fake neighborhood is because you thought there was a reward at the end of the rainbow. You’re supposed to do good things because you’re good, not because you’re seeking moral desert,” Judge says to Eleanor. And she was right. “The Good Place” provides an excellent analysis of why we must do good things. We should not expect any candy or token for doing something kind. We people often forget that being generous does not mean giving money away. Generosity means the richness of the character and personality we must feed with love and respect, dignity and goodness. And everything else is not that important.