The Moment The Good Place Redeemed Its Villain
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- NBC's The Good Place was a breakout hit when it's first season debuted in 2016. The initial reveal that our main cast of The Good Place were actually in The Bad Place was a major twist most didn't see coming. Then throughout the following seasons, The Good Place had another major twist in mind, the redemption of it's main villain Michael. But how exactly did The Good Place transform a literal Demon into one of the greatest sitcom characters ever?
#thegoodplace #teddanson #nerdstalgic
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"Jason figured it out? Jason?! This is a real low point. Yeah, this one hurts." Will always be my favorite line from the series.
Randomly clicked on this video to see if the show is funny and I really hope that line isn't as good as it gets.
@@Squantit really isn’t. Aside from the deeply fascinating and surprisingly emotional story, it is also one of the funniest and ridiculous shows I’ve seen. I gotta say, I don’t think I’ve ever watched anything so well written and well balanced. Highly recommend The Good Place.
its not my favorite line because Jason "every time i have a problem, i throw a molotov and boom!!, i have another problem" is golden and i can use it in my dnd tables.
My favorite scene. But something I find underrated is real elenor saying she did something Yada Yada Yada then she did something else Yada Yada Yada then she learned English watching Seinfeld. And of course the Yada Yada Yada thing was a famous thing from Seinfeld. Just perfect.
Eleanor's "I'm a legit snack", said through tears, always killed me. She absolutely nails the delivery.
"The Good Place" is one of the few shows I wish I could forget and experience for the first time all over again.
Clicks fingers in a Michael way....
Praise Bob
Honestly, I think it is better the second time, because when you know what's happening, season one is sooooo much more funny.
wouldnt we all
I’m currently living through my roommates who know absolutely nothing about the show. They’re German and it wasn’t super popular here so they haven’t had anything spoiled. It’s very exciting
That trolley problem bit at the start is so poetically perfect because the actual point and as close to solution as the origional author of the trolley problem devised it to point out is that you cannot solve the problem by working within the confines of the problem. Its a point about how the arbitrary rules of philosophical though problems can force us to make inhumane decisions. Just like how the good place's afterlife is broken but because they refuse to work outside the rules of the system they can't stop it.
HOLY MOTHER FORKING SHIRT BALLS!!!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
Jim Kirk was RIGHT. The Kobayishi Maru proves it!
there is no correct solution to the trolley problem. there are only personnel solutions.
Your insightful response on the arbitrary rules of philosophy made me rethink my opinion on western-and eastern philosophy.
Maybe Chidi was particularly relevant to quote Thich Nhat Hanh at the end of season 4: the Buddhist principle of practicing peaceful nonduality was the answer to arbitrary rules.
what a load of nonsense, there is nothing inhumane or immoral about choosing to kill just one instead of five ... if not to kill is not an option at all then its also no issue morally and the experiement therefor also doesnt force an inhumane choice, simple af. Everything beyond that is pretentious nonsense irrelevant to the problem.
the whole point of the trolley problem is to teach silly people that they aint in control of everything and therefor they aint responsible for every consequence of their choices. Choice in itself is an illusion considered the causality which pretty much runs everything on a physical level, humans just aint able to grasp the complexity of all the factors involved and the inescapable causality which triggers our brains to make a "choice".
Humans just should be contempt with doing the least harm as thats in our best interest, and the people who dont believe in children stories about a magic afterlife only need to consider the real life consequences which effects thems physicly, legally and socially.
One of a very small number of shows that a) didn't overstay its welcome, and b) stuck the landing. Just a near-flawless gem from start to finish.
Perhaps Michael Shur learned from his mistakes. "The story's been told. To continue on would be crass." J. D. Salinger, _BoJack Horseman_
@wvu05 Isn't that the guy from Hollywoo stars and celebrities, what do they know? Do they know things? Let's find out!?
@@Freakcheeks The very one. He asked the question and found out the answer.
I think the moment Michael truly wins the audience over is when he tricks the demons into thinking the humans escaped by hiding them all underneath the train. He almost bursts into tears when he sees the humans safe and sound and it is so adorably wholesome.
I loved that the music when they first discovered they were in the bad place and Michael is evil is playing while the train leaves as they look up and see him. The music changes and at that point you know 100% definitively that Michael is on their side.
The way he says “YOU GUYS” made me cry the first time I saw it lol
This is absolutely the moment I fell for Michael’s character, yes
honestly that moment was so cute
Exactly this
The finale makes my cry through every second of it. Ive never had such a overwheling emotional reaction to a fiction. What an amazing show.
Same and im just crying right now watching this video and remembering it. It was seriously so beautiful and touching. This show made me take personal stock for the first time in decades.
I've seen the show from start to finish four times now. I bawl the entire final episode, alone, because my wife refuses to watch the last two episodes again.
💯 me too. Every. Single. Time.
Indeed. I was NOT expecting that at all, but man, did that one put me through the wringer!
It's peak bittersweet.
In my opinion, The Good Place had THE BEST finale of any series I've seen. Such a beautiful sendoff to all the main characters. And the series didn't overstay their welcome- 4 seasons were enough to tell the story and keeping it short enough to avoid becoming too repetitive or going off the rails.
This is a show that I genuinely think people need to see at least once in their lifetime. The light but important look at life, friendship, love, and goodness is so important for every living person to consider.
Oh I know this video is going to make me rewatch The Good Place
Same here
It is THE most rewatchable show out there I swear
Same
This comment makes me want to rewatch it.
Community was my go to for a long time but I've season every season at least 20 times? Good place has become my background show
I was so terrified the entire time I was watching this series until the very end that they were going to pull another twist in which Michael had actually been against them all along. So happy that’s not what happened 🙏 Also, this is undoubtedly one of the top three comedies to come out over the last ten years 💯
What are the other two??
@@wcopter5514 for me personally, the best three I’ve seen that have come out in the last decade are The Good Place, Schitt’s Creek, and Ted Lasso. And that’s talking about more typical comedies. I’m categorizing black comedies as their own thing. That’s just me though. HBU?
@@BrendanPappas Totally agree with SC!! - Can't bring myself to watch Lasso, not into football :'
@@wcopter5514 I wasn’t either but after watching it, I gained a new appreciation for the sport. I honestly think you can get into it even if you’re not into sports at all. Excellent characters, top-notch writing, and drama that is just as strong as the comedy. I would personally recommend it.
@@wcopter5514 - I resisted “Ted Lasso” for a long time, for the same reason. I have zero interest in sports, so I was sure I wouldn’t be interested in a show about football, but once I actually watched a couple of episodes, I was hooked. It’s not really about football. It has football in it, of course, but that’s just a backdrop. The show itself is about so much more than that and it’s fantastic.
Love this show. Perfect casting all around, written well, cinematography, and just all around spectacular.
I was so excited to see a) that the show covered the Trolley Problem, and b) that it revisited it, and actually got it right. I had never seen this anywhere else before. I had never seen anyone, in life, or in entertainment, both address the Trolley Problem, and go any further than some moral relativistic, or utilitarian stance. It was amazing, and having Michael be the character who came to the right answer was a brilliant choice.
For me, THE moment was when Janet asked Michael to kill her to go on with the plan, but he refuses and when she pushes him and asks why, Michael suddenly just scream "BECAUSE YOU'RE MY FRIEND" almost crying 🥺
I was crying with him and I really understood he was turning good
Couldn't agree more. That's what got me to believe it wasn't all just another trick. And got me a little teary, to boot.
Michael’s arc is one of the best arcs in all of media. And you’re right about the turning point moment. TGP was such a GREAT show, one of the best in TV history.
To add on, the way Michael and Eleanor’s arcs are mirrored in an exaggerated, funhouse kind of way is soooo good. And the way they bond over their mean ways, but ultimate desire to do better is sweet bc they ultimately build each other up in a way they’ve never been encouraged before and constantly want the other to do better.
The moment that The Good Place went from, "a really damn good show," to my favorite show of all time was when Michael solved The Trolley Problem. That's when I knew that this show didn't just want to parrot moral philosophy, it wanted to give its audience a base of understanding from which it could philosophize for itself, and it did it with one of the most emotionally resonant moments in television.
There’s actually another version of the trolley problem that Michael had to experience. The episode immediately after “The trolley problem” He had to choose between marbleising Janet or let her glitches destroy the neighbourhood.
Michael pivots from being a villain to the path of being a human in the Trolley Problem episode itself. It's the moment when he apologizes sarcastically and then says the same words with genuine remorse and heart. Up until that second, he'd still been torturing them. After that, he slowly grew into the good person/demon who would sacrifice himself for the others.
I have rewatched this show so many times! It’s one show I’ll never get tired of, although I wish I could experience it for the first time again. I love that this show fosters critical thinking and delivers philosophy in an immersive experience. Your commentary was great! Keep it up 😊
Michael schur made the good place, parks and rec, and Brooklyn 99, absolute master at fantastic emotional comedy tv
Yes he's great. Watching Brooklyn 99 now, it's hilarious
I LOVED this series! I agree that it was amazing that it ever made it on air in the first place. It was moral, meaningful, a masterpiece of writing and production, and funnier than hell, too.
The point that i see Michael changing is when he goes from mocking Chidi after the trolly problem to truly apologizing to Chidi using the exact same words, but talking from his heart rather than from sarcasm.
brooooooo the way i haven't seen this in years and teared up at the clip of michael saving elanor anyway
This is my favorite series of all time. Every character is likable. Even the villains.
Vicky was awesome
D'Arcy Carden is the stand-out of The Good Place for me. Every time she's in a scene she has a hilarious line, and her delivery is impeccable.
Glad the show had an ending. Had an entire arc. Great show.
Redemption is a beautiful thing
Why is it that every time I see something related to the good place i cry?
The Trolley Problem episode was one of the best. I was howling
The Good Place is one of those that I was skeptical about but very pleasantly surprised and in very heavy tears by the finale.
God the good place ending is so fantastic
This is the show that's actually as deep as people over analyze it to be. Do you think Janet has a similar moment of gaining humanity?
This show was amazing, unique, and forking hilarious
I have a 12 year old who watches it religiously; and still wants her own Janet .
Now if I could get her to really catch on to what chidi is teaching - that would be great. 😂
She must hate moral philosophy professors like the rest of us😂.
Unique? Nah
The Good Place and Being Erica are 2 of the best and most character rich series I've ever seen
This might be my favorite show in the history of shows. I need to rewatch it.
The finale to this show, i've watched about 8 times now... cried every single time
The Good show was deffo one of the shows I didn't expect would have an unexpectedly heartfelt ending
The good place is the most wholesome, entertaining, and endearing show I’ve ever watched! I honestly can’t think of one thing that was bad or pointless, and it ended exactly how it should’ve, when it should’ve.
Eleanor’s character was rather annoying. And Chidi had this habit of bringing the plot to a grinding halt with the way he was written.
@@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072 But thats the point!!!! Eleanor is supposed to be annoying, aggravating, a person that’s hard to get along with and Chidi is supposed to slow things down because he’s indecisive! These are their problems that they spend the show working on, and why they by default go to the bad place. If anything this just proves how well the actors portrayed their characters because how you feel about them is exactly how they’re supposed to come across!
@@angel_in-black They purposefully made a bad show with purposely poorly written characters? Riiiiiight. They are so 1 dimensional. Flanderised i dare say
@@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072 if you don’t like the show, what are you doing criticizing it in the comments of a video of it?! I never said everyone should like this show and anyone who doesn’t is stupid, if you don’t like it, that’s fine, I respect your opinion. There’s shows I’m not a fan of that people like, but I don’t go to videos about them and tell people they suck.
@@angel_in-black I didn’t say that though 💀 did my autocorrect say something weird?
What's often overlooked about the series finale is shown in the scene at 7:20. Elenore goes through the portal and you follow her essence float back down to Earth and enter a man who got Michael's mail just as he is about to throw it out. But after Elenore's essence enters him, he decides to deliver it. Elenore has become the voice in that man's head, urging him to do the right thing. She's become the the very thing she lacked in life, but for someone else. And of all people, it benefits Michael, albeit, in a very odd way.
The good place was great. Worth a try for anyone. That was also one of the most brutal "what would I do" moments in the story.
My only gripe was Chidi left Elenore before she was ready.
People have used the Trolley Problem as an argument against self driving cars with the reasoning that the car would not know what to do. They could not comprehend Michael's solution: the car could sacrifice itself.
Something the show and everyone else misses is YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU WILL BE IN THE TROLLEY PROBLEM
You could be driver, the single guy killed, or one of the 5 workers.
I think it’s one of those inevitable tragedies vs intentional tragedy. Like if the breaks fail that isn’t your fault so it also isn’t your fault if one of the workers is killed, but if you change the track knowing one death is not as bad as 5 deaths, that makes you a murderer because you performed an action you knew would result in someone’s death.
I love that you get extra minus points just for being "more French" not even just for being French, for doing anything even associated with France. That's hilarious.
chidi gives demon existential crisis, that's how the good place won XD
I started watching this as a bit of a time waster whilst doing two weeks of covid isolation and it ended up being one of my all time favourite shows. Never expected what i thought to be a bit of light hearted fluff would turn out to be such a thought provoking show on morals, ethics and human nature
I think they redeemed Michael when they cast Ted Danson to portray him. How could you not love him?
Ted Danson is so good, honestly
How do you sacrifice yourself during the trolley problem? It doesn't appear possible to jump in front of the fast-moving trolley to kill yourself and stop it in its tracks, both time-wise and physically being able to do it.
derail it?
It's because he chose an answer outside the problem. The truth of the trolley problem, outside the various hypotheticals you can draw from it, is that there is no good or moral answer within the confines of the problem unless you can invoke outside forces (aka know info about all the people that will be hit, can pick a third option, etc). Hence why it's interesting as an experiment while also expressing some of our worst tendencies as people (5 is greater than 1; what if the 1 person is a genius that will cure cancer; all of those things are "pick the most utility out of people" vs. determining actual morality of the action).
Though his version is more of a modified trolley problem, where if you pull the lever, the trolley hits you. So... it's not quite the same scenario as being the trolley driver having to decide.
The Trolley Problem doesn't have a solution that involves sacrificing yourself to save others...that's what makes it The Trolley Problem
this show was such a pleasant surprise... it was VERY human...
That was a great breakdown. Thanks.
Chidi taught the devil to be ethical
With an infinite amount of time, becoming enlightened is inevitable
Every episode of that show was solid.
one of the best shows on TV ever, as far as I'm concerned
I need a better call Saul analysis pleaseeee
This show is amazing. Great writing, acting, and scenes. Micheal was definitely the best part of the show!
I love this series and have watched it about 4 times all the way through. Michael's transition is a slow one and he still fights his demon urges, which is about as human as it gets when you're trying to be a better person. Ultimately though, I don't take the morality as being the strong point of the show. I think the show overall is about death itself. The good place, the bad place, the medium place. These are all basically the same deal in the end. Eventually, even with enough time it's ok to stop existing. The beauty is there because it is limited by time (the show, their afterlives, or life in general). I, for one, have an immense fear of death, but watching this series does seem to help cope with that thought. It's not about an afterlife either or whether you believe that to be real or not. It's probably why I keep coming back to the show.
Being Ted Danson was the major support to Michael's character arc. Dude came in with a lot of moral ambiguity.
Great video!🎉
Theres no moment of redemption, its a slow process
Great video!! 👏👏👏👏
Loved the show. Rewatched it, still love it.
Such a great video essay
Michael, the Judge, Jason and that beautiful girl Tahani are my favorite characters ever, oh and off course Janet.
For some reason, Michael has always kinda reminded me of Cecil Palmer from WTNV- (post redemption)
The only MINOR mistake that The Good Place made, is that when Michael was allowed to become human, they made Michael an adult human with a filled bank account and instructions and memories from the Good Place. I think the ending would've been even better if he was actually born as a baby, without memories of the afterlife, allowing him to live life as a human genuinely from beginning to end.
Let him have a childhood dog named Jason, let him have a best friend that he lovingly nicknames Arizona Trashbag, Let him form an interest in philosophy and fashion design, let him learn to play guitar in a genuine midlife crisis, let him fall in love, fall out of love, and then let him encounter the neighbor who almost throws away his junkmail but is "inspired" to deliver it anyway. "I think I always wanted to say this, so I'll say it to you. Thank you, and take it sleazy!"
i'm overdue for a good place rewatch
I really liked this show, but it feels like it only gets better in hindsight. It just does so much of what it's trying to do *well* and it's trying to do a lot of weird stuff that doesn't feel very standard for a sitcom.
Moral philosophy? As like the whole concept of a sitcom? Who thought that was a good idea? Because somehow they were right and I don't... I just don't get how.
One of my all time favorite shows. I have rewatched it about 10 times, and I'm getting my boyfriend into it :)
One of Ted Danson's best roles.
"JASON figured it out?! JASON? This is a real low point. This hurts."
Everybody felt that.
I haven't had time to really watch the show (I watched episode one with my partner and with the help of some accidental hints he gave guessed the twist, much to his chagrin) so watching this, I'm facing my own personal problem, which is that I never considered that as even a possibility to the trolly problem, and now I'm curious what that says about me as a person. Maybe I have some thinking to do
Me who saw it before the seasons finished releasing 🗿
The good place is awesome. So sad I got things spoiled for me.
Such a good show. This one, and that one. That's all I want to say.
I only watched the first 2 or 3 seasons of this show and I stopped. I should really watch the whole thing, even if I know what happens now.
gr8 show, really messed wit my mind wen i came out of my literal coma n thought i was in a medium place LOL
Plot twist: it's John Becker, and he's in the Bad Place
That is so sick they hired a professor as a philosophical advisor
Okay, I need to watch this show.
One correction. Janet isn’t an artificial intelligence. Janet is a Janet
That is the good place for writers.
After season 1. We were just strung along. It was subpar
very flawed question that is completely answerable. now if you wanted to really make that question be a actual dilemma, you have to change who is on the track. because 6 strangers isn't a actual dilemma, that's a easy answer. if it was 5 workers on one and your wife/kid/mom/dad/whoever you care about on the other, that would be a dilemma.
Happy I put off watching this until I finished binging the series.
i dont think any sitcom/ story can top this
I wish my expectations for media could be that low😂
@@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072 this is an amazing show, perfect in all regions, with a great story, conclusive ending and keeping me on my toes all the time, and also sparked my interest in philosphy!
I fucking love this show
It still amazes me that this show got made at all. Having in the pitch "Let's make a comedy show about the human experience, heaven, hell, earth and moral philosophy" and not get inmediatly trown out of the room of the bureaucrats must have been an incredible feat. Not to mention getting to finish several seasons of it with a coherent well though, and overall great finale. We need MORE people like this.
Well, hearing Shur describe it, it was more, “You’re amazing, make whatever you want.” The fact that it was continued is the real hurdle. Seems more like a show the execs would cut off, and we would only get the full story in 10 years from a “what could have been” book.
This still amazes me. It contains every element that shouldn't work in a sitcom like format, like special effects, outlandish worlds and characters' circumstances completely changing. The fact that it works and the fact that it didn't go off the rails (no pun intended) in later seasons is a minor miracle.
@@ericpatterson2178Pretty much. If I recall correctly from the podcast, after making The Office, Parks and Rec, and Brooklyn 99 they basically gave him the creative equivalent of a blank check.
I think they just really trusted Michael Schur since he’d been knocking it out of the park
@@futurehistoryarchaeologist4480 Yeah, it was just his pedigree that got him the shot. I'm grateful he chose to make this show.
Another note: when they suspect Michael of having been switched out with an imposter and ask him to reveal himself, he says that he’s worried they will never treat him the same if they see his true form. And they RESPECT that. They find another way to test things and eventually find out it was Janet who was replaced. This show is top notch.
To be fair, it wasn't just respecting his fears, but also knowing that the experiment might be ruined by a gigantic fire squid appearing over the neighborhood, that prompted them to look for another solution.
I loved that reveal! I just finished the series & said "...not a girl?" when she didn't😩
@@briannajazmin7144?
I don’t think that’s respect that’s just stupid
@@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072 k
I always loved the "Jason figured it out?!?!"
I have GOT to use the whole tirade one day in a social setting. I've got this one in the chamber ready to pop. LOL!
It's a prank show!
It never gets old! The pure shame in his voice “this one hurts 🤦”… 😂lmfao
Applying reality to this fictional show, sometimes it is the simplest mind that can see things for what they really are. Complex minds can often over complicate simple solutions. This why there are some problems young children can solve more readily than adults, they haven't been brought up yet to a set standard of seemingly practical solutions. Young children can more easily think outside the box.
I often think or go watch this scene when I manage to puzzle something out I didn't think I was capable of.
What I think is really underappreciated is how much of a mentor figure Eleanor was to Michael, not just Chidi. Chidi might have taught him the theoretical side but Eleanor was the one who guided him and taught him how to do the right thing from her own personal expeirence. Its why at the end of Derek, shes the one he comes to for advice and I think her telling him to "stick with it, demon buddy" helped solidify how much Michael cared for them.
You made me cry without even mentioning the "Picture a Wave" scene. 😭 Michael's character arc is very well written, but having an actor as talented as Ted Dansen really transformed the performance.
It also was a bit of a meta cast. He's a sitcom veteran known for playing dear god anything but this sort of character. It helps make the Season 1 twist even more shocking when it is finally revealed.
One of my favorite Ted moments was when he starts becoming a "guardian angel" (for lack of a better term), starting with the bar scene and he talks to Eleanor, connecting her to Chidi. I also love that even after Michael starts to redeem himself, he has to learn how to best interfere and meddle. I love him!
As much as I’m a fan of Schitt’s Creek, I always thought the final episode of The Good Place should have won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. By a mile.
I started watching the good place off a whim of curiosity about the memes I'd seen from it. A few weeks later, I found myself sitting alone at 1AM with tears welling in my eyes as I struggled to process the ending of one of my favorite shows to ever be televised. Nothing else has ever made me laugh so hysterically or feel such deep cathartic release so many times over. Michael was, unquestionably, a huge part of that. In my mind, he is the purest demonstration of the "anyone and everyone can be better if only given the chance to do it and some love to guide them" theme in the show. The longest way to go from where he starts, by far, and he makes the journey beautifully.
Michael Schur is a sitcom legend
what he did with this 4 seasons of a show is amazing
And it was exactly the right length. Wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I love seeing a show that knows what it wants, executes, and leaves before it wears out it’s welcome. The last few episodes had me bawling
Have to love that bread reference to Les Miserables, which is all about an unjust system prioritizing justice over mercy. And, in fact, the transformation of the main character from an individual concerned about only himself, due to injustice, into a truly good person when another shows him mercy.
I loved this show, I still love it. I binge it all the number on Netflix. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has helped me through a number of difficult hardships, and has eased my anxiety when it comes to when I decide to end it all.
Seek help if you are struggling. Remember that 99.9% of hardships are temporary. Good luck and best wishes.
Interesting fact. Most of the survivors who tried to end their lives jumping of the golden gate bridge regretted their decision as they jumped. They realized all their problems were solvable.
Sorry if things have been so rough that you've thought about ending it all. I think one of the things the show also displays is how valuable human life is though. It's hard to see sometimes, but that includes yours. Hope things get better.
@@Shivas-cj7vr the view from halfway down
Crazy the impact a show can have. An act of fiction can literally save life’s. That in itself is amazing. Maybe you can see the beauty in that and wanna do the same for someone else
One of the best shows ever made.
I absolutely adore this show. Apart from the moral and ethical teachings in it, it’s just a good watch and a perfect blend between education and comedy. Michael definitely won my heart by the end of the series