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S01.E06: What We Owe to Each Other

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in The Good Place [V]

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AnnaRose

AnnaRose

Quote

Eleanor is enlisted to help Michael with an important task that could determine her fate in the Good Place. Meanwhile, Chidi agrees to be the third wheel in an effort to help out his friend.

The DVR cut off again at the end, just as Michael walked over to Eleanor and said, "The problem..."

What did he say after that?

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secnarf

secnarf

1 minute ago, AnnaRose said:

The DVR cut off again at the end, just as Michael walked over to Eleanor and said, "The problem..."

What did he say after that?

"is me" and then something about how he will have to leave them. Then mine cut off too! Not sure if there was anything after that.

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ajsnaves

ajsnaves

I've noticed it has gotten particularly bad this season it seems.  Every single show has to be extended by a minute across every network.

For a second there, I thought we were going to get Eleanore's reveal to Micheal.  Alas, all we got was a bulbous dog.

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huahaha

huahaha

I had to set my DVR to record an extra minute, too.

Seeing Chidi with Tahani made me kind of sad for them. I suppose a soul mate is someone who challenges you to change, so maybe they actually are with the correct people.

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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Jason may be the biggest idiot since Andy from Parks & Rec, but I actually do kind of get what he was going for with saying that Tahani was as beautiful as Nala from The Lion King.  I think (you never know with him, though) that he was basically trying to say something along the lines of her being like a Disney Princess almost, but naturally, he ends up going for an actual lioness instead of a human.  Oh, well.  And him using an eight-ball to spout wisdom made me laugh more then it should.  Especially Chidi's response to "Made it Taiwan."

It did look like they are majorly hinting that it is actually Chidi and Tahani that are the true soulmates.  I guess they could shake it up and make both actually work out with their respected, current partners, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is where it is heading.

Glad we finally got Eleanor finally being Michael's assistant.  It was great seeing Kristen Bell and Ted Danson getting to interact with each other, wherever it was singing "Blaze of Glory" off-key or Eleanor giving a nice speech to Michael when he was about to throw in the towel.  I'm going to guess Michael isn't going anywhere, but the idea that he actually thinks he is the one responsible is an interesting twist.

Michael's obsession with human things like paperclips and the show, Friends, was amusing.

Eleanor really was the worst in those flashbacks, again.  At least the dog didn't die, just became morbidly obese.  But, hey, she got to see Rihanna in concert, so yay?

Janet wins the night with her fake "Doesn't compute" meltdown.

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Autumn

Autumn

I am starting to think this is all a test for Michael, like a final exam.  This was his first community so it may be that his test is to figure out that he has some of the wrong people there and some of the pairings wrong.  I was also starting to think that Chidi and Tahani are the true soulmates.  At least they agreed to be soul friends.  It was nice to see Chidi with someone who makes him smile.

Eleanor is still looking out for number one but she also really seemed to be concerned about Michael.  Jianyu is such a one note character.

Ted Danson is killing it.  The depression hoodie was awesome..

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ChromaKelly

ChromaKelly

I love this show. I keep fearing it won't last though, like all the other quirky comedies I've loved.
Chidi is the best. I do think they are hinting at Chidi and Tahani being soulmates, which I'm totally on board with. Tahani seemed less irritating when she was with Chidi. I don't know if that will make Eleanor and Jason soulmates. Maybe? Will we get Chidi flashbacks?
I'm glad the dog didn't die, I was hoping they wouldn't go there.
Ted Danson is really good in this role. I do wonder what's going to happen once he finds out Eleanor and Jason don't belong. Are there other people who don't belong?
 

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Mabinogia

Mabinogia

I am shipping Chidi and Tahani hard!

I love that I have no idea where they are going with Michael thinking he's the problem and wanting to leave. I can't wait to watch what happens next. That's rare for a sitcom.

Eleanor was truly despicable as a living human being. And yet...I root for her. IDK if it's the power of the adorable Kristen Bell or that she is being influenced by those around her, but I really want her to succeed, and that is saying something because usually if you abuse a dog you are dead to me. (Maybe it helps that she's already dead lol)

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AbsoluteShower

AbsoluteShower

I like the show a lot, especially Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, but is anyone else getting a "Samantha Who?" vibe? Essentially it seems the premise is very similar -loathsome human being undergoes life-changing experience (amnesia-causing accident/death) and gets chance for redemption by doing good.

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AbsoluteShower

AbsoluteShower

12 hours ago, Accidental Martyr said:

I'm liking the show but the Jianyu character is not doing much for me. He's too stupid to be funny.

I know what you mean, but he did have a couple of moments in this episode. First when Tahani asked him who his favourite artist was, and he started to talk about Pitbull before Chidi shut him up, and then when he gave Tahani the painting - "I made you a art!"

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DeLurker

DeLurker

12 hours ago, Accidental Martyr said:

the Jianyu character is not doing much for me. He's too stupid to be funny.

I find Jianyu/Jason interesting.  He's not stupid-dim in the Joey way (using a Friends reference seems appropriate) and not immediately endearingly out-of-touch like Coach or simple like Woody from Cheers.  I want to see where they take him.

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ShelleySue

ShelleySue

1 hour ago, AbsoluteShower said:

I like the show a lot, especially Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, but is anyone else getting a "Samantha Who?" vibe? Essentially it seems the premise is very similar -loathsome human being undergoes life-changing experience (amnesia-causing accident/death) and gets chance for redemption by doing good.

Absolutely!  Last night I was thinking about this show last night and realized that I keep getting confused with it Samantha Who and the short-lived Save Me.  All three shows are about horribly self-centered pretty blond women who get a chance to redeem themselves through death, amnesia and and almost-death.  

2 hours ago, ChromaKelly said:

I love this show. I keep fearing it won't last though, like all the other quirky comedies I've loved.
Chidi is the best. I do think they are hinting at Chidi and Tahani being soulmates, which I'm totally on board with. Tahani seemed less irritating when she was with Chidi. I don't know if that will make Eleanor and Jason soulmates. Maybe? Will we get Chidi flashbacks?
 

It would get interesting if the Chidi and Tahani start wondering the same thing.  After all, they are supposed to be among the most altruistic people in the world.  Another question -- is there sex in the afterlife?  I like how this show is like an onion, revealing a little bit each week.

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AbsoluteShower

AbsoluteShower

2 minutes ago, ShelleySue said:

Absolutely!  Last night I was thinking about this show last night and realized that I keep getting confused with it Samantha Who and the short-lived Save Me.  All three shows are about horribly self-centered pretty blond women who get a chance to redeem themselves through death, amnesia and and almost-death.  

It would get interesting if the Chidi and Tahani start wondering the same thing.  After all, they are supposed to be among the most altruistic people in the world.  Another question -- is there sex in the afterlife?  I like how this show is like an onion, revealing a little bit each week.

I had completely forgotten about Save Me! Probably because I simply cannot with Ann Heche.

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AuntiePam

AuntiePam

I like everything about the show -- especially Janet -- until Michael gets a bit too out there.  This week it was checking to see if the rocks were the problem. 

I did like that he sees in nine dimensions and I loved his sad hoodie. 

Surprised that Tahini didn't realize that Chidi did the painting, after telling her that he painted and that Degas was a favorite. 

Also surprised that Eleanor actually did house sit for a whole week and only bailed on the extra day. 

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Mabinogia

Mabinogia

46 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Also surprised that Eleanor actually did house sit for a whole week and only bailed on the extra day.

It was a really nice house, and didn't she say they had better Wi-Fi or something? So she wasn't even being nice. haha

47 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Surprised that Tahini didn't realize that Chidi did the painting, after telling her that he painted and that Degas was a favorite.

I get the feeling Tahini the ultimate people pleaser is accepting everything at face value because that's what everyone wants her to do. I am curious where they will take this soul-friends thing she's got with Chidi though. Will that be enough to finally make her say screw it, I don't care who my chosen soul mate is, I'm going after the one I want?

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vibeology

vibeology

(edited)
1 hour ago, ShelleySue said:

It would get interesting if the Chidi and Tahani start wondering the same thing.  After all, they are supposed to be among the most altruistic people in the world.  Another question -- is there sex in the afterlife?  I like how this show is like an onion, revealing a little bit each week.

The couple that was put with Chidi and Eleanor wanted to swing or have an orgy or something so I'm guessing yes.

I'm not sure yet how I feel about Tahani and Chidi maybe being soulmates. On one hand I like both characters and like them together but on the other hand, I think that's a very simple solution and I've preferred this show when its gone with the more complicated choices. I get why they are drawn to each other. We know Chidi didn't have any serious romantic relationships before he died. And Tahani seemed to live a fairly lonely life considering the way her parents and sister acted towards her. They're both desperate for a connection and they do have so much in common. Still, the way Michael presented soulmate in the pilot made it seem like there was only one on the whole planet just for you and we know that there must be a real Eleanor and Jianyu out there somewhere. So I'm still not sure. I certainly want Chidi (and Tahani, but I'm less invested in her so far) to be happy but I don't know if that means someone just like you or someone who makes you better. And maybe you don't need a soulmate to be happy. Maybe a relationship that's close enough is pretty special too.

Edited by vibeology
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Conan Troutman

Conan Troutman

16 minutes ago, vibeology said:

The couple that was put with Chidi and Eleanor wanted to swing or have an orgy or something so I'm guessing yes.

We also know there's porn and Janet has no problem providing it, so there probably aren't any restrictions.  

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Mabinogia

Mabinogia

31 minutes ago, vibeology said:

I certainly want Chidi (and Tahani, but I'm less invested in her so far) to be happy but I don't know if that means someone just like you or someone who makes you better. And maybe you don't need a soulmate to be happy. Maybe a relationship that's close enough is pretty special too.

I hope that they explore all of this. Yes. I know I said I totally ship them and I do, but I'm fine if that ship is a best friendship. I just want them to spend more time together and for Tahani to stop trying so hard to make it work with Jianyu. It makes me sad to watch her trying so very hard. I also wonder who the real Jianyu is and if he will ever show up. Because Jason took someone else's place, this Jianyu the monk, if I am understanding it correctly. Whereas Eleanor is Eleanor but basically got put on the wrong list. So she and Chidi are probably soulmates, mainly, I think, in the sense that they will bring out the best in each other. While Tahani was meant to be soul mates with the real Jianyu which may explain some of why she is so frustrated, she's not with the right person.

I want more info on what happened with Jianyu. I'll rewatch his ep in case I missed something but I thought he was in someone else's spot as opposed to just being miscategorized.

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AlleC17

AlleC17

1 hour ago, ShelleySue said:

Absolutely!  Last night I was thinking about this show last night and realized that I keep getting confused with it Samantha Who and the short-lived Save Me.  All three shows are about horribly self-centered pretty blond women who get a chance to redeem themselves through death, amnesia and and almost-death.  

It would get interesting if the Chidi and Tahani start wondering the same thing.  After all, they are supposed to be among the most altruistic people in the world.  Another question -- is there sex in the afterlife?  I like how this show is like an onion, revealing a little bit each week.

But from her flashbacks it seem s to me that Tahani was more interested in being as good as or better than her sister, and that that was what motivated her.  If so, she doesn't belong in the Good Place either.  Plus, why was she so condescending/bitchy to Eleanor in the first few episodes? 

I am enjoying Kristen Bell and William Harper and to a lesser degree Manny Jacinto, but for me. Ted Danson seems somewhat forced. 

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BooBear

BooBear

26 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I hope that they explore all of this. Yes. I know I said I totally ship them and I do, but I'm fine if that ship is a best friendship. I just want them to spend more time together and for Tahani to stop trying so hard to make it work with Jianyu. It makes me sad to watch her trying so very hard.

I do not ship them. I see no real serious connection.  In the end I would like it hinted that they will all get their true soulmate. (but we never see them) I would like it if the person they are with are their true soul friend... defined as the perfect person to help them learn and grow as a person. Right now there is no way to evaluate Jianyu and Tahani because he is lying to her. I think once he comes clean with her they could be a good match. He is stupid and has very low standards and doesn't talk a lot. She is uber smart and talks too much and has high standards due to her parents.  He could help her grow into a more fully authentic good person and she could improve him.  I think this soulmate hinting was just to give the audience something to speculate about. Chidi and Tahani are too similar.

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iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

We also know there's porn and Janet has no problem providing it, so there probably aren't any restrictions

Which is weird because they can't even say the word "fork" up there, so what kind of sanitized porn can they watch? 

I do love the way Janet shows up with a "bing" sound like they're ringing for a flight attendant. 

I'm out of ideas, just like Season 8 of Friends.

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SoothingDave

SoothingDave

1 hour ago, AlleC17 said:

But from her flashbacks it seem s to me that Tahani was more interested in being as good as or better than her sister, and that that was what motivated her.  If so, she doesn't belong in the Good Place either.  Plus, why was she so condescending/bitchy to Eleanor in the first few episodes? 

I am enjoying Kristen Bell and William Harper and to a lesser degree Manny Jacinto, but for me. Ted Danson seems somewhat forced. 

 

I get the feeling that everyone doesn't "belong" there.  Like it's some sort of bizarre purgatory and the way out is through realizing that you need to be honest that you don't belong.

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huahaha

huahaha

(edited)
16 hours ago, Accidental Martyr said:

I'm liking the show but the Jianyu character is not doing much for me. He's too stupid to be funny.

I don't know. Homer Simpson, Kelly Bundy, and Joey Tribbiani all pulled it off. Either the actor isn't selling it this time, or the part is being written terribly.

4 hours ago, Big Mother said:

The constant referring to FRIENDS had me in stitches. The entire world has been wondering how they afforded that apartment - even celestial beings :D

Meanwhile, I was shouting, "RENT CONTROL!" at the TV. It was a frequent plot point.

Edited by huahaha
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theatremouse

theatremouse

(edited)
6 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Which is weird because they can't even say the word "fork" up there, so what kind of sanitized porn can they watch?

I can't remember now if it happened in the show or someone just posited it here, but I thought the cursing issue was neighborhood-specific? So because that particular neighborhood was constructed as no swearing (and presumably the people in it woulda/coulda/shoulda wanted it that way), then it just means the same people are down with porn, just not cursewords? I think I buy that. People are illogical.

 

I LOVED the first "impressionist painting". I know it's just a silly sight-gag but I thought it was hilarious, and also kind of sweet. And if he had given it to her they could've played it off as some language-cultural barrier thing. I mean, we know the actual words they use are auto-translated, but assuming "impressionist" is the same term for both a mimic and the style of painting in whatever Jianyu's native language should have been, it actually could've been a tender misunderstanding to bond over since the gesture was still him trying to be thoughtful. I like how they're making a point that he's not icing Tahani out on purpose, he just doesn't know what to do with her, or himself, and not outing himself. 

Edited by theatremouse
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secnarf

secnarf

2 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Surprised that Tahini didn't realize that Chidi did the painting, after telling her that he painted and that Degas was a favorite.

Give it time. She may very well figure it out at a later date.

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

I hope that they explore all of this. Yes. I know I said I totally ship them and I do, but I'm fine if that ship is a best friendship. I just want them to spend more time together and for Tahani to stop trying so hard to make it work with Jianyu. It makes me sad to watch her trying so very hard. I also wonder who the real Jianyu is and if he will ever show up. Because Jason took someone else's place, this Jianyu the monk, if I am understanding it correctly. Whereas Eleanor is Eleanor but basically got put on the wrong list. So she and Chidi are probably soulmates, mainly, I think, in the sense that they will bring out the best in each other. While Tahani was meant to be soul mates with the real Jianyu which may explain some of why she is so frustrated, she's not with the right person.

I want more info on what happened with Jianyu. I'll rewatch his ep in case I missed something but I thought he was in someone else's spot as opposed to just being miscategorized.

I don't think it's quite that simple with Eleanor, since while her name is right, her life story and all of the good things she did are all wrong. How she died seems believable, though.

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iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

 it just means the same people are down with porn, just not cursewords?

Those two things kind of go hand in hand. Not that I'm an expert or anything ;-) just saying - kind of hard to find a porno where they don't say any dirty words. Maybe all the porn up there is silent.

Quote

And if he had given it to her they could've played it off as some language-cultural barrier thing. 

Not really because Chidi told Eleanor in the pilot he was actually speaking French but everyone there hears whatever language they understand. 

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theatremouse

theatremouse

I think you misunderstood what I meant. I was saying, even with the auto-translation (ie Chidi's speaking French), as long as "impressionist" is still the same word in whatever language Jianyu purported to have heard it in, then it would've worked because it's playing off pretending Jianyu simply didn't know the word meant two different things, which I think is plausible for him as a monk, depending on how old he was when he went into it. It only requires him not to know styles of painting and to know what an impressionist (comedian) is.

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possibilities

possibilities

If he's not the problem, and Eleanor lets him exile himself, I predict a massive problem in the neighborhood, which would bring Michael back.

And if he is the problem, and he leaves, I think they will bring him back either by showing him pining for the neighborhood, or because Eleanor feels guilty and/or people miss him and request he returns.

I enjoyed Michael's adoration of paperclips.

Eleanor was so horrible before she got to where they are. It seems like she's either a very quick study or the neighborhood is designed to catalyze growth, because I would not have thought she would develop genuine feelings of compassion and remorse so quickly.

Jianyu seems to be clueless but not unkind. If it really is a case of Tahani/Chidi and Eleanor/Jianyu being the pairings that were supposed to happen, I don't really see him and Eleanor as being good for each other either in the sense of "for growth" or in the sense of "for fun"-- not sure what I think is happening anymore, but I'm enjoying the show more and more each week.

I wonder how Tahani would react to knowing Jianyu was lying to her. I bet she'd have a very different response than Chidi had to Eleanor.

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bros402

bros402

17 hours ago, Autumn said:

I am starting to think this is all a test for Michael, like a final exam.  This was his first community so it may be that his test is to figure out that he has some of the wrong people there and some of the pairings wrong.  I was also starting to think that Chidi and Tahani are the true soulmates.  At least they agreed to be soul friends.  It was nice to see Chidi with someone who makes him smile.

Eleanor is still looking out for number one but she also really seemed to be concerned about Michael.  Jianyu is such a one note character.

Ted Danson is killing it.  The depression hoodie was awesome..

That's what I was thinking.

The whole thing with the hoodie, I couldn't help but think of Community, though.

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AnnieBeez

AnnieBeez

12 hours ago, huahaha said:

I don't know. Homer Simpson, Kelly Bundy, and Joey Tribbiani all pulled it off. Either the actor isn't selling it this time, or the part is being written terribly.

Meanwhile, I was shouting, "RENT CONTROL!" at the TV. It was a frequent plot point.

Thank you! It was grandma's rent-controlled apartment. Everybody knows that!

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Corgi-ears

Corgi-ears

(edited)
Quote

 

Thank you! It was grandma's rent-controlled apartment. Everybody knows that!

 

But surely that should not prevent the show from writing weak jokes about it, 12 years after Friends ended! Next episode: Michael asks what's the deal with airplane peanuts.

Edited by Corgi-ears
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Milburn Stone

Milburn Stone

47 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

My burst out laughing moment was her explaining the different dishes of dog food to the dog. And the open bag of dog food for emergencies only. 

I know the reason I enjoyed it (and maybe your reason also) is that I have talked to my dog that way.

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AdorkableSars

AdorkableSars

No comments yet? I thought this was a solid episode. I wonder if they're going for a romantic storyline with Tahini and Chidi. I don't totally oppose. I just really want Chidi to be happy, ok?

I loved Michael and Eleanor's storyline too. Especially how he kept dropping all of those Friends references, especially the one about feeling lost like Friends in season 8 when they forced Rachel and Joey down our throats (paraphrasing). Had to pause my PVR I was laughing so hard. I am so on board with this show. The casting is perfect, the writing is clever, and it's different.

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EyewatchTV211

EyewatchTV211

4 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I think I am the only person who never got into Friends, yet I understand all the references here on the show. 

I am person #2. And I also still understood the references.

I still think living Eleanor was a horrible person. But she showed a slight amount of goodness in not immediately giving in to her friend's suggestion to ditch house-sitting. Even with the free wifi, she clearly preferred to go see Rihanna, but her friend had to do a little convincing. If we believe her anxiety about better people, than maybe she was slightly better there because her friend wasn't actually "better" than her.

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Ms Blue Jay

Ms Blue Jay

(edited)
On 10/14/2016 at 10:41 AM, AbsoluteShower said:

I like the show a lot, especially Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, but is anyone else getting a "Samantha Who?" vibe? Essentially it seems the premise is very similar -loathsome human being undergoes life-changing experience (amnesia-causing accident/death) and gets chance for redemption by doing good.

I likened it to Pushing Daisies.
A friend likened it to Drop Dead Diva.  Yet another said Dead Like Me.
There have been quite a few lighthearted fluffy comedies about the afterlife :)

I know about the rent controlled apartment thing, and I've won a Friends trivia contest before, but I still like when people criticize Friends for how much of a fantasy life it projected.  It's still funny to me.  The rent control thing seemed very much like a copout.  It's a joke about the show.  Just like Carrie Bradshaw and her ridiculous shopping and designer habit on a writer's salary.  I still think it's interesting to dissect and point out.

Edited by Ms Blue Jay
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bros402

bros402

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I likened it to Pushing Daisies.
A friend likened it to Drop Dead Diva.  Yet another said Dead Like Me.
There have been quite a few lighthearted fluffy comedies about the afterlife :)

I know about the rent controlled apartment thing, and I've won a Friends trivia contest before, but I still like when people criticize Friends for how much of a fantasy life it projected.  It's still funny to me.  The rent control thing seemed very much like a copout.  It's a joke about the show.  Just like Carrie Bradshaw and her ridiculous shopping and designer habit on a writer's salary.  I still think it's interesting to dissect and point out.

Yes, this show is very much like Pushing Daisies palette-wise.

It's very Bryan Fuller-esque just in general.

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