1x02 Flying

[7.4/10] A nice second episode that takes the premise of the first and runs with it. The A-story is what really grabbed my attention here. I like the notion that Chidi is wavering on whether to help Eleanor out because he’s not sure whether she can be, let alone is, a good person. It’s understandable that he asks her to complete a simple gesture like cleaning up rather than flying to prove she can make the smallest step.

But I like what they do with Eleanor, particularly her flashbacks (which are an amusing way to get insight to who she was in life and mark the distance between that and who she was in the afterlife). The fact that she feels bad for shirking her designated driver responsibilities motivates her to make up for her half-assed job cleaning, and proves to Chidi that there is some goodness, or at least the potential for it in her. It’s nothing so novel, but it’s good meat and potatoes sitcom character writing, and it works.

The B-story, with Tahani and Jianyu trying to cheer up Michael after things go poorly in the neighboorhood he designed did less for me. It’s amusing enough seeing Tahani try to connect with a soulmate who doesn’t speak, and Ted Danson does a great bit of acting in his despondent but then touched and chipper response to Jianyu’s touch, but the whole thing is a little airy.

Overall, a nice outing for the show as it’s off and running, providing some place for Eleanor to go.

Now that the premise has been established, the writers are free to begin exploring and expanding the world and the dilemma that (some of) the characters find themselves in. What's great is that this means jokes, and plenty of them. What's even better is that these aren't lowest-common-denominator jokes; they're strange, eccentric and offbeat and all the funnier for it. Eleanor has decided to begin trying to be a better person so that she can stay in The Good Place; Chidi, her soulmate, has reluctantly accepted the challenge. Some of the best jokes in the episode come from his mental to-and-fro about whether to help Eleanor, whether it is moral to do so and indeed if Eleanor can even be helped. They start small: rather than go flying, Chidi volunteers Eleanor to help pick up litter that was caused by her shenanigans at Tahani's welcoming party. Flashbacks show us some of the despicable things Eleanor did while she was alive which helpfully fills us in on how much making up she has to do.

Old habits die hard, and Eleanor does as little as possible before stuffing some of the litter out of sight and trying to join in with flying. Credit here has to go to Kristen Bell; another actor would imbue Eleanor with less chirpiness, perhaps, and we wouldn't get the same sense of someone who is inherently likeable despite acting in a completely reprehensible way almost all the time. Eleanor bounces off Chidi perfectly and they're compelling viewing together. It's a heartening moment when Chidi sees Eleanor go back out on the streets after dark to clean up on her own... there's a glimpse here, a hint of a decent person. It's enough for Chidi to work with. The stakes are raised when a note's slipped under Eleanor's door telling her that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. A little mystery added into the equation can't hurt at all.

Now that the premise has been established, the writers are free to begin exploring and expanding the world and the dilemma that (some of) the characters find themselves in. What's great is that this means jokes, and plenty of them. What's even better is that these aren't lowest-common-denominator jokes; they're strange, eccentric and offbeat and all the funnier for it. Eleanor has decided to begin trying to be a better person so that she can stay in The Good Place; Chidi, her soulmate, has reluctantly accepted the challenge. Some of the best jokes in the episode come from his mental to-and-fro about whether to help Eleanor, whether it is moral to do so and indeed if Eleanor can even be helped. They start small: rather than go flying, Chidi volunteers Eleanor to help pick up litter that was caused by her shenanigans at Tahani's welcoming party. Flashbacks show us some of the despicable things Eleanor did while she was alive which helpfully fills us in on how much making up she has to do.

Old habits die hard, and Eleanor does as little as possible before stuffing some of the litter out of sight and trying to join in with flying. Credit here has to go to Kristen Bell; another actor would imbue Eleanor with less chirpiness, perhaps, and we wouldn't get the same sense of someone who is inherently likeable despite acting in a completely reprehensible way almost all the time. Eleanor bounces off Chidi perfectly and they're compelling viewing together. It's a heartening moment when Chidi sees Eleanor go back out on the streets after dark to clean up on her own... there's a glimpse here, a hint of a decent person. It's enough for Chidi to work with. The stakes are raised when a note's slipped under Eleanor's door telling her that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. A little mystery added into the equation can't hurt at all.