The Good place is a fantasy sitcom (I think it’s a sitcom) about a woman who accidentally gets into heaven—the titular Good Place—and all the things that go wrong as she tries to keep her secret.
1—A Quirky Sense of Humor
Not that Eleanor is a Quirky Girl (TM). She’s actually a selfish jerk. But with the help of her “soulmate” Chidi, who was an ethics professor in life, Eleanore tries to learn to be a good person who actually deserves to be in The Good Place.
Eleanor’s next door neighbors, Tahani—who was a philanthropist—and her soulmate Jianyu—a Buddhist monk who maintains his vow of silence even in the afterlife, much to Tahani’s dismay. Both of them are hiding their own secrets which we learn about through flashbacks to their lives, as we do for Eleanore and Chidi.
There’s also Michael, the architect of this particular neighborhood, and Janet, an artificial intelligence who provides anything asked for.
All the characters are wonderfully portrayed by their actors, giving humanity—or the appropriate lack thereof—and realism to this surreal world.
2—Great Set Design
The Good Place is as much a character as the actual characters are. It’s bright and sunny, whimsical and warm—even when giant shrimp are flying through the sky or giant sinkholes are devouring the neighborhood.
And of course Eleanore’s house just can’t be beat—the eye-searing yellow and the clown paintings.
3—The Twist
I won’t spoil the twist ending by saying what it is, only that it worked. It makes perfect sense and puts everything in a new light.
Conclusion
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started watching The Good Place, but I had a blast. Recommended, especially to anyone with a slightly offbeat sense of humor.
The Un-Book Report 