What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 1, Episode 6 “What We Owe to Each Other” (B+)

One of the best parts of this show, which is definitely much better than it should have been given the premise, is that, in trying so hard to hide the fact that she’s a terrible person, Eleanor is actually becoming a good person. She was panicking about how she was going to redirect the investigation that Michael wanted her help on, but she used her expert skills on dodging responsibility to show Michael what it’s like to put everything aside and just cut loose. I love that Michael is getting very into “Friends,” citing important tropes like the unrealistic nature of their jobs actually supporting their jobs and the illogical attempts to push Joey and Rachel together at the end of season eight. Deciding that the was the problem and that he needed to go wasn’t a big surprise, but that’s the next immediate project that Eleanor is going to have to deal with. Chidi accompanying Tahani and Jianyu to their couples’ massage seemed like it was obvious and excessive, but the moment that Jianyu started talking, his presence made sense as a necessity. Jianyu getting Tahani a framed picture of what he thought an impressionist was represented a kind act on his part, and Chidi course-correcting it for him was helpful. I prefer, however, this new evidence that Tahani and Chidi may actually be soulmates, both interested in the same things and flailing about in this good place because of the accidental insertion of two totally misplaced people as their matches.