Tonight one of my favorite new shows from last season, The Good Place, returns to kick off its second season. Kristen Bell stars as Eleanor Shellstrop, a selfish, self-centered young woman who quickly realizes that, due to some kind of error, she was accidentally sent to “the good place” upon her death when she really deserved to go to “the bad place”. Determined to keep this fact a secret from Michael (Ted Danson), the being in charge, she enlists her assigned soulmate, ethics professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper), to help teacher her how to be “good”. However, Eleanor soon discovers that she is not alone, and that some others have also accidentally slipped through the cracks—dim-witted Jason (Manny Jacinto) and narcissistic socialite Tahani (Jameela Jamil). The first season ended with an amazing surprise twist that sets up some major changes for the second season.
I thought the first season was sheer perfection. Kristen Bell was forking delightful, and the entire ensemble worked so well together. Each episode would end in some sort of big reveal that always made you anxious to watch the next. So, I was a little worried going into tonight’s premiere—how would last season’s finale change this fun, lighthearted comedy? The second season picks up immediately following the events of the finale, and I can happily say the series doesn’t miss a beat. The characters are still the same ones we fell in love with in the first season, and some of the other side characters, such as Real Eleanor, take on a hilarious new role. I checked out screeners for the first four episodes and probably would have binged the entire season in one sitting if it had been available. This show once again had me laughing out loud over and over again—the writers are so witty, and constantly come up with fun new twists and turns. I’m so happy this show is back! If you haven’t seen the first season, I highly recommend binging it first, before watching tonight’s season premiere!
In tonight’s one-hour second season premiere, “Everything Is Great!”, Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason—who’ve had their memories erased by ambitious master architect Michael—again settle into the Good Place. Eleanor discovers the one clue she left for herself, however, and attempts to piece things together.
Tonight I’ll also be watching/recording Big Brother, MasterChef, Worst Cooks in America, Channel Zero: No-End House, The Sinner, and Mr. Mercedes.
