What I’m Watching: The Good Place

The Good Place: Season 4, Episode 9 “The Answer” (B+)

I’ll admit, this show is frustrating to watch because I often feel that twenty minutes goes by way too fast and we haven’t actually gotten that far. There are also only four episodes left, which is very sad to me, but I’ll take what I can get since this show does truly deliver each and every week. It’s been a while since we got to look back at the pasts on Earth of our protagonists, and my favorite part of this Chidi-centric episode was actually the opportunity to see the old sarcastic Eleanor again, going for it and kissing Chidi even while he was convinced that his soulmate was the terrifying raven-keeper Esmerelda. Opening with baby Chidi getting a tummy ache because he wasn’t sure if he liked his name was fun, and we got to experience some of his more infuriating personality traits, like a 3,600-page thesis and a penchant for making Venn diagrams to deal with friend decisions. His presentation convincing his parents not to get divorced was indeed impressive, though he never had an opportunity to actually relax and just enjoy life. What was cool was how Chidi turned to his friends for help, trying to understand how Jason never stops to truly consider anything before he does it and how Tahani has the confidence to swoop in and take charge. I loved the ending of the episode when Chidi finally got woken up, asking Janet for the note that told him there was no “answer” but that Eleanor was always the wander. That’s pretty wonderful, and I can’t wait to see how that guides him.