The Good Place review: What does it mean to be human

What is it like being good in a lifetime? What really gives life meaning? What do we owe to each other?

These are some of the fundamental questions asked in the show 'The Good place', a successful TV show which aired for 4 seasons from 2016-2020.

But while the run of the show spent hours teaching us different philosophies from Kant, Kierkegaard, Aristotle and Jeremy Bentham, it also posed a more fundamental question.

What is it to be a human?

Oddly enough, that answer does not come from the humans in the show's universe. It comes from our very own friendly demon neighbor, Michael.

As I completed the series finale, I found myself in a pool of tears watching each character complete their journeys in the afterlife. But none of them hit me hard enough as Michael's ending did. How does the humanization of an evil demon make me feel more than the betterment of actual humans?

It's clear Michael has been imbibing some human traits over the course of show. While in season one, it was more of a curiosity into what it is like being a human, like trying to understand his guinea pigs' mindset better to make the torture all the more effective; one could argue there were some real moments where he almost wanted to genuinely experience the mundaneness of human life. This could be referring to a phrase like 'Take it sleazy' or having saltines.

As the show went on, he inadvertently did fulfill his desire. At the very core, Michael possesses the spirit of wanting to make something better, whether it is thinking about the idea of the good place within the bad place, or not getting dejected by 800 or so attempts to fool the humans and make them believe that they are in the good place.

That insane, impractical optimism is what makes humans go on. We pull our hair out, overeat to make ourselves feel better, stop showering, and yet, we continue. We know that our lives are meaningless and pointless and anything we do might not make things better, yet we get up every day and try anyway. That continued hope that there is something better out there is what fuels our lives.

Up till the beginning of season 2, Michael was working alone as an architect and his primary motivation to make the torturing in the bad place more efficient was to simply improve his status among the demons and earn his badge. But upon actually befriending those very humans he meant to torture, something within him changed. It was both in the form of literal lessons from Chidi and the more personalized lessons that Eleanor was able to give to him by actually seeing through Michael’s insecurities and getting through to him in a way only she could, because she herself was learning how to be good, that Michael learnt how to be better. In that friendship and companionship, he learned to care about the 'cockroaches'. He felt seen, understood and cared for; and that changed his intrinsic motivation. This time when he tried to find a way for the humans to make it to the good place, it wasn't to save himself but because he actually grew to care for them. The biggest proof is when he sacrifices himself and is caught by the demons in the bad place but hands over his precious badge to Eleanor so that she could make it to the Judge.

Another trait he embodies is trying to learn and make things better. Whether it is learning how to play a guitar, or how to make the system within the Good Place better, it comes from a place of having a role, having the next thing to do. When designing a new system for the afterlife, he even mentions how handing control over to Vicky makes him question his own purpose. Even then, he puts his feelings of hurt aside for the greater good for a long time until he has his friends around who make him have a reason to continue. It is only after his friends choose to end their lives in the afterlife that that feeling of not having a meaning comes back to him. The essential question of 'What next?' that plagues all of humanity begins to tug at him. The rock that has to be driven up a boulder that gives existence meaning no longer exists.

It is Eleanor who recognizes that Michael has actually been human, all except in practice. He has not experienced the joys of living a life that is unpredictable, painful and beautiful all at once. It is that joy of trying something new, failing at things, supporting a friend in words even though you cannot do anything about it in action, that makes for an interesting and complete life. And that is her ultimate gift to Michael in an act of selflessness that probably makes up for a lot of selfishness that she did exhibit in her real life. Eleanor has a gift for understanding people, and while she used that to manipulate and trick them during her life on earth, she used it in her afterlife to essentially lead her group and give Michael the greatest gift he could have wanted, shedding any ounce of selfishness she had. As for Michael, he gets to become, in Eleanor’s words, 'a real boy', and in the words of his rewards certificate,' a Realman'.

The show at times, really does put things into perspective. It's not just mortality that gives life meaning as it suggests, but also the joy of experiencing something new that you never thought could be experienced. The idea that there is something out there that could enhance your life is enough to make it worth living or at least worth continuing in all those moments of dejectedness or helplessness. There is something decidedly human and almost funny about making promises that we can't keep such as saying to someone that we are just 5 minutes away from their place when we haven't in fact, even left our own house. It's the same reason we all find memes from all across the world so funny and relatable -from the awkwardness of coughing for the fifth time in a classroom to making small talk during Teams call before everybody has joined in. At the end of the day, it connects us and makes us feel seen in this insane and stupid world where we have to continue to do insane and stupid things. There is a comfort in the awkwardness, in the loneliness and in the not-knowing of what to do next when you realize, "Ohh, I am not the only one who feels this way".

As Michael experiences all these emotions with this group of friends, it's only fair that his initial curiosity would develop into a real desire to live in the real world in all its unpredictability. I think I cried shamelessly not just because of the pure joy on his face in these last moments when he does get to live his life as a human, but because that moment gives you hope and makes you stop for a while and just appreciate the beauty of this unique and one time experience, called life.

Annie for your thoughts (this is a section where I add some random observations):

• I have to give props to Ted Danson who, while being among a cast of amazing actors, just infuses life into Michael and makes him the glue holding the show together. His mannerisms and expressions are absolutely scene stealing. A very, very close second is Kristen Bell (Eleanor). She really has an effortless charm to her that makes her not always ‘good’ character be someone you want to root for. 

• The transition of good Michael to the real, evil laughing Michael at the end of season 1 is now an iconic scene that never fails to give me goosebumps, but there is another look from Michael that is a close second for me. It happens in the same episode BEFORE the reveal, right in the opening scene. It's a rather ambiguous look which in hindsight borders on sinister. Guess, we should have seen the twist coming, right?

• Am I the only one who did not care that much for is Tahani's end? I love Jameela Jamil and it does make sense for her character to end up where she does, but I just didn’t feel that emotionally invested.

• They really did make you choke with Jason and Janet, huh? D’Arcy Carden (Janet) is an underrated gem of an actor and a necessary, neutral addition to this polarizing group of people/demons. Jason’s ending wherein he essentially practices becoming a monk just made my little heart soar.

• I feel Chidi when it comes to stomachaches during stress, which is essentially 80% of my day. :')

• Speaking of Chidi, him incorrectly and consistently coming to the conclusion that it was due to him using almond milk for his coffee that he got sent to the Bad place is hilarious.