I've been a bit under the weather so I caved in and watched this, a show I was sure I'd enjoy given (a) the increasingly ecstatic reviews, (b) it has the same showrunner as the glorious - and gloriously affirmatory - Parks & Rec (Mike Schur), (c) Kristen Bell (always a delight), (d) (to a lesser extent but still) Ted Danson. Also I accidentally ran into a spoiler online the other day, which was a minor pity, but also clued me in that The Good Place is a genuine extended-arc show.
Bell and Danson predictably (but far from boringly) great, in the small gestures (eg Michael's attempt at fist pumping; scores of Eleanor's expressions and intonations) as well as the overall; my favourite of the others would have to be Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Janet (D'Arcy Carden) though they're all strong. The clean, bright, colourful look of the whole helps with its easy consumability, as does the casual diversity of its cast (main and supporting), both of which also befit the Good Place itself.
And yes I have very much enjoyed these first two seasons, including the bonuses of all the philosophy (and the show being actually interested in ethics and what it means to be a good person), its willingness to steer straight into the crazy from time to time (eg flying shrimp, unicorn) and the cleverness of the writing (really, all the way through, but the structuring from start to finish of each season, and the zinging opening few episodes of season 2 and its reboots especially stand out). Not sure whether to count the liberal use of cliffhangers at the end of episodes as a bonus, but it certainly adds to the show's propulsiveness, although the amount of plot it crams in would probably have achieved that anyway. And it's nice that it is so sweet-natured and optimistic without ever getting saccharine.
Bell and Danson predictably (but far from boringly) great, in the small gestures (eg Michael's attempt at fist pumping; scores of Eleanor's expressions and intonations) as well as the overall; my favourite of the others would have to be Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Janet (D'Arcy Carden) though they're all strong. The clean, bright, colourful look of the whole helps with its easy consumability, as does the casual diversity of its cast (main and supporting), both of which also befit the Good Place itself.
