The Good Place Finale (100% public, 95% spoilery)
I was nervous about this finale for two reasons. First, I thought it might be sad. Second, in general, finales are hard to pull off. It's a show's (or book series', or movie series') last change to lay all the cards on the table and say "here's where the final point is, after everything." Everyone has different expectations (which may or may not align with where the creators ultimately decided to take it), everyone is a little sad, and I think everyone wants to be fulfilled just enough, yet also have it be open ended enough to leave some things to the imagination. Just not too much.
I think The Good Place, in true form, pulled it off. That's just my objective opinion, of course, and I actually avoided looking at any critical or fan responses before posting this so you'd just get my opinion. I don't know what the fandom consensus is. But I think the finale was right.
Behind the cut are spoilers.
SNAPE KILLS MICHAEL.
That was your fake spoiler, giving you one more chance to click on the backspace key. :P
I expected to be devastated, but I really wasn't. Maybe it helps that the "door" is pretty much how I often imagine the afterlife to be. And I loved that we get a hint that in some way, they still end up doing good on Earth. How sentient they are in doing so seems open-ended, but I think that's good. I like that we see molecule!Eleanor managing to touch Michael's life in some way. They're gone, but not really gone. And they'll always be together.
Eleanor and Chidi's goodbye did almost break me. I didn't cry, but I imagine when I rewatch I will. Or maybe I will in a few hours. I tend to have a slightly removed method of processing. At any rate, it still crushed me, but I was glad in the end that they didn't go together - even though that's what I had fully expected. Instead, Eleanor continues her work in reaching Mindy, in reaching Michael, then she is ready.
I loved that Jason was first -or so it seemed. Of course he ended up staying in the forest for a thousand Bearimies after all. That is so Jason. But his true leaving was special. He had to give Janet the necklace. That was in his other pocket the whole time.
I like that Tahani has become an Architect. At first I didn't think we'd seen much buildup, but if you think about it, it's been there this whole time. She was planning parties in season one, and when there's a hole in the ground, she goes outside to see what it is. Tahani has always wanted to help, she just initially had the wrong motivations. I love it.
My biggest question was this: How much time on Earth passed? Earth as Michael experienced it didn't seem terribly futuristic. But maybe it's best that it was left ambiguous.
I'm sorry to see The Good Place go. But I'm glad I had it. The Good Place, you're my 5,000 Bearimies in the wind.
Now to rewatch the entire seasons once it's on Netflix. That will be quite a journey.
I think The Good Place, in true form, pulled it off. That's just my objective opinion, of course, and I actually avoided looking at any critical or fan responses before posting this so you'd just get my opinion. I don't know what the fandom consensus is. But I think the finale was right.
Behind the cut are spoilers.
SNAPE KILLS MICHAEL.
That was your fake spoiler, giving you one more chance to click on the backspace key. :P
I expected to be devastated, but I really wasn't. Maybe it helps that the "door" is pretty much how I often imagine the afterlife to be. And I loved that we get a hint that in some way, they still end up doing good on Earth. How sentient they are in doing so seems open-ended, but I think that's good. I like that we see molecule!Eleanor managing to touch Michael's life in some way. They're gone, but not really gone. And they'll always be together.
Eleanor and Chidi's goodbye did almost break me. I didn't cry, but I imagine when I rewatch I will. Or maybe I will in a few hours. I tend to have a slightly removed method of processing. At any rate, it still crushed me, but I was glad in the end that they didn't go together - even though that's what I had fully expected. Instead, Eleanor continues her work in reaching Mindy, in reaching Michael, then she is ready.
I loved that Jason was first -or so it seemed. Of course he ended up staying in the forest for a thousand Bearimies after all. That is so Jason. But his true leaving was special. He had to give Janet the necklace. That was in his other pocket the whole time.
I like that Tahani has become an Architect. At first I didn't think we'd seen much buildup, but if you think about it, it's been there this whole time. She was planning parties in season one, and when there's a hole in the ground, she goes outside to see what it is. Tahani has always wanted to help, she just initially had the wrong motivations. I love it.
My biggest question was this: How much time on Earth passed? Earth as Michael experienced it didn't seem terribly futuristic. But maybe it's best that it was left ambiguous.
I'm sorry to see The Good Place go. But I'm glad I had it. The Good Place, you're my 5,000 Bearimies in the wind.
Now to rewatch the entire seasons once it's on Netflix. That will be quite a journey.