2013
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97% Avg. Tomatometer 232 Reviews 89% Avg. Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings When Eleanor Shellstrop finds herself in the afterlife, she's both relieved and surprised that she's made it into the...
- Season 4
She hides in plain sight from the Good Place's architect,...
- Jameela Jamil
Jameela Jamil, also known as "Jam-Jam," was a British TV...
- TV Reviews
The Good Place series finale was so beautiful, so well...
- Pictures
The Good Place pictures and photo gallery -- Check out just...
- Trailers & Videos
The Good Place: Season 4 Episode 7 Clip - This Is the Bad...
- The Good Place
By voluntarily blowing up its premise, The Good Place sets...
- Season 4
Season 1 – The Good Place. 92% Tomatometer 74 Reviews 92% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings When Eleanor Shellstrop finds herself in the afterlife, she's both relieved and surprised that she's...
- (74)
- September 19, 2016
- Kristen Bell
Sep 20, 2017 · ‘The Good Place’ Review: Season 2 Finds Comedic Paradise in Plenty of Fresh Surprises Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, and one of TV's funniest shows come back better than ever, proving there's...
- Steve Greene
- “Take it sleazy.”
- Midseason TV 2020: 34 Shows We Can't Wait to Watch
- Verdict
By Palmer Haasch
Updated: Jan 31, 2020 12:15 pm
Posted: Jan 31, 2020 6:05 am
This review contains spoilers for The Good Place series finale, titled "Whenever You're Ready."
Few sitcoms — or television shows in general, really — have ever aimed quite as high as NBC’s The Good Place. Attempting to pin down a theory of morality that can fully govern and give meaning to human existence in only 52 episodes is a Herculean (or perhaps more aptly, Aristotelian) task. It’s one that The Good Place handled with as much aplomb as humanly possible, but in its final hour the focus is no longer on ethical quandaries or saving humanity. Rather, the finale is a long-due bout of catharsis, focusing solely on the ending of Jason, Tahani, Chidi, Janet, Michael, and Eleanor’s lives in the afterlife.
At its most clinical level, The Good Place’s fourth season was about building a better afterlife. Seasons 1 and 2 were focused on unraveling the mysteries of the intricate system; Season 3 was devoted to picking apart its shortcomings. Smart writing and brilliant performances from the main cast ensured that the series never faltered despite the fact that it was never going to top that absolute zinger of a Season 1 finale.
Tahani finds peace after reconciling with her sister-cum-archnemesis-cum-best friend Kamilah and their parents. She also masters nearly every talent known to man, choosing to take on the ultimate duty as an Architect rather than leaving. Chidi learns how to be confident in his decisions, making the ultimate choice to pass on. Michael finally gets to defer control, giving up his demon nature to live, and be judged, as a human on Earth. Jason spends a not-insignificant number of Jeremy Bearimys meditating in the forest before passing, harkening back to his early days as Jianyu the monk.
Eleanor, however, is the most heart-wrenching case. Defined by her selfishness throughout the show, her ultimate resolution is arguably the most admirable. By the time the finale hits, she’s gotten everything that she ever wanted: friends who genuinely care about her, faith from those who believe in her, an unconditional soulmate, a renewed relationship with her mother, and a margarita whenever the situation calls for one. In order to feel at peace, she has to give it all up after helping those she cares about reach self-actualization.
Although almost a bit too idyllic, “Whenever You’re Ready” is a poignant rumination on what gives meaning to our lives, and does Jason, Tahani, Eleanor, Chidi, Michael, and Janet justice by allowing them to end things on their own terms. While the sitcom had lofty goals — outlining a moral theory of the afterlife isn’t typical television fare — its...
By voluntarily blowing up its premise, The Good Place sets up a second season that proves even funnier than its first. Read Critics Reviews
- (59)
- September 19, 2016
- Kristen Bell
The Good Place: Created by Michael Schur. With Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden. Four people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.
It's bright, has fun set pieces, and the characters are all great. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson both play their parts beautifully, and are a pleasure to watch perform. One of the most fun aspects of the show is slowly having the rules of "The Good Place" revealed to you as you watch.
