The Good Place: You've Changed, Man (4x10)

Another great episode, of course! Man, I can't believe we're staring down the barrel of the end of this show. I love it so very much.

Cons:

Because of of all the plotty stuff going on, we didn't get much time to revel in the fact that Chidi has returned, and that he and Eleanor have confessed their love for one another. I enjoy Chidi being confident, and it makes sense as a consequence of everything he's been through. But his neurotic tendencies are definitely a big part of the character, and I'm hoping that before the end of the show, we get a chance to see more of this new settled Chidi, so he still feels like the character we've grown to love over four seasons. I also want a chance to hang out with Chidi and Eleanor as a couple, because there have been so many interruptions to their love story that we haven't gotten to see it flourish very much.

I wish we could have seen Simone, and the other humans from the experiment? It feels a little odd to have them totally absent, two episodes in a row, after all of the buildup of their characters over the season. I want them to come back in to the story before the end.

Pros:

I loved watching the gang come up with new ideas for the afterlife! At first, it seems like they've come up with a reasonable solution. Not very creative or shiny, but serviceable. Basically, make a Medium Place available for most people. Then the very best go to the Good Place, and the worst of the worst still go to the Bad Place. This is very... Greek Mythology of them, actually. It was never explicitly stated as such, but it reminded me very much of the ancient Greek perception of the afterlife. It certainly improves the basic problem, anyway, that of people going straight to Hell if they aren't absolutely perfect.

And Shawn doesn't go for it, prompting Eleanor and the others to selflessly offer themselves up for torture, in exchange for a yes.

In a slightly less excellent version of The Good Place, this would be the solution. It makes sense, it seems to solve the basic problem, and the good guys make a noble sacrifice. The next few episodes would show the humans finding a way to escape eternal torment, something about how they really have improved, and how that earns them a special spot in the Medium Place or even the Good Place. Curtain closes.

But because this is a show that constantly pushes the boundaries, and takes things to better, more exciting heights, that's actually not the final answer. Instead, we get a better plan. One that builds upon everything that came before it. Instead of the Soul Squad being the exceptions, they become the template. They want to replicate what they went through for all of humanity. Instead of life on Earth being the test, it's a class. The test comes in the afterlife, giving people a chance to grow and change, as many times as it takes until they really improve.

This is... so beautiful. What a powerful message, in today's world, to say that change and improvement is possible, but you have to work hard for it. It won't be easy, and that's okay. That's part of the beauty of real development. This episode stated something so clearly, that had been danced around for a lot of the show: Michael's "Good Place" was designed as torture for Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason. But it didn't work as intended. It made them grow and improve as people. If the same opportunity was given to everyone, maybe all of humanity could get better. Or at the very least, most of them.

Michael and Shawn's final conversation was very... human, despite the fact that they are immortal demon creatures. For Shawn, everything actually comes down to being bored, and to having fun with Michael in their rivalry in a way he hasn't in a long, long time. If he refuses their plan, it means billions of years without humans to toy with again, and it means an end to the game he's been playing with Michael. But if he says yes? There's a lot of creativity here. The Bad Place architects will be involved in creating the tests for the humans. There's endless possibility, a whole new motivation. They can find ways to test and challenge and... hurt people, but instead of just doing it for the sake of it, they will be doing it to motivate change and improvement. In the end, Michael's argument gets through!

A lot of the comedy here came from the Judge and Janet, going through the voids of the various Janets to find the button that destroys all of humanity. This is our ticking clock, as Janet tries to convince the Judge to consider other options, all while the Judge keeps looking for the button. I loved these journeys through the different voids, the disco, the different ways the voids searched for the missing button... The Judge and Janet made for great scene partners.

I feel like I'm always bad at listing my favorite funny moments from this show, because there are always so many top-notch jokes to mention! I liked "Jacksonville plea bargain" of course, and Tahani's name drops were delightful as always!

I think that's all I've got. I can't believe how close we are to the end of this show... I'm going to be emotional!

8.5/10