The Good Place Review: Employee of the Bearimy (Season 4 Episode 5)
Even demons are capable of change.
On The Good Place Season 4 Episode 5, “Employee of the Bearimy,” Michael and Jason head to The Bad Place to rescue Janet while Eleanor and Tahani try to keep things together in The Good Place with the help of Derek.
We’ve seen evidence of Michael’s humanity for a long time, and we’ve watched him evolve because of his connections with his human friends and his realization that humans aren’t as bad as he thought.
But returning to The Bad Place makes that more evident because he’s faced with seeing who he used to be. It’s painful for him to be back there again.
Not that he lets those feelings get the better of him. Things don’t exactly go according to plan, but Michael is able to think on his feet and jump on stage at Demon Con pretending to be Vicky in the Michael suit. He then brings up Jason and introduces him as a way to torture Janet.
It all seems great until the real Vicky in a Michael suit shows up, which on top of everything else only showcases how insanely talented Ted Danson is. Both versions of Michael are entirely different — the mannerisms, the way he speaks, and the smallest of details make it easy to believe these are completely different people/demons. It’s really remarkable to watch.
And of course, we’ve seen all of these actors play different kinds of characters at this point — even if it’s just a different version of the same character because they’ve all evolved so dramatically.
William Jackson Harper’s Chidi is still Chidi, but he’s currently Chidi with a different perspective. D’Arcy Carden has not only been playing multiple kinds of Janets, but she’s also embodied the other characters.
Manny Jacinto’s Jason (who we first saw as Jianyu!) has also shown multiple layers, like he does with Janet on this episode.
Jason and Janet’s understanding of one another on that stage is a sweet and genuine moment. Janet gets it as soon as Jason starts talking to her. It’s funny, but it’s also endearing — the two emotions that ultimately drive the series.
Jason is often underestimated, but he’s been proving himself more lately, and that’s because of his relationship with Janet. Not only does he show fearlessness and determination, but once they rescue Janet, he’s the one with wise words to help Michael — telling him he’s not a demon anymore, not really.
Back at The Good Place, Eleanor and Tahini have a plan to get the humans away from everyone else while Derek tries to hold everything else together. Chidi is once again the challenge, because unlike the others, he has no interest in a lake house or swimming. He’d rather stay right in his chair and read.
It becomes Eleanor’s knowledge of her former boyfriend that helps matters. She knows him well and even though it continues to be hard for her, she’s able to use that knowledge to her advantage. And when she asks Chidi if he trusts her, he sort of marvels at how much he really does, clearly without understanding why.
He may not remember everything, but something in his soul knows more than his mind does.
Speaking of connections, Eleanor’s friendship with Tahani is also continuing to evolve, and Jason isn’t the only one handing out sound advice. Tahani is feeling insecure about her abilities to help, feeling as though the only thing she’s capable of is throwing “pointless” parties while Eleanor is the only able to think quickly and solve problems.
But everyone has their skills and everyone has their contributions, which Eleanor points out. Because in this case, Tahani’s party-throwing skills are entirely necessary because the humans need a way to bond.
Eleanor also attributes her ability to think on her feet to the difficult life she led on earth — she had no choice but to learn how to get by that way.
What did you think of this episode of The Good Place? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Good Place airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.