The Good Place

[PlanktonSideburns]

Get the he'll in!

[remedial_gash]

Hmm, thought the opener was okay, but it's just the place-setting for things to come. I was initially lukewarm to this, but upon a re-watchwithin the last last month came to appreciate it alot more that a tightly plotted high-concept dramedy. 

During the re-watched noticed niced puns and 'actual jokes' that just weren't  signalled in the traditional way and I had completely missed in my first viewing.

I'm sure it was fine (and doubtless better on a re-watch) but I found myself frustrated by the re-hashes all the time; some multiple in this episode and  some harking back to the last episode of s2 - it seemed about 18 minutes of material in a 44 minute show.

I think I'm just itching for the new stuff.

[kittens]

dunno why i watch this show. it's lame and bad and not funny. but it's ok. i guess it's fun to see what they do. it's inventive isn't it. lame and bad and not funny but inventive. there

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Just started on the new series and yes it's still funny and quite marvelous. Jason is my favourite character because it's not easy to make dumbness so funny in a clever way but they managed it.

[samadriel]

Do I not want Chidi to get with Simone because I want him to be with Eleanor, or is it because I really don't want to regularly hear Simone's "Australian accent"? I really wish they'd just let her use her own accent. Oh well.

Edit: Actually, maybe she'll turn out to be a demon or something - her accent is no better than Ted Danson's, and they made fun of that, so they can't possibly think her accent will be acceptable for a season or more... Yeah, I think she's suspect now.

[Penfold]

I'm happy they tried to explain Chidi's accent, it was bothering me how he would still sound American in the real world despite him only sounding like that to Eleanor in The Good Place.

[Jumblegraws]

Do I not want Chidi to get with Simone because I want him to be with Eleanor, or is it because I really don't want to regularly hear Simone's "Australian accent"? I really wish they'd just let her use her own accent. Oh well.

Edit: Actually, maybe she'll turn out to be a demon or something - her accent is no better than Ted Danson's, and they made fun of that, so they can't possibly think her accent will be acceptable for a season or more... Yeah, I think she's suspect now.

This opener brought home that I have a really bad ear for accents, because Simone's sounded fine to me and, not having any prior knowledge of Kirby Howell-Baptiste, the character could have been played by an actual aussie for all I knew. Having said that, Michael's accent was blatantly shit and I casually wondered if Janet sarcastically complimenting it was a way of hanging a lampshade on it after Danson couldn't nail it irl.

There's a lot of speculation that Simone is actually Gen or Vicky, with the crappy accent being exhibit A. If the latter, it would be a nice callback to Vicky claiming to have mastered the Australian accent in a previous episode.

[samadriel]

This opener brought home that I have a really bad ear for accents, because Simone's sounded fine to me and, not having any prior knowledge of Kirby Howell-Baptiste, the character could have been played by an actual aussie for all I knew.

I must admit that I might just find the accent dubious because, due to the old White Australia Policy, a lady of her particular age and ancestry probably wouldn't have a voice like that. But she's laying it on a bit thick too.

[Jumblegraws]

I must admit that I might just find the accent dubious because, due to the old White Australia Policy, a lady of her particular age and ancestry probably wouldn't have a voice like that. But she's laying it on a bit thick too.

That was something I saw raised a few times in the speculation that Simone is Vicky in disguise; there was no particularly good reason to have Howell-Baptiste use a dodgy accent in lieu of her natural accent unless it was a payoff to Vicky's earlier line, with a couple of people opining that the accent was all the more jarring because Australians with Afro-Caribbean heritage are such a small demographic. 

[Small Man Big Horse]

dunno why i watch this show. it's lame and bad and not funny. but it's ok. i guess it's fun to see what they do. it's inventive isn't it. lame and bad and not funny but inventive. there

Can we ban kittens from the thread please (if not the entire forum) as his brain has clearly gone wrong. Oh so very wrong.

[Jon]

Has anyone been following the official podcast for this show?  I'm halfway through and it's well worth a listen. Marc Evan Jackson (a.k.a. Shawn) hosts it, and he's an excellent interviewer. Some of the episodes do descend into the usual Hollywood love-in, and Jameela Jamil unfortunately guests alongside a set designer who, try as she might (which isn't too hard), cannot make the process of drafting set blueprints sound exciting. But it's much better when they talk to the show's creator, or they have a writer in alongside the actor and get more into the philosophical side of the show and the crazy room-writing process. Jamil and Kirsten Bell come off particularly well, I thought, getting beyond standard "amazing writing" platitudes to talk intelligently about the premise and the characters.

I thought the first episode of season 3 was decent. The weirdness of the show's universe means that even episodes like this, which are mostly moving things into place, are still entertaining. I do wonder if/how they're going to explain why the characters aren't swearing all the time. I rewatched season 1 and 2 in preparation for the new one, and found it funnier than I remembered. There are a lot of great asides and character moments that you can miss when you're concentrating on the twistiness of the plot. My criticism would be that they rely too much on the joke that the supernatural characters are incongruously banal and obsessed with pop-culture. I think they could do more with the idea that these beings are non-humans with surreal existences and different value systems.

[mothman]

From now on, I'm never not pronouncing Aristotle as Aristotlay.

[remedial_gash]

thanks for the heads up about the podcast thought episode 2 was superb with adam scott aukerm adding to the fun. Love Ted and everyone.

[olliebean]

Dick Tracy called, he said that was a great second episode.

[surreal]

I think Chidi had misspelled Plato on the whiteboard at the end - it says Palto...

[kidsick5000]

I think Chidi had misspelled Plato on the whiteboard at the end - it says Palto...

Unless avocadoes are relevant.

Anyone else find this episode blast past them? Great stuff though, the script had a lot of empathy for Jason this week (having the worst death, him feeling at home sleeping in a dumpster)

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

I think Chidi had misspelled Plato on the whiteboard at the end - it says Palto...

He had slept eight minutes during the whole night.

[Gulftastic]

He had slept eight minutes during the whole night.

And not consecutively.

[surreal]

He had slept eight minutes during the whole night.

This is a good point - clearly the writers were thinking about this a bit more than I was...

[mothman]

That heavens Adam Scott's return was brief. I didn't find him especially convincing as this arch-demon in season 2, so wasn't really relishing the idea of him potentially being a regular character. Would have been better it - indeed I was almost expecting it was going to be - Shawn had been the one to go undercover in the research group. There's something about his comedic deadpan menace that appeals to me. But then I also think I've developed a bit of a crush on Maya Rudolph, so...

[selectivememory]

I'm struggling with this season, which is a shame as I loved the first two. I know there was talk about them having a multi-season arc already planned out, but this seems so aimless at the moment, and it does feel to me like they've run out of ideas. I really hope they're going to pull the rug in an interesting way soon, but I'm a bit sceptical at this point.

[saltysnacks]

From now on, I'm never not pronouncing Aristotle as Aristotlay.

The Lacano-Hegelian funny sex man* Zizek pronounces it like that too.

*He's much better in print.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm struggling with this season, which is a shame as I loved the first two. I know there was talk about them having a multi-season arc already planned out, but this seems so aimless at the moment, and it does feel to me like they've run out of ideas. I really hope they're going to pull the rug in an interesting way soon, but I'm a bit sceptical at this point.

I'm the opposite, well, almost as I loved the first two as well but I'm still greatly enjoying this one, and thought last night's was one of the best ever. From Ted Danson's Special Agent Rick Justice (and Eleanor seeing through him from the get go) to Chidi's breakdown it was filled with laugh out loud moments, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with it next.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Properly lost it at Jeremy Bearimy

[samadriel]

I particularly loved Chidi's breakdown; I thought this was a big bounce back after last week's nondescript episode.

[olliebean]

Properly lost it at Jeremy Bearimy

Watched Superstore straight after this and fell apart when Carol called Jerry "Jer' Bear"

[Moribunderast]

Yeah, I'm finding myself in the same boat currently that I was in for the first half of season 2. I find the show pleasant enough to watch and I enjoy following the story but the actual comedy just isn't hitting me at all. Like, not even a chuckle raised in the episodes thus far, this season. I always feel like I'm missing something with this show, as reviewers seem to think it's the best comedy going - yet when I compare it to other shows I'm watching weekly like Always Sunny, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Superstore, even South Park, it just doesn't hold up in terms of laughs. I can't really put my finger on why I go through long patches of this show without laughing while then occasionally finding it quite funny? Maybe it's the delivery of the jokes, or the focus on story rather than comedy? I'm finding the characters very predictable, also. For a show that's good at wrong-footing you on the major plot arc, it is often very easy to see what kind of twist or joke is coming on the more moment-to-moment basis.

I really want to like this show more than I do. This is me not liking The Babadook while everyone else raved about it all over again.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Yeah, I'm finding myself in the same boat currently that I was in for the first half of season 2. I find the show pleasant enough to watch and I enjoy following the story but the actual comedy just isn't hitting me at all. Like, not even a chuckle raised in the episodes thus far, this season. I always feel like I'm missing something with this show, as reviewers seem to think it's the best comedy going - yet when I compare it to other shows I'm watching weekly like Always Sunny, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Superstore, even South Park, it just doesn't hold up in terms of laughs. I can't really put my finger on why I go through long patches of this show without laughing while then occasionally finding it quite funny? Maybe it's the delivery of the jokes, or the focus on story rather than comedy? I'm finding the characters very predictable, also. For a show that's good at wrong-footing you on the major plot arc, it is often very easy to see what kind of twist or joke is coming on the more moment-to-moment basis.

I really want to like this show more than I do. This is me not liking The Babadook while everyone else raved about it all over again.

I'm with you on The Babadook, it was fine but I didn't get what the fuss was about. You are however broken when it comes to The Good Place as it's lovely and makes me laugh a lot. I mean, did Special Agent Rick Justice not even elicit a laugh?

[kittens]

i think i may have laughed at this show once, in the episode with all the reboots. it is odd to read about people laughing at it a lot but people have different tastes don't they. i certainly must like watching the show otherwise i would stop, but i very rarely find it funny.

[Scrapey Fish]

I've found the humour level very variable throughout the three seasons but that last episode was very funny. Chidi's breakdown especially.

My only criticism is that Chidi's physique is way too ripped for his character. The actor should have shown some commitment and stayed out of the gym for six months