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cjlasky7Holy forking shirtballs. That was a LOT.
Two A-plots, both packed with major character developments, a legendary guest star (in my mind, anyway), a mind-boggling six D'Arcy Cardens running around in one episode, and a last second twist that changes the whole game (again).
But first:
"I would totally hit that." -- Eleanor, checking out her Janet-ized body.
Agreed. Moving on:
The multi-Janet stunt that dominates this episode is stunning in its sheer audacity and a bold vote of confidence from Michael Schur that D'Arcy Carden could pull off impersonating the entire cast. Carden, asked to do the impossible, almost nails it. She's got Jason, Tahani, and Eleanor down cold and has the right sized rod up her butt for Chidi's lecture. But she doesn't quite mimic William Jackson Harper's combination of intellectual reserve and sweaty awkwardness that makes Chidi so endearingly weird, and that kind of blunts the impact of Chidi's emotional breakthrough.
The other problem with this plotline is that we're asked to believe Chidi's refusal to acknowledge his true feelings helps trigger a total ego meltdown in Eleanor. Mmmm...no. Eleanor Shellstrop is the one character in The Good Place who is absolutely sure about who she is. Time line wonkiness didn't throw her off her game in previous episodes, and Chidi's usual waffling-disguised-as-philosophy wasn't going to do it here.
(I'm also a little peeved that our heroine's cataclysmic identity crisis is resolved by a pep talk from Her Guy--a trope that irritated me when Spike gave a similar talk to Buffy near the end of S7. C'mon writers, haven't we moved past this by now?)
The parallel A-plot--with Michael and Janet Prime meeting the Celestial Chief Accountant--went down smoother. Michael's escalating sense of outrage perfectly contrasted with Neil's serene confidence in his bureaucracy. Stephen Merchant--co-creator of The Office--was the perfect choice for Neil, an amiable mid-level functionary completely blind to the flaws in his system. Slamming into this last brick wall led to the best moment of the night--Janet telling Michael to stop waiting for somebody else to save the universe and do it yourself.
(There's always been the suspicion in TGP fandom that Michael has a special destiny of his own in this series, and that Janet is a part of it. D'Arcy Carden's line reading here strongly hints Janet has been waiting for this moment, when Michael will step up and play the role he was destined to play. We shall see...)
And now.... the Good Place. For real. But I get the feeling the gang won't be hanging around very long. Either they'll be chased out for violating the system, or voluntarily leave, Bodhisattva-style, to help others achieve Nirvana.
Three more episodes in Early 2019, and then...Season 4 in the fall! (Yes, the renewal is official!)
Afterlife Notes:
-- Michael waving to Jason to "come here, boy!" (like he was an eager puppy dog) was just great work by Danson.
-- If D'Arcy Carden playing Eleanor impersonating Jason had one more level, I think my brain would've exploded.
-- Poor Matt. I guess even "weird sex stuff" can be a horrible job if you have to do it for eternity.
-- I don't like the corner pieces. Too much frosting.
Two A-plots, both packed with major character developments, a legendary guest star (in my mind, anyway), a mind-boggling six D'Arcy Cardens running around in one episode, and a last second twist that changes the whole game (again).
But first:
"I would totally hit that." -- Eleanor, checking out her Janet-ized body.
Agreed. Moving on:
The multi-Janet stunt that dominates this episode is stunning in its sheer audacity and a bold vote of confidence from Michael Schur that D'Arcy Carden could pull off impersonating the entire cast. Carden, asked to do the impossible, almost nails it. She's got Jason, Tahani, and Eleanor down cold and has the right sized rod up her butt for Chidi's lecture. But she doesn't quite mimic William Jackson Harper's combination of intellectual reserve and sweaty awkwardness that makes Chidi so endearingly weird, and that kind of blunts the impact of Chidi's emotional breakthrough.
The other problem with this plotline is that we're asked to believe Chidi's refusal to acknowledge his true feelings helps trigger a total ego meltdown in Eleanor. Mmmm...no. Eleanor Shellstrop is the one character in The Good Place who is absolutely sure about who she is. Time line wonkiness didn't throw her off her game in previous episodes, and Chidi's usual waffling-disguised-as-philosophy wasn't going to do it here.
(I'm also a little peeved that our heroine's cataclysmic identity crisis is resolved by a pep talk from Her Guy--a trope that irritated me when Spike gave a similar talk to Buffy near the end of S7. C'mon writers, haven't we moved past this by now?)
The parallel A-plot--with Michael and Janet Prime meeting the Celestial Chief Accountant--went down smoother. Michael's escalating sense of outrage perfectly contrasted with Neil's serene confidence in his bureaucracy. Stephen Merchant--co-creator of The Office--was the perfect choice for Neil, an amiable mid-level functionary completely blind to the flaws in his system. Slamming into this last brick wall led to the best moment of the night--Janet telling Michael to stop waiting for somebody else to save the universe and do it yourself.
(There's always been the suspicion in TGP fandom that Michael has a special destiny of his own in this series, and that Janet is a part of it. D'Arcy Carden's line reading here strongly hints Janet has been waiting for this moment, when Michael will step up and play the role he was destined to play. We shall see...)
And now.... the Good Place. For real. But I get the feeling the gang won't be hanging around very long. Either they'll be chased out for violating the system, or voluntarily leave, Bodhisattva-style, to help others achieve Nirvana.
Three more episodes in Early 2019, and then...Season 4 in the fall! (Yes, the renewal is official!)
Afterlife Notes:
-- Michael waving to Jason to "come here, boy!" (like he was an eager puppy dog) was just great work by Danson.
-- If D'Arcy Carden playing Eleanor impersonating Jason had one more level, I think my brain would've exploded.
-- Poor Matt. I guess even "weird sex stuff" can be a horrible job if you have to do it for eternity.
-- I don't like the corner pieces. Too much frosting.
