Season 1 Rewatch: 1x02 "Flying"

[sorchasilver]

Welcome to week 2 of our rewatch project. I'm posting this a little early as I'm very busy this week - unfortunately I won't get a chance to rewatch today but I'll catch up over the weekend. Thanks to everyone who joined in last week. Please watch the episode at a time of your choosing, then join the discussion in the comments.

Let's go flying!

Writer(s): Michael Schur (created by), Alan Yang
Director: Michael McDonald
Originally aired: September 19th, 2016

Synopsis:
Eleanor tries to prove to Chidi that she's worthy of his help; Tahani and Jianyu try to help Michael cope with a mysterious flaw in his neighborhood.

Memorable Quote:
Janet: Conjure an image that brings you pure joy. Some people think of their wedding day, or favorite vacation spot.
Eleanor: [concentrating hard] People puking on roller coasters... people puking on roller coasters...

Useful Links:
Episode Transcript
IMDb entry

Comments

[thatwasjustadream]

I find canon 'ships really annoying, generally, and I'm not nuts about any of them in TGP. I could be just as happy if they'd learned to care for and support each other as friends. But...that's me, and I get that it's being used as a tool to add conflict and drive the plot, etc....

I kind of assumed Gunnar and Antonio are together in the Bad Place - I don't think the reveal negates them being a couple. I think the shrink and marriage therapist duo also seem to be really a couple as well???? Also, when they showed the parade of some of Eleanor's 800+ soul mates appearing at her door (during Michael's re-trys) Tahani was one of them and was posing in the door jamb in a way that was very 'here I am, darling.' So...there's that. :)

I don't think Tahani's horrible, though her jealousy does make her act out in some mean ways - like throwing Eleanor under the bus so hard when Eleanor's secret was revealed. But for the most part, I felt like S1 her was mostly caring if a little self-absorbed.

[enemyofperfect]

Aww, it hadn't even occurred to me that the demons themselves could be together! That's a surprisingly endearing thought.

[kindkit]

What made me happy about Gunnar and Antonio wasn't just seeing a queer couple onscreen, although that's always welcome, but specifically the fact that there was a queer couple in the Good Place. The show seemed to be making a point of saying "LGBT people are good enough to get into heaven, too." And then it turned out not to be heaven, and the good queer couple turned out to be demons, and I've been uncomfortable about that ever since. All the more so given the lack of a canonical same-sex relationship among any of the sympathetic characters. (The bit with Tahani as Eleanor's soulmate was great as far as it went, but it's only one tiny moment in one iteration of these characters out of hundreds.) I don't mean "OMG THE SHOW IS HOMOPHOBIC," but I'd like to see it do better.