This is my first ever collaboration with another blogger, and I’m really excited to finally share it with you guys! Alongside my usual review format, there’s a little Q&A at the end where myself and JD answered a few questions about The Good Place.
You can follow JD on Twitter at and on his blog It was really fun to collaborate with him and hopefully we’ll be doing another one soon!
Review
Rating: ★★★★★
I had no idea what to expect from The Good Place when I first started watching it. I’d decided to curl up and watch it one day when I was feeling ill, and I’d asked Twitter for lighthearted recommendations as I didn’t want to focus on anything too heavy! JD replied, telling me to watch The Good Place as the entire first season was on Netflix. After having a quick read of the synopsis, I decided it was worth a watch.
The show begins with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up in an unfamiliar place. She’s soon greeted by an entity called Michael, who informs her she’s dead and has been sent to the Good Place to spend the afterlife. There’s only one problem with this revelation; Eleanor is not a good person, and she starts worrying she’s been mixed up with someone else and she doesn’t belong there. Her apparent version of paradise is so far removed from her own desires and interests, and everyone else around her have been praised for their numerous achievements and good deeds whilst alive.
Eleanor encounters three other residents; Chidi, her apparent soulmate, and neighbours Tahani and Jianyu. Chidi was a professor of ethics, Tahani was a socialite who raised lots of money for charity, and Jianyu was a silent monk. This only causes Eleanor’s anxieties around her misplacement to grow, as she’d done countless bad deeds, including working for a company that scammed people.
The Good Place is a clever comedy, that has genuinely made me laugh, and I love all the characters. It starts out as being a quirky, upbeat show, but quickly shifts in tone and starts to deal with some important themes and character development. Questions of morality and “goodness” are constantly addressed, and it really makes you think.
If you think this is just another generic American comedy, you couldn’t be more wrong. I binged the entire first season in a couple of days, and the final episode will leave you speechless and ready to binge season 2. I’m trying to avoid spoilers so I won’t say much more, but I urge you to give it a go.
The Good Place Q&A with JD
Who is your favourite character and why?
Lucy: I’d have to say Janet! She’s so quirky and fun. D’Arcy Carden does such a good job of playing someone who isn’t actually human at all.
JD: I think Eleanor is a great character and the way she is written is awesome.
Who is your least favourite character and why?
Lucy: Whilst they all have their annoying traits, I don’t dislike any of them!
JD: I don’t have one.
What is your favourite episode?
Lucy: “The Burrito” is definitely my favourite episode because the characters are faced with moral challenges and I loved each individual task.
JD: The one where the travel through The Bad Place because it was brilliant writing.
What is your least favourite episode?
Lucy: I think each episode was well written and acted, so whilst there’s been a few slower moments, I’ve liked every episode so far!
JD: I don’t have one.
What has been your favourite moment so far?
Lucy: Michael’s midlife crisis was hilarious! Ted Danson does such a good job of playing him, whether it’s serious or funny.
JD: The ‘Ya Basic’ line took me by surprise and I ended up pausing it because I was laughing so hard.
Do you think you’d end up in the Good Place or the Bad Place?
Lucy: Hopefully The Good Place, I don’t think I’ve done anything too bad!
JD: I would hope The Good Place!
Did you see the end of season 1 coming, or did it take you by surprise?
Lucy: I didn’t see it coming at all! It quickly went from a funny, upbeat, slightly silly NBC show, to something with much darker undertones.
JD: I knew a big twist was coming (because a friend told me) but I didn’t see that coming.
If you were in the Bad Place how would you be tortured?
Lucy: I’d be constantly reminded of my own insecurities and would never be able to escape them no matter how hard I tried. Dark, I know!
JD: I think I would be made to watch Noah (My least favourite film) over and over again.
