I got a chance to watch the pilot episode of NBC’s new comedy series, The Good Place starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson! Scroll down for my spoiler-free thoughts:
The Good Place (NBC)
The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell, “House of Lies,” “Veronica Mars”), an ordinary woman who enters the afterlife, and thanks to some kind of error, is sent to the Good Place instead of the Bad Place, which is definitely where she belongs. While hiding in plain sight from Michael (Ted Danson, “CSI” “Cheers”), the wise architect of the Good Place (who doesn’t know he’s made a mistake), she’s determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome (or at least the pretty good) person within.
– Kirsten Bell is adorable! I can never decide if I love her more as a good-girl or a bad-girl, but either way, I love watching her on my screen! Her ability to instantly swing from sweet to malicious is so fun to see and I believe this series could be a great showcase for her.
– Ted Danson is a legend, and seeing him as this happy-go-lucky angelic being who may be in-over-his-head is really fun! Growing up with him on Cheers, and then switching to his mean-spirited Becker performance (a staple in my household) was great, so this new avenue for him is exciting.
– The colors and vibe to “The Good Place” is reminiscent of much beloved Pushing Daisies – bright and colorful, fantastical and fun. Let’s hope we don’t end up with another “Pushing Daisies” situation (the Lee Pace led series only made it two seasons)
– What can this show teach us about being a good person? I’m sure there’s a moral lesson in here somewhere (everyone deserves a second chance; no one is truly good or bad; etc) Regardless, I feel like we’ll get a full season of comedy and philosophy out of The Good Place.