The Good Place – The Ballad of Donkey Doug

By: Ariba Bhuvad

Ladies and gentlemen, this week on The Good Place we met Jason’s (Manny Jacinto) father, a/k/a Donkey Doug (Mitch Narito). But, of course, we had no idea it was his father until he made a point to casually clarify it on his own. But before we get into the intriguing father/son dynamic that is Jason and Donkey Doug, let’s dive into what happened in the episode.

After learning the truth about their fate, the group had a lot to think about and do if they wanted to save a soul. While Jason, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Michael (Ted Danson) head to Jacksonville to help save Jason’s father, Janet (D’Arcy Carden), Eleanor (Kristen Bell) and Chidi (WIlliam Jackson Harper) try to figure out who they will help.

But there is one slight problem, Chidi has to figure out a way to break up with Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) so she doesn’t find out about the whole points system thereby jeopardizing her chances for the afterlife. However, he has no idea how to go about doing it. It’s a shame that this has to happen because Chidi and Simone make quite the couple and Chidi is not feeling too eager to walk away from it. But the flip side is that she could be doomed for eternal damnation, so it’s in her best interest if he just walks away. Janet tries to help Chidi out by creating a simulation that will allow him to test out multiple scenarios in which he tries to break up with Simone.

Sadly, Chidi is unable to comprehend or play out any scenario where he can break up with Simone without being too awkward or saying something wildly inappropriate. He eventually decides to suck it up and go forward with it, but he awkwardly relays it by saying “Ya dumped.” Ouch. Having handled the whole situation poorly, Chidi goes to apologize to Simone. However, when she makes a comment about seeing him in another life, he freaks out once more and she ultimately decides breaking up is the best thing for them.

Back in Jacksonville we see Tahani, Michael and Jason go to meet Jason’s dad. Donkey Doug apparently spends most of his days trying to come up with new inventions and ideas. Jason wants to convince him to go back to being an electrician again, but it’s proving to be more difficult than he imagined.

Donkey Doug’s next project? An energy drink/body spray called “Double Trouble” that he hopes to create with Jason’s friend, Pillboi (Eugene Cordero). Doug is hurt though when he finds a lack of support from Jason. Things only get worse when they discover that Donkey Doug plans to rob three different factories in order to create his perfect product, so they set their focus on saving Pillboi instead.   

Tahani is in charge of keeping Pillboi at work where she tells him he won’t be robbing any factories while Jason goes to see his dad. Mid conversation, the cops show up and Donkey Doug distracts them while Jason gets away because it’s what his dad did for him once upon a time. Operation “Save Pillboi” is a success as they trick him into believing that they work for NASA and that his mission is to continue helping the elderly at the retirement home and keep away from a life of crime.

The group finally reconvenes in Budapest to attend Kamilah’s art gallery opening when Eleanor learns an unexpected secret about her life. She’s fretting over the idea that she will never get to mend things with her family because her parents are dead ,but Michael and Janet chime in to say that her mother is actually…alive! And just like that Eleanor heads to the states to try and find her mom so she can murder her, she jokes (we hope!).