What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 2, Episode 7 “Janet and Michael” (B+)

I really like this show, but I feel like each episode flies by and I want to spend much more time with all of our characters. We didn’t actually see the humans for most of the half-hour, and instead got to focus on two immortal beings and their relationship. Michael is a great, dynamic villain for this show since he’s really not all that bad, and seeing how far he’s come with his feelings towards Janet makes him even more sympathetic. I like the way in which she’s glitching, as well as seeing how a Bad Janet’s head literally crumpled when she tried to be nice rather than stick to her original programming. Michael did a great job deducing what she was doing that didn’t align with her directives, and her refusal to accept it was very entertaining. I love the notion that there are emotions and relationships that transcend timelines and memories, and that Janet formed a connection with Jason after growing close to him over the course of the eight hundred reboots. After getting some questionable advice from Eleanor, naturally Janet would respond in a way only she could by creating a person out of thin air. In an instance of truly superb casting that this show has become known for, Jason Mantzoukas from “I’m Sorry” and “Sleeping with Other People” is the one to play Derek, who bears a lot of similarities to the Jason on this show. I can’t I imagine that having a boyfriend is going to prevent Janet from glitching further, but it should be fun to watch.