The Good Place 4x02 "A Girl From Arizona, Part Two" Episode Review
Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.
The direction of the final season is interesting and another “thinker”. What does it mean to be a good person? was the question that The Good Place has been trying to answer since the pilot aired, but now it’s shifted in a way… “What does it mean trying to be a good person?” Finding the answer on this one seems lighter and in a lot of ways, more inclusive to those of us on redemption arcs.
The Soul Squad is trying to figure out how to help the four humans, including Chidi, in the experiment become better people. The second episode, part two, focused on Brent and Simone to resolve what they set-up in the first part. Simone is in denial about The Good Place and being dead while Brent is a rich white asshole who is so entitled, that he believes he belongs in The Best Place, not The Good Place.
After the callback plans of season one backfired on Eleanor, who did not consult the rest of the Soul Squad on her plans, she has a heart-to-heart with Michael about taking over the experiment and what makes her a better leader than Michael. This leads Eleanor to not forget who she is and goes with lying to people but with the best intentions. She lied to Brent about The Best Place to get the improvement he needs, and then she told Chidi that Simone was her soulmate.
Another callback that crushed Eleanor. Kristen Bell portrayed Elenaor’s heartbreak with such grace. The whole scene between Eleanor and Chidi about soulmates was perfect. The callback soulmate angle will get Chidi to help Simone be good anyway, “just in case” it’s all real. Do good things and maybe you’ll become a good person out of habit? That’s something… it counts for something.
Janet also broke up with Jason because she’s literally managing an entire Afterlife and has no time for his impulses. That’s honestly valid.
Overall, The Good Place is preparing its Goodbye and changing its perspective / message on the whole “Am I Good Person?” to “Am I Trying to Be A Good Person?” This does count for something. Trust me, it does.