What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 4, Episode 5 “Employee of the Bearimy” (B+)

I’d say things went pretty well at the Bad Place even though it didn’t seem like that for most of the time Michael and Jason were there. The notion of a Demon-Con that’s insufferable because of just how many slides and hours were involved in a conference designed around new and innovative ways to torture people is of course absurd, but it’s very on-brand for this show. Michael’s plan to go up on stage pretending to be Vicky and then bring Jason up, pretending that he was Glenn in a Jason suit, was smart, and Janet knew exactly how to play along when Jason called her “girl,” triggering her default response, the absence of which was how he managed to figure out that she was actually Bad Janet. Vicky showing up right as Michael got permission to just walk off stage with Janet was unfortunate timing, and I love that all the demons were so interested in watching what they thought was a lifelike demonstration that no one bothered to stop them. Back in the alleged Good Place, Tahani was about to come undone but managed to do a good job in the end of managing the problem that was a frantic Derek, whose handiwork Janet will surely admonish when she returns. Chidi’s excitement at a puzzle with no answers was funny, and Eleanor was obviously touched by it and then upset when she saw him kiss Simone when Chidi did finally show up at the party that Tahani was supposed to throw. I enjoy Eleanor and Tahani’s interactions, and I’m glad to see where their relationship has come to after their initial meeting way back in the pilot.