Written by Gabriella Gamez
A new episode of The Good Place premiered Thursday night, and we have to know what forking happens next! But for now, let’s recap all of the stressful events together!
The episode opens on the final hours left in the experiment. A video of Eleanor talking about the residents’ “first year” plays and ends with her desperately pleading to keep doing good deeds until midnight just in case.
Our favourite soul squad has done all they can to make sure the four humans have become better people, but the gang can’t help but wonder if it will be enough since they will have no idea if they passed or failed until the experiment is over. To celebrate the end of the neighbourhood’s “first year”, they plan to throw a gala for the residents.
Meanwhile, before they’re off to the gala, Simone confesses to the other members of the experiment, as well as Tahani and Jason, that she believes something is off about the neighbourhood and shares a board of all the data she’s collected. Chidi asks why she never told him what she’s been doing, and she says it would’ve compromised the data. It’s during this time that John also spills the beans about Jason, who confesses he’s not really a monk and that Chidi’s been helping him become a better person. Simone asks Chidi why he never told her about Jason, and he said it wouldn’t have been ethical to do so. Simone nonetheless uses this information to point out that there’s one other person who doesn’t belong here: Brent.
This is when Brent chooses to disclose that he actually belongs in the Best Place, and that Michael and Eleanor have told them that for a fact. Simone leaves the room with Chidi, saying she has a plan to discover the truth.
Simone and Chidi search Michael’s office, and other than some disturbing song lyrics, the two come up empty. Simone seems desperate to find evidence while Chidi wants to believe what Eleanor has told him about the Good Place.
Meanwhile at Mindy’s house, Tahani and Jason tell everyone about Simone and they come up with a plan for damage control, as well as to hopefully score the humans more points.
Back at Michael’s office, Chidi confesses to Simone that she is his soulmate, according to Eleanor, and that that’s why he wants to believe everything they’ve been told about the neighbourhood. Simone says that while she really likes him, she doesn’t actually believe in soulmates. While Chidi contemplates what this will mean for their future, Simone finds a board with their faces on it.
While at the gala with less than an hour to go, Michael unleashes his plan: a gaping hole in the center of the stage that Brent falls through. Eleanor dismisses the residents but asks Chidi, Simone, and John to watch Brent while she and Michael try to solve this issue remotely. While Simone and John are ready to get the fork out of there, Chidi wants to stay and help Brent get out of the hole.
Back at the office, Eleanor and the gang discuss the risks of the plan and whether or not they made a good call. Jason uses a coherent football metaphor to say that it’s better to try something than to run out the clock. They all agree that it was a good plan to get the three humans to rescue Brent, since they have no reason to rescue him for all the pain he’s caused them. If the humans rescue him they will get more points.
While Chidi, Simone, and John discuss whether to help Brent, they also wonder if they’re truly in hell. Chidi says if they are, he knows exactly what he did to land himself here: almond milk.
Chidi and Simone argue over their differing stances, but both respect what the other has to say. After what John calls “the most boring breakup ever”, Simone and John have had enough and leave Chidi to save Brent on his own. While trying to save Brent, Chidi ends up falling in as well.
Eleanor and the gang stumble upon Chidi and Brent in the massive whole, begging for help. With eight minutes left, Eleanor isn’t ready to give up trying. She has one last move up her sleeve.
Michael and Eleanor bring Brent and Chidi to the office and Eleanor asks where Simone and John are, and the question is enough to irk Chidi into arguing with Brent. When Brent says he’s going to the Best Place, Chidi snaps and says there’s no “Best Place” because Michael and Eleanor are torturing them because “this is the Bad Place.”
Just as Brent is about to come through with a breakthrough moment and apologise for everything he’s done, time runs out and he and Chidi freeze. Janet appears with a pitcher and glass of margarita. She hands the glass to Eleanor, but she reaches for the pitcher instead.
Like Eleanor, I think we all need a drink after this episode!
