Rating 4.5/5 stars
“The Good Place” premiered on NBC last season to much acclaim. Created and produced by Michael Schur, the creator of other hit sitcoms like “Brooklyn 99” and “Parks and Recreation,” “The Good Place” is a groundbreaking and wildly original comedy like no other.
The finale of season one left viewers shocked at what happened and confused on where the series could go from there. The series is about Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell, “CHIPS”) and her adjustment to the afterlife. The show focuses on what it means to be a good person. Co-starring in the series is Ted Danson (“Cheers”) as Michael, the “architect” of the “Good Place,” which is suggested to be heaven.
Season two does not disappoint. In the hour-long premiere, the episode begins where the series begins, except so much has changed. Some feared that the characters would be as underdeveloped as they were in the beginning, but that is not the case. Viewers see more of the characters and who they really are, instead of the mask they portrayed for most of season one.
The episode brings a new perspective with the same aesthetic and feel as last season. The writing is full of sharp jokes and meaning. The show itself is a creative reach; there are few comedies about death. The show explores and experiments unlike most network sitcoms have done before. It is truly one of a kind.
Kristen Bell shines once again as Eleanor, bringing a weirdly original and funny protagonist or antihero. Eleanor may have not been the best person on Earth, but Bell is the best person to take on the part.
Ted Danson, who is fantastic in pretty much every role he has ever had, gives “The Good Place” the same level of performance he has to all of his roles. He is a 15-time Emmy nominee and three-time winner. Although “The Good Place” was completely snubbed at the Emmys this year, there is hope that it will be rightfully recognized for season two.
One unlikely star of the show is D’Arcy Carden as Janet, a robotic, apathetic, Sirilike, inhuman information system in the form of a human. Carden was not a famous actor before “The Good Place.” Though she did have a recurring role on the Comedy Central show “Broad City.” Carden makes for a very likeable robot. Her comedic take and perpetually happy tone make for a very weird and different character on TV.
“The Good Place” is possibly the most bizarre and original show on TV. Everything about it is wonderful, from the cast, to the writing, to the general theme of the show. It is like no other. It uses abstract humor to make the show very funny.
Photo provided by The Good Place via Youtube.com
