Season 2 of The Good Place recently aired and much to my surprise, and despite the incredibly high bar set by season one, the showrunners have managed to extend the gimmick without losing any steam. The less I spoil about the direction the new season takes the better, so my only remark regarding it will be an ardent recommendation.
What I do want to discuss is how The Good Place masterfully challenges that old tired grouse about how the industry is bankrupt of new ideas. That’s the wrong way to look at it. The Good Place isn’t doing anything novel as far as plot goes, but that doesn’t really matter. Audiences are rarely compelled by programs simply because of the stuff that happens in the story. There are a myriad of things that make a show worth watching, and as far as my own sensibilities are concerned, I like narratives that unfold with a certain determined confidence. Stories that know where they’re going and the best route to get there. The Good Place always seemed to implement extraneous elements only to have them inform the story in ways that were either humorous, brilliant, but often both. It was a breath of fresh air to watch a show that didn’t lean on vulgarities and pop culture references to procure their funny, daring moments.
The finale of Season 2, not unlike its predecessor, has caused many fans to speculate about where the next season might head. Considering the rumours that The Good Place might actually take place in the same universe as Parks and Rec , paired with the fact that our heroes now have the world of the living to play in, it’s anybody’s guess. I’d assume season 3 will focus on Chidi and Eleanor’s budding romance.
NBC has already renewed the show for a third season, which will contain 13 episodes. No word on when we’ll get a sneak peek yet, but according to one of the show’s leads Jameela Jamill, the premise of season 3 is “bloody brilliant and exciting.” The first episode of season 3 will most likely air sometime in September as is the tradition for the show’s premieres in the past.
