It’s nearly impossible to talk about season 2 of The Good Place, without mentioning one major plot point from the end of the first season. So for those reading this review who have not yet seen the first season, please stop and do so first. The first season is hilarious and a must see, and is best experienced unspoiled.
In the first season, of The Good Place, Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Jason (Manny Jacinto) and Chidi (William Jackson Harper) had died on Earth and were sent to “The Good Place”. However, they all quickly realized that they had been accidentally miscategorized and should have been sent to “The Bad Place”. Eleanor was selfish, a scammer, and didn’t really care about her fellow human beings, Tahani was self-centered and cared more about wealth and appearances, Jason was a simple-minded thief, and Chidi was too focused on his academic accolades. Once they figured out they were all in the same boat, Chidi tried to teach the group philosophy and morals in hopes that they could become better people before anyone else figured out that they didn’t belong in “The Good Place”. However, the truth eventually came out, and Eleanor had a startling revelation;that Michael (Ted Danson), the man in charge of “The Good Place”, had just been messing with them the whole time, and that they were in fact really in “The Bad Place”. Michael was disappointed with Eleanor’s discovery, and planned to wipe the memories of the four members of his experiment and start over again. However, before he could do this, Eleanor wrote a note to herself, stating “Find Chidi”, and placed it in the mouth of Janet (D’Arcy Carden), Michael’s android assistant.
The second season picks up immediately afterwards. Michael’s boss Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson) is disappointed with the failed experiment, and wants to go back to the old tried and true methods of torture. He allows Michael the chance to reboot his fake-Good Place experiment one more time, but if it fails again, he will have Michael’s soul along with the other four. So Michael gives “The Good Place” an overhaul, assigning all four test subjects new soulmates, and moves forward with his plan. However, this time things fall apart much faster (thanks to Eleanor’s note), and no matter what he tries, or how many reboots, his test subjects always manage to figure out the truth. Michael has to keep his failures a secret from Shawn (who still thinks Michael is executing “The Good Place” 2.0), but Michael is being blackmailed by the ambitious Vicky (Tiya Sircar)—she played “Real Eleanor” in the first iteration of The Good Place and is now feeling underappreciated in the lesser role of pizza shop owner Denise, and wants to take over the project. In addition, the constant reboots seem to be affecting Janet, who is displaying some very unusual behavior. So Michael does the unthinkable and suggests teaming up with the humans, but can they really trust him, or is this just another form of torture that he has planned?!
I absolutely loved the first season of this series, so I was both excited by and nervous about the big twist. I had really enjoyed the relationships that were established in the first season, and was scared that all of that was going to be wiped away. Even though the characters start off in different places in the second season, it isn’t long before the same fun dynamics between them are restored, but it doesn’t feel like a cheap cop-out. The writers of this show are fantastic, and come up with amazingly creative twists and turns, while also throwing in lots of laugh-out-loud moments and multiple layers of comedy to every scene. I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about—this show is still so forkin’ good, and firing on all cyllindars in its second season!
In the first season, the characters were focused on becoming good so that they wouldn’t be discovered. In the second season, the characters know they are really in “The Bad Place” and are trying to become better people so that they can escape to the real “Good Place”. Meanwhile, there is this fun new relationship between Michael and the rest of the group as he also tries to learn more about becoming a good human being. Like with the first season, as the characters tackle the problems that arise in their afterlife, we get some humerous flashbacks to the events of their pasts that ultimate landed them in “The Bad Place”. The second season follows a nice arc that sees the characters develop and grow, and leaves things off in an exciting place for the upcoming third season.
Overall, I enjoyed the second season nearly as much as the first, and it was great to be able to binge the entire season again via this DVD release. On NBC, episodes of The Good Place run 21 minutes and 30 seconds. However this DVD release contains extended cuts that add up to 3 minutes of content to each episode! This additional footage is blended seamlessly into each episode, so it is like watching the show again for the first time. In addition to the extended cuts, the DVD also includes a hilarious 7-minute gag reel, a short visual effects comparison, and a fun audio commentary on the Groundhog Day-like third episode of the season.
While I wish that shows aired in HD would get Blu-ray releases, Shout! Factory’s DVD release still looks and sounds quite nice. The picture isn’t quite as sharp as the original HD airings on NBC, but the quality is more than sufficient, and any imperfections are not distracting. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and also makes nice use of the surround and stereo channels to add dimension to what’s happening on screen, providing a more immersive experience for the viewer. I found this particularly noticable in some of the episodes in the latter half of the season. The two DVD discs come packed in a multi-disc DVD keepcase without a slipcover. The inner lining of the DVD cover insert provides episode and bonus material information.
What’s Included:
Episodes: (4:42:56)
- All 13 Extended Episodes of the Second Season:
Disc 1: “Everything Is Great!” (42:41), “Dance Dance Resolution” (24:16), “Team Cockroach” (23:55), “Existential Crisis” (25:23), “The Trolley Problem” (24:39), “Janet and Michael” (23:17)
Disc 2: “Derek” (23:43), “Leap to Faith” (23:59), “Best Self” (24:48), “Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent” (22:47), “The Burrito” (23:28), “Somewhere Else” (24:20) - 480p / Widescreen 1.78:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: None
- Closed Captioned
Extras:
- Audio Commentary (24:16)
Series creator Michael Schur, producer/director Drew Goddard, writer Megan Amram, and star Ted Danson (“Michael”) provide a fun and informative audio commentary for episode 3, “Dance Dance Resolution”. They share some behind-the-scenes stories, talk about shooting all of the rapid-fire crazy scenarios and some of the alternate ones they considered, Janet’s ever-changing outfits, some of the episode’s deleted scenes, the use of visual effects, and more. - Gag Reel (7:15)
Mindy St. Claire of “The Medium Place” introduces this fun gag reel where the cast flub/forget their lines, crack up, and curse (a lot). Plus, there’s a music montage of the cast having fun on set. - Visual Effects Reel (:58)
A quick look at some of the season’s scenes with and without the visual effects. Sequences include “Let There Be Dragons”, “Abracadabra Room”, “Now Reappear”, “Kink in the Neck”, “Next Stop”, and “Balloon From Above.”
Final Thoughts:
The Good Place season two is just as hilarious and entertaining as the first season. The writers continue to fill each episode with laugh-out-loud moments and multiple layers of comedy, which makes this show great for repeat viewings. There are lots of creative twists and turns, and the second season provides a nice arc for both the characters and the overall story. The DVD looks and sounds great and contains a nice selection of bonus material—extended episodes, an audio commentary, a gag reel and a VFX demonstration. This release comes highly recommended for any fan of the series. Those who havn’t seen the series should start with the first season.
