THE GOOD PLACE,
Created by Michael Schur,
Broadcast on E4 channel, 25 mins per episode
The 13-episode first season of US comedy The Good Place has recently aired on Thursday nights on E4 in the UK.
The show is smartly written, very funny, and, in a fun and accessible way, asks some big questions, such as ‘What does it mean to be a good person?’, ‘What is perfection?’, and ‘How do you become good enough?’
After life
Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) dies after living a selfish, amoral life, and wakes up in The Good Place. It soon becomes clear that she doesn’t belong there, and so embarks on a quest to fit in and not get kicked out. Under the tutelage of the nervous, highly conscientious former ethics professor Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), Eleanor tries to learn how to be a good person.
She also meets others such as Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil), a high achiever who strove to measure up to the expectations of her demanding parents and outshine her sister; and Jiayanu (Manny Jacinto), a silent Buddhist monk who turns out to be very different from what one might expect.
The ‘Good Place’ is run by its architect, Michael (Ted Danson), an inter-dimensional being who takes a keen interest in human beings and their foibles. There’s also a friendly virtual assistant, Janet (D’Arcy Carden), who has access to all the knowledge in the universe.
As the first season progresses, the show’s mythology comes to the fore, and it explores the central questions further. The Season One finale, in particular, makes some bold storytell-ing choices that not only shake up the show’s storyline and world-building, but also provide more food for thought in terms of human beings’ capacity both to harm and to bless each other.
Things people think about
As Christians, we can take comfort from the fact that, though we are imperfect human beings, Jesus is the friend of sinners and graciously died and rose again so that we can have eternal life. We can be secure in this, not having to earn goodness, and thus we can overflow with God’s love and be a blessing to others.
While The Good Place may not be theo-logically accurate, and there are some rude jokes, overall the show provides evidence that people do think about what happens after death and therefore is an opportunity, prayerfully and gently, to start conversations with non-Christian friends.
