The Good Clues

[scarynikki12]

This is where you talk about the clues of the show.  You may discuss the events of the series in the context of the clues but do not go off topic.  If you are new to the show, be aware that this discussion will reveal events of previous seasons. 

[arc]

In the very first episode (s01.e01), Eleanor says her parents were bad and are probably in the Bad Place:

My parents were divorced when I was a kid. They were both crummy people, so they're probably... *phhbt* in the Bad Place. Maybe they're being used to torture each other. It would work.

[Kromm]

This is duplicative of stuff I had in an episode topic, but it really fits here. Here are two "clues" the show dropped to things coming afterward (one for S1s season ending twist and the other for something later in the same episode it aired in).

 

1.) Jason, at one point in Season 1, speculates that they're on "a prank show". If you think about what we eventually learn about Michael's setup and his pitch as to why this kind of Bad Place is better than the traditional, that's kind of true.

 

2.) In Season 2 Episode 3, when we see the list of plans in the Medium Place, there's one plan which says "Make Michael think he’s the one in the Bad Place". In a way that very plan is what we see happening during the whole course of that episode, even if Eleanor and the others aren't aware of it. By the end Michael gives in, as much because they've twisted his enjoyment into misery as any threat represented by Vicky.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Kromm

[ByTor]

On 10/1/2017 at 5:01 PM, Kromm said:

In Season 2 Episode 3, when we see the list of plans in the Medium Place, there's one plan which says "Make Michael think he’s the one in the Bad Place". In a way that very plan is what we see happening during the whole course of that episode, even if Eleanor and the others aren't aware of it. By the end Michael gives in, as much because they've twisted his enjoyment into misery as any threat represented by Vicky.

I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at.  Michael knows he's in the Bad Place.  Did you mean it as in he's in the Bad Place, but not as an architect like he thinks, but he's being punished about something instead?

Edited October 10, 2017 by ByTor

[Kromm]

On 10/10/2017 at 0:32 PM, ByTor said:

I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at.  Michael knows he's in the Bad Place.  Did you mean it as in he's in the Bad Place, but not as an architect like he thinks, but he's being punished about something instead?

Remember, it's not what I mean that's the issue here. Eleanor (more likely than Chidi) came up with that plan and used that wording, not me. 

I didn't take "make him think he's in the bad place" literally, since as you say he already knew that.  Because of that, I read and interpreted that as "make him suffer so much that he's the one being eternally tormented and not us". And that's pretty much what happened, even if Eleanor and the others, because of the resets, weren't actually consciously carrying out any kind of coherent ongoing plan to do this to him. As unhappy as our foursome often was in this setup, Michael is the one with the continuity of suffering to make things intolerable. The resets, arguably, could be seen as a blessing for the others because their punishment became transitory. 

Think about the movie Groundhog Day. Ned Ryerson is repeating that day just as many times as Phil Connors. But Ned, really all of the characters other than Phil, have the blessing of being unaware that this is going on. Phil suffers because of his state of knowing. And that's where Michael is at too, even if by his own design. He has to live not only with the dreariness of endless repeating, like Phil Connors, but on top of that with the endless failure. And unlike the Demons, who get to change up their characters and behavior, Michael is doing pretty much the same thing every time. He doesn't get to be, or do, anything significantly different, which is why he's the one we see breaking down, while the Demons just kind of get bored and annoyed by it all.

I'm just saying that this one line of text in the episode was kind of telegraphing this in short form. Michael is the one receiving the pain, ergo it's like it's his designated Bad Place punishment more than theirs.

Now if we want to make a really meta guess it's also possibly part of some long term plot where in reality this IS his punishment and he's simply not aware of it. That's at least possible. But that possibility could easily be derailed in the next few episodes if his plan with the "Cockroaches" works. Then again that plan creates it's own kind of punishment for him. He's probably going to be constantly fearful of discovery. 

[arc]

Arthur Chu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arthur_affect/status/923975170993328130

 

Quote

Btw “Jianyu” means “prison” in Mandarin but since none of the main characters (especially Jason) speaks it no one picked up on it

[secnarf]

Not really sure where to put this - but I am rewatching season 1, and in episode 4 (Jason Mendoza), in a flashback Jason and Pillboi use a Molotov cocktail on a boat. As Jason throws the Molotov cocktail, he yells "Bortles!"

It was awesome - and great continuity. Didn't want to put in the episode thread though, due to weak spoilers for later on (Jason loving the Jags and Blake Bortles).

[arc]

The AV Club is doing annotations for the episodes to note every in-joke, callback, and possible clue and whatnot. A commenter noted that in 3x02, Tahani showed up to the monastery in cargo pants just like the ones she reluctantly wore in "Dance Dance Resolution" (2x03).

And I know it's long been established that Chidi was a professor at an Australian university, but I do like that in 2x03 Vicky talked about how she'd spent weeks perfecting her Australian accent and even threatened Michael with "going Down Under" if she didn't get her way, and now it turns out that's where (at least the first part of) season 3 takes place.

[arc]

Season one finale, Michael to Chidi: "Well, if it'll make you feel any better, you were the closest to actually getting in, up there. You weren't that close. You were just the closest."

probably a clue in retrospect about how Chidi didn't qualify for (at least) the Medium Place!