DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Good Place episode “Mondays, Am I Right?” contains more spoilers than the number of Chainsaw Bears wrecking havoc in the Bad Place. Hey, when butt spiders fail, Chainsaw Bears will do the trick. You’ve been warned. Proceed with caution.
Welcome back, messy benches! The Good Place returned this week and brought us one episode closer to the end. I don’t know about you, but I’m still in denial that The Good Place will take its final bow in a few weeks. Can we just get 1,000 more seasons, Powers That Be? Anyway, our Soul Squad teamed up with Bad Place architects to iron out the creases in the new tests for the afterlife. Michael and Vicky squared off once again. Chidi doubted Eleanor’s feelings for him, especially after discovering she dated a hot fireman. Jason taught Chidi a lesson, for once.
Alright, ready to delve into “Mondays, Am I Right?” This Chainsaw Bear’s got a bad case of the Mondays!
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Now, we open with a pair of Bad Place architects lamenting about the lack of humans to torture. Apparently, the Bad Place is like a desolate ghost town. Bad Janet (D’Arcy Carden) ushers the duo into a room for a meeting. We see Michael (Ted Danson), Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Jason (Manny Jacinto), Janet (Carden) and Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson) are waiting for them. Surprise!
Next, Shawn explains, with extreme reticence, that he’s teaming up with Michael to completely revamp the afterlife points system. The Bad Place architect duo, along with a few others, were chosen to create a series of tests that will determine whether one goes to the Bad Place or the Good Place. Of course, they all think Michael is a traitor. However, they hesitantly jump on the bandwagon since Shawn is in cahoots with Michael.
Then, Chidi, Eleanor and Jason begin riffling through files on just about everyone that exists. They need to determine the characteristics that would classify someone as a Good Place or Bad Place resident. Meanwhile, the Bad Place architects are perusing Tahani’s file so they can craft a tests specifically designed for her. You know, like a practice run of sorts.
Later, when Eleanor learns that their own files are open for reading, she urges Chidi to steer clear of hers. She fears that Chidi won’t look at her the same way after learning of her crazy mishaps on Earth. Then, she changes her mind and convinces Chidi to read them. Air out her closet once and then they can move on. It’s good to be honest, bud.
Meanwhile, the Bad Place architects are watching a video with our Soul Squad explaining what happens when a human passes or fails their test. One of two distinct sounds will ring out – obviously the upbeat one signifies their entry into the Good Place. Suddenly, we see Michael donning sunglasses and playing the keyboard while Janet belts out a song parody with ’80s flair. God, I’m gonna miss this show.
Next, Vicky (Tiya Sircar) makes her grand entrance…much to Michael’s chagrin. She wants in on the tests. Vicky wholeheartedly believes she could design a test that would blow Michael’s socks off. Michael reluctantly brings her on board. Meanwhile, Eleanor finds Chidi sitting by his lonesome. He reveals that he read her file…and he’s impressed. Chidi believes that he doesn’t deserve her. Eleanor has done so much with her life on Earth, while Chidi played it safe. He wonders aloud whether Eleanor would grow tired of him during their eternity together. Thankfully, Eleanor reassures Chidi that she’s attracted to him and will be for, well, forever. They’re so forking cute.
Next, we see Tahani standing in a simulator room of sorts. One of the architects is busy constructing a scenario specifically relating to Tahani. We see she’s at an opulent party when suddenly a bear with a chainsaw appears. Apparently, Chainsaw Bears are used quite frequently in the Bad Place. Michael urges her to rely on psychological testing rather than blatant scaring.
Then, Vicky pops in a gives Tahani a better test, one that involves her parents and her sister. We see her parents showering praises on Kamilah and stick their noses up at Tahani. Of course, we know that Tahani has always longed for her parents’ approval. After the test ends, Tahani congratulates Vicky on a test well done. Vicky urges her fellow Bad Place architects to focus more on the human’s inner feelings. “Like a penis-flattening for the heart.” However, Michael isn’t impressed and kicks Vicky off the project.
Meanwhile, Chidi confides his fears to Jason. Jason cites that opposites attract and they can make it work. Chidi inadvertently makes Jason doubt his own relationship with Janet, since they too are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Jason sulks off, leaving Chidi feeling doubly worse.
Later, Janet and Tahani confront Michael. They believe he was too hasty in firing Vicky. Michael reveals that he’s afraid he won’t be useful anymore if Vicky takes over. Vicky is quite good at the architect thing, and if she snags that from him he’ll be left with nothing.
Then, Chidi chases down Jason. As it turns out, Jason was just testing him. He’s confident in his relationship with Janet. Our boy from Jacksonville was able to elicit that confidence from Chidi, and urged the latter to apply it to his own situation. Jason Mendoza for the win!
Next, Michael tracks down Vicky and beseeches her to rejoin the project. However, there’s going to be a twist – to make it look more organic, Vicky is going to “steal” the job from Michael. Then, once Vicky is in charge, Michael will watch from the sidelines.
Now, Chidi and Eleanor reaffirm their horny-ness for each other for all eternity. All is right with the afterlife. Meanwhile, Vicky marches in and puts on the performance of her career – she outright snags the architect overseeing job from Michael. Michael, Tahani and Janet pretend to storm off. Unfortunately, Vicky didn’t get a chance to perform the rivaling gangs rumble from West Side Story with Michael. Drat.
Next, we flash forward approximately 1.28 Jeremy Bearimys later. We see the former neighborhood welcoming architects from both the Good Place and Bad Place with Vicky at the helm. Tests are underway, with a crowd of humans partaking in them. Our Soul Squad quartet reunites with Michael and Janet. We hear a Good Place ding, and they’re under the impression that some lucky soul passed their test. However…Michael reveals that the ding was for our quartet. Michael convinced the Judge to spare them the test since they worked so hard on perfecting the new tests. Score!
Then, our four humans aka Team Cockroach aka the Soul Squad board a golden air balloon that will take them to the actual, real Good Place. Michael, now jobless, decides to hop aboard to spice up his eternity. Janet joins them too. We see the air balloon rise up into the sky with a horde of humans waving at them from below. They fly off to their new forever home…in the Good Place.
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Now, I’m not so sure about that ending. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that our heroes are finally getting the afterlife treatment they deserve. However, it all feels…too easy. Especially since there are three episodes left. Regardless, I still loved this episode. Vicky was pitch perfect. I really dug Chidi and Eleanor’s scenes. Jason incessantly made me cackle. I just need to trust the Powers That Be that we’ll still see some sort of conflict in the final episodes.
Do you think there’s a catch to our protagonists making it into the Good Place? Or is it the real deal? Will Shawn stay in his lane or will he try to fork things up with Michael? Will there be endless cocktail shrimp awaiting Eleanor in the Good Place? Join me next week as I continue to recap The Good Place, here on Geek Girl Authority.
The Good Place airs Thursdays at 8:30pm on your NBC affiliate.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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