S03.E05: Jeremy Bearimy

[Melig8r]

Spoiler

 

Wow Chidi, WJH is amazing

Poor Janet

Also, if it's easier you can put all the money on a GameStop gift card = my 12 year old's dream scenario.

[albinerhawk]

Interesting that many of us have focused on the four deciding to just help others get to the Good Place, and this may be their ticket in as well. Expanding that out though, isn't that what Michael and Janet have been doing since most of the second season. I think this would include them as well. Maybe even more dramatically this will end up as all six's permanently eternal jobs? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, dippydee said:

Eleanor referring to the wallet guy’s untalented daughter cracked me up. I’m glad that they’re not going to be nice just because they’re trying to be good.

Yes, I loved this too! Even though Eleanor was doing good things, she's still Arizona trash Eleanor who describes a child's drawing as untalented!

[Amarsir]

19 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

Interesting that many of us have focused on the four deciding to just help others get to the Good Place, and this may be their ticket in as well. Expanding that out though, isn't that what Michael and Janet have been doing since most of the second season. I think this would include them as well. Maybe even more dramatically this will end up as all six's permanently eternal jobs? 

Indeed, although Michael is very willing to do bad things to achieve his "good" result. I have to think that's coming back around.

[BobH]

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Plus I can't imagine Michael just being allowed to be down on earth like this with no consequences to him for very long

 

Depending on what letter of “Jeremy Bearimy” they’re on he could be there no time at all.  Or negative time...

[Capricasix]

Chidi’s “GOODBYYYYYEEEEEEE” to his class was everything ?

[Tetraneutron]

The best joke in the episode- the cinnamon rolls made with pizza dough. A reference to Mario Batali’s “apology” for sexual harassment. 

Also for a show where 5 of the 6 actors have amazing bodies, it’s impressive they don’t have them in their underwear in every episode. I guess they’re saving that for later seasons when they run out of ideas. 

I’m wondering where they go now. It sounds like Groundhog Day the series. When it looks like you have eternal life you find meaning by helping others. 

[Fukui San]

Look, with that upper body, just make William Jackson Harper the new Captain America now that Chris Evans is calling it a day. We know he can play upstanding moral center guy. Give that man a shield!

This episode was better but the season as a whole, I'm just not sure I'm on board for what they're going for. In any case I think they think Australia jokes are funnier than I do. OK for an episode or two, but not for a whole season. A lot of the in jokes feel self indulgent and would be stuff that should be edited out, like every Australian wacky name Megan Amram went over in the podcast ("Lod Raver", "Nicole Mankid"). People on the board seem to like this ep a lot more, so maybe I'm in the minority.

[Notwisconsin]

Touched by an Angel? Ah, well? It's been done before. At least it was done well...

[Empress1]

16 hours ago, mmccpp said:

Chidi!  Oh, my.

Right? Who knew he was hiding all that body? Chidi is swole!

[Blakeston]

5 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

Gen told Michael the humans can’t get in to the good place once they know the system. Michael told the humans they can’t get in to the good place once they know the system. It’s not Michael’s lie, it’s the truth. Even if Michael somehow thinks he came up with a brilliant trick, it strikes me as a simple cheat rather than a hell of a gambit. Just tell them there is no reward for them feels more classic sitcom than brilliant lie. It just seems so obvious. They can’t be motivated by a reward? Fine, tell them there is no reward for them. It’s too easy for me to find it a satisfying turn of events, if that is where the show is heading. I think (and hope) there is something bigger.

I'm sure there's something bigger down the line. I don't think anyone is suggesting that Michael scheming would be treated as the big revelation of the season.

But I see two possibilities here. One is that Michael just mindlessly repeated what the judge told him. The other is that he repeated it as a clever tactic, knowing that he was creating a situation where the humans would be capable of doing good without expecting a reward. And I think the second possibility is more interesting.

Especially because, without a broader plan, Michael would have to be incredibly stupid to tell them about the point system when he didn't have to. He could have just refused to tell them anything about the door. The humans might have speculated that they'd seen something supernatural, but they wouldn't know them anything about the reward/punishment system.

[cleo]

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Eleanor and Tahani's realization that they wanted to do good and help others reminded me of Angel's epiphany:

Me too, I thought of it immediately. I've watched a lot of tv in my life but that dialogue from Angel has always stayed with me. This is the first time something reminded me of it. 

Anyway last week I was complaining about not enjoying the show much this season, but this week- I'm all in. I should have had more faith. 

Love Jason calling a violin a chin guitar. 

[HunterHunted]

4 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

The best joke in the episode- the cinnamon rolls made with pizza dough. A reference to Mario Batali’s “apology” for sexual harassment.

I was wondering if anyone else caught that.

http://amp.timeinc.net/time/5067633/mario-batali-cinnamon-rolls-apology

Edited October 19, 2018 by HunterHunted

[DeLurker]

16 hours ago, Linny said:

The explanation of "Jeremy Bearimy" was perfectly irreverent and so fitting with the tone of the series. Totally nonlinear and taking many turns you wouldn't expect, yet still coming together into something cohesive. The dot over the i being the thing to break Chidi was fantastic, because Chidi has never found a minutia he isn't willing to obsess over.

<snip>

I don't know that Larry Hemsworth is gonna recover from this, y'all. Always falling short in comparison to his brothers, and now he's lost his girl to someone from FLORIDA.

I love Jeremy Bearimy & shots at Florida (and I grew up there).

12 hours ago, steelyis said:

On a less thirsty note, Chidi's existential breakdown was hilarious. I knew he wouldn't handle it well, but he really was 100% done. I loved every minute!

I kinda felt like broken Chidi reminded me of Eleanor before she died and started to try to learn about ethics.

[Lemur]

14 hours ago, J0nas3 said:

Megan Amram, you are a GENIUS! So much good stuff. I really want to know who Nicole Mankid was.

Nicole Kidman.  Also, I loved that the guy who asked poor, broken Chidi about the exam was named "Damon" and Chidi rips off a "How you like them apples?" at him. 

[cpcathy]

The podcast has some really great bits, more on Nicole Mankid--actually Mankid--and what Damon was doing in the episode.

[Capricasix]

7 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I only started to watch this series a few weeks ago.  i like the show a lot, but most of the jokes are flying right over my head.  I am really starting to feel stupid for not getting them the first time.

Don’t feel stupid - I didn’t get that joke either!

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, Capricasix said:

Don’t feel stupid - I didn’t get that joke either!

The thing about the apology is that it was so insincere and he threw in the cinnamon rolls because he thought he really should be punished for about a week or so. Much like Janet and Michael are not that sincere apology/manifesto. They think they did the right thing; they just want avoid retirement and being marbleized.

[Dots And Stripes]

9 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

The thing about the apology is that it was so insincere and he threw in the cinnamon rolls because he thought he really should be punished for about a week or so. Much like Janet and Michael are not that sincere apology/manifesto. They think they did the right thing; they just want avoid retirement and being marbleized.

I saw it as a joke about throwing in something that didn’t belong. The recipe isn’t appropriate for an apology about sexual misconduct or a manifesto about the meaning of life. 

[HunterHunted]

1 minute ago, Dots And Stripes said:

I saw it as a joke about throwing in something that didn’t belong. The recipe isn’t appropriate for an apology about sexual misconduct or a manifesto about the meaning of life. 

That too.

[Kromm]

While Chidi's reaction was pricelessly funny, and Tahani and Jason's ones at least amusing, it occurred to me that in some ways this was a repeat of the episode where they were all judged and it was clear that Eleanor was the only one who'd truly changed. 

Chidi's nihilism wasn't precisely the same in effect as his usual dangerous indecisiveness, but the net effect of his breakdown was the same.  Selfishness. He's still selfish underneath his airs of helping people with their ethics, or in this case acting loony tunes because it's clear now he's not really helping for the right reasons.

Tahani was clearly giving away the money, even anonymously, because some part of her still thought she could buy her way into The Good Place.  Even after being told she couldn't. this was her breakdown.

Jason was just Jason.  He's usually externally motivated no matter what, by the most trivial of things.  No breakdown, but no progress.

Eleanor's breakdown was differently motivated than Chidi and Tahani.  Like with even her previous life, a good deal of it was defensive, which isn't always truly selfish. Bilking a bar owner out of free drinks, when he full well knows that's what's going on, is the Eleanor equivalent of a big nothing. And really she's the example of doing the right thing even if it's hard. She KNOWS she's going to Hell and listened to the little voice anyway.  Michael's pronouncement to them that they couldn't gain points anymore wound up accomplishing the exact opposite result with Eleanor than with Tahani.  Tahani was in denial and doing what she was out of disbelief.  Eleanor clearly DID believe it, and that made her actions truly selfless.

There may be more developments coming up, but again we seem to be on the path that leads to Eleanor again having an opportunity to go to The Good Place and not doing so.

Michael is actually Eleanor's only parallel in this. Janet, as much as she has personal motivations at all, is motivated by helping Jason--which benefits her.  Michael isn't getting anything out of this, which makes him the most like Eleanor.

[Maelstrom]

Now we're getting somewhere! Agreed that this felt more like the first two seasons. Poor hot broken Chidi, poor Janet learning of Jason and Tahani's marriage, and poor Larry Hemsworth. Can't wait for next week!

6 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

The best joke in the episode- the cinnamon rolls made with pizza dough. A reference to Mario Batali’s “apology” for sexual harassment.

I caught that too!

18 hours ago, Mockingbird said:

Janet’s face while Michael attempted to type was so great.

8 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I loved Janet's increasing frustration with Michael's hunt and peck typing. They'd be there for an eternity if she let him do it. 

Janet while watching Michael type = me. So damn much. I was laughing my ass off while simultaneously wanting to reach through the screen and shove Michael aside so Janet could just do it already!!

[SoMuchTV]

6 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

The best joke in the episode- the cinnamon rolls made with pizza dough. A reference to Mario Batali’s “apology” for sexual harassment. 

Also for a show where 5 of the 6 actors have amazing bodies, it’s impressive they don’t have them in their underwear in every episode. I guess they’re saving that for later seasons when they run out of ideas. 

I’m wondering where they go now. It sounds like Groundhog Day the series. When it looks like you have eternal life you find meaning by helping others. 

Serious question here - who's the 1 of 6?

[whiporee]

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Yes, I loved this too! Even though Eleanor was doing good things, she's still Arizona trash Eleanor who describes a child's drawing as untalented!

I like that, too, but according to the podcast, the girl came downstairs and she was about 16. That's where the line came from -- I think it's funny they kept it in even after deleting the scene. 

[Winston Wolfe]

6 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Look, with that upper body, just make William Jackson Harper the new Captain America now that Chris Evans is calling it a day. We know he can play upstanding moral center guy. Give that man a shield!

Said in my best Wakandan accent: "Evacuate the city...raise all defenses...and give that man a shield."

16 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

6 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

Also for a show where 5 of the 6 actors have amazing bodies, it’s impressive they don’t have them in their underwear in every episode. I guess they’re saving that for later seasons when they run out of ideas. 

I’m wondering where they go now. It sounds like Groundhog Day the series. When it looks like you have eternal life you find meaning by helping others. 

Serious question here - who's the 1 of 6?

I was wondering that too.  My guess is TETRANEUTRON meant Ted Danson...which may be true at his age.  But he makes up for it by being...Ted Danson.

Edited October 19, 2018 by Winston Wolfe
Formatting and name correction.

[bluebox]

13 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Serious question here - who's the 1 of 6?

I had to think about it for a minute, and I'm guessing Ted Danson? He goes to the gym though, I'm sure he's still looking pretty good, especially for his age.

[Wanda]

I have talented eyebrows for giving side eye, but they went into overdrive of yowzatude when Chidi ditched the sweater.

[SomeTameGazelle]

1 hour ago, whiporee said:

I like that, too, but according to the podcast, the girl came downstairs and she was about 16. That's where the line came from -- I think it's funny they kept it in even after deleting the scene. 

I don't think you can have both the 16-year-old and Eleanor referring to her as untalented and have both be good jokes. And I think they made the right choice between them -- Eleanor insulting a preschooler is funnier than a 16-year-old who draws like one.

My favorite part was Michael wildly trying to fix the situation and thinking that killing the humans was the best option. He wasn't in the least sadistic about it but as a demon he thought it seemed reasonable and feasible.

[Domestic Assassin]

5 hours ago, Lemur said:

Also, I loved that the guy who asked poor, broken Chidi about the exam was named "Damon" and Chidi rips off a "How you like them apples?" at him. 

I'm pretty sure (from the credit on IMDb) Damon was the guy who walked up to Chidi and asked him if he wanted to talk to God.  It's fitting, since that scene was a shout out to a story told in season 3 episode 3 of Damon Lindelof's The Leftovers.  

[Chaos Theory]

Did anyone else mention that Michael and Janet used several charts to explain the afterlife?  I missed the charts for some reason.  

[PityFree]

 Doesn’t Michael still need to figure out a way to kill all four of the Soul  Squad at the same time?  Obviously it’s in the future after they earn enough points or whatever, but I’m sure they will want to go to the after life together.

[Wanda]

Will Simone get a chance to say she wants to fix poor broken Chidi? Or at least be one of the people they he?

[Dots And Stripes]

56 minutes ago, PityFree said:

 Doesn’t Michael still need to figure out a way to kill all four of the Soul  Squad at the same time?  Obviously it’s in the future after they earn enough points or whatever, but I’m sure they will want to go to the after life together.

Afterlife time being “Jeremy Bearimy” and not linear can take care of that.

[Smacky55]

I totally enjoyed the Jeremy Bearimy bit and they subsequently broken Chidi. I also really want his T-shirt. 

Janet is still enjoyable, but I miss Janet the anthropomorphized information delivery system. That was D’Arcy Carden’s finest work. Humanized Janet just doesn’t do it for me as much. 

[srpturtle80]

14 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Michael typing was hilarious. 

The sheer hilarity he expressed at typing “Micahel” had me rolling. ?

[whiporee]

9 hours ago, Notwisconsin said:

Touched by an Angel? Ah, well? It's been done before. At least it was done well...

After watching this show for 30+ episodes, do you really think that's what it's going to be? Seriously, what would make anyone think next iteration will be any more straightforward than the last ones? 

If you're being snarky, I can see it. Not sure the show deserves it, but I can see it. But if you've really think that's what lies ahead, I think you're going to be surprised. 

[cpcathy]

I remember when we thought there were going to be reboots for an entire season!

[Frisson]

15 hours ago, BellyLaughter said:

Yay!! Actual Australian actors playing Australians!!!  Bless!

Such a great episode!!! 

It’s not like we have a shortage of Australian actors in the U.S. to pull from! 

[Zuleikha]

While Chidi's reaction was pricelessly funny, and Tahani and Jason's ones at least amusing, it occurred to me that in some ways this was a repeat of the episode where they were all judged and it was clear that Eleanor was the only one who'd truly changed.

Eleanor was the only one who passed, but Tahani had clearly changed as well. She made it past all of the doors except her parents because they were the root. And then that conversation was played as a turning point moment. It wasn't enough for Gen, but it was still change.

I think that shows in this episode as well. Tahani and Eleanor are the two who have the selfless reactions to try and do concrete, actual good. Chidi is too caught up in the philosophy of it all. And Jason is well... Jason. I don't think the show fully knows what to make of Jason because he's not malicious, but he's also just not a good person in the way that the other three are at their core. At some point, I think the show needs to address that.

Also, the Jason/Janet relationship, which is not serving Janet's character well.

Other things I think the show is going to need to address at some point... jobs and money. Tahani's money can bankroll everyone to do "Touched by an Angel" for a bit, but that's not satisfying viewing. The tension of altruism versus survival needs is important to most of us in the real world. Jason and Eleanor's initial life improvement attempts both broke down because of money needs. To me, it will feel like a cheat if they keep getting scratch off tickets or just live off Jason's wealth.

I know Simone's been popular, but this episode confirmed for me that she should have been kept a tertiary friend. IMHO, the chemistry works better without her.

[lucindabelle]

Chidi must spend a lot of time trying to unwind at the gym because dayum.

 

tuesday, And never! A bit of Douglas Adams  there, and I’m here for it.

eleanor trying and failing to steal the money was hilarious and then stroke of genius for him NOT to be at the house and her sarcastic “anything else” taken seriously.

really good comic writing!

i was suspicious of Tahani being anonymous at first but then not.

chidi for the win!

[Tetraneutron]

7 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Serious question here - who's the 1 of 6?

Yeah I meant Ted Danson. He's obviously still attractive and fit, but older than the rest of the cast. Now I feel really really mean for putting it like that. And his body's way better than mine. 

4 hours ago, Dots And Stripes said:

Afterlife time being “Jeremy Bearimy” and not linear can take care of that.

I hope the show, even though it's technically sci fi, sticks to being about philosophy and about the characters, and doesn't get sucked into the vortex where they have to have a whole system worked out that makes sense. It's morality and the afterlife. No one on earth has figured that out and trying to make sure the rules follow logic will just suck away energy from the show. It doesn't matter beyond what they need to drive the plot and make their point and I hope they don't get caught up in it. 

1 hour ago, Zuleikha said:

Eleanor was the only one who passed, but Tahani had clearly changed as well. She made it past all of the doors except her parents because they were the root. And then that conversation was played as a turning point moment. It wasn't enough for Gen, but it was still change.

I think that shows in this episode as well. Tahani and Eleanor are the two who have the selfless reactions to try and do concrete, actual good. Chidi is too caught up in the philosophy of it all. And Jason is well... Jason. I don't think the show fully knows what to make of Jason because he's not malicious, but he's also just not a good person in the way that the other three are at their core. At some point, I think the show needs to address that.

Other things I think the show is going to need to address at some point... jobs and money. Tahani's money can bankroll everyone to do "Touched by an Angel" for a bit, but that's not satisfying viewing. The tension of altruism versus survival needs is important to most of us in the real world. Jason and Eleanor's initial life improvement attempts both broke down because of money needs. To me, it will feel like a cheat if they keep getting scratch off tickets or just live off Jason's wealth.

Eh, money isn't that interesting. They can easily handwave that by using Janet's accumulated knowledge to keep them winning lotteries or picking stocks. Getting bogged down in the details isn't fun unless it leads somewhere. Like in the first season, where once they revealed the twist, all the little details about the Good Place, like the frozen yogurt, made sense. 

And I think so far Eleanor's the only one who changed. Tahani didn't give away money out of an affirmative desire that it would make the world better, she just gave up. She's a lot like Chidi in that they need external validation. I hope the show goes somewhere with that. 

[Fukui San]

9 hours ago, Frisson said:

It’s not like we have a shortage of Australian actors in the U.S. to pull from! 

But they’re all playing Americans!

[chitowngirl]

9 hours ago, lucindabelle said:

tuesday, And never! A bit of Douglas Adams  there, and I’m here for it.

And then Janet saying, “There’s my birthday!!”.

[amaranta]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

And then Janet saying, “There’s my birthday!!”.

That was my favorite line of the night!  After the twisting timeline explanation and Chidi's declaration of a broken brain, it was such a wonderful punctuation of the scene when Janet planted her finger on the board and happily proclaimed the "location" of her birthday.  And her delivery was perfection. 

I love this show.

[Ailianna]

9 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

even though it's technically sci fi

This show isn't sci fi at all.  Science fiction is about technology and science, and the good stuff uses real science as a foundation and then builds from that.  This show has never been about science in anyway, nor about projecting from current tech to future possibilities.  If it fall sin any specific genre, it's either fantasy (not really) or Magical realism. (closest).  It's an exploration of philosophy and ethics and goodness, and not about tech at all.  

I loved this episode (I say that every week) because of the 6 of them coming together, and because when they went their separate ways, they all ended up coming back to each other.  Michael and Janet were prepared for the 4 humans to leave them, but so delighted with they all came in, after their separate methods of dealing with the realization they were doomed.  I liked how they all dealt in their own ways, but came to the same path. 

I'm also thinking that Jason and Tahani being such good friends isn't about Janet, or not mostly.  I think they really do have a soulmate connection, even though I'm not convinced it's a romantic one.  But they bring out better qualities in each other, and there is clearly a level where they are truly comfortable with each other, and will let the other see their weaknesses and flaws in ways they don't let other people into.  I think Janet and Jason will end up in love again, but Jason and Tahani will always be best friends.

[CletusMusashi]

What I love mosty about the dotted i joke is that writers clearly made a specific effort to make it happen. They could have spelled out Bearamy, Bearemy, or used absolutely any other vowel, including Y, if they'd wanted to keep it all together as one flow, but they knew that the funniest possible way to do it was to drive everyone crazy with an i. The big stuff on this show keeps the stakes interesting, but the humor is in the little stuff.

[iMonrey]

My stupid DVR cut off just as Larry Hemsworth walked in. Did anything happen after that?

I wonder if any of the real Hemsworths are even aware of this show.

Damn, Chidi is jacked.

I think my favorite part was Michael trying to type. "Wait, where's the H? Oh, here it is. Look, I typed Micahl! Backspace . . . backspace . . . backspace."

[Dowel Jones]

1 hour ago, Ailianna said:

If it fall sin any specific genre, it's either fantasy (not really) or Magical realism. (closest). 

Or maybe even comedy...

[Amarsir]

13 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

My stupid DVR cut off just as Larry Hemsworth walked in. Did anything happen after that?

Nope. He says "Tahani I thought I heard your voice" (which doesn't make sense because she wasn't the one speaking, but I'm nitpicking). Then asks her "Ready to go?" and the episode ends with everyone realizing that they had totally forgotten about him.

[SoMuchTV]

12 hours ago, Tetraneutron said:

20 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Serious question here - who's the 1 of 6?

Yeah I meant Ted Danson. He's obviously still attractive and fit, but older than the rest of the cast. Now I feel really really mean for putting it like that. And his body's way better than mine. 

Hey! Don’t you be putting down Ted  Danson’s ooze and goo!