The Good Place – A Girl from Arizona, Part 1

By: Ariba Bhuvad

“The Good Place” is back with its fourth and final season and off to an interesting start. The Season 4 premiere picks up where it left off. Eleanor (Kristen Bell) takes Chidi (William Jackson Harper) around the Good Place (remember he doesn’t know who anyone is anymore). He’s in awe of where he is and to make things more exciting Eleanor has things set up in a way that Chidi would love. 

While Michael (Ted Danson) tries to give everyone a pep talk in The Good Place and the same thing is happening in an opposite way in The Bad Place courtesy of Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson). Moments later, Eleanor has a new arrival to tend to named Linda (Rachel Winfree). She’s very indifferent and fairly uninterested in what The Good Place is about. No matter what Eleanor has Janet (D’Arcy Carden) do for Linda she could care less. 

The next arrival, Brent (Benjamin Koldyke), is a nightmare to deal with and not exactly very pleasant. He was a gossip columnist when he was alive. Each new arrival is meant to test the patience of one of the group members and Eleanor is convinced that Linda is meant for Jason (Manny Jacinto). Only someone as annoying and horrible as Brent could be the one she’s responsible for, at least according to her.

Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) is the third individual that the group has to watch over at The Good Place, but she is convinced she is not dead – just in a coma. She’s deadset on it, in fact. That is why when she goes to orientation she starts to freak out. Someone has to get Simone in check and there’s only one person that can do so.

Jason is occupied by a constantly reappearing Derek (Jason Mantzoukas). Derek has been told to stay at Mindy’s house, but continues to appear making comments about being with Janet. Jason is finally scared one too many times and heads over to Mindy (Maribeth Monroe) to find out how to restart Derek. All he has to do is push a plunger and Derek will restart. He does it.

Michael is the first to suggest that Simone should be introduced to Chidi, but not if Eleanor has anything to do with it. She doesn’t want to risk that Chidi falls in love with Simone again and gets pulled even further away from her. The plan to get Simone in line is an epic fail, but there’s not much time to focus on her because of what goes down with Linda.

Out of nowhere Linda begins punching people and flies into the sky to do the same. It’s very odd behavior, almost as if she was a demon from The Bad Place. Guess what? It’s because SHE IS! It’s all a trick and plan devised by Shawn, but unfortunately for him Judge Gen (Maya Rudolph) is not happy about it at all. This brings upon the fourth individual, Chidi, who has no idea what is going on anyway. She says he will be the final participant since his memory is already gone. All is now fair.