NBC’sThe Good Placewas extremely bold in its premise, as a hangout comedy that took place in the afterlife. Over the course of its four seasons, it showed the group in the fake Good Place, the real Bad Place, the real Good Place, Earth, the Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes, Janet’s void, and everywhere in between. It was smart, inventive, funny, and surprisingly educationalabout moral philosophy and ethics.
At the core of the show was the relationship between the four humans, as well as one Fire Squid in a human suit, and one robot-esque afterlife being.The show had some fantastic episodes that asked daring questions about life, the afterlife, morals, and people as a whole. These are the 10 best episodes ofThe Good Place.
The Good Place
10’Pandemonium'
Season 3, Episode 12
“Oh, time means nothing. Jeremy Bearimy, Baby.“It was a risky move forThe Good Placeto reboot the central couple and have them forget each other and fall in love many times over, but it paid off monumentally. In Season 3, Episode 12, “Pandemonium,“Eleanor and Chidi were finally a solid couple. The awful catch came from The Bad Place, of course, when they chose Chidi’s ex-girlfriend, Simone, for the afterlife experience, so Chidi chose to have his memory wiped again.
What makes this episode so great, was that it raised the stakes in a way that did not feel cheap or out of nowhere. It made a lot of sense, and although it was heartbreaking,it was important to see Chidi be so decisive about something. Additionally, Eleanor and Chidi’s last night together was very sweet, as was the video montage that Michael made for them.
9’The Answer'
Season 4, Episode 8
Season 4, Episode 8, “The Answer” combined a deep exploration of a main character’s memories with a high-stakes time crunch for fantastic results. With only an hour before the judge was set to reboot all of humanity, Michael woke Chidi up. It was really special to get to seeChidi’s memories of his life, starting with the lecture he wrote and taught at nine years old to save his parents' marriage.
“If soulmates do exist, they’re not found; they’re made.“This episode was so incredible, because it shed a light on the things that made Chidi tick, as well as provided clarity for this painfully indecisive character. It was great to see and understand his past and his relationship with Eleanor, as well as to see Chidi finally let go of the idea of solvable puzzles and ultimate answers, so that he could finally move forward.
8’Somewhere Else'
Season 2, Episode 13
The second season ofThe Good Placeventured out into the unknown after the humans stopped getting rebooted and Michael joined their team. From there, it was completely up in the air about where to go next, until the show decided to have the four of them rebooted and sent back to Earth in the Season 2 finale, “Somewhere Else.”
The episode had great moments where Janet and Jason got together again, and whereEleanor and Chidi finally got togetherfor the first time in this version. Then, they were forced back to Earth, rebooted. What was so great about this episode was it wasted no time after sending them back to Earth.Viewers got to see Eleanor try to improve, then get discouraged by external factors, before getting the right push from Michael so that she could go find Chidi.
7’Mindy St. Claire'
Season 1, Episode 12
Season 1, Episode 12, “Mindy St. Claire” introduced the Medium Place, an afterlife designed to be a perfect medium for Mindy St. Claire. In a moment of panic, trying to avoid being sent to the Bad Place, Eleanor ran away with the newly-wed couple, Jason and Janet. This episode had the hilarious introduction of Mindy, alongside the high stakes of Eleanor and Jason’s trials without them present.
Eleanor Shellstrop’s central journey in the show was about letting go of her selfishness and learning to consider other people.This episode was another step forward for her in that regard, as it showed her giving up a chance at freedom from torture in orderto save Chidi and Tahanifrom suffering the consequences of her actions and going to The Bad Place in her and Jason’s places.
6’The Trolley Problem'
Season 2, Episode 5
While it was great to see Michael join Team Cockroach, it did take him a little bit of time to understand humans better. In Season 2, Episode 5, “The Trolley Problem,” Chidi was struggling to teach Michael ethics after a particularly misguided essay onLes Misérables. This was a very funny episode, as it had Michaelrecreating the trolley problemover and over for Chidi and Eleanor. It turned out that Michael was just doing this to torture Chidi, which was absolutely hilarious.
“Oh, Chidi, I’m so sorry. I didn’t understand ethics, and you do. And it made me feel insecure, and I lashed out. And I really need your help, because I feel so lost and vulnerable.“This episode was also very strong emotionally, because it was a big turning point for Michael. He finally started to understand ethics in a new way, and to accept his own place among humans, and to value them.
5’Janet(s)'
Season 3, Episode 9
Season 3, Episode 9, “Janet(s)” is a very fun and inventive episode, and an incredible show of acting fromD’Arcy Carden. After suddenly being ambushed by the Bad Place demons when out at a restaurant in Canada, Janet shoved the humans into her void, where she kept them for a whole episode as she and Michael tried to work things out with the afterlife accountants. Meanwhile, the humans had some emotional things to work out.
The episode was phenomenal, having all the humans in the form of Janets, and Janet struggling to keep them in her void.Janet’s void was always a bit of an abstract mystery, so it was really fun to see what it was like. Additionally, Chidi was able to get past his own anxiety to act on his feelings for Eleanor. Additionally,Jason found out about Janet’s feelings for him, and Michael stole the Book of Dougs.
4’The Eternal Shriek'
Season 1, Episode 7
The Good Placehad excellent pacing, and it was constantly throwing in new twists and turns. Season 1, Episode 7, “The Eternal Shriek,” was both hilarious and major for the plot. When Eleanor learned that Michael’s retirement would mean his destruction, she very kindly tried to stop it… by planning to kill Janet. Of course, Chidi accidentally killed Janet, and was absolutely tortured with guilt. This led to the amazing moment of Eleanor confessing that she did not belong there.
This was a huge sacrifice for Eleanor, as she believed that it would get her sent to The Bad Place.This episode was crucial for her development, showing her making a selfless choice because she cared about Chidi. It was also very funny to see Janet begging every time she was killed, and broadcasting the event of her death to the whole neighborhood.
3’Whenever You’re Ready'
Season 4, Episode 13 / 14
In one of the greatest series finales of all time, “Whenever You’re Ready” saw each of the main characters reaching the point in their afterlife when they were ready to move on.It was what every character needed to do for their growth: Eleanor became selfless, Chidi became decisive, Tahani chose to do fulfilling work over getting credit, and Jason learned to slow down and think.
This was a phenomenal episodeand series finale, because it went above and beyond what was expected. Rather than just leave the characters in The Good Place, the show was realistic and thoughtful, choosing to have three of the four walk through the door, and Michael become human. It was sad and emotional, but also incredibly fulfilling and cathartic to watch.
2’Leap to Faith'
Season 2, Episode 8
The Good Placewas at its best when it utilizedits unique setting and circumstances, combined with high stakes. In Season 2, Episode 8, “Leap to Faith,” Shawn showed up to consider the experiment a success and end it once and for all. This led to the humans being shamed in front of the whole neighborhood with vicious and personal roasts from Michael, and the threat of torture looming from the demons.
This episode was just fantastic, with Eleanor piecing together Michael’s clues so that everyone could follow them and be safe from the real Bad Place. Eleanor and Michael always had a particular understanding, because she was the most similar to him.Because of this, it was really beautiful and rewarding for Eleanor to trust Michael and put everything on the line for that trust, and then to turn out to be right.Additionally, the final party was hilarious and ominous, and the whole episode was just very strong.
1’Michael’s Gambit'
Season 1, Episode 13
The first season ofThe Good Placewas already great, with the neighborhood dealing with the aftermath of Eleanor being misplaced in the Good Place. Season 1, Episode 13, “Michael’s Gambit” upended the entire show withthe best sitcom plot twist of all time, when Eleanor figured out that they had actually been in the Bad Place all along. Starting with the high stakes of Eleanor, Jason, Chidi, and Tahani having to figure out which one of them would go to the Bad Place, the episode laid the perfect groundwork for that massive reveal.
This episode set a new tonefor the rest of the series, and cemented it as a truly phenomenal sitcom.It was very bold, from the plot twist, to having the humans' memories erased and then reset, only to seemingly start the whole process over with just a note from Eleanor to herself.However, these bold plot moves are what madeThe Good Placeso amazing, and this episode was at the center of it all.
