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Post by Incandescence 112 on Oct 11, 2019 13:24:03 GMT -8
The show's well of philosophy, like most everything else, seems to have run dry. There's just not enough grounding in the story to make the Kant references interesting (even if I still retained memory of all the Kantian lectures I sat through in college). I still get a few laughs, but yeah, they're mostly from Jason (his "revelation" to Chidi that he's not a monk was great). And what exactly is Tahani's purpose this season? Yeah, Jason has become the funniest of the bunch. Which is odd-I always thought he was by far the least interesting part of Team Cockroach. |
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Nov 10, 2019 17:52:55 GMT -8
Well, I'm forced to concur with Jeremy (pretty much business as usual then). I am shockingly bored with this series now, and finishing it feels more like an obligation than anything else. It's not just that the jokes have been less funny, although that's definitely true. It's the constant wheel-spinning, lack of focus, and the endless resets that have erased any real development for the core four. It's a shame. Maybe something interesting will happen now that the experiment is over, but it shouldn't take 7 episodes into a 14 episode season for that to occur.
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Post by Jeremy on Nov 10, 2019 19:50:37 GMT -8
I did like the ending to the latest episode - not merely for the callback to the S1 finale, but for the promise that the season was at last changing direction.
The problem with the season thus far (apart from the fact that it's moving slowly and recycling some of the same ideas the show used earlier) is that too much of the dramatic weight is placed on the "new" core four, who aren't nearly as interesting as the original in Season One (especially since we know they're being conned this time). Chidi is brainwashed and set back to square one; Simone is now obnoxious for some reason; John and Brent are cartoon stereotypes. None of them are interesting to watch, especially when we know how their little escapade is going to turn out.
Maybe the back half of the season fixes things. Hope we get a lot more of the Bad Place folks; they've been the most entertaining part of the season thus far.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Nov 17, 2019 11:11:46 GMT -8
I really enjoyed episode 8 of Season 4-and not just for the acknowledgement of the near-perfection of Justified Season 2. I think Sepinwall was correct in his assessment of it in that the new characters are hurting the season rather than helping it-so this episode is free to focus on its own story with the characters we care about. The jokes were hilarious in this one too-especially Shawn and Jason, who have been great all season.
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Post by Jeremy on Nov 17, 2019 12:13:11 GMT -8
Yeah, that was the show's best episode in a while. Maya Rudolph helped, as she usually does.
Hopefully we're done with the wheel-spinning now and can build to a good climax.
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Post by ThirdMan on Nov 17, 2019 14:57:15 GMT -8
Little do you guys realize that the next episode will just be the cast playing a giant game of marbles with all the Janices.
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Post by Jeremy on Nov 17, 2019 16:36:00 GMT -8
According to the Good Place rulebook, misstating Janet's name is -380 points. Sorry, J.C.
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Post by ThirdMan on Nov 17, 2019 19:27:32 GMT -8
Fair enough, Jerome.  |
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Quiara
Grade School
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Post by Quiara on Nov 23, 2019 12:54:37 GMT -8
I really enjoyed episode 8 of Season 4-and not just for the acknowledgement of the near-perfection of Justified Season 2. I think Sepinwall was correct in his assessment of it in that the new characters are hurting the season rather than helping it-so this episode is free to focus on its own story with the characters we care about. The jokes were hilarious in this one too-especially Shawn and Jason, who have been great all season. Funny, I really hated that the episode was a total love-fest. Open question: Is Maya Rudolph's plan to reboot the universe a dig at cancel culture? It's obviously a dig at incessant franchise rebooting, but clearly the show wouldn't be wasting her on Ally McBeal jokes (that Futurama did better 15 years ago) unless they were making a point. Or the show has just fallen off a cliff and they don't care about the B-plot anymore. |
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Nov 23, 2019 15:21:27 GMT -8
I really enjoyed episode 8 of Season 4-and not just for the acknowledgement of the near-perfection of Justified Season 2. I think Sepinwall was correct in his assessment of it in that the new characters are hurting the season rather than helping it-so this episode is free to focus on its own story with the characters we care about. The jokes were hilarious in this one too-especially Shawn and Jason, who have been great all season. Funny, I really hated that the episode was a total love-fest. Open question: Is Maya Rudolph's plan to reboot the universe a dig at cancel culture? It's obviously a dig at incessant franchise rebooting, but clearly the show wouldn't be wasting her on Ally McBeal jokes (that Futurama did better 15 years ago) unless they were making a point. Or the show has just fallen off a cliff and they don't care about the B-plot anymore. I may have been over-reacting a tad. It might just be the shocking mediocrity of the rest of the season that's making me more partial to this recent tun (I do think Episode 9 was genuinely good though). I too pretty much dislike how Michael Schur shows start out warm and fuzzy, and eventually devolve into a gooey, saccharine mess-I still don't care about Eleanor and Chidi at all. Brooklyn 99 hasn't though, despite a really inconsistent sixth season-Jake and Amy don't even seem like a couple at times. If that means we avoid this, I'm ok with that. Speaking of which, 99 recently got renewed for an 8th season! If they can actually keep a really high quality through 8 pretty long seasons, that would be quite an accomplishment |
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Quiara
Grade School
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Post by Quiara on Nov 23, 2019 16:52:50 GMT -8
I think Jake and Amy do feel like a couple, but in a low-key realistic way. Just because the show doesn't go out of its way to let us know that the literal fate of the world hinges on them smooching, doesn't mean there isn't a love there. I think it's one of the genuine achievements of 99, having a will-they-won't-they that pays off and evolves in a naturalistic fashion despite the ridiculousness of the 99 universe.
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Quiara
Grade School
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Post by Quiara on Jan 31, 2020 8:38:31 GMT -8
Hey, whaddayaknow, the show nailed the ending, even if they kind of rushed getting there. Mike Schur is pretty good at ending his shows, so it's not a big surprise.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jan 31, 2020 11:05:55 GMT -8
So, that's it for The Good Place, huh? It was an enjoyable ride.
The finale is vaguely reminiscent of Parks and Recreation's finale, "One Last Ride." The main conflict is over (even though the resolution to TGP's central questions wasn't handled that well if you ask me), and this functions more as an epilogue than a narrative climax. "One Last Ride" was so sappy it was kind of hard for me to enjoy it. I'm happy that Schur opted for a more bittersweet conclusion. Michael's ending rang the most true for me. I maintain that his turn to the light side (of the force) was rushed as hell back in Season 2, but this is a satisfying end to his arc. Chidi and Eleanor I've never been that invested in as a couple, but I did get surprisingly emotional at their goodbye, which really reminded me of their friendship from Season 1. Tahani and Jason, I've never had that much to say about, and I thought their endings were fine. Overall, The Good Place was fun, creative, occasionally exhilarating, sometimes dull, but almost always worth watching.
Season 1: A-
Season 2: A
Season 3: B-
Season 4: C+
Series Overall: B+
Favorite episodes: "The Eternal Shriek", "...Someone Like Me as a Member", "Mindy St. Claire", "Michael's Gambit", "Dance Dance Resolution", "The Trolley Problem", "Best Self", "Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent", "The Burrito", "Somewhere Else", "The Worst Possible Use of Free Will", "Janet(s)", "Whenever You're Ready."
Now time to binge Bojack's final season as soon as possible.
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Post by ThirdMan on Jan 31, 2020 16:49:33 GMT -8
I thought it was a very touching finale. Of course, it also made me a little depressed, thinking about my own mortality. Whatever the show's faults as a whole, it was definitely more ambitious on a philosophical level than most half-hour comedies (and many hourlong dramas).
And thanks for reminding me about Bojack! Will watch the final stretch of episodes this weekend.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Feb 1, 2020 11:39:53 GMT -8
I thought it was a very touching finale. Of course, it also made me a little depressed, thinking about my own mortality. Whatever the show's faults as a whole, it was definitely more ambitious on a philosophical level than most half-hour comedies (and many hourlong dramas). And thanks for reminding me about Bojack! Will watch the final stretch of episodes this weekend. Just finished the series. Needless to say, it will not make you feel better. |
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