The Good Place

 

Carol and I had both heard that The Good Place was a Good Show (see what I did there?), but hadn't watched it. There's so much amazing TV available right now, you really can't watch everything you might want to. But Carol started watching the series on Netflix last Saturday and I sat down to watch during the third episode.

Five days later, we had finished all 53 episodes over 4 seasons.

The Good Place is nearly a perfect show. It's funny, thoughtful, profound, literate, and filled not only with wonderful characters, performed by great actors, but tells an actual story that goes somewhere and ends before wearing out its welcome. To say I was blown away is an understatement.

The only thing I'll reveal about the plot is that the show stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor, who is recently deceased and wakes up in "The Good Place", hosted by Ted Danson's wonderful caretaker, Michael. The only problem is that Eleanor wasn't a good person when she was alive and was let into the Good Place by mistake.

Like the other series created by Michael Schur, Parks & Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the writing is razor sharp and, in the case of TGP, especially literate. One of the characters is a professor of philosophy and he takes it upon himself to teach moral behavior to the other new arrivals. That his philosophy lessons in the show are indispensable, accessible, and funny is a tribute to the show's writers, their philosophy advisor, and the actor, William Jackson Harper.

Also like his other shows, TGP is about being kind in a sometimes brutal and unfair world.

Given 2020, the themes of The Good Place were welcome and spot on.

Seriously, watch this show.