With so much stuff on the various streaming services, it can be a little overwhelming finding something to watch, especially when one scrolls through, seeing many possibilities, but nothing that in particular that stands out. With that said, the purpose of these weekly posts is to share something that i watch on the service. Hopefully it will help someone find something new…or keep them from something they might have wasted their time with otherwise.
This week I’m going to cover…
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 4 seasons (53 episodes; ~22 min each)
Cast: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, D’Arcy Carden, Jameela Jamil, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Maya Rudolph, Marc Evans Jackson
Streaming Service: Netflix
It was pointed out to me recently how much my opinions on the current state of television as opposed to yesteryear are almost a contradiction. You see, when it comes to today’s shows, I prefer something that hasn’t been done before, and yet I am a sucker for sitcoms (we’re talking those with laugh tracks, people!), which are…or were…a dime a dozen for the longest time. The Good Place falls into the former category.
Before I get into this quick summary/review, it needs to be said that this show deals with the afterlife and existentialism. Much like Soul, there is no specific mention of any particular religion, though it does seem to skew more toward Christianity with crossing the line and flat out saying that is what it is doing.
So, the show is about a group of recently deceased individuals who wind up in the good place…or is it? The leader/architect of said space is Michael and his assistant/computer/source of all knowledge, Janet. As the show progresses, a secret about Michael is revealed that changes everything we have learned up to that point. Sadly, I cannot go more into things without reaching spoiler territory.
As far as comedies go, this isn’t bad, especially for one that, on the surface, feels like it should be more of a drama. Kristen Bell leads the cast of the deceased with a funny, likable, charm…even though her character for the first couple of season is meant to be pretty unlikable. Ted Danson still has the cool from his days on Cheers and he shows it as Michael, only without the womanizing. Newcomer Jameela Jamil is a delight, but sadly she seems to be sidelined as the show focuses more of Bell and William Jackson Harper’s characters, as well as a plot that starts to go over the top as seasons progress. Speaking of William Jackson Harper…he plays Chidi, the ethics professor who died by accident. Manny Jacinto is Jason, the stoner with a heart of gold and a die hard love for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The comedy in this series comes from the situation, memories of their lives. Jacinto’s Jason brings most of the laughs with how delusional or removed from reality he seems to be.
There is some relationship drama to be seen, as well as some emotional baggage, if you’re into that kind of stuff.
All in all, this is a good show that just ended it run on NBC before the pandemic hit, I believe. Give it a go if you’re looking for something to watch while we (im)patiently await things to get back to what passes for normal.