S02.E12: The Burrito

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

 

Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason consider just how much they have improved. Michael is left to deal with the consequences of his recent actions.

[Notwisconsin]

I cannot say that the Shur and the other showrunners saw this film, but it appears that this may be the inspiration for the episode:

 

Edited January 25, 2018 by Notwisconsin

[bethy]

I thought Maya Rudolph was perfect for the judge role and absolutely delightful in it! Loved Janet finally learning how to be bad - and doing quite well at it - when her friends were in trouble. 

[Rinaldo]

I agree that Maya Rudolph turned out to be just right for the judge. This episode wasn't as constantly funny as the others, but it was a necessary step that we've known was coming, but it got us perfectly in place for next week's season finale. (With, once again, no idea what might happen next; I'm delighted to place myself in their hands for whatever comes.)

Yay Janet for learning what she had to (and then reverting to her sunny self as soon as she could). And yay Eleanor for passing her test (the only one who did).

As always, nobody delivers an incredulous "Whaaat?!?" like William Jackson Harper.

[Dots And Stripes]

I loved the sets in this one. I kind of feel like this episode needs a rewatch to pick up everything the Judge said about the tests. The Judge told Eleanor she wasn’t being tested, which was not true. I’m curious about that lie.

Michael standing up to Shawn was great. I was waiting for Shawn to mention “The History of the Ladder” as part of the New Yorker torture. 

I love Team Cockroach sticking together. Eleanor pretending to fail to avoid making her friends feel bad was sweet.

[Ailianna]

12 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

next week's season finale

Wait--aren't there 13 episodes?  Don't we have 2 more left?  I'm already sad every time I see that stupid Siri add telling her to remind you to watch The Good Place every Thursday--because there are so few Thursdays left for this show this season!

I loved the different tests, although I knew Eleanor and Chidi weren't being tested together.  I thought she would have known it wasn't Chidi because of his quasi-romantic approach at the end, but her reasons were also very accurate and well done.  And her letting the others think she failed too so that they wouldn't feel bad that she passed and they didn't--lots of growth, and I don't think it will go to waste.

[Samsnee]

I’m probably overthinking this, but do they sleep on this show? They had beds in their houses. So if they sleep they wake up and have to pick new outfit everyday, which Chidi clearly does. So how could it be so hard to pick a hat? Or did he think that picking the “wrong” hat would lead him to the bad place?

[Mabinogia]

I screamed so loud when Janet revealed that she was "bad Janet" I am surprised the neighbors didn't call the cops.

Loved that Eleanor knew that wasn't her Chidi. She knows her Chidi. Speaking of Chidi, oh Jason, don't ever change. I loved when he thought Chidi's name was because people cheat off him. Brilliant.

I thought Tahani passed the test because, while she did confront her parents, she rose above and left telling them to have a nice life rather than wallowing and having a tantrum or whatever. I thought she handled herself beautifully.

[Linny]

I'm so proud of Eleanor for her growth over the course of the show. Old Eleanor would have snapped up the chance to go to the Good Place and cheerfully trample her friends to get there, but now she puts her loyalty to the group above her personal needs. The continuation of Eleanor tuning into her environment and realizing the discrepancies (that they're in the Bad Place, that Michael left them clues to help them, that she's talking to a Chidi impostor, etc.) exemplifies just how perceptive and instinctual she is. Chidi may be the brains of the group but Eleanor is the heart, always feeling the dynamic of a situation and knowing just how to respond.

I was dying over the names on the doors in Tahani's hallway. "Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince" is an interesting mix, and naturally Tahani cares about the opinion of Blue Ivy Carter and North West. Her reaction to her parents hit just the right tone; it's not so important that she doesn't have their approval because she's accomplished amazing things all on her own, she doesn't need them to validate her.

Maya Rudolph really went all in eating that burrito but still managed to get her lines out, I was impressed. Her little slideshow of memories (and the framed photograph magically appearing behind her) was great, as was her exasperation that Chidi took 82 minutes to pick a hat (bless Chidi's heart, he tried so hard).

It didn't take me long to realize our Janet was pretending to be a Bad Janet, but I enjoyed the reveal (and Shawn's ass kicking) all the same. Glad to see the gang's all together in the same place again, for as much as I love the individuals it's the strength of the ensemble that is the backbone of this show.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Linny

[Panopticon]

14 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

 I thought she would have known it wasn't Chidi because of his quasi-romantic approach at the end, but her reasons were also very accurate and well done.  And her letting the others think she failed too so that they wouldn't feel bad that she passed and they didn't--lots of growth, and I don't think it will go to waste.

Based on the timing and the facial expressions, I thought that the quasi-romantic approach was what clued Eleanor in, and then she went back and retroactively noted the less subtle errors made in creating FakeChidi. I thought that she just claimed otherwise because she didn't want to point out the big, obvious mistake to the beings that have ultimate power over her, and because she's tired of acknowledging her unrequited love for Chidi anyway.

13 minutes ago, Samsnee said:

I’m probably overthinking this, but do they sleep on this show? They had beds in their houses. So if they sleep they wake up and have to pick new outfit everyday, which Chidi clearly does. So how could it be so hard to pick a hat? Or did he think that picking the “wrong” hat would lead him to the bad place?

Maybe Chidi's indecisiveness gets exponentially worse when other people are involved (picking teams on a playground, saying I love you, making a speech at a wedding)? So since he thought that the lives of his friends depended on his ability to pick a hat, he couldn't pick a hat, but in the fake Good Place a shirt was just a shirt?

[Affogato]

36 minutes ago, Samsnee said:

I’m probably overthinking this, but do they sleep on this show? They had beds in their houses. So if they sleep they wake up and have to pick new outfit everyday, which Chidi clearly does. So how could it be so hard to pick a hat? Or did he think that picking the “wrong” hat would lead him to the bad place?

When is a hat not a hat? 

22 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

 

I thought Tahani passed the test because, while she did confront her parents, she rose above and left telling them to have a nice life rather than wallowing and having a tantrum or whatever. I thought she handled herself beautifully.

Yes I thought that showed real growth. But the test was to find out what part of the bad place she would go to? Is there a spot for people who subvert expectations and make the demons have to work late?

Edited January 26, 2018 by Affogato

[Anela]

I thought Tahani handled herself beautifully, as well. It's sad when you come to a realization like that, but it's freeing, too. It's just so sad that it's her parents who treated her that way. 

[JessDVD]

The PTV boards being down the night of TGP airing just about ended me last night.

I just about died at Michael's "Ya basic" to Shawn. When "bad" Janet showed "good" Janet in the marble, I did think "Wait, I thought they put a bad Janet into a marble, is this a ruse?" but I then forgot about it. I had also just about forgotten about Michael and Janet during all the "Did they pass the test" stuff and them showing up in the portal was a total surprise to me, nicely played.

I've likewise enjoyed Eleanor's growth and loved seeing all the combinations on the doors in Tahani's hallway. Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince. Bet the writers had a good time putting those together.

Eleanor to Jason: "You understand about 20% of what's going on" / Jason: "Aw, thanks"

Re: next week season finale - the 1 hour season opener was considered eps 1 and 2, so last night was 12 and next week is 13 or season finale. This is represented incorrectly in 98% of the internet. 

[Chaos Theory]

I thought this was a fun episode and was really surprised when I realized that only Eleanor passed.  I mean of course Jason failed but I would have thought that Tahani and Chidi would have passed as well but then I realized that the test was so strict that it was meant to fail.    Still Tahani confronting her parents the way she did was a freeing moment for her that has been coming for a long time.  I thought the line "The whole point of the afterlife test is that everyone in these rooms is supposed to be talking about me and yet even in this scenario you are still talking about Camila.  Which is exactly the point"  Was one of the most insightful moments Tahani has ever had.    Also the fact that Chidi was able to chose AT ALL was a great stride for him.  

And yeah if you want to learn how to torture people getting examples from Stephen King Novels and Pretty Little Liars is probably the way to go.  

Quote

The PTV boards being down the night of TGP airing just about ended me last night.

Could have sworn we were in the Bad Place for a day.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[Sakura12]

27 minutes ago, Linny said:

I'm so proud of Eleanor for her growth over the course of the show. Old Eleanor would have snapped up the chance to go to the Good Place and cheerfully trample her friends to get there, but now she puts her loyalty to the group above her personal needs. The continuation of Eleanor tuning into her environment and realizing the discrepancies (that they're in the Bad Place, that Michael left them clues to help them, that she's talking to a Chidi impostor, etc.) exemplifies just how perceptive and instinctual she is. Chidi may be the brains of the group but Eleanor is the heart, always feeling the dynamic of a situation and knowing just how to respond.

She would not have gone to the Good Place if she made that choice. That's why I think she did pass and had the choice to go the real Good Place before she interrupted the Judge by saying she messed up.  This is also twice Eleanor figured out what was actually happening. Unlike Jason who just repeated what the Judge told him. Never change Jason, never Jason.  Eleanor really knows the tests these higher beings throw at her. Maybe she'll end being someone that comes up with the tests for everyone else. 

I knew that wasn't Chidi when he started making decisions, so of course Chidi's test was picking out a hat that took him 80 minutes! Tahani couldn't resist confronting her parents, but she probably got some growth out that and will be happier knowing she doesn't care or need her parents approval anymore. 

Bad Janet actually being Good Janet was awesome. Janet like Michael has really grown to care about the humans. She even learned to be bad for them. 

I also loved Michael saying he used Stephen King and Pretty Little Liars as scenarios that he gave to his boss. Being stuck in a room with nothing to watch but Pretty Little Liars would be torture enough. 

[Lugal]

This show just keeps getting better and better.  And I totally called Maya Rudolph as the Judge. 

It's interesting that Eleanor has been able to see through the illusions that they throw at her.  And the fact that she held to her principles and stayed with team cockroach even though she passed the test.  I wonder what this means for her.

As for Jason, Eleanor summed it up when she said "You only understand about 20% of what's going on don't you?"  Which is funny because based on that 20% he does come up with some good solutions, like get a good night's rest and try fresh in the morning.  Or like when he realized all the reboots had gotten out of control and it was time to call the cops.

Chidi tried, he really did, even if it did take him 82 minutes to pick a hat.  I get the feeling that Chidi ends up making his own Bad Place everywhere he goes.  it really does show that Jason is too dumb for his own good and Chidi is too smart for his.

Tahani almost made it, which shows a lot of growth, but she could not resist hearing what her parents thought of her, which unfortunately proved she hasn't transcended everything yet.

Can't wait to see what happens with Michael and Janet.

Ya Basic!  It's a devastating human insult.  And envy gives burritos a real kick.

[Chris24601]

8 minutes ago, Lugal said:

It's interesting that Eleanor has been able to see through the illusions that they throw at her.  And the fact that she held to her principles and stayed with team cockroach even though she passed the test.  I wonder what this means for her.

I suspect it means the Judge can't actually send her back to the Bad Place (there is no proper punishment that she could have inflicted on her... which is the point of the tests for everyone). My hunch is that and Michael having actually redeemed himself in the process of running the Fake Good Place is going to be enough to leverage a Third-Option out of the Judge that will give us our Season Three setup.

[Dots And Stripes]

I would have liked to have heard Chidi’s instructions. The set reminded me of Buridan’s ass which was recently a topic on Big Bang Theory. The idea is that an animal would starve to death rather than pick from two identical sources of food. Taking 82 minutes to pick between two nearly identical hats when the fate of your soul hangs in the balance seems fair to me.

Also, Jason tried meditating during his test which I think shows some growth. His problem was being too dumb to wait for instructions. 

Tahanni clearly disobeyed instructions. It’s interesting that those rooms were filled with people saying what they really thought of her instead of complimenting her. It played on her insecurities more than her vanity.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Dots And Stripes
Spelling

[Rinaldo]

2 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Wait--aren't there 13 episodes?  Don't we have 2 more left? 

As @JessDVD has noted, there are indeed 13 half-hour episodes, but the first two were shown together in an hourlong season premiere. Some online sources are misnumbering the episodes on that basis, but as you can see from this topic title, PTV has it right -- "The Burrito" was E 12, which leaves us one more.

I am, alas, old enough that "Ya basic!" is meaningless as an insult to me; yes, I've looked up what it's supposed to convey, so I understand it to that extent, but I've never actually heard anyone say it (and I teach undergraduates). Both this time, and when Eleanor hurled it at Michael at the end of Season 1, it was a momentary dead spot for me. My loss.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Rinaldo

[BobH]

Is "ya basic" a real thing, or a show thing? I haven't heard it outside of the show, but I'm not hep to all the new jive, daddy-o.

[BonnieD]

I believe Michael's argument will be that the Bad Place he invented actually contributed to these characters' growth and therefore he, and they, should be allowed to continue their work there. Other souls will be ushered into that purgatory to resolve their issues, thus allowing for some new characters.

I'd prefer to see a reincarnation sort of thing where they're sent back to earth to try again but then the group wouldn't be together. Plus earth=boring.
 

[snowwhyte]

Chidi was wearing tan pants, of course he should have picked the brown hat! 

As a Brit I enjoyed the judge asking Tahani to say aluminium. When I was in the US my Americans friends would ask me to say bloody hell a lot. I get extra British in the US.

[Chaos Theory]

Now that I think about it Rosewood on Pretty Little Liars could actually be a neighborhood in the Bad Place.  Could the entire storyline be Michael's notes to Shawn?

[CofCinci]

31 minutes ago, BobH said:

Is "ya basic" a real thing, or a show thing? I haven't heard it outside of the show, but I'm not hep to all the new jive, daddy-o.

It’s real. 

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/dec/23/basic-insult-kate-moss-lil-wayne-sylvia-plath

[Anela]

35 minutes ago, BobH said:

Is "ya basic" a real thing, or a show thing? I haven't heard it outside of the show, but I'm not hep to all the new jive, daddy-o.

I see it a lot online.

30 minutes ago, snowwhyte said:

Chidi was wearing tan pants, of course he should have picked the brown hat! 

As a Brit I enjoyed the judge asking Tahani to say aluminium. When I was in the US my Americans friends would ask me to say bloody hell a lot. I get extra British in the US.

Me, too. Late last year, I happened to notice that I hadn't been asked about my accent for a while, and then ended up in a situation (two weeks ago) over a twenty-four hour period, in which a lot of people asked me about it. People do tend to be cute over it, though, like the judge. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Anela

[Blakeston]

2 hours ago, Samsnee said:

I’m probably overthinking this, but do they sleep on this show? They had beds in their houses. So if they sleep they wake up and have to pick new outfit everyday, which Chidi clearly does. So how could it be so hard to pick a hat? Or did he think that picking the “wrong” hat would lead him to the bad place?

I think it's the latter. This was presented to him as a test of his worthiness, so he was especially neurotic about it.

But it might very well take him that long to choose an outfit every morning.

When the judge said that she hadn't heard a case in 30 years - does that mean her last case was Mindy?

[CherithCutestory]

3 hours ago, bethy said:

I thought Maya Rudolph was perfect for the judge role and absolutely delightful in it! Loved Janet finally learning how to be bad - and doing quite well at it - when her friends were in trouble. 

I definitely thought she was perfect! Anyone too big would have been gimicky. She played it like a real role. She isn't a demon so she's basically decent and nice. But this is her job and she has to play by the rules.

Quote

Tahani almost made it, which shows a lot of growth, but she could not resist hearing what her parents thought of her, which unfortunately proved she hasn't transcended everything yet.

I think it perfectly encapsulates what is wrong with this whole system and what needs to change. Both Jason and Tahani showed that humans can improve. And they shouldn't go to hell just because they aren't quite there yet. (I mean I guess Chidi did too since he did finally decide but that also seemed more of a hilarious bit.)

Also, Eleanor is going to go to hell just because her friends didn't improve enough.

Quote

I'm so proud of Eleanor for her growth over the course of the show. Old Eleanor would have snapped up the chance to go to the Good Place and cheerfully trample her friends to get there, but now she puts her loyalty to the group above her personal needs

Although it's interesting because Eleanor has already made this choice much earlier in her moral progress. She outed herself in season 1 because Chidi's guilt was killing him. She was ready to voluntarily go to the Bad Place right before she found out about the Medium Place. And then she returned from Mindy's because Chidi and Tahani were to be sent to hell in her place. She didn't even hesitate that time.

It's interesting because Eleanor is pretty instinctively a good person when it comes to big stuff. Even if she's not in the small stuff.

I think it's just because she's used to being decisive. She raised herself (while Tahani's parents were crap they were wealthy and she had people raising her rather than go it all alone like Eleanor did.) She couldn't afford to be indecisive like Chidi. She couldn't be a space cadet like Jason. She has self-esteem issues like Tahani but she couldn't afford to let them consume her. She had to work and make decisions to feed and clothe herself. Or she wouldn't have survived.

So, once she decided to behave like a good person. That decision was made. She doesn't second guess herself once she's chosen to do something. Eleanor has chosen to be better and then did it. Because that's what she does. She chooses to do things and does them.

Quote

Now that I think about it Rosewood on Pretty Little Liars could actually be a neighborhood in the Bad Place.  Could the entire storyline be Michael's notes to Shawn?

Honestly, one look at Aria's outfits and Spencer should have figured out they were in the Bad Place.

Edited January 26, 2018 by CherithCutestory

[JessDVD]

I don't even know what "Ya basic" means but the way both Kristen Bell and Ted Danson delivered it was hilarious.

My kids have been on a Frozen kick lately (with 4 girls ages 2-almost 9, I'm not sure we ever weren't on a Frozen kick since it came out, but it's been requested viewing more lately), and I am having a really, really hard time reconciling Eleanor Shellstrop with Anna of Arendelle, which is probably a testament to how amazing Kristen Bell is.

[CaptainTightpants]

The fact that they disapprove of Cheetos makes me hate Tahani's parents even more!

[tennisgurl]

When I saw the episode last night, and realized that PTV was still shut down, my first thought was "This is the bad place!"

Maya Rudolph was perfect as the eternal judge, she totally fits right into this shows weird cosmology. Although, I also thought for a second that the burrito might be the judge too. Hey, you never know...

It was great to see how the gang has developed over the series (especially when Tahani told her parent she didn't need their validation anymore) but it still wasn't enough for the judge to let Team Cochroach into The Good Place. Even with Eleanor passing the test, but keeping with the rest of her friends. 

"Ya basic. Thats a human insult. Its devastating. You're devastated right now". 

My love of this show is ridiculous and slightly embarrassing, but I have no regrets. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by tennisgurl

[cpcathy]

7 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

"Ya basic. Thats a human insult. Its devastating. You're devastated right now". 

 

 

Line delivery of the night for me. I may have to steal it for future conversations.

[Loandbehold]

Loved Maya Rudolph as The Judge and the burrito just being a burrito, except it had that little extra. 

Good Janet learned to be a "Bad Janet"! And kicking Shawn's ass - bonus! 

Eleanor again being the one to figure out the test is another great bit of continuity. 

Unfortunately, my DVR cut out right after Michael and Janet entered through the portal ("Portales!") and Michael said, "hi guys." Anything happen after that?

[JessDVD]

1 minute ago, Loandbehold said:

Loved Maya Rudolph as The Judge and the burrito just being a burrito, except it had that little extra. 

Good Janet learned to be a "Bad Janet"! And kicking Shawn's ass - bonus! 

Eleanor again being the one to figure out the test is another great bit of continuity. 

Unfortunately, my DVR cut out right after Michael and Janet entered through the portal ("Portales!") and Michael said, "hi guys." Anything happen after that?

That's where it ends, I'm pretty sure. My recording almost cut off Michael saying "hi guys" and went straight to the end of show logo stuff. So unless NBC accidentally cut off the recording early, that was the end.

[AlleC17]

That was where it ended...I both can't wait for the season finale and am sad about it as well.  This little show makes me happy.  I was proud of Chidi only taking 82 minutes to choose a hat.  The brown looked really nice on him too.  lol

[Isazouzi]

Not much to add, except that I loved the shout out to Kyle Chandler and Bloodline. It's a great show, and he DOES make you forget Coach Taylor!

Edited January 26, 2018 by Isazouzi

[Delphi]

Loved this.  But I don't understand how Tahini failed,  sure she entered a room,  but she finally,  after what I assume is many years,  confronted her parents and handled it with dignity.  She doesn't require their respect anymore.    That to me is more growth than she's ever shown. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Delphi

[Gurkel]

1 minute ago, AlleC17 said:

That was where it ended...I both can't wait for the season finale and am sad about it as well.  This little show makes me happy.  I was proud of Chidi only taking 82 minutes to choose a hat.  The brown looked really nice on him too.  lol

And he made what he considered a really tough decision. That’s progress. 

[Rinaldo]

4 minutes ago, Delphi said:

Loved this.  But I don't understand how Tahini failed,  sure she entered a room

That's the answer right there. The only thing she had to do in order to pass was to not enter any of the rooms, and she failed on that count.

Whatever can be said in her favor despite that, may very likely be brought up in the future, but it's a separate issue from passing/failing these specific tests.

[DrScottie]

26 minutes ago, Loandbehold said:

Loved Maya Rudolph as The Judge and the burrito just being a burrito, except it had that little extra. 

Given all the puns in the show, I was surprised when the envy sauce bottle was seemingly just Cholula. Since it's actually envy, why wasn't it green (verde)? I feel like they missed an opportunity there. 

11 minutes ago, Delphi said:

Loved this.  But I don't understand how Tahini failed,  sure she entered a room,  but she finally,  after what I assume is many years,  confronted her parents and handle it with dignity.   That to me is more growth than she's ever shown. 

Yes, but that wasn't the test. It was to see if she could ignore wondering what people felt about her. She failed. To quote Shawn, "You had one job." 

Edited January 26, 2018 by DrScottie
Shawn's statements never have exclamations.

[Dots And Stripes]

Judge Gen said something about this being her first case in 30 years. I assume she was still talking about Mindy as her most recent case. That would mean time hasn’t really passed in all of the reboots.

[Anela]

I wouldn't have been able to resist entering at least one of the rooms, either. Most people I would pass, but my parents... that would be the most difficult. 

[Mockingbird]

“It’s me! Good Janet!” was delivered in the most adorable manner possible. 

And Eleanor making up the story about pushing an old lady down to get to some shrimp in order to save her friends (well, Chidi, at least) the anguish of knowing she should have been sent to the Good Place might have even been more selfless than Michael’s sacrifice last week. She has to be the fly in the ointment that forks up the whole system; no actual Good Place *should* allow a good person to be tortured for eternity. But, then again, no actual Good Place should agree that indecision—even taken to Chidi’s level—is a mortal sin. 

This whole season finale next week thing is bullshirt. I so appreciate the show’s quality over quantity approach, which is undoubtably how they’re able to chew through plot points in an episode that other shows would devote an entire season to, but still. It’s like a Medium Place scenario. You’ll get to watch this brilliant show BUT you’ll only get 13 episodes a year. And odds are it’ll end on a torturous cliffhanger. 

[TheOtherOne]

The first time through I thought the episode was disappointing, just because it was so predictable (obviously Janet was going to save Michael; obviously they were going to fail the tests). I wouldn't call it filler (especially because I hate that term) because it seemed like a necessary episode, but also a completely unsurprising one that was hitting the expected marks. But at the same time, it did make me laugh a lot, which was still the case on a couple of rewatches, so I've come to appreciate it more. This is one I can see myself simply rewatching again and again just for the laughs (and the satisfaction of Janet revealing herself and kicking the crap out of Shawn).

I did find the opening a little off. Considering we ended with Michael's big sacrifice, there was a curious lack of emotion about it, especially from Eleanor in the beginning. I thought it would have been worth telling the judge that a demon sacrificed himself for their good when pleading for an opportunity to present their case, to make it clear just how much effort it took them to get there and how much work they'd done. Or maybe, considering they were trying to get out of eternal torment, I would have expected a lot more pleading in general. Oh well.

Something interesting from The Futon Critic--they have a listing for six minute Sneak Peek of some kind Friday night/Saturday morning:

http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20180124nbc03/

I don't have a TV and watch online, but anyone feel like tuning in and checking it out?

And also:

Edited January 26, 2018 by TheOtherOne

[Samsnee]

I usually don’t like Maya Rudolph because she plays things over the top, but I liked her subtlety here. 

[chaifan]

I'm not surprised Eleanor figured out that Chidi wasn't Chidi.  In life, she was a con artist.  It takes a con to spot a con.  Which is why she figured out she was really in the Bad Place. 

I loved the walking from one door back into the lobby over and over. 

I loved Chidi's test.  I was afraid they'd put him back on a trolley, but the hat was pure genius. 

[iMonrey]

I know it's just a sitcom, but on a fundamental level, it's kind of disturbing what this show is saying about consequences. Tahani has done a lot of wonderful things for charities, and even if she did them for selfish reasons because she's obsessed with having approval, does that mitigate the wonderful things she's done for charities, etc.? So much so that she deserves to go to hell for it? Same for Chidi - his indecisiveness is almost debilitating and drives everyone around him crazy, but does that make him such a bad person he deserves to go to hell for it? It's really a sobering thought.

Quote

My hunch is that and Michael having actually redeemed himself in the process of running the Fake Good Place is going to be enough to leverage a Third-Option out of the Judge that will give us our Season Three setup.

Probably this. It also occurs to me they might somehow get past the judge and sneak into the Good Place. It would sort of be a reset on the original premise - they all thought they were in the Good Place but weren't supposed to be. This time, they will be in the Good Place but not supposed to be. That might be interesting.

[Sakura12]

I read a book (I forgot what it was called) about the bad place and the whole time the main character was trying to get the good place, then when he did it was empty. Because when everything is perfect all the time, you can have anything you want at any time and nothing ever goes wrong ever it gets really boring and most of the people choose to go the bad place because at least they had variety in their eternity, they never knew what kind of torture they'd get but it kept their afterlife interesting. I wonder if this show will do something like that. 

[DrScottie]

2 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I read a book (I forgot what it was called) about the bad place and the whole time the main character was trying to get the good place, then when he did it was empty. Because when everything is perfect all the time, you can have anything you want at any time and nothing ever goes wrong ever it gets really boring and most of the people choose to go the bad place because at least they had variety in their eternity, they never knew what kind of torture they'd get but it kept their afterlife interesting. I wonder if this show will do something like that. 

To quote Billy Joel: "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun." 

[Gurkel]

13 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I read a book (I forgot what it was called) about the bad place and the whole time the main character was trying to get the good place, then when he did it was empty. Because when everything is perfect all the time, you can have anything you want at any time and nothing ever goes wrong ever it gets really boring and most of the people choose to go the bad place because at least they had variety in their eternity, they never knew what kind of torture they'd get but it kept their afterlife interesting. I wonder if this show will do something like that. 

That reminds me of being a little girl (and an adult) in church, and the pastor would talk about how great heaven was going to be because all the angels did all was fly around singing, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ to God. I always thought then—and now—that heaven didn’t sound great at all—it sounded boring AF. 

[Bruinsfan]

5 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I thought Tahani passed the test because, while she did confront her parents, she rose above and left telling them to have a nice life rather than wallowing and having a tantrum or whatever. I thought she handled herself beautifully.

I think she definitely resolved one of the biggest issues of her life and indicated she might deserve redemption, but I guess in demonstrating her still-extant character flaw she failed the test.

 

3 hours ago, Chris24601 said:

I suspect it means the Judge can't actually send her back to the Bad Place (there is no proper punishment that she could have inflicted on her... which is the point of the tests for everyone). My hunch is that and Michael having actually redeemed himself in the process of running the Fake Good Place is going to be enough to leverage a Third-Option out of the Judge that will give us our Season Three setup.

It does seem to me that choosing eternal torment for the good of people you care about should rack up enough brownie points to get someone into the Good Place if anything can.