Season 4 Episode 13: Whenever You're Ready

[enemyofperfect]

I can hardly believe it, but the final episode of The Good Place airs tonight, and I have a feeling it's going to be an emotional one, folks.

Here's one last episode reaction post for the road.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

My SO and I were both fine with how it ended. We didn't think it ranked among very memorable finales, but it had to end somehow and it made sense the way it went. But I was expecting a little more, some final twist, and that didn't happen. Instead it was more of a "tidying up and saying goodbye" sort of finale, with various people making a return or having little cameos, and us saying farewell one by one.

I did rather like that it was Tahani who, along with Janet, continued on the longest. It made sense in both the nature of her arc and in response to developments. She had reconciled with her family, whose attitude towards her had always made her build herself up in external ways, since no one else was giving her support. Once she had it, she could truly challenge herself in other ways, being the person who does instead of who receives. I feel like we never saw as much of her arc development until this final episode, compared to the way we did with others. Perhaps that's because it would have seemed too much like Eleanor's. Because we already had Eleanor largely in charge of running a self-improvement experience as an architect, so her doing so much longer term wouldn't have gone anywhere new.

By comparison, Tahani getting coffee for demons and forever working behind the scenes rather than as the party hostess was humbling herself in a way that revealed that personal growth. (And it seemed like she was taking some time to get certified, not a short internship at all). So I liked that resolution for her even if I still feel she was shortchanged throughout the season. It does make me think, though, that this end for her was always in mind which is why it wasn't hinted at earlier.

There were a few issues regarding how time works that stood out to me as a problem. For example, if Janet sees all of time together, does that mean she sees the future as well? Or can she only experience all of time once it becomes the past?

Secondly, how long IS a Jearimy Bearimy? Because the world that Michael ends up in sure doesn't look like the future (unless we consider junk mail as being eternal). Athens and Paris looking like our everyday ones was explained by it being recreated memories. (It had certainly seemed to me that they had filmed on location, so I was glad to hear that confirmed in the series special with Seth Myers). Yet all of this finale episode must surely have taken hundreds of years if not thousands.

I was amused by Jason being first and yet actually second, spending a considerable amount of time simply wandering around a forest! But if Janet sees all, why was this a surprise?

That Chidi would be second, and that he stayed longer for Eleanor, was a surprise mostly in that he had reached true certainty in his life! Of all decisions, one would have expected that to be the hardest. And yet Eleanor's letting him go also showed her own growth, and her overcoming the fear of being alone. I loved the Chidi calendar left for her. And it made sense that she'd want to tie up loose ends with Mindy and that it would be Michael's departure which would also make her ready to go. After Chidi, she had bonded most strongly with him and he with her.

It also made perfect sense that Michael would want to become human and experience his great plan from the reverse POV. He clearly had loved humans over time and it had been one experience always out of reach. It was special to see that of all of them, he was the one Janet had the hardest time letting go of. To some degree, Michael had been her creator, developing her potential just as he had developed the humans' as well as serving as a partner in crime.

I thought it was interesting that Jeff finally got a real frog just as Michael was off to become "a real boy."

That going back into the ocean seemed to mean becoming the good impulses living humans had in everyday life was a nice idea. That in the end, their journey towards greater perfection ended up as the seeds of goodness in the greater universe was a less rigid version of guardian angels and the angel on one's shoulder.

I think that it was Kristen Bell who said this in the post-show segment that the finale tied into the idea of life in general, where things end just a bit too soon. I definitely think there's something to that with shows and I think Good Place made the right decision to go through that door at this point. I really enjoyed the run but I think it had said what it needed to.

[enemyofperfect]

By comparison, Tahani getting coffee for demons and forever working behind the scenes rather than as the party hostess was humbling herself in a way that revealed that personal growth.

Yes! Like you, I would have liked to see her get more to do throughout the season, but at least we know that in the true Good Place, she really shines.

Chidi's calendar and Michael getting to be a human were great moments, too, I agree. And I hadn't thought of connecting Michael becoming human to Jeff getting a real frog, that's really interesting! It was also a very kind gesture for Michael to make as he was leaving the afterlife and embarking on humanity.