Getting To 92%: Overanalyzing The Good Place

Chapters 1-4

Remember Lost? It has been suggested by some that those of us who love to analyze and theorize are the ones at fault for ruining the ultimate conclusion of Lost. We all thought we were watching a Mystery. But in the end, it was a Metaphysical Meditation. When we sat down to watch the finale, we wanted answers. Instead we were told that we had been asking the wrong questions the whole time.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to do that again. Let's overanalyze The Good Place!

What Is The Good Place

In The Good Place, morality is tied to community standards. Most people in this neighborhood don't like swearing, thus it is impossible.

There is porn in The Good Place.

The Good Place goes on for much more than we have seen.

Despite being a "perfect utopia", the good place could be better. Michael tells us in chapter 4 that every can be up to 104% perfect. So, importantly, there is room for growth in the good place.

What Is The Bad Place?

"What happens to everyone else you ask? Don't worry about it." -Michael

All that we know about the Bad Place is a brief audio clip (nothing suspicious there). Also, the bear has two mouths.

Clues

Eleanor went to school in Tempe, Arizona making her an Arizona Sun Devil. There's some interesting symbolism.

Chidi says, maybe it's a test. Maybe he's telling us something.

Janet knows the details of Eleanor's life, including her inner thoughts. Janet must be aware of the mistake, right?

Eleanor points out the inherent problem with a Heaven/Hell dichotomy. Don't most people belong in Cincinnati, not being consumed by two mouthed bears? The show would not raise these questions if it didn't want us to be concerned with them.

"It's freakin' Heaven; I'm sure they have plenty of shellfish!" Really, Eleanor? Because I've heard rumors to the contrary.

Is anyone else a construct who cannot feel pain or joy or love like the dog that Michael kicks into the sun?

Jason means "healer."

Jason suggests that The Good Place is either an alien zoo or a prank show. Maybe he's on to something.

Jason and Eleanor both had the same job on Earth: selling fake drugs. That's a pretty big coincidence.

Michael suggests giving Jianyu two mouths. Like the bear? Hmmm.

Michael says that in The Good Place, everyone will have the chance to fulfill their soul's true purpose. We should be asking ourselves what true purposes the people we've met my be destined to achieve.

Chidi is being shown as truly good. He is risking his eternity to do what he thinks is right: protect Eleanor (and now Jason). To me, this heavily supports a theory that Chidi is at the center of what The Good Place is.

Unanswered Questions

Whose death is Michael describing when he tells Eleanor how she died, Eleanor's or Eleanor's?

Where is the real Eleanor?

What happens if your soul mate doesn't earn their way to the good place?

How can Chidi be the real Eleanor's soul mate if he finds those clowns terrifying?

Why blue and yellow? Eleanor didn't do anything to spark that particular manifestation of chaos. Is that something Jason did? Maybe someone else who doesn't belong? Or is that a reference to the school colors of the University of Michigan where the real Eleanor went to law school (according to her tee shirt). And if it's that, what does that mean?

All Chidi did was research and write his book and that was enough to earn his way into The Good Place? And now Michael wants him to throw out all of his work? Did Chidi realize something that Michael wants to hide?

What is going on with the Portland Trailblazers?

Michael knows Eleanor's real name, but not Jason's. Why?

When did Eleanor slip away from Chidi at the party long enough to confess to Jianyu?

What was Jianyu's (the real Jianyu's) story with the tofu?

It takes Michael a really long time to get The Good Plates pun. Is Michael just slow or do puns have no place in The Good Place? Are puns bad?

Is Tahani really British? Her accent is fake. She says "As we Brits say, 'do your best to hide your sadness,'" which is obviously a joke, but she also says "Keep calm, and carry on," which is not actually a British saying.

How is Kristen Bell so pretty? Is she an actual angel?

My Working Theories

Theory One: No one belongs in The Good Place. The Good Place is a kind of purgatory where people learn to be good to earn their place. Although the fact that Janet knows Tahani's past and it seems to match her official backstory argues against this theory.

Theory Two: The Good Place pairs a bad person with a good "soul mate" to give them a chance to earn their place.

Theory Three: Eleanor was put here on purpose to distract and derail Chidi from whatever he learned when writing his treatise.

Theory Four: Everyone here is a construct. This is Chidi's Good Place where he can reach his true purpose by teaching ethics.

Theory Five: Janet is the mastermind. Janet is manipulating The Good Place for some unknown reason. Is Janet God?

Theory Six: This whole thing is a stealth remake of "No Exit." As Eleanor says about her parents: "Maybe they're being used to torture each other. It would work."

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