What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 3, Episode 12 “Chidi Sees the Time-Knife” (B+)

This show is always reinventing itself, and I’m excited to see how this unexpected development plays out. The Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes was a strange and relatively freaky place that somehow could be masked but not really controlled, resulting in both Tahani and Chidi experiencing some traumatic things. Who would have thought that, after Michael started flossing, or “backpack kid dancing,” as he called it, Jason would be the one to be able to explain to the judge why humans were worth giving a chance. It was wonderful to see Maya Rudolph again, who was very into Chidi’s look and was surprised to discover than, on Earth, she was black, something that didn’t go over well with the nasty humans she encountered. Sean was another entertaining addition to this episode, though he managed to really spook Michael by revealing his nefarious plan for how to torture our four protagonists if Michael’s plan fails. It’s great to see Michael excited to work with Janet to build a new neighborhood and test things out on four humans marked for a trip to the bad place, and I love the notion that Eleanor might have to be the one to read John in. I couldn’t be more thrilled to see Jason Mantzoukas again as Derek, who apparently gets smarter and fancier every time Mindy hits him with a plunger. This show continues to be terrific, and I’m just sad that we’ll have to wait until the fall to see it again after the finale airs this coming week. It’s hilarious to remember, in the meantime, that possession of a non-fried vegetable is a felony in Jacksonville.