S01.E01: Pilot / S01.E02: Flying

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) enters the afterlife and begins her process of becoming a better person in the series premiere, which is the first half of a combined episode. Later, Eleanor tries to prove that she's worthy of Chidi's help, and a flaw emerges in Michael's Neighborhood.

[Primetimer]

A terrible person ends up in some version of Heaven, and has to figure out how to stay there. Should you join her?

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[ZeroDiscipline]

I like Kristen Bell very much, and will always have a soft spot for Sam Malone, but this looks terrible. The amount of promotion it is getting is suspicious.

[pbutler111]

I love Kristen Bell, but you just about lost me at having to have a job in Heaven. And wouldn't the soulmate she was assigned actually be meant for the person who I imagine is now roasting in Hell while she enjoys their place in Heaven?

[DNR]

I love Kristen Bells comedic timing , the actor playing off her is good ' Chidi '. They work well together .  Don't see this show making it but I was too tired to change the channel after the Voice

and she's so friggen gorgeous 

Edited September 20, 2016 by DNR
Ninja edit

[crimsongrl]

I thought this would be funnier. I'll give it one more episode but I don't think this show is for me.

I mostly felt bad for Chidi that he didn't have someone special for eternity. :(

[TheOtherOne]

Yeah, I really wanted to like this show...but I didn't. I don't need a typically "likeable" lead, but seeing how thoroughly she was screwing over everyone else just pissed me off. I wanted her to get caught and kicked out, which isn't what I think the show was going for.

I might read recaps/summaries of future episodes just to see what happens, but I can't see myself sitting through more episodes.

[DeLurker]

Seems like too thin a premise for a series.  More movie material.

[thuganomics85]

I don't know; usually takes me a while to really get into comedies, but I was laughing a good bit in this.  Some jokes didn't land (they do dip into the juvenile humor a few times), and I have a ton of questions about certain aspects about this afterlife and the longevity of this as a series, but I was way more entertained then I thought I would be.  But I guess since I really enjoyed Parks & Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of my favorite comedies, I just really dig Mike Schur's shows.

Kristin Bell was pretty awesome as Eleanor, although I do think they might need to rein in her being so unlikable, because she almost has no redeemable qualities at the moment.  But Bell fits the character perfectly.  Really enjoyed Chidi and the actor playing him, and Tahani seems like fun inadvertent adversary for Eleanor.  And Ted Danson was perfect as always.

Really want to see more about the points system and how you go to either the "Good" or "Bad" place.  Some of the stuff we did see was cracking me up.  I think my favorites was getting good points for letting someone merge into your lane and getting bad points for ruining an opera with boorish behavior and using Facebook as a verb.

I did find it strange that they apparently have some kind of filter to prevent swearing in The Good Place, but there is no issues with porn, if Janice is to be believed.

Edited September 22, 2016 by thuganomics85

[SeanC]

Once the chaos really started breaking loose, I started to think this should really be an animated show, because it's clear that the admirable ambition is straining mightily against what a live action sitcom can depict.

I liked the first two episodes, nevertheless.  I do share the reservations of some people that this series premise seems like it's going to be a challenge to keep up; this feels like a show that will either stagnate very predictably or spin off into a really weird myth arc.

[ajsnaves]

13 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Really want to see more about the points system and how you go to either the "Good" or "Bad" place.  Some of the stuff we did see was cracking me up.  I think my favorites was getting good points for letting someone merge into your lane and getting bad points for ruining an opera with boorish behavior and using Facebook as a verb.

 

My favorite was something about starting a social media post and then realizing that nobody cares about your thoughts on David Bowie's death.  And "telling a woman to smile" losing you points.  That made me wonder if they made additions recently based on recent events.

[Minneapple]

The cast of this show is stellar. Kristen Bell was charming in all her horribleness (though I do hope they make her a little less horrible in the flashbacks at some point), and I loved Chidi and Tahani.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 

I did find it strange that they apparently have some kind of filter to prevent swearing in The Good Place, but there is no issues with porn, if Janice is to be believed.

They stated specifically that the only reason for the filter in this particular neighborhood is that some of the inhabitants didn't like cursing. 

[bros402]

It was interesting, but i am unsure - I'll give it four episodes.

[zoeysmom]

Does anyone remember the name of the Margarita mix she stooped to pick up before the shopping carts hit her?  Thanks.

[Ms Lark]

I liked it. It's a refreshing change from some of the cliche-ridden bilge out there passing for comedy. I'm in for the run, long or short as it may be.

[biakbiak]

35 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Does anyone remember the name of the Margarita mix she stooped to pick up before the shopping carts hit her?  Thanks.

 Lonely Girl Margarita Mix For One. I bet Bethenny will say it's an amazing tribute!

[lorikauai]

I enjoyed it. The cast is great and the premise is interesting enough to keep me watching the next few episodes. 

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, nosleepforme said:

I hated the dog kicking scene. Can't believe they went there. I mean, surely Mike Schur and Hollywood know that this is not something people like to see in television and movies. That poor adorable dog.

 

Didn't mind it because the dog survived and I loved the twist that the dog didn't love it's owner!

I kind of wish the dude who was high on mushrooms and figured oUT the after life had been a picture of Harris Wittels.

Edited September 20, 2016 by biakbiak

[ChelleGame]

The scene where they turned on the audio of hell made me laugh hard enough to cry. That one tiny gag of people screaming and glass breaking just ruined me. I am laughing again.

"I kicked your dog into the sun." That got me too. It shouldn't. Two dogs asleep on my legs as I type but it cracked me up.

Eleanor unable to pronounce her soul mates last name just tickled me.

The actor playing Chidi is just a real find. He is selling every bit of that character. Well done.

I'll keep going with this one. The cast is stellar and Dansen and Bell are just such pros. Both are perfectly cast.

It's silly, sometimes obvious, but I'll give it a chance to work out the kinks.

[azshadowwalker]

Awful, over acted, trying too hard. Just not a good show. It reminded me why I don't watch scripted network TV anymore. Bell should stick to the equally cutesy commercials.

[Chaos Theory]

This isn't exactly bad and it was funny.  Kristen Bell is one of those people that is just funny.  I am just not sure how long the plot is sustainable.  

[Empress1]

4 hours ago, bros402 said:

It was interesting, but i am unsure - I'll give it four episodes.

That's how I feel. Ted Danson cracked me up when he was panicking, but I'm not sure how sustainable this is. The reviewer said try for 4 eps, so I will. The cast is worth that, anyway.

Being in heaven and having to work really is wack.

[Jack Kerouac]

9 hours ago, ajsnaves said:

My favorite was something about starting a social media post and then realizing that nobody cares about your thoughts on David Bowie's death.  And "telling a woman to smile" losing you points.  That made me wonder if they made additions recently based on recent events.

I thought they were all pretty funny. I liked the one about not spontaneously mentioning you were a vegan.

[tominboston]

Well, the basic premise is pretty amusing, and I'm happy to put my faith in any Michael Schur project for a few episodes, but I do wonder how they can sustain the story over a full season. As a couple other folks have suggested, this may have made a better movie than a weekly series.

[Jack Kerouac]

5 hours ago, ChelleGame said:

The scene where they turned on the audio of hell made me laugh hard enough to cry. That one tiny gag of people screaming and glass breaking just ruined me. I am laughing again.

"That bear has two mouths! Aaarrrrrggghhh!" Heh.

[ChromaKelly]

I think they should have dialed back the unlikeable factor for Eleanor and actually made her a "medium" person, more of an everyday decent-but-not-great type that more people could relate to.
Overall, I liked it. Had to pause the plus and minus things to read them all. I'm interested to see where this show goes. And Chidi is Danny Rebus from The Electric Company! Nice to see an Electric Company alum doing well, besides Lin-Manuel Miranda. (My kids were nuts about that show).

[BooBear]

I fell asleep for part two so I will watch later but I enjoyed it. I agree I can't see how the premise can be sustained. When Eleanor woke up and things had gone crazy I thought it was a dream. And also why do people sleep when they are dead? Anyway.

[Minneapple]

1 hour ago, Jack Kerouac said:

I thought they were all pretty funny. I liked the one about not spontaneously mentioning you were a vegan.

I liked how "staying loyal to the Cleveland Browns" got you a bunch of points.

[tennisgurl]

I really liked it! What can I say, I am a huge sucker for a high concept comedy. I am thrilled to have Kristen Bell back on a show that I can tolerate, and after seeing Ted Danson in so many dramas lately, its nice to see him back in a comedy. And the guy who plays Chidi is really great so far. He could easily be boring or a wet blanket, but he works really well here as a comedic foil to the self centered jerkiness of Bell. 

I think this premise can be sustained, if they do some interesting things with it. This premise, and its weird moral system, do raise a lot of questions that I can see them exploring. As long as the jokes keep landing, I am fully on board.

My favorite thing was all of the incredibly specific things that can add and lose you Good Place points. I wonder what being loyal to the Chicago Cubs will get me? 

[zxy556575]

I was sad that Florence Nightingale didn't make the cut!

[Empress1]

38 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

I liked how "staying loyal to the Cleveland Browns" got you a bunch of points.

That made me laugh - my grandfather was a Browns fan. (He is not from Cleveland; he rooted for his home team too.) He liked them because they were one of the first teams to integrate.

1 hour ago, ChromaKelly said:

I think they should have dialed back the unlikeable factor for Eleanor and actually made her a "medium" person, more of an everyday decent-but-not-great type that more people could relate to.
Overall, I liked it. Had to pause the plus and minus things to read them all. I'm interested to see where this show goes. And Chidi is Danny Rebus from The Electric Company! Nice to see an Electric Company alum doing well, besides Lin-Manuel Miranda. (My kids were nuts about that show).

I agree about Eleanor; she wasn't a medium person. She was an asshole. I mean, if the scale is from Mother Teresa to Idi Amin, then yeah, I guess she was medium, but she's an asshole on the regular folk scale. A medium person on the regular folk scale, to me, is someone who just kind of goes along to get along, doesn't do anything overtly bad but doesn't go out of her way to do good things. If her job had been selling insurance instead of duping the elderly and she grudgingly took her turn as designated driver and just ignored the people who ask you if you have a moment for this or that cause rather than throwing shit at them, then she'd be a medium person. Eleanor is a selfish person who went out of her way to do petty, selfish things.

[possibilities]

Non-stop talking lady has to be a mistake, too, right? Matching her with a silent partner who she tries to get to speak, to me hints that Eleanor isn't the only glitch in the system. I wouldn't be surprised if the silent guy, his babbler, and Eleanor are just the tip of the iceberg of neighborhood oopsies.

The two garbage-happy dudes I hope will also be given some other dimensions. They seemed to be too much.

And Chidi was a bit joyless. Not that his disgust at Eleanor was unearned, but still....

Even Ted Danson's newbie architect persona hinted to me that this may not be "The Good Place" it claims. I mean, one blade "out of alignment" ruining the entire thing strikes me as a very uptight standard of an extremely OCD divine law. And the all or nothing aspect of eternal damnation plus the list of who didn't make it-- c'mon! There's gotta be purgatory or a chance at redemption somewhere in the system, right? Unless the show aspires to be very serious social commentary about religious sadism, I am predicting there are more wrinkles in the set up than just that Eleanor slipped in because Ted Danson was fallible. Everyone being punished for Ted's goof and Eleanor's perfidy also seems unlike the way a truly "Good Place" would work.

I think all is not as it appears and not what we've been told.

I tuned in despite loathing the commercials, because I like Bell and I thought the people involved are not usually associated with crap, and I did like it more than I expected to. I'm going to hang in a few more episodes to see where they are really going with it. I did notice that it has that overly perky, super-colored and blatantly artificially bright style, but like Suburgatory and The Neighbors, I think the intention is to use those devices in a subversive or ironic way. I'll be surprised if it turns out they really do mean to be "Touched By An Angel-- with a twist!" where Eleanor is just a fish out of water and Chidi shows her how to be good, while the rest of the neighborhood gapes at the chaos. Nothing is too stupid to be possible on TV, but that's not really what the people involved are famous for doing so far in their careers.

[Whimsy]

16 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Non-stop talking lady has to be a mistake, too, right? Matching her with a silent partner who she tries to get to speak, to me hints that Eleanor isn't the only glitch in the system. I wouldn't be surprised if the silent guy, his babbler, and Eleanor are just the tip of the iceberg of neighborhood oopsies.

This is what I am thinking too.

I love Kristen Bell.  Have ever since Veronica Mars.  I will watch this until it's cancelled- but not just for KB.  I thought it was a funny, new and interesting premise.  Everyone keeps asking "how will it be sustained for a whole season?".  I don't know, but I will have faith that the creators do (especially after an article I read addressing this concern).  I am not going to stop watching it just because I don't know where it will go.  I'm willing to find out.   

I like Chidi a lot, but I see absolutely no romantic chemistry.  I hope they are just platonic friends throughout the series.

I also think that the silent guy is pretending.  For a second I thought he was going to break and say something in like a "tough guy" voice or something (something other than monk-like).

This show reminds me a little bit of Selfie (RIP *sob*).  An unlikeable, seemingly unredeemable, person gets help to be a better "person" by a mentor.  Obviously, that's where the similarities end, but I was reminded of Selfie.  I hope this show lasts longer than that one. 

The other good thing about this show finally airing is that I hope it stops with the commercials.  I just think there were so many and it ruined about the whole first episode. 

[taragel]

I enjoyed it so much. K. Bell can do no wrong in my eyes, but I'm just glad she's on a show that I can actually enjoy watching again (unlike House of Lies). The points and store names and tiny sight gags are going to be fabulous. Danson's always watchable as well, and I quite liked the secondary characters. 

I'm most intrigued by the silent Buddhist monk soulmate and what his deal is--can't wait till he inevitably talks.

If Eleanor had been just a medium person--the flashbacks wouldn't have been very interesting and there would have been too much doubt as to whether she was in the right place. It's more fun and gives you more dramatic fodder if she's pretty terrible (but of course she thinks she isn't) and is REALLY in the wrong place. 

The surreal aspects (the flying bit, the chaos) are fun too. It's not as sharp as it could be yet, but I think it will get there. Glad they're showing 3 episodes this week to really immerse people in it.

[HurricaneVal]

I gave this a whirl.  Mostly because I love Kristen Bell and I think she's very funny without being "joky."  But I stayed for the silent monk soul mate to non-stop gabbing Tahani--who is so the opposite of a silent Buddhist monk that I'm thinking he is in his hell being stuck with her 24/7.  I don't know who the actor is, but he was very quietly and subtly hilarious in all his scenes.  I'll keep watching for a while, it has good possibilities, and I really like the hints of darkness we get.

[AuntiePam]

I liked it too, and agree that the premise can be sustained by ferreting out the other mistakes.  Those two guys who were so happy to be picking up trash?  How annoying would they be in real life? 

I want to see more rewards too -- flying was a good one. 

Eleanor did agree to be designated driver -- some redemption there -- until she hit it off with the bartender. 

I don't mind being hit with "life lessons" -- like listening rather than talking. 

[A Boston Gal]

Interestingly enough, this already WAS a movie. I hope Albert Brooks sues for copyright violations.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101698/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Edited September 20, 2016 by A Boston Gal
adding link

[possibilities]

I'm not even convinced that what we're seeing are mistakes. I am wondering if this is not in fact "The Good Place" but is either a place for medium people to continue developing, or where they are sent to drive each other crazy as a form of mild torment.

[j5cochran]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I'm not even convinced that what we're seeing are mistakes. I am wondering if this is not in fact "The Good Place" but is either a place for medium people to continue developing, or where they are sent to drive each other crazy as a form of mild torment.

I've been thinking the same thing, that the Good Place is actually a form of purgatory!

[tennisgurl]

17 minutes ago, j5cochran said:

I've been thinking the same thing, that the Good Place is actually a form of purgatory!

I have been thinking the same thing! To be honest, for as many frozen yogurt stands it has, The Good Place does not seem all that good. Its more...blandly pleasant than an actual eternal paradise. Maybe its not the "real" Good Place, but a place for people to learn lessons until they are worthy? Or maybe Eleanor is there on purpose, and this is some kind of deliberate shake up in the celestial order that someone higher up on the payroll is doing, to get more potential good people into The Good Place? Or there are multiple versions of The Good Place and The Bad Place, and that scary sound effect was just propaganda to keep people from asking questions? I wonder if the whole show will end with Eleanor seeming to be kicked out of The Good Place, only to find out that now she is moving to the "real" Good Place. Or something. I think this premise has potential. 

[Lady Calypso]

I'm also unsure. I know that the first two episodes are used to set up the premise, and they did a good job with that, but I'll give it a few more episodes. I like the cast a lot and the idea is cute, but I don't know how this could span multiple seasons, especially with the idea of only Really Good People coming to the Good Place. Unless a lot of people are going to start cheating the system, it's going to make it pretty hard to have a diverse amount of characters. But hey, sitcoms and comedies have surprised me before. I mean, who would have thought Two and a Half Men would last as long as it did? So maybe they have some tricks up their sleeves. 

I also couldn't help but think about the Good People who aren't Really Good People. So they all go to the Bad Place, or is there an In Between/Medium Place for the average person? That idea actually intrigues me a bit more. 

The cast is pretty good, so that's a plus. Some of the characters are more interesting than others (I LOVE Janet; she reminds me of Flo from the Progressive commercials, which I think they were going for), but the actors really shine through. Some of the dialogue was on point as well. I wasn't cringing at every scene, unlike most sitcoms and comedies nowadays, but I also wasn't laughing hysterically at every scene. 

I see what they're trying to do with Eleanor, but I think they needed to show her more attractive qualities instead of pounding in what a Bad Person she is. They'll obviously show more Good Qualities about her later on, but to me, a really good show would have sprinkled it in. I think they attempted to do that a little bit, but they seemed more focused on showing her Bad Qualities.  

Chidi is definitely super great. The fact that him and Eleanor will probably end up together is something that mildly interests me. I also like Tahani. Those two and Janet, as well as all of the actors, are making the show good.

I do see the hints that the real Big Boss (not Ted Danson) will end up being the antagonist by the end of the season because they obviously need more than Eleanor as a Bad Person, so I'll wait to see how the revelation unfolds. 

Overall, I think I need to give it a few more episodes, but I'll tune in. This show will either be surprising and last three or four seasons, or it'll be a bust and be cancelled by the midseason. Sadly, all the comedies I've truly gotten into have been cancelled, so I'm keeping my mind open to see where this show goes. I'm not fully invested yet; they'll really need to pull out some surprises to get me to watch the entire season. 

[Traveller519]

I have ultimate faith in the Schur (and by extension Daniels, and Goor) and their ability to really dial a show in. That said, I feel like with each iteration of Schur's creations he's getting a little better from the get go, and this one felt good. A nice organic flow to the comedy, it's not all punchlines, the characters themselves drive a lot of the humor. Tahani is such a perfect character, as the well intentioned, but completely grating do-gooder.

It will be interesting to see as the show proceeds if we're able to match the characters up to the other hallmarks of Schur's shows, but it feels very fresh. I love the concept.

[sacrebleu]

Quote

I've been thinking the same thing, that the Good Place is actually a form of purgatory!

Yeah, it would certainly explain a character like Tahani, and her constant name dropping  (Cindy Crawford is short, I've been to Johnny Depp's bird sanctuary), going on about the tennis courts she has and how small Eleanor's place is. She seems like someone who is good only for the admiration it brings her.  

Parks & Rec didn't hit is stride until the second season IMHO, so I'm waiting to see how this show finds itself-- I trust that Schur can make it work, and KB and TD can sell it. 

[sjohnson]

Seems to me to be a teaching laboratory. Somebody slipped Kirsten Bell into the deck so that Michael would learn about how a design goes wrong when it doesn't take into account the variation of people. Kristen Bell is there to teach Chidi the difference between theory of ethics and actually doing ethics. Tahani is there to batter down the self isolation of Sonic. Sonic is there to frustrate Tahani by leaving her to herself, which is empty show. The rest TBD.

Of course it could all just be totally silly jokes. The moral philosophy teacher gets a project [he can't finish, i.e, making Eleanor "good"] and the woman who never shuts up gets a dude who never interrupts her. 

Will continue to watch.

Edited September 20, 2016 by sjohnson
forgot to actually type the bracketed part!

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, nosleepforme said:

Why do you think they will end up together? I saw no romantic chemistry to suggest that. Is it the soulmate thing? People can be soulmates without being romantically involved.

I'm not really sure. I obviously don't know this for sure and they could end up being best friends (and I'd LOVE if they were best friends soulmates!), but I guess typically, Eleanor would get together with one of the main males. Since there's him and Ted Danson's characters as viable options, I guess I just thought it would be Chidi. But I don't know these particular showrunners that well, so maybe they won't. 

[Rosebud1970]

I thought 2 eps together was a bit much. But I can see watching 1 at a time and enjoying it. I understand the need to schedule them back to back after The Voice to introduce the show, since it has a somewhat complicated setup. So, it's all good.

Meanwhile, Tahani? Why is she there? I have yet to see that she has any redeeming qualities, much less those that would qualify her for The Good Place. She's vain, condescending, shallow. She lives in this ginormous mansion/estate that she got through nothing she's done and snarks at Eleanor for living in what's basically a studio apartment, overrun by clowns.

Re: the note at the end of Ep 2. It takes one fraud to sniff out another, is all I'm saying. Let the Redemption Arc begin!

[ChelleGame]

Just remembered Danson licking the sweat napkin. That cracked me up too.

The Good Life creator did an interview that discusses the point system.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/16/good-place-point-system-afterlife-ted-danson-kristen-bell?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

[EyewatchTV211]

Something else I laughed at was when the walls closed around Eleanor's bed, showing a large picture of a clown and making clown music (if I remember right), and then Chidi saying, "That's creepy!" or something to that effect. Admittedly, I was a little distracted while watching and may need to rewatch.

[Kromm]

20 hours ago, SeanC said:

Once the chaos really started breaking loose, I started to think this should really be an animated show, because it's clear that the admirable ambition is straining mightily against what a live action sitcom can depict.

I liked the first two episodes, nevertheless.  I do share the reservations of some people that this series premise seems like it's going to be a challenge to keep up; this feels like a show that will either stagnate very predictably or spin off into a really weird myth arc.

Most of the reviewers wrote their impressions from the first five episodes as a block (of 13), so that gives the good reviews we've seen quite a bit of weight beyond just these two episodes.  And a notion that the writers actually have a long term plan (plus I recall seeing something where Schur promised he already has a multi-season plan).

I can actually sort of see the bones already. There's something rotten at the whole core NOTION of this "Good Place" and I can see a natural progression going beyond Eleanor's own "salvation". We've already heard the introduction to this. It makes NO sense that any truly moral system would reward rote action over intention. Or that the vast majority of people are simply damned. There's clearly more going on.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Kromm