So much of the world of THE GOOD PLACE is surrounded by this idea of soulmates. It’s often used as a gag or just a way to conveniently pair off the side characters, but in “Category 55 Emergency Doomsday,” we get to see into this idea of soulmates from none other than our very own Chidi, who has been so often dealt the short end of the stick, especially in the soulmate department. Since Eleanor is our lead, much of the time Chidi just plays second to her, but it’s nice to see how this would affect him. This episode does a great job of evening out their relationship.
Of course, all of this relationship work is happening while the sinkhole in the town continues to grow. It’s almost a bottle episode, as all the residents of the good place are encouraged to stay inside, but that really only holds true for Chidi and Eleanor. After getting into essentially their first real big fight, they can’t leave the weird Icelandic cottage, and furthermore, Michael sends another couple in to keep them company. This couple happens to be a marriage counselor and a body language specialist. So it’s going to be fun.
THE GOOD PLACE — “Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis” Episode 109 — Pictured: (l-r) Kristen Bell as Eleanor, William Jackson Harper as Chidi, John Hartmann as Bart, Monnae Michaell as Nina — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
When Chidi and Eleanor really go at it, it’s not only a chance for the other couple to see how messed up they are, but also the first glimpse of anything resembling sexual tension between the two. They are in a big fight, and it seems to be one of those moments where the arguing gets so heated that they start making out. Eleanor, in typical Eleanor fashion, asks if it is one of those very moments, and then concedes to making out with him. Of course, Chidi was pointing out something completely different, that the other couple was watching them, but the point still stands. Was that just a throwaway joke or is Eleanor just a little attracted to Chidi? So far, The Good Place seems so thought out that it wouldn’t just be a line for laughs, but for the first few episodes, there was barely a glimpse of that tension. It will be interesting to see where this storyline goes, as Michael Schur has a history with creating slow-burn romances.
During all this, we get to see a glimpse into Tahani’s life, as she discovers the ranking system for The Good Place. To her dismay, she is second to last of everyone else in there. This prompts a series of flashbacks into Tahani’s life, where she was always chosen second to her sister. It’s surprising that just in the course of five episode, Tahani has gone from comically obnoxious to one of the most sympathetic characters on the show. We feel for her as she tries to prove to Michael that she’s great by poorly attempting to fix the sinkhole, or when she keeps being bested my her sister, “the person most likely to be Banksy.” Jameela Jamil’s continues to stun with her comedic delivery, and has now added a layer of emotional depth to Tahani.
THE GOOD PLACE — “Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis” Episode 109 — Pictured: (l-r) Rebecca Hazlewood as Kamilah, Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Speaking of emotional depth, Eleanor and Chidi both are getting some, where they are essentially forced to have an impromptu couples counseling session. After a lot of prodding from literally everyone else in the room, Chidi finally reveals that he never really found love while he was alive, and he was so excited to get a soulmate in The Good Place, but now he’s just stuck. Of course, both Eleanor and the audience know that she’s not even his real soulmate (do we know that, though?) and of course, this would be a bummer to anyone.
Eleanor decides to take action from Chidi’s sadness, and be – dare I say it – a good person about the whole situation. She takes him to a fantasy he described, a lake with wine and a boat and French poetry, where he can get away from her whenever he likes. It’s a very sweet gesture, so sweet that her and Chidi’s friendship is back on good terms, and so sweet that it single-handedly repairs the giant sinkhole in town.
THE GOOD PLACE — “Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis” Episode 109 — Pictured: (l-r) William Jackson Harper as Chidi, Kristen Bell as Eleanor — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Michael and the always fantastic Janet have no idea what actually repaired the sinkhole, and that puts Michael into investigative mode. He tells Eleanor that they will do everything they can to get to the bottom of this mystery. It’s an ominous ending to a lovely episode, and it’s worth wondering how much Eleanor will stay a good person, when faced with constantly having to lie. Either way, the most exciting part about all of this is anticipating Tahani’s reaction when she find out about Eleanor.
Season 1, Episode 5 (S01E05)
The Good Place airs Thursdays at 8:30PM on NBC
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Raina spends most of her time watching television and trying to find the perfect bagel and lox, because she likes being emotionally distraught.
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Raina Deerwater | Contributor
