I'm very curious if Chidi's behaviour when tired was actually a signifier of some other form of manipulation going on - particularly his slight confusion on arriving at Eleanor's being not quite sure how he got there, and not quite knowing where to go 'out' from the study room.
Sure, on the one hand, it absolutely could just be representing exhaustion. But on another... we didn't see how he got there, it was behind a cut. We didn't see him exit the study room. Okay, we shouldn't need to... but could it be lampshading something else.
So here's the craziest theory:
Is he seeing the cuts, the mechanics of TV? Is the character developing some kind of awareness that he's in a sitcom? And what the hell could that actually represent?
(Extremely likely to be utterly bullshit, but it's an idea that's stuck with me)
I'm very curious if Chidi's behaviour when tired was actually a signifier of some other form of manipulation going on - particularly his slight confusion on arriving at Eleanor's being not quite sure how he got there, and not quite knowing where to go 'out' from the study room.
When he says he doesn't know how he got there and why he has a socket wrench......that seemed like a pretty big tipoff that something is going on. I just assumed it was some kind of other outside manipulation or time travel that will have to be explained later on.
When he says he doesn't know how he got there and why he has a socket wrench......that seemed like a pretty big tipoff that something is going on. I just assumed it was some kind of other outside manipulation or time travel that will have to be explained later on.
Oh, I meant to add that the other thing that struck me: Eleanor's apartment having a big picture of a koala on the wall. I can't figure out if it's too on-the-nose or just how we're expected to accept this universe working.
In non-wackadoodle theories territory, I *really* liked how part of Trevor's plan was to get Tahani and Jason drunk and sleeping together, and Jason spoiling the plan simply by being a good friend. That's another way the group's inherent dynamics were rebelling against the influence of The Bad Place.
On the subject of Vicki... I can't help but look at Simone and wonder. They don't necessarily need to have the same body, after all, and she was working on her Australian accent...
I'm very curious if Chidi's behaviour when tired was actually a signifier of some other form of manipulation going on - particularly his slight confusion on arriving at Eleanor's being not quite sure how he got there, and not quite knowing where to go 'out' from the study room.
Sure, on the one hand, it absolutely could just be representing exhaustion. But on another... we didn't see how he got there, it was behind a cut. We didn't see him exit the study room. Okay, we shouldn't need to... but could it be lampshading something else.
So here's the craziest theory:
Is he seeing the cuts, the mechanics of TV? Is the character developing some kind of awareness that he's in a sitcom? And what the hell could that actually represent?
(Extremely likely to be utterly bullshit, but it's an idea that's stuck with me)
An in universe explanation was given - unless I misheard, I think Simone had taken the liberty of calling a car for him in advance - but it doesn't explain the socket wrench, no.
I'm very curious if Chidi's behaviour when tired was actually a signifier of some other form of manipulation going on - particularly his slight confusion on arriving at Eleanor's being not quite sure how he got there, and not quite knowing where to go 'out' from the study room.
Sure, on the one hand, it absolutely could just be representing exhaustion. But on another... we didn't see how he got there, it was behind a cut. We didn't see him exit the study room. Okay, we shouldn't need to... but could it be lampshading something else.
So here's the craziest theory:
Is he seeing the cuts, the mechanics of TV? Is the character developing some kind of awareness that he's in a sitcom? And what the hell could that actually represent?
(Extremely likely to be utterly bullshit, but it's an idea that's stuck with me)
Oh, I meant to add that the other thing that struck me: Eleanor's apartment having a big picture of a koala on the wall. I can't figure out if it's too on-the-nose or just how we're expected to accept this universe working.
So it's probably open spoilers in here so I'm blindposting, but now that season 2's on Canadian Netflix I started it and halfway through the first season I'm really enjoying it. It's charming, got a fantastic visual design, and there's something a little sinister about the whole setup that I'm into and hope gets expanded upon.
But.
If there's one weak link, it's Kristen Bell. I just don't think her face is capable of making her look like the asshole the character is. She's just too genuine. Someone like Kaitlin Olson or Kristen Wiig feel like they would have been a better fit for playing a scumbag in life. Does she improve at all, or does the character at least get away from being an unrepentant forkhead?
If there's one weak link, it's Kristen Bell. I just don't think her face is capable of making her look like the asshole the character is. She's just too genuine. Someone like Kaitlin Olson or Kristen Wiig feel like they would have been a better fit for playing a scumbag in life. Does she improve at all, or does the character at least get away from being an unrepentant forkhead?
I don't really mean just her features. I am just finding her to not quite have the acting chops for it. It comes off as more like slightly flippant than the uncaring ass she was in life. Take, for example, Ann Dowd, who is the sweetest woman in the world
is absolutely masterful and in her more prominent appearances the last few years has played absolute monsters. She completely nailed it.
That all said I'm a few episodes further in and Eleanor is now beginning to act at least somewhat selflessly so I answered my own question.
That's the only one there, but there's also magazine ads that can be seen in other episodes by Dennis Feinstein and Jean-Ralphio and Ron Swanson's family seems to have designed the safe that Jason died in lol.
One of the first things that crossed my mind me, after only having read the premise, is that it struck me as an inverse Old Harry's Game, a rather good BBC radio sitcom set in hell. OHG has a similar - if somewhat broader - approach to exploring morality, with the intensely moral character often trying to prove to Satan the good that people are capable of.
Because I had that framework in mind, the idea of possible twists and subversion of the apparent premise had already crossed my mind, but the narrative of the season did an excellent job of diverting me from it.
Welp, caught up on season 2. Forking love it. The ups and downs and rapid shifts of status quo completely solved the earlier character issues I was having. Now I gotta see how to watch the first few season 3 episodes in Canada. Hopefully it's on demand somewhere.
For shirts and gigs I was looking at imdb to see what some of the less famous actors had done, and fun fact that I hope I'm not repeating in case anyone else noticed: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2860379/?ref_=tt_cl_t2
William Jackson Harper, AKA, Chidi Anagonye. Two of the first three things he's most famously credited as have this as poster art:
The middle of the three is The Good Place, and that's the exact same post Chidi and Eleanor were in when she confessed her love for him in The Middle Place during one of the reboots.
Just thought it was weird. Anyway, I'll catch up on season 3 and suffer along with the rest of you week to week soon!
Edit: Holy shirt there's a TGP podcast and Marc Evan Jackson hosts it. That's gonna be some sweet AC Odyssey background audio.
Ol' Faithful Every 10 minutes your waiter will fire a blast of our world famous beefy beef chili into your mouth from a fire extinguisher. We will keep firing until you tell us to stop!
I'm glad the ending happened the way it did. Michael's actions were starting to get on my nerves. Also Janet not acting like a complete robot anymore is getting to me a bit as well.