What is good? What is bad? What is growth? The Good Place, as always, manages to tackle all these existential questions, while still making us laugh. “Employee of the Bearimy” is yet another episode where this show takes the time to establish the notion that’s been the basis of this entire journey: people are good sometimes, and bad at others, but they can always, always get better.
There’s no better example of this than Michael, a literal demon, who spend hundreds of years torturing the four humans that are at the center of this show. And yet, Michael is now an ally, nay, a friend to those humans. And it’s not because those humans don’t remember all he did, no. It’s because he’s earned to trust of the same people he previously tortured.
Imagine that.
Which, I guess means, as I’ve mentioned one or fifty times before, that the whole message of this show is about growth. We can all become better.
But it’s more than that, because yes, that message has been underscored again and again with the stories of Chidi, Eleanor, Jason and Tahani. This time, though, the show makes a point of making it all about Michael. Of taking us back to the place where he actually behaved like a demon, where he rejoiced in making people suffer, where he was one of the best at that, and having him walk out of there, head held high, a new person.
Change is hard, as it were. Standing up to the person you used to be, to the people you used to be like, that’s even harder. And yet Michael has done that, again and again, and in doing so, the show has over and over cemented the message that it can be done.
Every living being, every person alive on this Earth (or every person dead and in The Good/Bad Place) can find a way to get better.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I find that idea more than refreshing: I find it life-changing, and if this show wants to keep harping on that point, while entertaining us in this trek to the end, then so be it.
I won’t complain.
Things I think I think:
- I didn’t think the Bearimy joke was coming back, I admit it. That’s on me.
- Though maybe they just brought it back because it’s a fun word to say. Bearimy! Beariiiiimyyyyyy.
- MY FRIENDS.
- JANET SAID MY FRIENDS
- Forgive me while I cry.
- This show does growth in the little things, and this is growth. For so long Janet has pretended that she didn’t have enough human in her to be truly a part of the group, that she was just an aside, a helper, not one of them. But she is.
- And she’s got friends.
- “It’s very lame, but I understand.”
- Never change, Jason.
- THANK THE GODS FOR MORE TAHANI/ELEANOR.
- I literally asked for this in my preview for the season.
- Jason is literally only scared about losing Janet. The rest doesn’t even compute to him. Possibility of death? What’s that?
- It’s refreshing.
- But it’s, of course, understandable that Michael is terrified, because he knows The Bad Place intimately.
- And, of course, because he doesn’t want to remember the person he was while on the Bad Place.
- “I love puzzles, they’re so much fun, but they’re also like homework, win-win”
- Such a Chidi thing to say.
- “This part of your plan seems risky.”/”This wasn’t part of my plan.”/”Thank God, because I thought you had a bad plan.”
- Is it because the show is almost over or am I just truly enjoying every one of the interactions between these characters?
- “I want you to believe that you’re safe here. That you can trust me.”
- And Chidi trusts her. He does.
- No hesitation.
- Is there any way Chidi is going to get his memories back by himself? Is that a thing that can happen?
- JASON AND JANET COMUNICATING WITHOUT WORDS, GAAAAH.
- I LOVE IT.
- It’s like inside jokes and friendship can save the day.
- Byeeeee Vicky.
- No one’s gonna miss ya.
- This conversation between Eleanor and Tahani is hitting me hard.
- It’s, of course, ridiculed up to a point, but the fact is Eleanor is right: we all have our strengths, and comparison is the thief of joy.
- “You don’t have to feel shame about who you were.”
- EMOTIONS.
- WHAT ARE THESE EMOTIONS?
- Dang, Jason, you dumped Bortles fast.
- I’m shook.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think about “Employee of the Bearimy”? Share with us in the comments below!
The Good Place airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.