What I’m Watching: The Good Place (Season Premiere)

The Good Place: Season 2, Episodes 1 and 2 “Everything Is Great!” (B+)

It’s wonderful to have this show back! Season two represents a cool sort of reboot since we know what’s going on and our main characters don’t, though it’s also becoming clear that, even in this bad place, those creating the illusion of a good place aren’t in control of everything and can’t truly create the environment they want since they have to put effort in too. They prefer good old-fashioned torture methods, and therefore they get distracted by fire, take suggestions about going to the gym too literally, and are desperate to have a character that’s meaty rather than just playing an uninteresting pizza place owner. I love that Real Eleanor, better known as Denise, has a big part, and that Amy Okuda, recently seen on “Atypical,” has been added to the cast as what seems to be the most intelligent of Michael’s minions. Watching this all play out was fun since Michael was trying so hard to make it work, and the attempts to torment the humans weren’t subtle enough, so Jason and Tahani, in particular, cracked right away rather than suppressing their agony for a bit. The biggest question is whether Michael is just going to keep snapping his fingers and resetting things, especially as Sean checks in with him for reports that he’s making up, since that could become tiresome. It’s also worth noting that, though Michael stuck his hand all the way down Janet’s throat, Eleanor put the note in her own mouth this time. Obviously Michael should check for that, but I am most curious to see how things carry over from one iteration to another. I was most impressed by Chidi realizing how far they must have gotten in his book by the chapter while Eleanor confessed that she would likely have just ripped a random page out. I’m really excited for this season and look forward to more!