Chidi’s “chillaxing” creates a crisis for Team Cockroach.

Now that the premise of the final season has been firmly established in the two-part premiere, it’s ready for the continued work of the Final Test. Eleanor and Michael are relying on Chidi to improve the other humans within their experiment, but they soon learn that he is enjoying The Good Place far too much, as he has nothing to overcome. They come to the conclusion that Chidi needs a little bit of strife to be motivated to helping these other people, in the same vein that he helped Eleanor and Jason in the original season. This leads Eleanor to fall back on some of Michael’s older techniques, by introducing him to “Jianyu” who is, of course, Jason, who is worried that he does not belong in the Good Place and that a mistake has been made.

Predictably, Chidi starts suffering from stomach aches and Jason is at his best, establishing himself by redecorating Chidi’s apartment into a new budhole. Despite Michael and Jason pleading with Eleanor to stop her torture of Chidi, she persists, creating a luau in which inhabitants of the Good Place’s greatest wish is granted. Jason throwing his stone creates a motorbike with Pam Anderson’s body on it, forcing Chidi to lie to the entire town in order to protect Jason from being discovered. Arriving at Eleanor’s office, Chidi is panicked, fearing that he is being punished for something that he doesn’t know he has done. Eleanor is crushed and finally relents in the face that she is doing Chidi more harm than good, though ultimately Chidi recommits himself to helping Jianyu in his moral philosophy classes.

Meanwhile, Tahani and a post-breakup Janet (sporting a lovely pink streak in her hair) are trying to riddle through what makes John tick. Originally, Tahani believes that he needs to be exposed to the life that he wished he had had on earth, but when her attempts to invite him to Chidi’s moral philosophy group fail after a spa day, she is left at somewhat of a loss. In a rare moment of introspection, Tahani realises that she and John are not all that dissimilar, both of them feeling isolated and alone in their own lives.

If all you care about in this universe is the velvet rope, you will be unhappy regardless of which side you are on.

With this revelation, John finally apologises for his actions when he was alive, and he and Tahani commit to being friends.

Despite the positive steps with all of the subjects in the experiment, a mysterious figure travels towards The Good Place…

Mark’s Maundering Musings

Eleanor’s conflicted emotions towards Chidi are heartbreaking. Falling back into her old patterns isn’t entirely unexpected, but it is nice for her to give in to her anger and hurt at Chidi abandoning her, even if it was for the greater good. Eleanor has always found it difficult to open up to people and ultimately Chidi has shaken that trust that she had in him. Wanting to get back at him in this way wasn’t justified, but is understandable.

Tahani had a brilliant outing in this episode, slightly making up for her position on the periphery in this season so far. She had a record number of name drops, as well as showing a genuine lecvel of introspection that we rarely see from her. If the theory that the experiment is still working on our central team, then her friendship with John might not just be for his benefit, but also for her own development.

Jason is on top form this episode as he continually risks exposure to the rest of The Good Place, and watching Chidi try to prevent this without us having the same emotional stakes that we had in the first season really helps the humour fly.

Who is this figure who is threatening to arrive in the Good Place? Here’s hoping we find out soon!

Line delivery of the week

I got so many beauty treatments, I fear my hair may be too shiny and lustrous.

Tahani

Tahani’s Name-Drop of the Week

There are so many name-drops going on this week. Almost a book’s worth.

Our story begins when I ran into Robbie Williams, Heidi Klum, and the remaining members of Fifth Harmony at the Dolce & Gabanna Spring Show

John: So Natalie Portman does all of Scarlet Johansson’s stunts? Why?

Tahani: For the power. Just to say she can.

I haven’t encountered this much resistance since I tried to get Timothée Chalamet to go out into the sun.

I shall go on the attack. Just like six of the eight Game of Thrones characters who were based on me would do.

In 2007, Blake Lively invited me to a birthday party held for Leonardo DiCaprio aboard Paul Allen’s mega-yacht.