Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

S01.E11: What's My Motivation?

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in The Good Place [V]

Recommended Posts

Mockingbird

Mockingbird

So that's what Kevin was up to when he told Holt he was going to France. (Sorry non watchers of Brooklyn Nine Nine.)

Janet continuing to repeat that she wasn't a woman was hilarious. As was Jason's abysmal failure of the good person test. 

  • Love 19
Link to comment
DrScottie

DrScottie

Only one person is in the neutral zone? That seems highly unlikely, but okay. 

Janet is self-aware and has self-preservation instincts. 

So, Marc Evan Jackson is Shawn. He was a lawyer on Parks and Recreation for a few of the characters. 

  • Love 3
Link to comment
dcalley

dcalley

57 minutes ago, Mockingbird said:

Janet continuing to repeat that she wasn't a woman was hilarious. As was Jason's abysmal failure of the good person test. 

Even better (to me), it was "I'm not a girl."

I loved that Jason said, "Is it just me, or am I acing this test?!" and the cube turned red.

  • Love 24
Link to comment
thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Shawn has finally arrived!  Part of me was down for a big name playing him like speculated, but I'm totally fine with Marc Evan Jackson as him.  He was great in both Parks & Rec and especially Kevin on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and I think his deadpan style will fit in perfectly.  I was already cracking over how he casually revealed that Eleanor was stealing his train.

Good episode for Jason.  Michael now finds out the truth about him, and they reveal how he died which was, naturally, because he and an equally stupid friend planned the most obvious and dumbest robbery ever.  Only Jason would think bringing a snorkle into a safe would allow him to breath!  I also noticed that the safe was labeled "Swanson's", which I have to think was a shoutout to Parks & Recs/Ron Swanson.   I guess that really only leaves finding out how Tahani died (although, I think she mentioned something about sacrificing herself for a cause?)

I could probably just watch an entire montage of Michael's annoyed reactions to Jason, Janet, and their relationship.  Really, any of Michael's annoyed reactions to other characters.  Ted Danson is killing it with those (and really, most everything.)

Enjoyed seeing Eleanor and Tahani bond more, and try to help increase her score.  I figured though that the party wouldn't help, since she was doing it for self-serving reasons, but I like that it ended with her getting ready to leave, because she realizes that it would be the own way to redeem herself.  I doubt she will be gone for good, but that was a nice moment.

So, there is a Medium Place after-all, and Eleanor is heading there with a fleeing Janet and Jason, to meet another character named Mindy St. Clair.  I wonder what her deal will be?

Real Eleanor confesses her love to Chidi, but he can bring himself to say it back (yet?)

You loose points if you like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, huh?

  • Love 5
Link to comment
Rinaldo

Rinaldo

8 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Only Jason would think bringing a snorkle into a safe would allow him to breathe!

But remember, they had the whole plan worked out, except for the alibi and the escape route!

Also great was the cop interviewing the other guy afterward: "Your friend was the [heavy sigh] brains of the outfit."

9 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

I could probably just watch an entire montage of Michael's annoyed reactions to Jason, Janet, and their relationship.

In alternation with Chidi's repeated "WHAT?!?" from last week.

  • Love 12
Link to comment
bethy

bethy

I really like new (not real!) Eleanor, but I confess I want Chidi's hesitation to be about original version Eleanor. 

The look on Eleanor's face when Tahini said it would be the fourth most important party she'd ever thrown was priceless, as was Michael's biting his knuckle at one point during his interview with Janet and Jason. 

I found Janet's repeated, "I'm not a girl" so perfect because it worked on the level Janet probably meant it - "As a robot I'm not a girl" - but also - obviously - on the level of "I'm a woman, not a girl." I loved that she's kind of half a beat off there, but also totally on point.

I may have said out loud, "Kevin!"

  • Love 5
Link to comment
Texasmom1970

Texasmom1970

I died when Jason and his friend both giggled because they had to rush to the restaurant toilet because of diarrhea.

Maybe its just me reading into it but I sae s few moments where Chidi seemed like he does care for fake Eleanor as more than a friend.

And the scene where Michael kept on telling Janet to leave and Jason kept on calling her back, priceless.

  • Love 8
Link to comment
Big Mother

Big Mother

Does NOBODY on the Good PLace die of cancer, heart failure, or plain old... old age? Does everyone have to have a tragic and bizarre death???
Maybe THAT'S the twist of the Good Place.... accidental and bizarro deaths here, natural causes go to the Bad Place? Oy vey.

  • Love 3
Link to comment
AnnaRose

AnnaRose

(edited)
58 minutes ago, Texasmom1970 said:

And the scene where Michael kept on telling Janet to leave and Jason kept on calling her back, priceless.

Oh my God, that was hilarious!  And I loved Janet's explanation for why she married Jason.  Michael's exasperation through the whole thing was priceless.

Yay, Kevin from Brooklyn Nine-Nine!  I thought he was an excellent choice for Shawn.

PS:  Those goody-do-gooders in The Good Place sure weren't about forgiveness, were they?

Edited by AnnaRose
  • Love 7
Link to comment
DrScottie

DrScottie

17 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I figured it meant she was the only person whose score was an exact zero. Not a plus or minus, so she's neither good nor bad.

Could very well be. We'll find out next week. 

Link to comment
GaT

GaT

My favorite parts were about marriage, When Jason explained why he married Janet & Janet said she did it because she was standing next to him, & when Jason & his friend tried to marry each other while Jason was in the safe.

  • Love 10
Link to comment
arc

arc

4 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

Also great was the cop interviewing the other guy afterward: "Your friend was the [heavy sigh] brains of the outfit."

He was great! "Plus he did a bunch of whippits while he was in there, which couldn't have helped," and esp "eh, I think he got roughly what he deserved."

Tiya Sircar is crushing it as Real Eleanor. To play someone so next to perfect and yet not be insufferable is really something.

  • Love 11
Link to comment
bethy

bethy

7 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

Those goody-do-gooders in The Good Place sure weren't about forgiveness, were they?

This was my thought, too. Like, if y'all are so "good," what about forgiving Eleanor?

  • Love 6
Link to comment
Mrs. Stanwyck

Mrs. Stanwyck

Quote

Does NOBODY on the Good PLace die of cancer, heart failure, or plain old... old age? Does everyone have to have a tragic and bizarre death???
Maybe THAT'S the twist of the Good Place.... accidental and bizarro deaths here, natural causes go to the Bad Place? Oy vey.

Maybe that's the theme of this neighborhood - tragic/bizarre deaths.  Maybe those who died of natural causes end up in different neighborhoods in the The Good Place.

My husband and I were laughing so hard during Jason's litmus test, especially the "is it just me, or am I  acing this test?!"

  • Love 7
Link to comment
mstar1125

mstar1125

Line of the night for me was when Janet said that she had learned to hate two things so far: genocide and leggings as pants. Ha! Especially given the stronghold that the LulaRoe company has taken among the moms in my area. 

  • Love 6
Link to comment
Rinaldo

Rinaldo

55 minutes ago, bethy said:

This was my thought, too. Like, if y'all are so "good," what about forgiving Eleanor?

That was my main issue with the episode, after I had time to think it over. Everyone's unforgiving attitude is actually in agreement with the premise from the beginning, that getting into The Good Place is a result of points accrued by good behavior -- concrete things that you did, regardless of attitude.

Which doesn't seem to fit with the idea, articulated by Original Flavor Eleanor in this episode, that motivation makes all the difference. (If that's the case, what about Tahani, whose massive good deeds seem to have been done largely to get her parents' attention and to equal her sister's recognition, not fundamental humanitarian motives?) This is a smart enough show that I can believe that they've thought of this and have an explanation ready, but till we get it, I'm puzzled by the discrepancy. The good deeds ought to have earned her points in themselves, regardless of motivation.

  • Love 11
Link to comment
withanaich

withanaich

(edited)
9 hours ago, Texasmom1970 said:

I died when Jason and his friend both giggled because they had to rush to the restaurant toilet because of diarrhea.

And then they both shouted "Best friends!" as they were running to the bathroom. This show has so many hilarious almost-throwaway lines like that. "DiGiorno!"

I did notice that Jason finally (FINALLY) seems to be growing a little bit too. He actually realized why taking a snorkel into the safe was a stupid idea, and even realized that it shouldn't have taken him so long to figure that out. 

Quote

If that's the case, what about Tahani, whose massive good deeds seem to have been done largely to get her parents' attention and to equal her sister's recognition, not fundamental humanitarian motives?

Maybe because she was doing it for love (and because she genuinely loved her parents), and not for money or recognition? I don't get the feeling that she wanted her parents to like her more than her sister, or even to be better than her sister, just that she wanted to be loved by all of them. Also, we've seen that despite Tahani's insecurities, she really does want to help other people (Eleanor, Michael, etc.). And her first instinct wasn't to rat Jason out when she found out he wasn't actually her soul mate, she was just disappointed. I'd say that she's definitely a "good" person, even if she is flawed. This isn't The Perfect Place, after all. 

Edited by withanaich
  • Love 10
Link to comment
Ms Blue Jay

Ms Blue Jay

(edited)

Chidi hesitantly waving goodbye to Fake Eleanor at the end kind of broke me!  So cute.  Also, in the scenes in the beginning of the episode with Real Eleanor I was thinking he has such a beautiful smile.  We didn't see it much early on in the show.

Just like Andy Bernard made me fall in love with The Office (it was very hard for me to like the show after the UK version), Jason made me fall in love with this show.

Edited by Ms Blue Jay
  • Love 6
Link to comment
ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

  • Author

I am sure that Blair Waldorf would update her "tights are not pants" edict to "leggings are not pants!"

Jason's plan to rob the restaurant was so perfectly Jason. No escape plan, no alibi, but whip-its and a scuba mask in a safe!

Every time Janet said, "I'm not a girl," I heard, "not yet a woman" in my head.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
tennisgurl

tennisgurl

There IS a Middle Place! Kind of anyway. A one woman Middle Place. I still feel like there is more to this world than what we have seen. 

Oh my God, everything with Jason and Janet and poor long suffering Michael was amazing! "Is it me, or am I nailing this test!" was classic Jason. And yes, classic Jason is a thing I am keeping. 

No Red Hot Chill Peppers? What did they ever do to you, show? Going to the Good Place is complicated. 

"I love you too, egg". 

  • Love 4
Link to comment
DeLurker

DeLurker

I noticed Real Eleanor was kind of compulsively cleaning the kitchen counters just before her, Chidi & Tahani figured out Fake Eleanor was going to leave.  That was one of Chidi's complaints that Fake Eleanor never cleaned up the kitchen.

  • Love 3
Link to comment
HunterHunted

HunterHunted

47 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

There IS a Middle Place! Kind of anyway. A one woman Middle Place. I still feel like there is more to this world than what we have seen. 

Oh my God, everything with Jason and Janet and poor long suffering Michael was amazing! "Is it me, or am I nailing this test!" was classic Jason. And yes, classic Jason is a thing I am keeping. 

No Red Hot Chill Peppers? What did they ever do to you, show? Going to the Good Place is complicated. 

"I love you too, egg". 

I'm choosing to believe that it's semi-arbitrary like the people who were raptured in The Leftovers. Bye Gary Busey. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
iMonrey

iMonrey

Quote

And apparently liking RHCP sends you to the Bad Place.

The test to see if you're a bad person is hilarious. "Have you ever had a personalized license plate?" Can anyone remember some of the questions he asked when Eleanor took the test? I remember those were hilarious too.

Quote

And the scene where Michael kept on telling Janet to leave and Jason kept on calling her back, priceless.

I've commented on this before, but I really get a kick out of the fact that they never actually show Janet appearing or disappearing - they always cut to a different angle where she is suddenly there, or suddenly not there. It's an interesting choice, and I also love the "ring for the flight attendant" sound effect that accompanies her appearances and disappearances.

  • Love 3
Link to comment
HurricaneVal

HurricaneVal

13 hours ago, Big Mother said:

Does NOBODY on the Good PLace die of cancer, heart failure, or plain old... old age?

My theory is that the people in the Good Place died from all sorts of reasons, but when they go to the Good Place, they return to the body and physical state they had in their prime.  Maybe the "mistakes" like Eleanor and Jason have had the sudden deaths and that's part of them being "mistakes" whereas everyone else who deserve to be in the good place died "normally" from cancer and heart disease.  Tahani and Chidi seem to have had life experiences far greater than their apparent ages would allow.

 

I love this show.  I love all the details and the character interactions.   I was looking at the business names last night--do they change from episode to episode?  Like an inside joke?

 

And as much as I love poor, clueless Jason, I really, really miss noble, tranquil but with odd fissures of strangeness Jianyu.  That actor is really engaging, and I loved his Jianyu.

  • Love 6
Link to comment
mammaM

mammaM

20 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

My theory is that the people in the Good Place died from all sorts of reasons, but when they go to the Good Place, they return to the body and physical state they had in their prime.  Maybe the "mistakes" like Eleanor and Jason have had the sudden deaths and that's part of them being "mistakes" whereas everyone else who deserve to be in the good place died "normally" from cancer and heart disease.  Tahani and Chidi seem to have had life experiences far greater than their apparent ages would allow.

 

I love this show.  I love all the details and the character interactions.   I was looking at the business names last night--do they change from episode to episode?  Like an inside joke?

 

And as much as I love poor, clueless Jason, I really, really miss noble, tranquil but with odd fissures of strangeness Jianyu.  That actor is really engaging, and I loved his Jianyu.

I like the idea of the bodies not reflecting the persons true age. And Chidi does act like my grandfather sometimes but didn't we see how he died? I'm going along with the "the good place isn't really heaven" theory. I think it's a getting ready for heaven (or maybe reincarnation) place. Good Place, Bad Place, now a Medium Place, but all for the same reason, somehow these people were...lacking, in what we don't know yet. And maybe where you end up depends on where you think you belong, some people think they're going to the good place or the bad place so they do. And after they've worked out whatever it is that they're here for, they can "move on". 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Crs97

Crs97

This is one show that I just sit back and enjoy the ride.  No sense assuming you know where they are headed because the writers make the most random turns in plot.  I love it!  My favorite part was Shawn's "Are you sure?  Because I think she is stealing my train" deadpan.

  • Love 12
Link to comment
dabbrusc

dabbrusc

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

The test to see if you're a bad person is hilarious. "Have you ever had a personalized license plate?" Can anyone remember some of the questions he asked when Eleanor took the test? I remember those were hilarious too.

Did you ever commit a serious crime? such as murder, sexual harassment, arson or otherwise?
Did you ever have a vanity license plate, like Mama's BMW, Lexus for Liz, or Boob Guy?
Did you ever reheat fish in an office microwave?
Have you ever paid money to see the California funk rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Were you ever a waiter and when seeing a customer who had eaten all his or her food said sarcastically "Guess you hated it?"
Have you ever said "Hubby" or referred to the department store Target as "Tar-jay"?
Did you every take off your shoes and socks on a commercial airplane?

Did you ever appear on the American television show "The Bachelor" or it's companion shows "The Bachelorette", "Bachelor in Paradise" or comment on them in any capacity or post on any social media site that you were "emotionally vested" in any of the relationships that the contestants were pursuing?

  • Love 15
Link to comment
Mabinogia

Mabinogia

I could have sworn it was implied that this is just one neighborhood in the Good Place. So theoretically it could be that people who die a certain way end up in the same hood (accidents) or people in a certain age group go to the same hood. If not, I'd be curious to know how they are chosen for specific neighborhoods. I also wonder if that means there are various bad places.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
DrScottie

DrScottie

So, Eleanor's decision to leave bumped her score to over 1,362,322. Wow.

That's higher than Tahani's of 997,485.

13 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I could have sworn it was implied that this is just one neighborhood in the Good Place. So theoretically it could be that people who die a certain way end up in the same hood (accidents) or people in a certain age group go to the same hood. If not, I'd be curious to know how they are chosen for specific neighborhoods. I also wonder if that means there are various bad places.

There's other Good Place neighborhoods of different varieties. It's one of the first things he tells Eleanor. In fact, the train station showed it is Neighborhood 12358W. 

  • Useful 1
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Traveller519

Traveller519

This show keeps on delivering! A couple theories I have coming out of this episode:

  1. Now that we have some information on the other Deaths, I do agree that this is a neighborhood for people who have died earlier in life, and likely from something other than sickness. It would seem to make sense that this was a neighborhood to be given to someone like Michael for people who had a zest for life and would have a harder time transitioning to the after-life.
  2. I 'm willing to wager dollars to donuts that the incredible sacrifice Tahani referenced is what got her into the Good Place. We saw how much Eleanor's sacrifice did for her points, if that was Tahani's final act on earth it could have counteracted a life time of good deeds that were selfishly motivated. If you go back to last week's episode, when Eleanor says that if she'd known people like Chidi, real Eleanor, and Tahani in real life she may have gotten into the good place for real there's a quick reaction shot of Tahani that is almost her questioning how good she was in her own life anyway.

At any rate, more Jason and Janet doing things, I wasn't happy about the prospect of the reboot, but watching her beg for her life again would have been some chuckles (that sounds really dark!)

  • Love 5
Link to comment
arc

arc

2 hours ago, DrScottie said:

So, Eleanor's decision to leave bumped her score to over 1,362,322. Wow.

Well, her decision to leave allowed her apologies to not be self-serving. But 300-ish (?) apologies + the same number of "Pobody's Nerfect" T-shirts really shouldn't add up to over a million points. The point counting system sucks.

2 hours ago, DrScottie said:

There's other Good Place neighborhoods of different varieties. It's one of the first things he tells Eleanor. In fact, the train station showed it is Neighborhood 12358W. 

Yeah, weirdly, when Michael called Trevor on the phone, he said he was from Good Place neighborhood 12358W, but he just called the entire Bad Place, as if there were no specific neighborhoods in the Bad Place.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Cowgirl

Cowgirl

(edited)

I hope that, since Janet is on the train now, she cannot be rebooted.  

I also hope that now Jason's wrongful presence is finally known, people stop blaming Eleanor for everything. I think it was him that caused the sinkhole, wasn't it?

I had time to go to On Demand on my cable and watch half the first episode today. It's even more enjoyable after watching the rest of the season!

I so agree that there are so many good lines that just zip by in this show!  One of my favorites of the episode was Jason's "I'm not a failure! I'm just pre-successful."  I cheered out loud for him!

Edited by Cowgirl
  • Love 2
Link to comment
Fiddler1

Fiddler1

4 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

I love this show.  I love all the details and the character interactions.   I was looking at the business names last night--do they change from episode to episode?  Like an inside joke?

I noticed one store in the background called "Your Anticipated Needs." :-D  Going to keep an eye on the names after this!  I love this show more every week....there are so many funny little things you can easily miss going on!

  • Love 2
Link to comment
Terrafamilia

Terrafamilia

21 hours ago, J0nas3 said:

And apparently liking RHCP sends you to the Bad Place.

Well, at least paying money to see them does.

Tahani's motivation for her good deeds probably played into the fact that her score total was way down near the bottom.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
iMonrey

iMonrey

Thanks dabbrusc! This was the one I was trying to remember:

Quote

Did you ever appear on the American television show "The Bachelor" or it's companion shows "The Bachelorette", "Bachelor in Paradise" or comment on them in any capacity or post on any social media site that you were "emotionally vested" in any of the relationships that the contestants were pursuing?

Link to comment
arc

arc

59 minutes ago, Cowgirl said:

I also hope that now Jason's wrongful presence is finally known, people stop blaming Eleanor for everything. I think it was him that caused the sinkhole, wasn't it?

I thought Eleanor punched a cake and that caused the sinkhole?

  • Love 5
Link to comment
whiporee

whiporee

I posted this on the speculation thread, but since we've moved into ideas about The Good Place, I'll toss it in here. I think The Good Place is for people who think they lived good lives more than actual good people, because most of residents we've seen are condescending, self-congratulating jerks. Good people would have forgiven Eleanor without hesitation, because they've actually suffered no real harm, and they've got eternity be happy. But because they've built up the image of themselves as "good," compared to those who are not, then they can be sanctimonious about who belongs there and who doesn't. After all, in their minds, they've earned their place, and Eleanore made choices they think should have condemned her. 

It's why they are so quick to dive into soulmate-ness, because that's what they think they are now entitled to. I'd be willing to be further backstory would show none of them were actually ever in love on Earth, and now they are diving in. Because Real Eleanor fell in love with Chidi pretty quick, didn't she? -- and more importantly, she told him while being completely oblivious to the fact that he's conflicted. Same thing with Tahani's willing condemnation of Jason and Eleanor -- they are getting in the way of what she's earned, and she was resentful of that until she actually got to know both of them. Then her perspective changed. (which, I'm thinking, may be the overarching point). 

That's actually why, in addition to being funny, the list makes sense. Because people who see themselves as good (and are willing to see others as bad) might also be willing to consider things like TV or music choices a defining characteristic of a person. None of those who condemn her have actually gotten to know Fake Eleanore, so their condemnation of her fits with the superiority they've assigned themselves. 

  • Love 8
Link to comment
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...