The Good Place Review: Mondays, Am I Right? (Season 4 Episode 11)
Now that everyone is in agreement that the afterlife needs a new system for determining which humans get into The Good Place, the challenge to create that system without flaw.
On The Good Place Season 4 Episode 11, “Mondays, Am I Right?” Michael and the gang work together with a group of demons to develop the new tests.
The idea feels pretty simple. Humans who don’t make it to The Good Place right away will have the chance to become better and earn their spot through a series of tests based on their specific personalities. And no, chainsaw bears don’t count.
These are complicated moral tests that offer humans the chance to grow, much like Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani have all done.
It’s also about the fact that everyone has a different starting place — everyone has different struggles to overcome in life, and those should be considered. When Chidi reads Eleanor’s file, for example, he’s not struck by the bad things she’d done during her lifetime. He’s struck by what she overcame.
If you look at how she responded to the hand she was dealt, suddenly the bad things she did in life don’t carry the weight. The definitions of “good” and “bad” and entirely relative and complex.
The Good Place is a funny show, and this is a funny episode, but the story it’s telling is one that implores its audience to expand their thinking when it comes to human nature. And it does that job perfectly, with one of its major ideas being that what makes a person “good” is mostly about their ability to grow and willingness to learn from their mistakes.
It’s not perfection. It’s just about doing better than you did before, as Michael says so eloquently on The Good Place Season 4 Episode 6:
Michael: What matters isn’t if people are good or bad. What matters is if they’re trying to be better today than they were yesterday.
That’s what all of our characters have been doing. Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani have all gotten better and better as people. It’s quite a feat to show that much character growth across four seasons, but it’s done in a way that is seamless and meaningful.
Of the group, Eleanor and Chidi have probably changed the most, especially now that we’re seeing a more confident, self-assured version of Chidi. It’s a testament to the smart, thoughtful writing of the series as well as to the actors’ performances.
But those four aren’t the only ones who have changed. Janet has evolved little by little, and Michael? He’s transformed from an entirely evil demon to someone who most certainly belongs in The Good Place himself. Friendship and relationships are a big part of why.
On this episode, he has a little more growing to do when he realizes that Vicky is the perfect person to run the tests on humans — more perfect than he is. That leaves him feeling obsolete, and he’s uncomfortable not having a purpose. Janet has the right words of wisdom, though.
If Vicky taking over is what’s best for the project, then that’s what he should focus on. There will always be something else Michael can do.
Speaking of The Good Place, when the new system finally launches, the gang here’s that sweet sound of bells announcing that someone just got in. Turns out, all four of them will get to go right on in instead of taking those tests themselves. There’s even a hot air balloon to take them there, and Michael and Janet go with them as well.
This could easily be the perfect ending to the series, but we have two episodes left, which makes me concerned that The Good Place will have its own issues. After all, this is a show that throws us twists regularly.
I’d be lying if I didn’t have some anxiety about what could be coming next, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. I can’t wait to see what the final two episodes have in store.
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 8:30/7:30c 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.