The Good Place – A Girl from Arizona, Part Two

By starrymag | October 9, 2019

By: Ariba Bhuvad

 

 

Everyone is curious why The Bad Place brought a demon into The Good Place, but as Michael (Ted Danson) puts it–they’re getting desperate and know they’re going to lose. It’s a bit difficult for Eleanor (Kristen Bell) who is now the team leader, but is also in the position in which she has to manipulate Chidi (William Jackson Harper). 

 

The group’s next subject is a self-centered man named Brent (Benjamin Koldyke), who must realize that he doesn’t belong there. This brings us to the “That Was Your Life” segment hosted by Eleanor. 

 

Brent is joined by a woman named Wanda (Deb Hiett) as Eleanor begins asking them questions. Wanda claims she saved all the ducks of the world, which blows away Chidi when he joins the guests too. It turns out she even saved horses. Naturally, Chidi felt he didn’t compare to Wanda and was rather inadequate. Meanwhile, Brent is paying no attention to what was going on and keeps looking at his watch. 

 

Meanwhile, Jason (Manny Jacinto) tells Michael he wants to do something for Janet (D’Arcy Carden) for making her life so chaotic. You know, something like him and a hundred Janet babies doing a giant flash mob around her. This leads Michael to repeat Jason’s name five times, something he does to get rid of a headache. He tells Jason that he has no control over his impulses which is why Michael made him a monk in the original neighborhood. Furthermore, Micheal suggests that the only way Jason can fix his relationship with Janet is by giving her space and proving he can control his impulses. 

 

Back at “That Was Your Life,” Eleanor speaks to Brent next who just keeps talking about himself. He brags about going to Princeton for school and how he inherited the family business and brought it more success. Soon after he gets bored and leaves in a car to play golf. 

 

This is the last straw for Eleanor who decides they need to use a strategy from the Bad Place. They create chaos within the Good Place in the hopes Brent will realize he doesn’t belong, but the plan backfires. Instead he takes all the madness to mean that it’s a sign that he doesn’t belong in the Good Place, but the Best Place. 

 

Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Janet and Jason confront Michael and tell him that Eleanor should not be the leader. Unfortunately for them, Eleanor overhears their conversation. Janet honestly tells her that the success rate for the plan has gone down since Eleanor took over. Eleanor reminds them that she didn’t want this and only did it because Michael had a nervous breakdown. 

 

She decides to quit and let one of them take over, but Michael has other thoughts on this. He tells Eleanor she can’t just quit and there is way more at stake here. However, she doesn’t feel like she can fix everything and all of this is above her pay grade. Eleanor barely took charge of her own life, so how is she expected to do this? Michael reminds her that this is a job for a tough, empathetic big-hearted human like herself and that only a girl from Arizona can save humanity. They may fail a thousand times, but they have to keep trying. 

 

With Eleanor back in charge, she decides to handle the Brent situation first. Because of his nature, she feels the best way to get to him is to tell him he’s right. She and Michael meet with Brent to tell him that everyone will be evaluated and only the most moral will go to The Best Place. And, of course, he can’t tell a soul about it. 

 

Jason gets his heart broken by Janet who decides they need to go on a break until everything is finished. And to bring on more bad news, she tells him that Blake Bortles was cut from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Luckily, Tahani is there to help him through the breakup and remind him he has friends. 

 

Eleanor realizes that Michael gave that speech and faked the nervous breakdown all so she could take over. He knew she was the one for the job and it was the only way he knew she would take the lead. 

 

Next up on Eleanor’s list is Chidi, whom she has to push towards Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). Chidi and Simone were in love on Earth, but it’s Chidi and Eleanor who are soulmates in the afterlife. Unfortunately, Chidi doesn’t and can’t remember all of that for his own sake. Eleanor meets with Chidi to tell him to help Simone acclimate to The Good Place. Simone refuses to believe any of this is real and thinks it’s all part of her consciousness.

 

In order to really push Chidi, Eleanor tells him that he and Simone are soulmates here and that is why she needs his help. It’s a tough moment for Eleanor, but necessary for humanity. 

 

Chidi talks to Simone and they manage to hit it off as he pokes fun at her for thinking everything is fake. And, even if it is fake, he thinks she should treat people better and with kindness and respect. From outside Eleanor is watching this take place and knows they’re finally on the right track. In fact, she wonders if feeling like this is comparable to donating old bras at Goodwill.

 

Tahani and the group praise Eleanor for doing something very difficult. They know how hard it was for her to lie to Chidi when she loves him so much. But Eleanor says it wasn’t really a lie and it was something she’s willing to do after Chidi’s sacrifice. However, it is Eleanor who has made the biggest sacrifice here. Chidi has no idea while she has to live with this everyday. But he did lose out on something after all according to Eleanor—“dat ash.”