Maya Rudolph is back and we are all better for having seen this latest episode of NBC's "The Good Place". When the heroes make it to IHOP (with no relation to the pancake-house franchise), they manage to convince the judge to visit earth and she quickly discovers how terrible and complicated life can be for the humans who live there. Being good is not as simple as the antiquated points system of the afterlife makes it out to be so she agrees to a test-run that will determine the fate of countless humans.

Now is when Michael has an opportunity to make a new neighborhood similar to the one he made at the beginning of the show but this time the other inhabitants will be people created by Janet. This is the set-up into the arc that will undoubtedly be covered in a fourth season. There's also a clear communication in this episode of the character development in this return to the original premise. The humans are not only trying to prove their own goodness but to save all of humanity, as are Michael and Janet. Even the return of Derek marks a significant leap forward in character development as his repeated resets have caused him to experience advancements in his intelligence and coherence.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Everyone's favourite quirky half-hour series has returned from its mid-season hiatus and we're so forking excited! When last we saw our heroes they had finally arrived in the real Good Place, as evidenced by Eleanor's inability to swear without being censored.

What this mid-season premiere offers audiences is all of what has garnered the series so much praise from fans and critics alike. There's a greater character exploration on an emotional level, as Eleanor and Janet both exhibit stress over their feelings for the men they love. The writers have meticulously built up a context for Eleanor's various traumas and how they have stunted her ability to express her emotions and develop functional attachments to others. Janet on the other hand is even more unique in her character content due to her having been a 'not-robot' that has gained a greater ability to experience human emotions due to her various reboots and technical glitches that have impacted her along the way.

There's also an expansion to the show's mythology and canon, as viewers are finally introduced to members of the Good Place and gain a greater perspective to the bureaucratic aspects of this part of the afterlife. Nicole Byer's guest appearance is a particularly high point of the episode's levity, as her borderline eerie cheeriness is a perfect introduction to the flawed perfection of the Good Place.

What's most brilliant of all from this episode's many high points is the deeper philosophical topics and themes that get addressed in the midst of all the humour and whimsy. The final revelation that the Bad Place demons haven't necessarily been tampering with the points system but that the world itself is so much more complicated now that living an 'ethical' life is all the more difficult to achieve. A simple gesture like buying a loved one flowers can inadvertently be entangled with larger corrupt sociopolitical forces that inflict harm. In a world that's more divided than ever and a backlash towards it online coming in the form of 'cancel culture' in which people are ready to reprimand people for any and all ethical infractions, trying to be good seems more difficult than ever.

The Good Place isn't a show that presents the answers to these larger existential questions, but merely inspires introspection in the viewers. There's a joyful spirit in the characters and plot, and a satirical presentation of the world as we know it. With so many details beautifully attended to, this episode embodies all of the strengths of the show in general and jam-packs plenty of entertainment and progression in the story. Next week will mark the return of Maya Rudolph's judge character and we can't wait to see what philosophical dilemmas she'll be presenting next.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

The humans are dead once again and end up in Janet's void to hide out in safety while Michael and Janet will visit Accounting to try to find a solution to their ongoing problems. But things go from bad to worse for both parties, as the humans all appear as versions of Janet physically while Michael and Janet discover that no new people have been admitted into the Good Place for the last 521 years. The head of accounting, Neil, remains insistent that the system is flawless and refuses to believe that the Bad Place has been able to hack it despite all signs pointing to the contrary. Janet encourages Michael to take on the matter of fixing the problem himself instead of trying to find others to do it.

Janet also becomes stressed when the void becomes increasingly unstable due to the humans being in it. When the humans use Janet-powers to summon or transform objects this escalates the problems but nearly as much as when Chidi's repeated denial of his feelings for Eleanor cause her to lose her sense of self. Janet tells Michael he will need to turn her back into a marble to be revived later to prevent further disasters but when Chidi finally admits his feelings and kisses Eleanor, all the humans are restored to their original appearances. However, this results in the humans being ejected from the void and appearing in the Accounting office with Michael and Janet.

Neil sounds the alarms since the humans have all been labelled fugitives, but Michael leads Janet and the humans to a pneumatic tube while also bringing Doug Forcett's paperwork with him as evidence to support his claims. Eleanor initially doesn't believe Michael when he claims that they are in the real Good Place until she realises she is unable to curse.

This episode was of a particular challenge for actress D'Arcy Carden who had to tackle the Tatiana-Maslany-level of portraying multiple character and even characters pretending to be other characters but she held her own. The emotional breakthrough for Eleanor and Chidi was well worth the wait and it'll be nice to see how their mutual romantic affection will now play out while intertwined with the larger tasks of them needing to secure their redemption. Not all of the characters had the same opportunities to shine but there were many important plot developments in such a short amount of time that it will be all the more exciting to see them pick up in the new year.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

The joke priorly mentioned about Doug Forcett, the stoner that hallucinated the correct afterlife scoring system while tripping, has blossomed into a full-blown appearance by the man himself. What Doug's existence offers to the story is how significantly it exposes the flaws in the current point-scoring system in place to calculate the value of a person's life. Doug is abiding by the rules of trying to do harm to no others but instead of it enhancing his life, it's significantly reduced the quality. He is miserable, allows others to use and abuse him, and never indulges in anything for himself. The deeper implications of this are yet to come but it's a pivotal moment in the show's arc that is ripe with storytelling opportunities.

The most exciting aspect of this episode are the action sequences when the humans are reunited with the demons and a full-on brawl breaks out. There's a level of artistry to the fight choreography one wouldn't have expected from the series, which has otherwise stayed away from this genre of content. In particular, Janet gets to kick butt since she is a 'robot' and holds knowledge of things none of the characters would. It's a surprising turn after Eleanor's revelation that her feelings for Chidi have re-emerged that keeps the overall pacing up. Now that the humans are back to dead after Janet transports them to her void so they can escape the demons there's no telling how they'll tackle their ongoing quest for redemption.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

"The Good Place" departs from some of the more signature wackiness and antics in this episode to focus in on Eleanor's self-exploration and the revelations she has regarding her tangled history with Chidi. Michael uses a tool to hook up to Eleanor's brain that will allow her to get back her memories of the attempt number (one of many when Michael repeatedly tried and failed to trick the humans into thinking they were in the Good Place) when Eleanor and Chidi mutually confessed their love to one another. Eleanor doesn't take the news well, as she goes into denial that she had genuinely fallen in love with another person and Michael must employ all that he has learned about humanity and Eleanor specifically to snap her out of it.

Though "The Good Place is a series that offers a tremendous amount of comedic gold, from the satirical analysis of humankind to the various character-comedy, the heart of why it's successful are the lead characters and their ability to be vulnerable and grow over the course of their journeys. Eleanor has always been the window into this fantastical world that the show's writers have created. She was the first person we met and we learned about the 'not actually Good Place' as she did, along with all the other characters residing there. Kristin Bell has effortless played the snarkier, ethically questionable character moments (especially in Eleanor's flashbacks) but this episode showcases her dramatic abilities. Without ever losing the whimsical spirit of the show, the writers have masterfully delved deep into the insecurities Eleanor has about herself as a person damaged by her childhood. It's touching to watch and inspires hope in viewers who relate to her journey that they too may be able to find love and acceptance in a caring partner as well as a friend group that becomes a surrogate family.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Michael accompanies Eleanor to confront her mother who had faked her death when Eleanor was younger. Michael reminds her to put her feelings aside because their ultimate mission is to help her mother get to the Good Place but Eleanor still angrily confronts her when they are reunited. Donna has been living with her rich boyfriend Dave and Dave's daughter. Eleanor becomes disillusioned by how Donna has acclimated to her new life and suspects that she is running a scam hidden beneath a facade. Michael thinks that Donna is happy and living a good life but Eleanor is determined to prove her theory. Instead, Eleanor tells Dave the truth about being Eleanor's daughter and her previous life (she changed her name to escape a petty crime charge). But Dave reveals that he already knew these things about Donna since she shared them with him right after they met.

Eleanor remains unconvinced that her mother has changed. Michael asks why she can't believe that her mother is a better person and Eleanor tearfully admits that Donna is now the mother that Eleanor always wanted her to be but Donna never changed for Eleanor's benefit. Eleanor later apologises to her mother but in the process discovers a hidden cash supply that proves that her mother is up to something nefarious. Donna admits that despite everything going well, she occasionally sneaks a bit of cash out of Dave's wallet to accumulate a cash-stash in case her happy life blows up and she needs to skip town. Eleanor finally realises that her mother has found happiness in her new suburban life and forgives her. She coaches her mother into spending the money on Patricia, Dave's daughter, in order to commit to this life and be good.

Jason and Chidi have accompanied Tahani to make amends with her sister. Their feud was one of the main reasons Tahani didn't make it to the Good Place so the running theory is that ending the feud will help Kamilah as well. Tahani apologises to Kamilah but she refuses to accept it. Chidi offers to act as a third party to mediate the disagreement but when she goes to try to speak to Kamilah he becomes charmed by her. Tahani angrily confronts Kamilah again and pierces a table at Kamilah's art exhibit with an axe. After Kamilah is restrained she speaks to Chidi about her parents and has a revelation that they were the ones that always goaded her and Kamilah into competing with one another and caused their life-long feud. She hugs her sister and shares what she has realised about their parents causing their competitive streak and the sisters finally reconcile while admitting that their parents were wankers.

Later, when Eleanor and Michael are driving off to meet up with the rest of the group Eleanor admits that despite her mother being a better person now she is still the reason why Eleanor couldn't get close to anyone and that she never even told a boyfriend that she loved them. Michael then reveals that in one of the many rebooted versions of the neighborhood, Eleanor and Chidi professed their love to one another. Eleanor is shocked by this revelation.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Tahani and Michael accompany Jason to Jacksonville to try to save his father, Donkey Doug, from ending up in the Bad Place. He has lived his life jumping from one get-rich-quick scheme to another. He has partial training to become an electrician so they're hoping to help him complete the training so he can live a life where he makes money legitimately. Tahani is free to help Jason since she has ended her relationship with Larry Hemsworth.

Back in Sydney, Chidi wants to break up with Simone so he doesn't accidentally tell her about the afterlife because if he did he would risk her soul. Janet is able to build a virtual reality simulation so he can practice breaking up with her to figure out the best way to do so, as he doesn't want to hurt her. However, each simulation goes poorly.

Jason is reunited with Pillboi who has another get-rich-quick scheme brewing with Donkey Doug out that will sell a combination energy drink and body spray which is made from stolen materials. Despite their best efforts, Donkey Doug appears to be a lost cause. Donkey Doug and Pillboi are also set to perform a robbery at a factory. Jason decides to help Pillboi by taking his place at the robbery and tells his father to leave Pillboi alone from now on so he can stay on a more legitimate path. When police arrive at the robbery, Donkey Doug tells Jason to make his getaway while he will be a good father by leading the police on a chase.

Chidi breaks up with Simone and it goes very badly. Eleanor pushes Chidi to talk to Simone again and to just be a person and as honest as he's able given the circumstances. Though their relationship is still left on an awkward note since Chidi can't tell her why they need to break up, Simone is understanding and the two are able to be amicable with one another.

Jason tells Pillboi that he, Tahani, and Michael are secretly astronaut-spies and bestow upon him a mission of his own to keep working hard at the nursing home where he is currently employed and that he must no longer commit any crimes.

The group of six reunite in Budapest where Tahani is planning to reunite and reconcile with her sister after their life-long feud. Janet and Michael also reveal to Eleanor that her mother faked her death and is actually alive. Eleanor is furious and says she needs to return to America in order to kill her (figuratively).

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

"The Good Place" season 3, episode 7 is entitled "A Fractured Inheritance" and based on the clues we can pick up on from the clues in these new promotional stills it looks as if the gang will all be headed to some sort of fancy art event hosted by or perhaps in honour of Tahani's sister Kamilah (her name is written in the background of one of these images). What sort of shenanigans will they get into next? There's always some exciting conflict when Tahani has to confront her sister, whom she always seems to be in the shadow of.

"The Good Place" airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c. Season 3, Episode 7 "A Fractured Inheritance" will air next Thursday, November 1.

Enjoy more promotional images below:

READ MORE

Michael and Janet decide to be honest with the humans and thoroughly rehash the events that took place in the Bad Place. It's also revealed that these events lasted over the course of 300 years. The reason why they were able to return to earth at the same time at which they originally died is because time works differently in the afterlife and runs on a loop. Since the humans now know the truth they are unable to earn any more points which means they will be doomed to the Bad Place.

Michael and Janet draft a manifesto which they intend to turn into Judge Gen so they can deliver their recommendations after everything that's happened. The humans all take the news hard and react to varying degrees of outlandish behaviour. Tahani donates $2 million to the Sydney Opera House but insists that it be kept anonymous since she doesn't want the recognition or fame from doing something good. Jason helps her continue to give money away to random people so they can be helped from it.

Eleanor tries to revert back to the bad, selfish person she was before but struggles to follow through on this. She finds a wallet and wants to steal the money but instead goes above and beyond to try to return it its owner which she eventually does and becomes incredibly moved when she finds that the man wanted it back because it had a special drawing in it by his daughter. Chidi reacts the most severely, as he purchases $880 worth of candy and cooks it into a giant vat of chili during a class he is supposed to be teaching. He rambles about philosophies embodies by the humans, including virtue ethics, consequentialism, deontology, and nihilism.

Eleanor meets with Chidi and comforts him in this difficult time. She then brings him to Michael and Janet and the group is quickly joined by Tahani and Jason arrive. The six of them agree to a plan that Eleanor has come up with where they will all work together to help more people get into the Good Place. Tahani also reveals that she has married Jason in order to share her wealth with him since her financial advisors won't allow her to simply give it away. But the situation becomes awkward when Larry arrives, ready to leave for London with Tahani so they can start their life together.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Michael and Janet take refuge on earth and continue to try to help the humans stay together and become better people. When Eleanor considers getting an extra job to afford life, they manipulate the situation so she will win an $18,000 lottery ticket in order to ensure that she stays focused not he study and bonding with the other humans.

To prevent Tahani and Jason from getting entangled with one another, Michael and Janet get Jason to connect with other Jaguars fans in the area while getting an Australian ex-boyfriend to reappear in Tahani's life. This ex is Larry Hemsworth, a highly accomplished and good-looking doctor that suffers from an insecurity complex due to his feeling lesser than his more famous brothers.

Michael and Janet also provide Chidi with some incredible new teaching equipment to better aid his work and the study. But when Tahani gets engaged with Larry, the pair decide to move back to London. This prompts Chidi to decide that the group should be disbanded and he can continue his work with different participants. The other humans are unhappy with this and Eleanor in particular takes the news poorly. She even lashes out and reverts back to her more selfish tendencies in a tantrum.

Eleanor gets advice from Eleanor that offers a deeper insight into Eleanor's character. As Eleanor had never been able to find a group that she truly felt a part of before, this is why losing this one proved to be so painful. Eleanor decides to apologise and the humans decide to get together annually for a get-together.

Michael is displeased with this turn of events and meets with Janet in private, proposing that they sneak back into Judge Gen's office to reset the timeline and start over. However, the humans catch them when they open the portal.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Trevor does his best to interfere with the humans and their quest to better themselves. He manages to drive Chidi away from the others by planting seeds that by being friends with the test subjects it may interfere with the results of the research. He encourages Jason and Tahani to hook up with another in a casual fling, while also putting on a facade that involves being excessively friendly to the group.

Michael and Janet travel to Earth together in an effort to counteract Trevor's sabotage attempts. However , as they're unable to use their powers the task is made all the more difficult. Janet struggles to function without her ability to summon various objects at will.

Jason helps Tahani get home while she is drunk but the two do not engage in anything non-platonic.

Eleanor is saddened by Chidi deciding to distance himself from the group so she doesn't come to the next meeting. Simone encourage Chidi to reconnect with Eleanor and the group. When he affirms his friendship with her she decides to stay in the study.

Judge Gen summons Michael, Janet, and Trevor back to the afterlife to reprimand them for disobeying her orders. Trevor is thrown into a void as punishment. She says that the experiment is over and the humans need to meet the normal threshold to be able to get into the Good Place. Gen orders Michael and Janet to return to their normal positions in the Bad Place. If they do so, Michael will likely be retired and Janet would be deactivated. Janet's powers finally return and as a result, the various objects she had attempted to summon while on earth rapidly begin to reappear in sequence. This creates a large obstruction between between them and Gen, allowing Janet and Michael the opportunity to escape back to Earth.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Chidi and Simone go on a successful date but Eleanor chides him for not having kissed her on it. So Chidi becomes emboldened to kiss her the next day. They also decide to collaborate on a study thesis which explores the effect of near-death experiences on brain functions in regards to ethical decision-making.

Michael continues to visit Earth to nudge things towards favorable outcomes for the humans. Tahani had decided to become more charitable and less self-absorbed. She even leaves behind the hustle and bustle of her life to live in a monastery but returns to her old life when a documentary crew visits and inspires her to right a book about the experience there and finding enlightenment. Michael speaks to her at a party in the character of an unethical businessman that compares himself to Tahani. She is horrified at the thought that she is this unethical, so she decides to accept Chidi's offer to join the study.

Jason has decided to leave behind a life of petty crime and focus his attention on dance competitions. However, he opts to return to criminal activity when he is unable to succeed in his goals. Michael tries to convince Jason to go to Australia to start a dance crew there. But as Jason had already been searching for a deeper meaning in life he is already happy to join the study.

Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason are all reunited in Australia but Michael is horrified when Trevor arrives to also join the study, having been sent by the Bad Place as a means of sabotage.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Judge Gen has only authorised Michael to travel to Earth once. Upon doing so he saves Eleanor's, Chidi's, Jason's, and Tahani's lives so they can live in a new timeline to see if they can still learn to be better people without making it to the afterlife first. Michael is forbidden from meddling with their lives any further.

But Michael and Janet continues to monitor the humans and find that their better approaches to life only last for about six months before they revert back to their old ways. Chidi meets a neuroscientist colleague from the university he is working at. Her name is Simone and he helps him to explore the inner mechanisms of his brain using an expensive MRI machine she has access to for her research. Chidi had become a more decisive person but when he recommends the same philosophy to his coworker Henry it inadvertently leads Henry to be very injured. Despite Henry holding no grudge against Chidi, the guilt is too much and Chidi becomes indecisive once again.

Michael defies Judge Gen's orders and returns to Earth to begin influencing the humans to meet one another. He nudges Eleanor down a path that sees her reunited with Chidi. She wants him to help her to become a better person and Chidi agrees to instruct her on moral philosophy after Michael pried Chidi to say yes.

Michael is worried about the plan working when Eleanor encourages Chidi to be brave and ask Simone out. But Janet tells him not to worry, reminding him that there were other attempts in the neighborhood when Chidi and Eleanor didn't become involved romantically but still managed to establish a meaningful connection.

Shawn is made aware of this new timeline with the humans and orders a Bad Place team to hack into Gen's system to interfere so the humans will not earn their way into the Good Place. Michael's repeated trips to Earth have opened up a backdoor which Shawn's team is able to exploit for their use.

The Good Place airs on Thursdays on NBC at 8:30/7:30c.

READ MORE

Michael argues on behalf of the humans, claiming that they experienced personal growth in the afterlife. This was something had immortals had previously believed to be impossible which would also mean that their after system is broken. Janet confesses her love to Jason, who reciprocates, and Chidi becomes inspired to kiss Eleanor. Gen decides to offer the humans their own individual Medium Places while she will ponder the matter for up to a million years, but Eleanor rejects this offer, believing it be unjust.

Gen thinks that the humans becoming better people was only a byproduct of wanting to save themselves but Michael argues that they would have continued down the path of self-improvement if they received proper encouragement.

Each of the humans has their memories wiped once again so they can experience life in a new timeline. Eleanor is saved from the accident that had originally killed her, with the other humans' lives being yet to be revealed. All the while, Michael and Janet are monitoring what is happening in their lives.

Eleanor's near-death experience causes an epiphany for her to be a better person. She quits her job in order to pursue a path of being an environmentalist. She tries her best to stay ethical but begins to lose steam after six months, particularly since being kind opens up room for some to try to take advantage of her. She ends up returning to her former unethical lifestyle for six months.

Michael sneaks away and visits Eleanor disguised as a bartender, against Gen's orders. Michael gives her advice that causes her to question her morality which sets her on the path of discovering a three-hour lecture online of Chidi discussing what people owe to one another. Eleanor is captivated by the speech and impulsively travels all the way to Australia in the hopes of meeting Chidi to ask him for guidance.

The Good Place airs on NBC and will return for season 3 in the fall.

READ MORE

Michael confesses all the lies he has told to Shawn, who opts to imprison him instead of retiring him since a retirement would create a great public scandal that would made for bad publicity. The bad Janet that is helping Shawn reveals herself to actually be Good Janet in disguise. She incapacitates Shawn to help Michael get away.

The humans arrive at the Judge's chambers and explain what has happened for them to get there, including Michael's self-sacrifice. The Judge, Gen, becomes convinced to take their case and gives them individual tests to determine their personal growth. They ask that they all be judged as a unit so that they must all pass in order for them to all make it through.

Jason is tested on impulse control, and fails. Tahani is instructed to go down a hallway and not look in on any of the doors that contain the opinions of others on her. She fails when she decides to maturely confront her parents about how they have mistreated her over the course of her life.

Eleanor is told that she and Chidi have passed their tests while the others have failed. Chidi tells her that it is ethical for them to go to the Good Place without Jason and Tahani but Eleanor correctly determines that it isn't really Chidi she is speaking to. She rejects this offer to abandon her friends and so Eleanor passes. The real Chidi is given his own test on decisiveness and when Gen informs the group that they have failed, Eleanor lies and claims that she had also failed her test. Gen is preparing to send the group back to the Bad Place but right then, Michael and Janet arrive through a portal.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE

Michael, Janet, and the humans make it to the Bad Place. They reach a headquarters where Michael must finesse some badges that the will need to open the portal to take them to the Judge. A reception interrupts their plan. It's intended to celebrate the success of the neighborhood. The humans have no choice but to pretend to be demons intermingling with the other demons there, while Janet pretends to be a Bad Janet. Chidi struggles with the ethical aspect of lying until Eleanor uses the concept of moral particularism so he can be at peace enough to lie.

Michael is planning to use the extradition paperwork to get the humans back from Mindy's place as a cover while he helps the humans escape. However, Shawn has defied regulations and sent enforcements back to Mindy's house and learned that the humans aren't there. The only thing to be found is Mindy enjoying her newfound sexual relationship with Derek.

Michael steals some badges and tries to get the humans out of the reception. But first a presentation is underway about the neighborhood and some lifelike models of the four humans exposes their true identities to all the demons present. Michael makes his escape with the humans after Jason sets off a Molotov cocktail that blocks Shawn from catching up to them right away.

When the five of them reach the portal, Michael first sends Tahani, Jason, and Chidi through. When he realises there is only one badge left, he gives the last one to Eleanor though she is determined for him to come with them. He declares that self-sacrifice is what solves the trolly problem Chidi had tried to teach to him earlier. Michael pushes Eleanor through the portal and it closes right as Shawn arrives.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE

Michael presents the humans with a hot-air balloon that can bring them to the Good Place. However, they need to get on a scale that will determine whether they are the best versions of themselves. They go through a series of not being able to get everyone to pass, as different humans cycle through bouts of self-doubt that cause them to fail the test. In the end, Michael is forced to reveal that the entire scenario was just a distraction since he didn't actually know how to get them to the Good Place despite having tried to determine a way to do so.

The group decides to throw a party, not knowing what else to do. Tahani decides to end her relationship with Jason, though they end on good terms. Eleanor confesses to Chidi that she does have romantic feelings for him. He still struggles to understand how he feels for her and admits he wishes they could've met under normal circumstances.

The humans bestow Michael with a title of "honorary human," while praising him for his efforts to be better and to learn to the do the right thing. Tahani makes an offhanded comment about them needing to "speak to a manager" which makes Michael reveal that there is a Judge. But this Judge rarely accepts cases to hear and can only be reached if they go through the Bad Place. Eleanor says that they should try, since it's their best option given the circumstances. Everyone agrees to the plan. Michael quickly incapacitates the Bad Janet that had been sent to transport him back. Janet runs the train to bring them to the Bad Place, leaving behind the neighborhood which begins to disintegrate.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE

Shawn congratulates Michael on his successful reboot of the neighborhood. Shawn still believes that Michael is only running things on his second attempt, having received a series of falsified progress reports that Michael had composed to cover his mistakes and repeated reboots. Shawn and Michael are set to have promotions, and this particular torture plan will have expansion. Consequently, Michael "reveals" to the humans that they are actually in the Bad Place, and now the demons will destroy the neighborhood and leave it all behind as the humans will be transferred to more traditional torture punishments the following day.

The humans contemplate revealing the truth to Shawn about Michael's reports and reboots. They also consider running away to Mindy St. Clair's house once again. In the end, they decide to stay put because Eleanor pieces together a clue: that Michael had mentioned Kierkegaard as a way of signaling that they should take a leap of faith on him. Additionally, his mean-spirited roast had contained a series of directions for them to follow.

The plan was for Janet to retrieve Derek, who is able to conduct a decoy train that the demons would believe the humans were making their escape on. In actuality, the humans were hiding under the demons' train and Michael is able to frame Vicky for the humans escaping the neighborhood. After the demons leave, the humans are free to live with Michael in the neighborhood without any immediate danger. However, there is still a question of what to do once the demons realise that the humans are not at Mindy St. Claire's place.

Finally, Derek is revealed to have arrived at Mindy's place with a large supply of cocaine. Mindy is elated to finally have the drugs she'd repeatedly asked for, as well as a new willing sexual partner.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE

Michael is fearful of Derek. Make no mistake, Derek isn't an intimidating figure. But Janet creating a new rebound boyfriend isn't exactly laying low when the group needs to avoid suspicions from the other demons. This wacky new character could cause Michael and the humans to be exposed.

Michael sends Jason and Tahani on a private retreat, leaving him to seek advice from Chidi and Eleanor on what the most ethical way to deal with the situation is. After Janet and Derek's relationship quickly deteriorates, Janet's feelings are further flustered due to Tahani and Jason asking her to perform a marriage ceremony for them. Chidi admits to Michael that the most ethical thing for Michael to do is to tell the couple the truth about why Janet has been malfunctioning: her feelings for Jason. This decision is reached by Chidi even with the risk that Janet may eliminate Derek.

Eleanor reaches out to Janet as her friend and offers to help her process these difficult emotions. Janet does decide to deactivate Derek. Jason and Tahani learn the truth and still decide to stay a couple, though there is an awkward dynamic added to their relationship.

Eleanor has re-watched the tape of her with Chidi again and again. She decides to tell him the truth by showing him the tape, sex and love confession on full display. He claims to not love her in a romantic sense and she replies that she also doesn't love him in that way.

Michael reaches out to Eleanor once more and asks to discuss ethics with her. She coaches him on the fact that trying to do good is a reward in and of itself, emotionally speaking. By reaching out to her, he was being 'human'. But the heartfelt moment is interrupted by the arrival of Shawn, Michael's demon boss.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE

A flashback to before all of the neighborhood experiments began is show. Michael steals Janet from a warehouse and claims to be an architect from the Good Place. Michael's bosses don't mind his thievery; they are the bad guys after all. She helps him with his efforts to build the neighborhood, since a bad Janet will malfunction if she tries to pretend to be good and maintain the facade Michael is building for his plan.

In the present timeline, Michael troubleshoots Janet to try to help her with her glitching. He reads through her manual while Vicki is working on torturing Chidi through the use of acupuncture. Michael continues to read through the manual and discovers that glitches can be caused by lies. Michael blames himself because the nature of his plan involves lying and deception about the purpose of the neighborhood.

Some time later, Michael observes Janet glitching while speaking to Tahani and Jason about their relationship which she has been advising them on. He then determines that the lies causing Janet's glitches are subconsciously done. She has maintained her second incarnation's love for Jason which means that she is unhappy about Tahani and Jason being a couple. Janet proposes that Michael activate her self-destruct button. He ponders whether to do so but ultimately decides against it because he has bonded with Janet and now regards her as a friend.

Michael brings Janet to Eleanor in the hopes of finding advice about love and heartbreak that will allow them to stop the glitches. Eleanor is able to talk Janet through processing her emotions for Jason and along the way gives advice about a rebound relationship. Janet eagerly pursues this idea and creates a boyfriend named Derek who has a juvenile, easily excited personality and a short attention span.

The Good Place airs on NBC.

READ MORE