Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Monday, September 19, 2016, 10/9c on NBC
Rating:
“There’s been a big mistake.” – Eleanor Shellstrop
Kristen Bell as Eleanor
After dying in a bizarre accident, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) awakens to discover she’s in the afterlife. There, she meets Michael (Ted Danson), the architect of the heavenly neighborhood she’s to live in. Michael oversees everything that happens in the town and is eager to give Eleanor a tour of his creation. Surprisingly, it’s not the heaven we usually perceive with the heavenly gates floating in the clouds. Instead, it’s a utopia broken up into a series of neighborhoods comprised of 322 people each. There, no one curses or gets drunk, and everyone is always nice. Each neighborhood is tailored to the personalities of its inhabitants. Michael explains because of all the good things Eleanor did with her life, she made it to the “Good Place.” There’s just one problem; she’s the wrong Eleanor Shellstrop.
Bell is delightful as Eleanor and watching her interact with Danson simply feels good to watch. With so much going on in the world, it’s oddly refreshing to see such a lighthearted series premiere that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s an element of whimsy to the dialogue, especially when Eleanor tries to swear. There are moments during The Good Place when Bell is absolutely adorable, although Eleanor’s repeated use of the word “man” to end each sentence is something I could do without.
Ted Danson as Michael
Everyone who arrives at the Good Place is paired up with a carefully matched heavenly soulmate. For Eleanor, it’s Chidi (William Jackson Harper). Given she is the wrong Eleanor, it’s safe to assume Chidi has been assigned the wrong soulmate, which provides much of the humorous conflict.
The look of The Good Place is a blast of color, like something out of The Simpsons. Visually, the unique sets remind me of the 1992 comedy Toys, especially towards the end of the “Pilot” for The Good Place. It will be interesting to see what kind of sets creator Mike Schur comes up with to populate the town.
The Good Place is reminiscent of the 1991 film Defending Your Life, starring Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep. Directed by Brooks, the film is the story of Daniel (Brooks), who dies in a car accident and arrives in the afterlife only to discover he must stand trial in order to move on or be sent back to earth to repeat life. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
Other than learning Eleanor is the wrong person, I never got a sense of what the show was about or the direction the series will take over the next 12 episodes. Will it focus on Eleanor trying to maintain her secret? Or will it be about Michael finding out and Eleanor having to defend why she should be allowed to stay? The Good Place premiere relies heavily on Bell’s charisma and Danson’s charm, but will that be enough? Time will tell. Based on the “Pilot,” I’m willing to give The Good Place a chance.
Tune in to the series premiere of The Good Place Monday, September 19, 2016, at 10/9c, only on NBC.
Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about The Good Place – “Pilot.”
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Photos: ©2016 NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.
Greg Staffa
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