The Good Place Review: Pilot / Flying (Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2)
The Good Place is a story of right and wrong, but not in the usual way.
Eleanor: What a condescending bench.
Kristen Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop is the ultimate party crasher, and this time she’s crashing heaven.
Someone royally forked things up, and somehow this sleazy salesperson ended up taking the place of a lawyer that got innocent people off of death row.
The Good Place Season 1 Episode 1 doesn’t start the series off as strong as many might’ve hoped, but coming from the creators of Parks and Recreation, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It took them awhile to get into their groove with Leslie Knope, and the same is likely to be done with this series.
In a land where everyone is paired off with their soul mate, Eleanor has Chidi, a former college professor of ethics and morals to help her find her way toward becoming a good person worthy of the good place.
Hazards of being a good person include picking up trash while everyone else is flying, so choose wisely.
While Eleanor tries to figure out her way, her presence is creating quite a mess for Ted Danson’s Michael.
The creator of this neighborhood in the good place, he’s responsible for the screw up that confused Eleanor’s life with someone else’s, and has to clean up the bullshirt that her misdeeds are creating, including literal garbage storms.
It’s refreshing to see a story about becoming a good person that isn’t so serious.
Surrounded by people who did good deeds in life, Eleanor has to learn the hardest way that being selfish isn’t right. With the threat of the bad place looming, how far is she willing to go to hide her identity? And how hard will she try to change?
Sure, someone is basically blackmailing Eleanor because they know she doesn’t belong, but she’s slowly trying to be less selfish. It’s something we all have to work through at some point of our lives, but hopefully it’ll happen before we’re dead.
Other than the obnoxious Tahini, The Good Place seems to be a light-hearted, slow-rolling comedy about finding your best self in the most unusual of circumstances, and though it doesn’t start off very strong, the story and potential for comedy are enough to egg on viewers until it hits a groove.
What did you think of the series premiere of The Good Place? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Don’t miss the next episode at the series’ regular time this Thursday, September 22, at 8:30/7:30c!
The Good Place continues Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC!
Jay Ruymann
Jay is a freelance writer and a Slytherin, who uses Leslie Knope as a role model, suffering from an addiction to coffee and television that is only encouraged by his professional life. While busy slaving away at the day-to-day, he also enjoys a good binge-watch of Parks and Recreation and Pretty Little Liars.