‘The Good Place’ Returns to Earth

NBC

Creator Michael Schur created The Good Place after the finale of Parks and Recreation. Photo by NBC (The Good Place) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

By Ally Waltemyer, Commentary Editor

The season three premiere of NBC’s “The Good Place” aired on Sept. 27, blessing the lives of comedy fans and philosophy enthusiasts everywhere.

Creator Michael Schur created “The Good Place” after the finale of “Parks and Recreation.” Photo by NBC (The Good Place) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Creator and producer Michael Schur expands  the complex world of the show, extending it to mother Earth where the protagonists are literally resurrected.

Schur, the innovator behind hit comedic T.V. shows such as “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” truly shows his full potential with “The Good Place” by defying the normal concepts of a comedy.

“Creator Michael Schur has said that after his previous show, the much-admired ‘Parks and Recreation,’ ended, NBC gave him great latitude, bordering on a blank check, to make what he wanted,” wrote Linda Holmes in a NPR review. “And given that latitude, he chose to make a comedy that has explained real concepts of philosophy like moral particularism and utilitarianism.”

The show centers around self-described “Arizona trash bag,” Eleanor Shellstrop, as she learns how to become a better person.

However, the plot of the show is only made more interesting by the complex setting of the show.

“Like Eleanor and her pals, we’re dropped into a weird new world whose rules are unclear,” wrote Dennis Perkins in an AV Club article, “and left to find our way while the powers that be sit back and, presumably, laugh with contentment at our bafflement, and our delight.”

The cast of  “The New Place” consists of Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, William Jackson-Harper and Manny Jacinto. Photo by aitchisons from United States via Wikimedia Commons.

This weird new world ranging from basically heaven, hell and earth.

“The Good Place” breaks down the stereotypes and models of the normal sitcom with each season spinning an entirely new premise.

“It has taken a while for both of the previous two seasons to come fully into focus with regard to what they’re really about,” wrote Holmes. “This [season] will probably be the same. But ‘The Good Place’ retains its creative strengths in the premiere, including its boundless curiosity about how people behave and why they do it. It remains remarkable television.”

Not only does the ever changing setting keep the audience on their toes, but also the delightfully flawed characters.

Fans were able to pose with a giant fork that is a reference to the shows replacement for curse words in the show in Universal City Walk in Florida. Photo courtesy of @nbcthegoodplace on Twitter.

“A moral philosophy professor, name-dropping philanthropist, amateur DJ/backup dancer, and a self-proclaimed Arizona trash bag all walk into an MRI lab,” wrote Kalos K. Chu in a The Crimson article. “Oh, and they were all brought back from the dead.”

Each of the main cast relies on one another to improve each other, strengthening their relationships and their lovability.

The band of moral misfits, strange setting and complex philosophical premise all make “The Good Place” such an enjoyable and unique show.

“The Good Place” can be streamed on Netflix and new episodes are released every Thursday on NBC at 8:30 p.m.