The Good Place

    Stories about genuine human connection seem to be my bread and butter of late. There's something about seeing the way that others perceive friendship, morality, and loyalty that's been making me particularly introspective. Making me question my own actions, behaviors, and even unwitting reactions. There's an unadulterated truth in the split second reaction to people and events that, when further considered, reveals a lot of truths about me. It can be tough to face my own shortcomings. Lord knows I have plenty. But I've spent the last couple years making a conscious effort to improve myself, both in thought and in action, where it comes to my metaphorical contact patch with society.

    It is against this backdrop that I watched The Good Place (available on Netflix at the time of writing). The premise is simple: our main character, Eleanor Shellstrop is dead. She awakes in the afterlife with no recollection of her own death (which can be done to spare the recently deceased from unpleasant memories) and meets another main protagonist, Michael, the architect of the neighborhood. He's the one who designed that small corner of the afterlife, making him responsible for the well-being and enjoyment of the residents. We also get to meet the other main characters - Janet, an omnipotent butler-like figure who is able to provide anything to the residents, and others, such as Chidi, who, in life, was a professor of moral philosophy and Tahani, a rich British heiress. Right off the bat, this is a rather... diverse... backstory to group. 

    Essentially, the primary focus lies in their interactions and what they perceive as morality, or "doing the right thing". Of course, the varied personal histories lead to rather differing opinions on the notion. Personal biases have a habit of influencing our actions, and this show does a great job of building this up. They even manage to tie in actual great philosophers from Nietzsche and Kant to Aristotle and Plato. And somehow it doesn't go down like a tedious lecture on morality. Now, this is far from an action-packed thriller. Rather, it focuses on building the parasocial relationship between viewers and the main cast, encouraging a projection of oneself into the situations. Best part? They do so with humor and levity without losing the gravity of serious topics. And it comes in bite-sized chunks lasting 20-30 ish minutes each, making for easy bedtime viewing. I'm usually pretty good at finding some downside to mention. But I don't think I can come up with anything off the top of my head. In other words, give it a shot, you'll probably enjoy it.