One of the best new comedies in years comes to home video
Every few years, our TV screens are graced by a comedy show that connects in a special way. Taken to heart by viewers, and in recent times, lighting up social media, The Good Place is a natural heir to other recent greats like Parks and Recreation, Community, and 30 Rock. This is not entirely unsurprising coming from the creator of P&R, Michael Schur. A smart, quirky concept, it’s executed brilliantly. Like those other shows, its ratings were enough to ensure its continuation, with a second season currently airing; however, the ratings were nowhere near where they should be for a gem like this. You now have a chance to correct that with it’s first season now available on home video.
Synopsis
Welcome! Everything Is Fine.
What happens when we die? It’s a question everyone has asked, since the beginning of time. But when Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars) dies tragically, she finds out that the afterlife is amazing; full of frozen yogurt, soulmates, and wonderful people who have done incredible things with their lives. It is absolutely perfect. The only problem is Eleanor isn’t supposed to be in The Good Place. In fact, her life decisions wouldn’t have even gotten her close. But due to a clerical error, she’s been given someone else’s reward and now has to struggle with being good in order to make sure her secret isn’t discovered.
Any review or insights to the show are immediately hamstrung because of a rather smart concept, one that is woven into the show, unfolding with a rather delicious twist towards the end — one that makes a rewatch absolutely fascinating. No one deserves to be deprived of such a delight, so I will skirt around spoilers in this piece.
Kristen Bell is pitch perfect as Eleanor Shellstrop. She’s an average, marginally dickish person, one the majority of us will relate to. Her attitude and behavior are insufficient to warrant a place in heaven, so it’s much to her own surprise when she finds herself there. Surrounded by decent, giving people, she faces up to the prospect of pretending to be someone she’s not, keeping up the pretense of being a decent person, or else finding herself cast into the “Bad Place.” It’s a great premise, ripe for a lot of humor and conflict, as well as more otherworldly events and examinations of belief. It’s not overly heady fare, more a look at karmic balance that questions which belief structure is correct. The show tends to tread around religion, instead tackling aspects of people’s character, with questions like “did you ever reheat fish in an office microwave?” feeding into the determination of one’s fate, in addition to actions of self-sacrifice and generosity.
Thrown into Eleanor’s predicament from the off, the show draws entertainment from the farcical life she has to lead, while the Good Place, for her, is anything but. It’s a heaven crafted for someone else, for decent, caring, giving people. It’s all soulmates and froyo, butterflies and blue skies. A saccharine nightmare. It’s only the fear that the Bad Place is worse that keeps her from admitting the truth. Pressure comes with her presence corrupting the surroundings and in a sense the people. Her assigned ‘soulmate’ Chidi, once discovering the truth about her, becomes a mentor, helping her to become a better person. Such an ethical compromise and abetting the lies only puts him at odds with belonging there. With her corruption spreading, it begins to disturb the natural order of things. A carefully planned paradise begins to be plagued by storms, sink holes, giant insects, and more. There’s also a mystery element, an anonymous note telling Eleanor that somebody knows her secret. It adds another layer to the show, a intriguing connective strand as the season progresses.
Across the course of 13 snappy episodes, the show packs in plenty of plot, but also a surprising amount of character development. Fellow residents of the Good Place, such as charity organizer Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Buddhist monk Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), and scholarly Chidi (William Jackson Harper), are all fleshed out and given wonderful arcs themselves. Special credit goes to Ted Danson’s work as Michael, the Architect of the Good Place, whose bespoke wardrobe is enough reason to tune in alone. His performance and chemistry with Bell is at the core of the show, but once the full season has unfolded, his work takes on even more depth. Also worth noting is D’arcy Carden’s work as the realm’s assistant Janet, an AI of sorts to help the people in this afterlife get along. Eager to please, and totally unfamiliar with the nuances of human behavior, she’s responsible for some of the most hysterical moments within the show.
While a smart conceit, and expertly mined for comedy, as The Good Place is really hitting its stride, the show pulls a little switcheroo on you. Not just giving the show a new lease of life, but completely upending and elevating what’s come before. It’s a move that confirms its brilliance and marks it as unmissable TV.
The Package
The release contains all 13 episodes across two DVD discs. The image is surprisingly sharp for a DVD, with good detail, color, and contrast. Typically DVD releases are barebones affairs, so it’s actually nice to see a healthy number of special features included here, including:
- Audio Commentary On Two Episodes With Creator Michael Schur, Executive Producer Drew Goddard, And Co-Stars Jameela Jamil And D’Arcy Carden: The release has the extended versions of episodes 1 & 2 (the premiere), and 12 & 13 (the finale). So the commentary technically spans 4 episodes worth. The commentary is packed with details on making the show, the inspiration and evolution of the concept, as well as some funny tidbits and exchanges between those assembled.
- Live Table Read: A read through of the episode Mindy St. Claire. It’s an interesting watch, to see the different energy and tone in the delivery vs the actual filmed product.
- Gag Reel: One of the running gags in the show is that people can’t swear in the Good Place. This gag reel takes advantage of the concept to further humorous effect.
- A Look At Visual Effects: The Good Place does occasionally deploy effects for fantastical purposes. A mildly interesting look at their use, focusing on one sequence in particular, but nothing groundbreaking.
The Bottom Line
The Good Place takes a smart concept and crafts a brilliant piece of entertainment. Warm and funny, with a healthy dose of snark and cynicism, it’s wonderfully scripted, constructed, and performed, with a twist that elevates the whole show to another level. It’s a show that demands not just a watch, but a rewatch too. Failure to check it out means you’re destined for the Bad Place.
The Good Place Season One is available via Shout! Factory now.