I tried really hard not to quote Frozen, I did, but here we are and considering the message of “The Snowplow” is all about how sometimes you have to let people go, you have to trust them to do well, to live, to make mistakes and to grow, well, what else was I supposed to do?
Also, will this show ever stop hitting me in the feels? Will it ever stop surprising me? Will there come a point where I’ll be able to predict what The Good Place is going to do? I sincerely hope the answer to that is no. I truly enjoy both the feels and the feeling of ARE YOU FOR REAL that I get watching this show.
Never change, The Good Place. Never Change.
So, let’s go into “The Snowplow” (HAHAHAHA IRONIC, CONSIDERING WHAT I PICKED FOR A TITLE, ISN’T IT?)
SAVING THE SOULS OF THESE 4 HUMANS IS MORE IMPORTANT
Than himself? Than anything? Has any character ever grown as much as Michal has in the history of comedy (allow me the hyperbole, please)? Because those are big, biiiiiiiiiig words.
In a way, though, it makes sense. For Michael, seeing Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason growing and becoming better people is an obsession, because it’s not just about them, it’s about himself. Sure, he loves them, and he really, really wants them to succeed, but he also probably feels like, if they can do it, so can he.
Their growth is tied to his, you see? If they can successfully become better people in a way that makes them earn the Good Place, then that means that he, Michael, demon and Bad Place architect, can actually earn redemption.
And that’s party why the stakes seem higher, and why he can’t let go, and why he loses it on Janet, and why the episode ends how it ends.
GROWING UP
But before we delve into the cliffhanger, let’s talk about the biggest message in this episode, which is a message of empowerment. Eleanor briefly reverts to her old ways, and then is reminded of a lesson she already learned, and then, as she apologizes to the group, the message is reinforced.
We can’t – we shouldn’t, depend on others for our own self-fulfillment. If we’re going to be good people, bad people or hey, medium people, that’s entirely up to us. We can’t use others as crutches forever. At some point, we have to make the decisions, good or bad.
Of course, that’s scary as hell. What if we make the wrong decisions? What if we continue to make them? How will we know that what we’re doing is right or wrong if we don’t have someone there to point it out for us?
And yet, isn’t that the thing? Are we really good people if we only do good things because someone else is there with us? Doesn’t being a good person require us being good for no ulterior motive, just for the sake of goodness? Can we ever truly achieve that in a group?
These are all very interesting questions that the episode kind of answers, and then, of course, because this is still TV and they can’t really separate the characters, it’s time for …
TWISTY TWIST
What the hell? NO, but really, what the hell? I figured, at some point in this season, this was going to have to happen, but I would have put good money on episode ten or eleven, not episode FOUR. What in the world happens now? How can this show continue to be interesting even after they upend what we expect over and over again?
And, more importantly, why am I still asking questions no one has answers to?
I guess we will all just have to continue watching. It’s not like we can stop now. We’re well and truly hooked.
Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The Good Place airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.
