The Good Place (2016-2020)

As I write this, the world as a whole is going through a tough time. I was unlucky enough to have my commencement ceremony scheduled to be this past weekend. Unbeknownst to me, this dream was not in the plans of the universe. I am surrounded by sadness. Close friends getting infected and passing away. My hamster had finally reached the end of her short life. I have not gone out and done something enjoyable in a very long time. That said, I needed something that would brighten my day. My roommate and long time best friend had recommended to me the show, The Good Place, a show that aired on NBC from 2016 through 2020 and was created by Michael Schur. I remember her telling me that the comedy would be right up my alley. The Good Place accomplished so much more than this. It shed a light on bigger questions that I should be asking, and guided me through the journey of finding answers in an enjoyable way. The characters and each one gets through their moral journey brought me to tears. It allowed me the type of escapism I needed in a time like now. To start, the moral of the entire show is to ask what we owe to others. It bases around the idea that everyone is capable of good and that goodness should be used to treat others with kindness. In the first season, we see just how terrible Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) lived her life on Earth, valuing herself before anyone else. Eleanor is the “every man” in this story and was written to be just bad enough for us to recognize that there was room for improvement. While it seemed as though she was being an "ash hole" just to be an ash hole, she was dealt a bad hand of cards in life. She left her neglectful parents and learned to live independently. Once she reached the afterlife, however, the external hardships that she had to deal with were no longer an issue. She goes through so much development in the series that it is incredible to think that in the first season when she was the one to abandon her friends’ dog for a Rhianna concert she became the one to lead an experiment for the sake of humanity. This brings us into another lesson The Good Place gives is that no matter who you may be, you are capable of change. Upon first glance of the main characters, it would seem almost impossible to really get through to any of them. For example, it took a while for Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) and Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper) to realize why they had ended up in the Bad Place. Tahani, although providing a lot of relief towards the needy, had ill intentions and let her insecurities corrupt her character. Jason Mendoza’s (Manny Jacinto) big heart influenced her by the third season to give away her wealth out of the true goodness of her heart, causing her to become a significantly better person in the long run. Same goes for Chidi, whose anxiety had consequently led to pain to those around him. With the other three by his side, he learns how to be confident and brave so he can rewrite the entire system of the afterlife to save humanity. This show focuses on how when given a support system found through the bonds of other people. Someone who was as bad as Eleanor can learn to redirect her strong will into something that will benefit those around her. The first step is to recognize that an individual’s actions affect others, and their emotions matter too. This idea is explored all throughout the show as each character becomes a better person, including a demon born to torture and a Janet that is neither a robot not girl (D’Arcy Carden) who was never meant to feel. The show goes as far as having demons capable of reforming their entire livelihoods for the good of the universe. Michael starts as a Bad Place architect, dedicating himself to get these four humans to torture each other for thousands of years. After failing over 800 times and facing an ultimatum of “retiring”, he accepts that he needs to team up with the humans. Through season two, the humans spend their time trying to teach Michael to sympathize with others and do good simply because it is for the best. I was really heart-warmed to see that they really were able to get through to Michael (Ted Danson) in the second season with Chidi’s philosophy lessons. Watching his progress and seeing him go against every fiber of his being, his original reason for existence, was so inspiring. He develops a love for humans that motivates him in later seasons. It was a fitting ending for his character to start a new life as a human on Earth. He was always shown to enjoy earthly delights that we take for granted, like paper clips, for instance. And having the show end with him telling a stranger with a touch of Eleanor’s essence to “take it sleazy” was a perfect end for the series. A pleasantry this show provides is how it challenged racial stereotypes with Chidi and Jason. With Jason, they challenged the “smart Asian” stereotype by making him a complete idiot. He still had the biggest heart out of the “Soul Squad”. Although his stupidity held the group back from time to time, his pure heart gave something for the others to learn from. He knew how to be thoughtful in the moment, even if what he said wasn’t exactly what was needed, the heart was in the right place. On Chidi’s end, black men are typically expected to be tough, inside and out. While Chidi did hide some impressive muscles, he was otherwise a ball of constant anxiety and stomach aches. Having someone like him as a main character shows the viewers watching that men have feelings, and it’s okay. Chidi’s anxiety is exaggerated but his lesson is that being well intentioned is enough without taking action. On the topic of Jason, I fell for his “Tibetan monk” act and was delightfully surprised to learn he is actually Filipino. I’m Filipina and growing up I almost never came across a Filipino actor or actress. It comes to a point where I’m used to it and I don’t expect much besides white characters. When I saw someone of my same race, I was ecstatic to see someone like me represented on screen. Now- his entire lifestyle definitely does not match my own. Not by a long shot. But when I would be lying to say I didn’t get excited every time I saw him with his family because they looked like myself and my family. One of my takeaways from this series is that anyone is capable of being good. At a time like now it feels hard to believe. My outlook on life has become more bleak. But after watching this show, I understand that I do not need to wait for the world to change to be better. Although it’s difficult and feels small, I just need to focus on doing my part of making humanity better. Being kind to the people I talk to online would be a way to start. Taking care of myself, thanking my parents, and trying to do what makes me happy are other examples. One quote that really resonated with me was said by Michael. He said that we should be a better version of ourselves than yesterday. One of life’s mysteries is what happens when our lives are over. People have their theories, hence religion. But no one truly knows, and there is now way for us to find out. In the meantime, it would not hurt anyone to be the best versions that we can and be kind to those around us. We are allowed to think of ourselves, but we have to make selfless decisions from time to time while understanding that not everyone can be pleased. Not every answer can be reached.