"Friends" and "How I Met Your Mother" are held up as comedy gold by our generation. They have a great setting, plots that get the main characters into just the right amount of trouble and a good lesson that ties the episode in a nice little bow. But "The Good Place," produced by NBC, is something completely different from the 90s sitcom formula. Main characters Eleanor and Chidi face incredibly unique conflicts and with the fantastic characterization of each of the main characters, it's hard to stop binging the entire series. But why "The Good Place"? Here are five reasons you should start binging it on Netflix right now.
The Concept
Very rarely does America see a comedic show about death, but this show is the outlier. We find out in the first minutes of the pilot that Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, is dead. She wakes up and is briefed by the architect of her new neighborhood named Michael, played by Ted Danson. Eleanor lives her first few hours in her new heaven and soon realizes that she is in fact not supposed to be in a Good Place. Chaos ensues during the remainder of the season as she meets her fellow neighbors and finds out the hard way that her actions in this heaven-like reality have some major consequences.
The Jokes
There's no laugh track to this show, which allows jokes to be more nuanced and witty. One of the running jokes throughout the series is members of Michael's neighborhood can't swear, so profanity is replaced with words like "fork," "ash hole" and "shirt-balls." Not only is it funny, but it's also a clever way to get around the no-profanity rule of public broadcasting.
The Philosophical Theories
You may be asking: How is this a reason to watch the show? But I promise it's one of the best parts of the entire series. Chidi, who was a moral philosophy professor when he was alive, attempts to teach Eleanor how to be a better person. Eleanor's lack of interest for the subject is obvious, but Chidi's rants about what's right and what's wrong, makes you really think about how you make decisions.
Two Words: Jameela Jamil
Jamil, who plays Tahani on the show, has been in headlines recently for her outspoken posts on social media. She talks about everything concerning women's issues. Her most recent run-in with celebrity drama was when she fought back against a post talking about the weights of the Kardashian sisters. She posted on her Instagram story, saying she weighed in friendship, her great job and more. She's a big fighter for equality and women's rights, and she's hilarious on and off the set.
And lastly, the episodes are only half an hour!
It's super easy to binge this show. With storylines that will hook you in and 20-25 minute episodes, you could finish the series in one day if you tried hard enough.
Grab a friend or two, make some delicious food and get watching! You won't regret picking this amazing show and cast to spend a few hours with.
