The Good Place – Mondays, Am I Right?

By starrymag | January 22, 2020

By: Ariba Bhuvad

 

 

The Bad Place employees Megan (Fran Gillespie) and Phil (Dave King) are confused as to why there are no humans around just as Bad Janet (D’Arcy Carden) tells them they have a meeting. At the meeting Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson), Michael (Ted Danson), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Eleanor (Kristen Bell) are all there to announce the new plan.

 

Michael is kind of the new boss now, a fact that Shawn struggles to admit now that they are co-workers. Megan, Phil, Steve (Carl Tart), and Anais (Melodie Casta) have been hand selected to be part of The Bad Place architects who will learn the new system. They’re not sure why the system has to change as they believe torture works. But Tahani reminds them that just because something has always been a certain way, doesn’t mean it needs to continue to be.

 

Chidi, Eleanor and Jason (Manny Jacinto) are tasked with looking through the computers that have access to every human in The Bad Place. The goal is to find the first thousand humans to take the test–people who will pass it with no issue. Jason names off random celebrities and thinks it’s enough. He leaves the room so it’s up to Eleanor and Chidi to figure out the rest. 

 

Meanwhile, Tahani volunteers to be the first test subject. However, convincing the architects to work with them will be rather difficult. But whatever the case may be, Michael says they have to push through and make it happen. Phil decides he doesn’t want to be a part of it but Michael insists he picked Phil because of the work he’s done in the department he’s in–Performative Wokeness.

 

While reading the other files, Jason decides to read his own and printed out everyone else’s as well. At the thought of it, Eleanor is worried what Chidi might think if he ever reads her file. She asks him to never read her file and he promises he won’t if she doesn’t want him to. But he doesn’t need to read the file since he loves her. Being Eleanor, she changes her mind and says now he has to read her file because she doesn’t want to risk it and have him find out something about her that will make him change his mind. 

 

During the training Michael shows everyone an introduction video with Chidi, Tahani, Jason, himself and Janet. They briefly mention the new system which lets the individual take as many test attempts as they want. Once the human passes the test, they prove they can go to The Good Place. Naturally, The Bad Place demons think the whole plan is lame but it is something they have to do. Plus, the new system allows them to test specific psychological flaws and weaknesses, which is something they might be interested in. 

 

After hearing about the new plan, Vicky (Tiya Sircar) decides to come back to be a part of the new system. She even wants to take part in it. But Michael doesn’t trust her, even though she’s willing to change. 

 

Chidi finally reads Eleanor’s file, but instead of being turned off by what she’s done he’s impressed with how self-confident she was at such a young age. It actually makes him feel like he’s not good enough for Eleanor. As a result, Chidi feels down because he doesn’t want Eleanor to get bored of him because of how different they are. He points out to Jason that he and Janet are complete opposites which gets Jason thinking that Janet will get bored of him. 

 

To test the new system Michael says he will press the lever and a scenario that Megan has designed will test Tahani’s ethical decision making. Of course, humans won’t know they’re being tested. Tahani’s scenario starts off at a party but a big chainsaw bear shows up. Michael says they have to try again and make it smaller and relatable. Megan takes this to mean to just make the bear smaller. So, Vicky asks to give it a try and succeeds by having Tahani face her condescending sister and parents. It challenges Tahani by attacking her self-esteem and putting her in moments of personal difficulties. They want the architects to look for more challenges in Tahani’s file to keep trying.

 

The only one who isn’t impressed is Michael who gives Vicky a C+ for her efforts and ends up firing her. When Janet and Tahani confront Michael they find out that he’s insecure about Vicky taking over. He had a job for hundreds and hundreds of years and solving problems has always been his thing. But he’s not been able to with the new system and Vicky came along and figured it out right away. He feels like he lost his purpose and doesn’t know what he’d do if Vicky becomes the one to solve every issue. However, Tahani and Janet say Vicky is their best bet and they should stick with her.

 

After making Jason feel bad about his and Janet’s relationship, Chidi apologizes for what he said. He tells Jason that just because he and Janet don’t make sense on paper that it doesn’t matter as they love each other. This was all Jason wanted to hear from Chidi because he was tricking him into realizing his own advice. He wants Chidi to listen to what he said and apply that to his and Eleanor’s relationship. Chidi is impressed with Jason being the one to give the advice. Chidi confesses to Eleanor that he was being stupid and Jason helped him understand that whoever they were on Earth is a tiny part of who they were.  

 

Michael joins the apology train and tells Vicky he’s sorry that he lets his insecurities get in the way. She was the best part of the original neighborhood, which is why he wants her to take over the whole project and take full creative control. He’ll give her plans and notes and step back from it all. But Vicky is reluctant to take over because she doesn’t want to be seen as Michael’s puppet. However, Michael has plans for that as well and says that he won’t just give her the control as she’ll take it from him. 

 

During the next phase of training Vicky shows up to say she’s launching a coup and taking over the training. It’s all part of Michael and Vicky’s plan to let her organically take over and it works out well. About “1.28 Jeremy Bearimy” later, Vicky is conducting orientation for The Good Place and The Bad Place architects. Things seem to be coming together really well with a lot of the neighborhoods up and running. 

 

When the chime goes off everyone realizes someone just got into The Good Place. Michael informs them that it’s actually Tahani, Jason, Chidi and Eleanor that got in. The Judge decided they don’t have to take the test to get in because of saving all of humanity’s souls. As the hot air balloon comes down the four of them and Janet and Michael head off to The Good Place.