At first The Good Place seems silly, shallow and slapstick. And yes, the broad humor was off putting at times, but then I quickly became aware of the astute and incredibly smart writing, not to mention the lightening fast delivery of the lines by Kristen Bell, who reminds me of one of those smart 1940s actresses who can deliver her pithy one liners so off the cuff that it feels as if she just made them up on the spot. In fact the whole show has a throwback feel to the era of the kind of screwball comedies that relied on smart, snappy dialogue. The pace is quick, the jokes come one on top of the other. Not everything works and there are a few missteps here and there, especially early on. But as the show finds its footing, the edgy writing consistently redeems itself.
The cast is strong. Two of the main members have never acted professionally, yet deliver their lines like seasoned professional comic actors. Ted Danson is a standout as well. This is a plum role for Danson and he’s obviously having a ball. His depiction of the architect of the world the humans inhabit is alternately absurd, endearing, hysterically funny and at times, genuinely touching.
Yet at the same time as being immensely entertaining, the Good Place has a deeper ulterior motive: it wants to combine this ridiculous depiction of the afterlife with a somewhat surprisingly serious consideration of moral philosophy. On top of that, the characters each represent various wounded aspects of the human psyche, but they are not mere two dimensional symbols: as the show develops, the individual characters grow in substance and the show succeeds in winning the viewer over to the point of developing a genuine affection for the 5 main characters.
The Good Place walks the edge of a sword: too many philosophical ruminations and it could become dull – too much silliness and it could easily devolve into a mindless, corny sitcom. But for the most part it hits its target dead on, time and again.
Perhaps best of all, on top of the surreal world building going on, the writers aren’t afraid to “blow the show up.” There are surprises and reveals along the way that keep it fresh and keep the audience guessing. To those who find it sophomoric, I would urge them to hang in and see where this show takes you. I promise you, it’s a wild ride, but a ride with a higher purpose than one might expect at first watch.
In such a dark age as this, it’s refreshing to find a comedy that isn’t afraid to flirt with moral philosophy while making us giggle. We binged watched it right through the end of Season 2.