Clip It: Each day, Jon Davis looks at the world of trailers, featurettes, and clips and puts it all in perspective.
None of the major religions mention the yogurt stand in heaven. But according to Ted Danson in The Good Place, “Every religion guessed about five percent.” They got the afterlife mostly wrong (except for Calgary's own Doug Forcett, who “got high on mushrooms one night and guessed about 92 percent”). This show has created its own rules for the land of the no-longer-living. It's inventive and fun.
We learn that Kristen Bell is in the wrong place. Due to a red tape mixup, the powers that be have mistaken her for a lawyer who has saved innocent lives. She was really just a mediocre person when she was alive. Although the audience will probably like her more than the obnoxious goody goody types that populate this good place. I'm sure we will likely learn the difference between a person who's motivation for doing good is genuine versus someone who might be in it just for the vanity.
The networks are getting more experimental in the face of so much competition from streaming and cable. Whereas a few years ago, this might have been considered offensive territory, perhaps blasphemous to some in the viewing audience, now it's a risk worth taking, especially with likable actors like Ted Danson and Kristen Bell who soften the subversive nature of the material.
I'm all for it. Are you?