Written by: Kevin Berge
I think we can all just admit at this point that more shows and movies should rely on Kristen Bell. (Image Courtesy of: nextflicks.tv)
Quick Take: The Good Place Season 3 takes its whole focus to a fascinatingly conceptual level, diving deep into the philosophy that seemingly inspired the show to start. By completing abandoning its opening hook, this makes for the most emotionally rich experience the show has provided to date.
The Good Place Reviews: Season 1 | 2
***This review expects the reader to have seen all of The Good Place up to the finale of season 3. There will be heavy spoilers. Read beyond this point at your own risk.***
When you write a show about the afterlife, you set yourself up for failure. To dive into one of the most abstract and complex topics of religious and philosophical thought in a TV series is not just dangerous but flat-out reckless.
The Good Place though has proven itself time and again to be more than just another sitcom. Michael Schur already showcased his ability to create sitcoms with The Office and Parks and Recreation while still doing great work with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He wasn't just going in to create another sitcom.
That has become fully clear in the third season of The Good Place. After opening up the floodgates in the conclusion of season 1 with Michael revealing the group was in The Bad Place all along, season 2 seemed to be following the formula all over again before Michael was forced to face his own growing humanity.
Season 3 is all about the redemption of Michael. Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason have more or less already redeemed themselves for their actions in their first lives, and it would be a farce to continue to push the idea that they need to get better.
Michael though still had room to grow, and his journey to kindness and ultimately discovery gives a whole new meaning to the show. Suddenly, this is not really about The Good Place and The Bad Place at all but rather the concept of having such a distinction in the first place.
This series turns its attention to the real world, the testing ground for good and bad people, with Michael finding a world that has grown so complicated that absolutely no one can make it to The Good Place. It's not that people have all gotten worse but rather the world had made it impossible to make completely good decisions.
***This review expects the reader to have seen all of The Good Place up to the finale of season 3. There will be heavy spoilers. Read beyond this point at your own risk.***
When you write a show about the afterlife, you set yourself up for failure. To dive into one of the most abstract and complex topics of religious and philosophical thought in a TV series is not just dangerous but flat-out reckless.
The Good Place though has proven itself time and again to be more than just another sitcom. Michael Schur already showcased his ability to create sitcoms with The Office and Parks and Recreation while still doing great work with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He wasn't just going in to create another sitcom.
That has become fully clear in the third season of The Good Place. After opening up the floodgates in the conclusion of season 1 with Michael revealing the group was in The Bad Place all along, season 2 seemed to be following the formula all over again before Michael was forced to face his own growing humanity.
Season 3 is all about the redemption of Michael. Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason have more or less already redeemed themselves for their actions in their first lives, and it would be a farce to continue to push the idea that they need to get better.
Michael though still had room to grow, and his journey to kindness and ultimately discovery gives a whole new meaning to the show. Suddenly, this is not really about The Good Place and The Bad Place at all but rather the concept of having such a distinction in the first place.
This series turns its attention to the real world, the testing ground for good and bad people, with Michael finding a world that has grown so complicated that absolutely no one can make it to The Good Place. It's not that people have all gotten worse but rather the world had made it impossible to make completely good decisions.
That said, the true star of this season was D'Arcy Carden, who was a better version of everyone in this cast for one unforgettable episode. (Image Courtesy of: newsweek.com)
The Good Place has always been unabashedly philosophical. It presents complex issues with a palatable simplicity, allowing the audience to get acquainted with college course concepts without even realizing. It's an impressive feat even if it will never teach that same audience much beyond the surface-level ideas.
It's a funny series that dives into societal depression, the problematic environment we all live within. It's unapologetically bleak before it is beautifully optimistic, allowing the human stories of the main characters to give some shape to the hope the show still clings to.
Eleanor and Chidi's romance may be the most emotional the show has ever been. Just the final episode would have been enough with a powerful final statement, but the whole season follows a great arc of the two falling back in love with each other.
The repeated hope of true love is also showcased with Janet. Jason and Janet also have been separated and seem to be coming back together, overcoming the always doomed romance of Jason and Tahani. It all leaves the question of what role Tahani is playing in the story as she continues to waver from story to story.
The show has never been better than this, taking risk after risk to keep the story engaging. It recontextualizes everything that came before much as the ending of season 1 and 2 did. It will be fascinating to look back at this whole show when it does come to an end to see exactly what it was meant to say.
Each season has convinced me more and more that this is some of the best TV out there. It challenges the notions most have of what can be done with a concept, and it allows its whole cast to shine through, making constant rewatches worth it for new perspectives and the constant emotional impact delivered by the stars.
It's a funny series that dives into societal depression, the problematic environment we all live within. It's unapologetically bleak before it is beautifully optimistic, allowing the human stories of the main characters to give some shape to the hope the show still clings to.
Eleanor and Chidi's romance may be the most emotional the show has ever been. Just the final episode would have been enough with a powerful final statement, but the whole season follows a great arc of the two falling back in love with each other.
The repeated hope of true love is also showcased with Janet. Jason and Janet also have been separated and seem to be coming back together, overcoming the always doomed romance of Jason and Tahani. It all leaves the question of what role Tahani is playing in the story as she continues to waver from story to story.
The show has never been better than this, taking risk after risk to keep the story engaging. It recontextualizes everything that came before much as the ending of season 1 and 2 did. It will be fascinating to look back at this whole show when it does come to an end to see exactly what it was meant to say.
Each season has convinced me more and more that this is some of the best TV out there. It challenges the notions most have of what can be done with a concept, and it allows its whole cast to shine through, making constant rewatches worth it for new perspectives and the constant emotional impact delivered by the stars.