Last week The Good Place spent some time in the past. We saw Eleanor and Chidi fall in love in the afterlife as Michael helped Eleanor remember what happened. While nothing necessarily new was revealed, Michael and Eleanor’s relationship grew stronger and new insight was given to Eleanor and Chidi’s. However, it wasn’t all sweet as the episode ended with the Bad Place demons finally finding their way to Earth.
This week the Soul Squad continues their quest to find a model human for others to follow. That quest brings them to Canada and the doorstep of Doug Forcett, played by Michael McKean. Forcett is the man whose picture was hanging in Michael’s office back in the Good Place. As we’ve learned before, Forcett got high on mushrooms in the 70s and basically figured out how the afterlife works. Since then, he’s tried to live the most ethical life possible so that he will go to the Good Place.
He may live a little too rigid though, as Michael and Janet learn. After watching Doug let a local kid named Raymond push him around, the duo suspects that something’s wrong here. They realize Doug does everything he can to make people happy, even if he is miserable. Doug ultimately proves their point after he accidentally steps on a small snail. He holds a memorial service and vows to walk cross-country to donate as penance for killing the snail. Despite Michael and Janet’s best efforts to stop him, Doug ignores them, claiming he can’t risk ending up in the Bad Place.
Nearby, the four humans are relaxing at a bar. Chidi and Jason are playing pool while Eleanor catches Tahani up on what she learned that week. Eleanor confides in Tahani, wondering if she should tell Chidi about their past shared love. Tahani pushes Eleanor to do it but before she can, its revealed that the bar is full of Bad Place demons. The humans are attacked and captured as Shawn appears looking for Michael.
Michael and Janet arrive and as Shawn is preparing to take everyone to the Bad Place, Janet shocks everyone. She yells out “Screw it, let’s fight!” and starts dropping Bad Place demons. Janet handles the threat surprisingly well and, with a little help from Michael’s door sends the demons back to the afterlife. Also, in the chaos, Eleanor tells Chidi about their ‘I-love-you’s and that she might love him again. After the fighting is done, a tied up Shawn mocks them, saying they’re all going to the Bad Place anyway. Before they can question him, more demons arrive and Janet teleports our heroes to her void.
In a surprisingly deep episode, The Good Place continues to push the narrative at a blitzing pace. The episode does tease some bigger ideas about the afterlife though that may have huge ramifications down the line. It was nice to see the series callback to Doug Forcett, showing the attention to detail that goes into the series. The ending will certainly lead into new revelations about Janet when the show returns in 3 weeks on December 6th.
The Good Place airs Thursday nights on NBC
