Now that the premise has been established, the writers are free to begin exploring and expanding the world and the dilemma that (some of) the characters find themselves in. What's great is that this means jokes, and plenty of them. What's even better is that these aren't lowest-common-denominator jokes; they're strange, eccentric and offbeat and all the funnier for it. Eleanor has decided to begin trying to be a better person so that she can stay in The Good Place; Chidi, her soulmate, has reluctantly accepted the challenge. Some of the best jokes in the episode come from his mental to-and-fro about whether to help Eleanor, whether it is moral to do so and indeed if Eleanor can even be helped. They start small: rather than go flying, Chidi volunteers Eleanor to help pick up litter that was caused by her shenanigans at Tahani's welcoming party. Flashbacks show us some of the despicable things Eleanor did while she was alive which helpfully fills us in on how much making up she has to do.
Old habits die hard, and Eleanor does as little as possible before stuffing some of the litter out of sight and trying to join in with flying. Credit here has to go to Kristen Bell; another actor would imbue Eleanor with less chirpiness, perhaps, and we wouldn't get the same sense of someone who is inherently likeable despite acting in a completely reprehensible way almost all the time. Eleanor bounces off Chidi perfectly and they're compelling viewing together. It's a heartening moment when Chidi sees Eleanor go back out on the streets after dark to clean up on her own... there's a glimpse here, a hint of a decent person. It's enough for Chidi to work with. The stakes are raised when a note's slipped under Eleanor's door telling her that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. A little mystery added into the equation can't hurt at all.
Review by DeletedBlockedParent2018-10-26T09:22:35Z
Now that the premise has been established, the writers are free to begin exploring and expanding the world and the dilemma that (some of) the characters find themselves in. What's great is that this means jokes, and plenty of them. What's even better is that these aren't lowest-common-denominator jokes; they're strange, eccentric and offbeat and all the funnier for it. Eleanor has decided to begin trying to be a better person so that she can stay in The Good Place; Chidi, her soulmate, has reluctantly accepted the challenge. Some of the best jokes in the episode come from his mental to-and-fro about whether to help Eleanor, whether it is moral to do so and indeed if Eleanor can even be helped. They start small: rather than go flying, Chidi volunteers Eleanor to help pick up litter that was caused by her shenanigans at Tahani's welcoming party. Flashbacks show us some of the despicable things Eleanor did while she was alive which helpfully fills us in on how much making up she has to do.
Old habits die hard, and Eleanor does as little as possible before stuffing some of the litter out of sight and trying to join in with flying. Credit here has to go to Kristen Bell; another actor would imbue Eleanor with less chirpiness, perhaps, and we wouldn't get the same sense of someone who is inherently likeable despite acting in a completely reprehensible way almost all the time. Eleanor bounces off Chidi perfectly and they're compelling viewing together. It's a heartening moment when Chidi sees Eleanor go back out on the streets after dark to clean up on her own... there's a glimpse here, a hint of a decent person. It's enough for Chidi to work with. The stakes are raised when a note's slipped under Eleanor's door telling her that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. A little mystery added into the equation can't hurt at all.