So I figured out why Ahsoka (my cat) was so loud. At 28 mins or so I caught sight of her playing with the catnip Christmas pudding she got for Christmas. Mystery solved. FUN FACT - you can see the exact moment she decided to fuck with me at 29:25 😂 you're welcome.
Gorgeous cat. And it delights me to see others interacting with their cats the way I do. The concern, the polite request, all building to, “What do you want?!” 😂😂😂😂😂
Great reaction and commentary as always. But really, i came here to comment that your cat is *gorgeous*! 😻 Whatever that little boo wants, you are required to give her, with much adoration and worship of her tiny, furry person.
Honestly, while yeah there’s a bit of laughing at reactors while they try to figure out season 1, I think the biggest reason most of us love watching reactions to this show is because it’s the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing the twists and turns for the first time all over again! We get to live vicariously through you!
With Tyler specifically, he’s so insightful that watching along with him but with my foreknowledge, I’m sure he’ll articulate themes that I totally missed the first time. His criticisms of the system have me so eager to hear his thoughts as we go through (hopefully!) all four seasons!
I can attest to this. A few years ago, I was doing some English tutoring, and I would assign the episodes of this show as homework to have my student practice listening and then also to fuel our discussions in class. It worked so well. For the season one finale, though, my student was too busy to watch the episode in between sessions, so we watched it together. It was SO cool to watch his face and see the gears turning in his mind as he was both trying to understand the English, but ALSO then wrap his mind around the plot. He was completely SHOCKED at the twist. Didn’t see it coming at all and was totally taken by surprise. It was amazing. Since then, I’ve probably watched a dozen reaction channels react to this. The weird thing is, I’ve tried watching their reactions to other shows and movies that I love and I just can’t get into it. No shade to reaction channels, but outside of the Good Place, it’s just not my thing. I think there is just something special about how brilliant this show is at keeping the audience on their toes AND how the philosophical questions posed in the show are so interesting to hear people’s different takes on. Damn, this is a good forking show!
Ted Danson and Kristen Bell were the only two members of the cast who knew going in what the season 1 twist was. There’s actually a video online that Kristen recorded of the show runner telling the actors for Chidi, Tahani, Jason, and Janet!
It's so weird but satisfying watching someone swing the theory hammer around blindly trying to hit the points and accidentally make a perfect shelving unit.
3:01 yes, absolutely. The first episode, right when he's about to tell Eleanor she's in the Good Place, you can see him change his face to bring up the fake smile, it's so obvious when you know it's there. If I remember right, only Eleanor and Michael's actors knew the twist in the script so Michael could act with layers- seeming good while acting as an evil demon. Amazing actor
Michael’s evilness is more obvious this episode, not only because we know to look for it, but also because he feels emboldened to make things even worse than the first attempt. But he takes it too far. It’s not nearly as carefully constructed in round two. He leans too hard into the torture and it backfires. It is fun to rewatch S1 with the new insight, but I actually recommend finishing the whole show and then rewatching. You’ll catch SOOO much
That feeling of being betrayed is so familiar. 😂 I genuinely loved Michael and hated "losing" him, so to speak. I think my biggest it's-obvious-on-rewatch moment isn't one of the most obvious ones, like him kicking the puppy or telling Chidi his manuscript was awful, but the moment where they're meant to build a case for Eleanor to stay in the Good Place. He emphasises how important what they're doing is, then keeps asking Chidi to make decisions between things and finally asks, "do you want to use a dry-erase board, or the regular pen and paper? Just pick." With hindsight, there's a hint of a teasing smile and you *can see* the glee behind his eyes. I love it so much.
I think one thing to remember, with the demons' willingness to go along with Michael's "inefficiency", is that they're all eternal beings who have always known that they have eternity. Time isn't a factor. It's not shocking that some of them might get bored enough to want to try something different.
Oh yeah, so apparently after the season 1 finale and this episode aired people were going to libraries, finding copies of What We Owe To Each Other and writing on the first page “Eleanor - Find Chidi”
It's truly delightful to witness a reaction where the reactor not only observes but also articulates their thoughts aloud. While others might simply comment on how the show has evolved, you take it a step further. The theorycrafting, going into detail, having actual discussion about specific elements of the show, thats why I stuck around for all these episodes, all will continue to watch. Great stuff Tyler.
I'm so happy to see his channel growing because it means people want what he's giving. I watch a lot of reaction channels and this one is easily in my top 5, possibly top 3.
The writers room had a policy that they should always get to the next beat ahead of schedule. Don't spin your wheels, get to the next point. It works so well.
That is *perfect*. It encapsulates what Mike Schur was going for: explore a concept to its conclusion vs milk a cash cow for a paycheck. It's definitely how this show covered so much ground in only 4 seasons.
i love the first few episodes of S2 spesifically because it's just one broken expectation after another. Starting with "oh ok, this season is going to be the second attempt, but we know what's up now" and then just "nope, here's attempt 3" Sidenote, so glad to see you got through season 1 unspoiled. Good job commenters
I think assuming this is more work because it's so specific is incorrect. The Bad Place torture we've heard described has been a mixture of specific mental and general standard pain torture, but it's always required active participation by the demons. The fake Good Place isn't any more work; it's just about trying be less involved in the direct torture so they can watch and have more fun.
Rewatching along with you is so fun! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who figured out the bad place twist early, yet there are so many clues on the rewatch. It’s definitely one of those “once you see it you can’t unsee it” things. It’s better on the second viewing, with extra layers to the performances and the plot holes explained. A lot of the misdirect relies on our preconceptions about sitcoms and the kinds of stories they tell, and our willingness to overlook what looks like bad writing. That and Ted Danson’s charisma and subtle acting. Don’t feel bad for getting taken in, Ted is just that charming.
Also, there’s an official podcast called The Good Place: The Podcast hosted by the actor who plays Sean, and each episode covers one episode of the show. He always has a guest or guests that worked on the show, from the creator to actors to behind the scenes people! The podcast started airing between seasons 2 and 3, so if you’re a podcast person you could started listening to that once you finish this season. I don’t remember if the season 1 episodes make any references to events in season 2.
Michael kicked a dog into the sun in the second episode, and I went along with it! Also I interpret his facial expressions in a few key moments differently on a repeat watch. What I do adore is that in spite of the first season's ending twist completely upending what we thought was happening, the core message of the show remains the same.
In season 1 there are looks and phrases from Michael. Like how he tells Tahani she has nothing more to prove. Or him taking a beat and then sly smile before telljng Eleanor shes kn the good place. Or when he looks at the crowd and says you all deserve to be here.
"I see you all, schmucks! Watching me bumbling!" Omg i love you so much! (Platonic ***) 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 "How beautiful it is that she wrote 'Find Chidi'." Yessss!! Yes, two words and it just says so much about the entire story so far. Elanor's independence melting down into so much trust in Chidi's ability, even knowing all his flaws. GAH! Lovely. So lovely. 29:25 KITTY!!!!!! You're such a thoughtful commentator. on the story AND the storytelling. 14/10, good sir. KITTY!!! KITTY!!! KITTTYYYYY!!!
That's what makes this show so great, it doesn't drag on it keeps it moving and fun! The faces you made in this reaction are so much fun, cant wait to watch more
You talked about how the writer must have known they had something brilliant here from the start, which reminded me of some behind the scenes details. The creator of this show, Michael Schur, had done two previous highly successful shows (co-creator of Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn 99), so NBC came to him and basically said "we'd like you to create another show, whatever you want, we've already greenlit it". On the one hand, this is every writer's dream come true, on the other he felt a ton of pressure - in one direction, out of gratitude to NBC for giving him this chance, he felt obligated to make a successful show. And in another direction, as a stand-in for every writer who'd ever wished they could have this much freedom, he felt obligated to do something really out there. So, it's not just that he knew from the start that he had something brilliant, it's that he knew before he started that he *had to* make something brilliant.
Your genuine sense of betrayal is so much fun to watch. I’m so sorry. I feel you. We all went through it. Michael hurt us all! But it’s still hilarious to watch you take the journey. You so NEARLY figured out Season 1. Your insight took you way further than most. The only person I know who came that close was my dad. He watched season 1 with me and said, “Back in college I wrote a story about a group of people who thought they were in heaven, and you slowly learn they’re actually in hell.” And I was sitting there like ….👀 “Huh! Sounds… sounds like a cool story! Would love to read it!” Then the reveal happened and my dad said, “Son of a gun.” He said, “Ted [Danson] fooled me.” It is brilliantly designed. Has anyone told you there’s a clip of the cast finding out the twist? Only Bell and Danson knew from the start.
Actually, you were more on track than I ever was, at one point I actually thougt you were about to figure ut out 😅. Love your reactions and insights, I don't think you'll be disappointed with were they go with this and the themes they'll touch on!
The rewatch is wiiiild. Also, when you get a second, watch the cast reacting to the first read through of the reveal. Tahani, chidi, Jason, and Janet actors all didn't know until then. Their reactions are amazing
I know that you’re under the impression that Michael hates humans which tbf he was talking mad shit about humans this episode but I personally interpreted all that Michael said in season one about being interested in humans and wanting to live with them to be completely true. I mean think about it, the flashbacks to the bad place when Michael was proposing the plan (under the guise that he was a good place architect) he says that he wants to be with the humans to see how “fun” it is. Like you said before, what the demons were doing before was fine and I personally think only someone who was genuinely fascinated with humans and how they interact would conceptualize this form of torture.
I really enjoy your reactions and had such anticipation for you seeing the reveal for this show. Your reaction was everything I could have hoped for. Reminded me of my own reaction so much!
I absolutely love the twist in S1E13, dont get me wrong. But I think the way the S2 premiere not only subverts but absolutely destroys our expectations for the season is a even more shocking surprise. We thought we were going to get a season one redux with a fresh perspective. Instead they blew through a dozen episodes worth of potential plot and flipped the premise upside down, leading us all to wonder how on Earth they were going to continue blowing our minds for another three seasons. It's absolutely brilliant!
It's such a joy to watch you react to this series and work out theories with yourself ❤ Especially now that you've passed the season 1 finale and have a better idea of what you're in for overall. Love it love it love it - you're doing fantastic, in some ways better than you know with some of your conjectures. Hats off as always to Mike Schur for creating a series like this which gets us all to spend so much time with these concepts of morality, ethics, and our innate ability (or lack thereof) to improve, many of which many of us are taught as children and then told never to question or explore again.
it is genuinely so wild to see how good you are at bringing up things that will fully get explored a little bit later. i’d love to see you write like a checklist of things you want to see/think will get explored and start checking them off as they happen! if i didn’t know any better i’d think you’d been in the writers room!
27:15 - "Chidi is going to accidentally kill your cat." - Hey! A nod to a story line from The Office, which Michael Schur worked on (and he played Dwight's cousin Mos on that show).
Great reaction. Always fun to watch reactions to this show and remember what a brilliant, unique comedy it is. What other sitcoms tell a single, continuous story about morality & the human condition with so many WTF cliffhangers (something typically associated only with dramas). Also, you have a beautiful black kitty!
The show does this a lot. It chooses the difficult unpredictable route instead of most shows would do. Some people have mixed reactions on that, i personally love the progression of it, but im really curious about what you will think
The thing about this show is that it still would have been entertaining if they had gone the expected route of dragging out the reboot as long as possible. What makes this show better than entertaining is that they don't care about our expectations: they wait for us to catch up their game.
In season one, only the actors playing Eleanor and Michael were aware of the twist. There's a video online of the other actors getting the reveal at the table read for episode 13.
It's very interesting listening to your thoughts on episodes, whilst knowing the things that you don't know. The show was created as a four season story, so it's hard to respond to many of your thoughts without referencing things yet to come. But I definitely enjoy hearing your thoughts!
This show's pacing is fantastic. It has no problem speeding through the more predictable plot to get to the juicier and more ambitious stuff they're planning ahead for.
Trivia time (sort of)! Amy Okuda plays one of the demons, Jessica. She's got plenty of other credits to her name, but I will always think of her in the Felicia Day series The Guild as Tinkerballa. "The guy playing Michael" is legendary sitcom actor Ted Danson, and I'm so glad you noticed his layered performance. I feel like this show really revitalized his career and allowed him to shine. (Sorry if I've said this before and/or you know all about Ted Danson and just couldn't bring his name to mind. There's literally nothing wrong with how you referred to him, btw, I just thought it was funny.) I might need to rewatch the series now, because there are a lot of plot points I don't remember anymore. Thanks for the lengthy commentary, I wish they could all be an hour! Speaking of which, at some point the episodes go from half an hour to a full hour. I was shocked at how quickly they were moving through plot that could have easily been stretched out the entire season, as you said. I found it really refreshing. The not-knowing is sort of intriguing, and not frustrating. This was a fantastic reaction and I just can't wait to see you watch the rest unfold. Speaking of folding, you should consider reacting to Schitt's Creek. It has surprising depth to it. Your cat is so precious and the analysis they added to this video was priceless! I love black cats. 10/10 cat.
I think the best thing about rewarches i realizing that you never see Michael around the other residents. Like, of course theye our main characters, but also you would think there'd be a few moments of him actually engaging with the others outside of the core four
I honestly think that this show is helpful to rewatch more than once. It changes when you KNOW. Its so good on rewatch. (HIGHLY recommended even if its just by yourself) I think you must have watched the next episodes at this point. Janet is ride or die.
This is such a good show and I'm surprised as to how onto it you are in this video, you literally get the whole point of the show, yes Michael is an immortal being who got bored and wanted to try something new but he ends up torturing himself because his plan never works, it's like Eleanor said in season one, he picked 4 people he thought would torture each other for years, but they only ended up torturing each other for six months because while humans may torture each other they also help and improve one another they get better overtime because nobody is inherently good or bad we have both good and bad inside of us and we have the potential to grow and change which is something Michael will never understand, so he keeps doing it over and over again, ending up torturing himself because he can't figure it out and until he does his plan is never gonna work because the whole point is that humans can improve and will improve if given the right environment, so there are a lot of things that Michael just doesn't take into account or understand about humanity and until he does he will constantly be torturing himself trying to figure it out since he doesn't understand that like Eleanor said people may torture each other for awhile but they will also help and improve on another cause that's what humans do we help each other get better.sorry for the slight spoiler again you were just onto it and I was so impressed by how you were able to just put that together so easily but it makes sense.
I’d recommend rewatching your reaction to episode 1 - they actually spell out the entire twist. After the party Eleanor ruins, when her and Chico are telling each other about themselves, Eleanor describes her parents as dirt bags who tortured each other. You’re in for a wild ride, this show constantly surprised me on my first watch
Only actors who knew the premise of season 1 were Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Others found out at the table read for season finale. John Krasinski also knew even though he wasnt part of the show, because Ted Danson told him by accident :D
I think this is one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. The writers also had the nerve to make decisions like this instead of trying to draw things out. It’s really fantastic.
Not a spoiler: we're never shown the butthole spiders, so we never learn if they're spiders that enter buttholes, or if they're spiders composed of buttholes, or both.
Loving your insights on this, and yes, you can trust the writers. I think Michael is fascinated by humans, even if it's as a torturer, and his Good Place experiment is, for him, a chance to study them closely. His little asides to Eleanor in S1 show he's quite the student of human nature.
You're hitting on so many themes from later in the show, but off on a few of them. Not going to spoil it, but I'm excited for the future moral conversations
I said it last season, and it bears repeating.. you are really going to like where this series goes. This time... with a little more context now, you are in for a wild ride that will reach a fully satisfying conclusion. On re-watch you do see a few expressions from Michael that reveal his true motivations. There are lots of little things you pick up and/or appreciate far more on re-watch. I always thought Tahani was out of place, though her motivations were for different reasons, her constant name dropping and need for validation even if she was a generally nice person, just didn't seem like the qualities that would get her into the good place. Gotta say.. your investment in the first season just made the payoff that much sweeter! (not in a gotchya kinda way) Your cat is gorgeous btw and always welcome to co-host!
I really enjoy your insightful takes on this show. You throw a lot of interesting theories on the board and extrapolate with flair. I like other people to react to this show because it's a thoughtful person's show and I think it's impactful. Though season 1 finale reactions are a bonus 😂
I loved your assumptions about how things would go here. Very understandable. But get used to being surprised. This is a brilliant episode. But wait for next episode! Level. Up. Again. 😄
Late to the party, but if you haven't already, even just for yourself, you have to rewatch the whole of the first season again because man the breadcrumbs!! Right from the first episode they are there and are so obvious and yet that twist still gets you that first time. Right back in ep1 Eleanor says something about where her parents might be and what they must be doing which literally spells out the whole purpose of season 1.
Yes, on a rewatch, you'll see the bad place everywhere :) I highly recommend it at some point. I loved watching this. I usually find this pair of episodes a little slow, but you made it fun :) I can't wait for what is coming!
Yea this show is great at keeping ya on your toes, you think they are gonna fall into a cliche thing, and they pull the rug and reset episode 1. Excited, 1x13 is the best, but 2x2 is the funniest imo. PS, Shaun really is the best.
I think you HAVE to review highlights of the show and your own analyses from Season 1 *and* come back at the end and revisit the things you said here. That's all I think I can say about this 🙊; but perhaps from having binged all of your S1 vids over the past few days it’s so interesting what you say and ideas or situations that come up later on.
I think you can absolutely see the bad Michael. The way he treats Chidi’s dissertation, the way, as Eleanor said, he was constantly doing things to make them miserable. At the time, we put it down to him not really understanding what he was doing, or occasionally sit-com tropes (things that in reality wouldn’t happen, but we accept because it’s a sit com) Real Eleanor (Vicky) is another example. In reality, she was too perfect, and in retrospect we can look at it and say “no actual human behaves like that”, but at the time, we just went with it
*Spoiler* What’s crazy watching this back is the scene where Chidi panics cause he put almond milk in his coffee. It seems silly to us now but we learn later that he’s right. The system is broken and a choice as simple as almond milk can obliterate your ranking since the system takes into account the most ridiculous shit like almond farming being bad for the environment, and using too much water, but also that using almond milk means you aren’t supporting the dairy industry so you hurting those farmers livelihoods.
You'ie watching this series Correctly. I wish I had articulated my thoughts while watching this myself and recorded them like you're doing. You're gonna be happy you took the time, I believe. It's so hard to remember what things were like before you knew what you know now.
.. Does this person know that we are talking about immortal beings, who also pretty much can get anything they want.. They ARE doing what they love, they aren't trying to reduce construction cost or anything like that by making these people torture themselves; They ~want~ to do this.. So.. Why change it is probably a good question, but there are so many potential answers to that question.. (To feel superior BECAUSE these people don't even know they are being tortured they are just living a non-fullfilled existence, or just to avoid monotony or to see if they can find a way that somehow increases the pain).. but.. to reduce staff seriously can't be something they even care about.. They don't get paid, and don't need to.
Hey, loving these reactions. Did u watch Westworld before? I believe it would be fantastic to see your reactions and commentary on Westworld, especially after listening ur comments on humanity in this whole Good Place journey.
If this were a movie, a drama or a horror movie, say, it could end the way season one did (without Eleanor leaving a message for herself), and that would have worked too, which is interesting.
Something that might help put into context Tahani and Chidi's moral status is a thing that bothered me from the first episode. We are told that all these people are good people, the best, they devoted their lives to helping people, and that everyone they have ever helped, whose lives they improved, will now spend eternity being tortured. Nobody cares. The truth changes how that seems though. Tahani doesn't care about the people she raised money for, and being told that they will be tortured forever in death doesn't bother her. What matters is that she is part of the elite group, one of the best. Chidi doesn't ask whether his ethics actually improved anyone's existance, he's just excited to be told that he's right.
You should possibly check out No Exit, by the Philosopher Jean Paul Sartre. It's inspiration for the show. Three people go to hell and get put in a room together. They just make each other miserable, but are too spiteful to leave each other alone, and too codependent to leave when given the opportunity.
Something I've not heard you say, but many others about Tahani, is how she raised billions of dollars for chairity. And therefore she should be in the good place. But her enviroment and she herself were very wealthy. It raises the question of who is more giving. The person that have 10000 dollar, and gives 2000 away. Or the person that have 100 and gives 20?
I did mention this in my S1E1 reaction. There's a statistic on that initial green board that says the lady gave away a certain percentage of her entire wealth during life and I bring up that this depends on circumstance. For example, if I knew I was never going to want for money my entire life I would also feel safe in giving away a great deal of the money I have at my disposal/earn. And that's simply not fair compared to those who WOULD give away that percentage if only they had the means, but don't because they don't have those means. Tahani falls under that first category. I've talked a decent bit about Tahani and her circumstances at various points. I don't mention it so much after the reveal because it's been made a bigger deal in the show that intent seems to matter more than what you actually achieve, which was why previously I picked at Chidi being penalised even though his intent was pure. But that's why I haven't so much brought up the money Tahani raised. I think the show establishes more effectively that intent is a big sway for where you end up, and after Michael having mentioned Tahani's intent and Tahani accepting that at face value, that to me was enough for me not to question it so much. Edit - I personally come down on the side of the person who comes from more meagre means and still gives away money regularly should earn more Good Place currency than someone who gives away a million but will never want for money. I think the wealthy person should still be given kudos but it has less impact to me because of the different circumstances. If a millionaire gave away 75-90% of their wealth before they died I think then they're on par (almost) for deserving full Good Place points. At the same time a millionaire/billionaire is likely to have revenue streams that are constantly topping this reserve of money up and makes philanthropy a safer endeavour. Which should be taken into account.
@@TylerAlexander I missed that. I really did expect you to land on this side of the argument. It's just so few that mention that the amount really doesn't matter. Jason say in episode 13 'Didn't you raise like thousands of dollars for charity', but in my opinion: if he'd given thousands, it would mean more than Tahanis billions. For him thousands of dollars seem as impossible as billions.
Bruh, he kicked a dog INTO THE SUN, the show could’ve swore it was heaven until the end and I would’ve never believed it. No heaven allows kicking animals into the sun. Nope.
Does this commenter have adhd. Because I think it's relatively rare to find someone who forgets the end of their sentence when they're half way through, and they are completely neurotyp
@@TylerAlexander so tell me, um this video where is the "mix"? Again 90% of the video is you saying random things. Please dont lie, if you wanna do a podcast then do it, bit dont lie to you audience
@@coisasm3029 because it's not just a podcast 🙄 do you...understand what the word 'mix' means? My channel description denotes my 'channel' in general, not 'each individual video'. Go watch them all if you want an accurate reading of my channel description. Do you ever think before you comment or do you just vomit brain rot? Also if you think the things I say are 'random' and not inspired by the episode, this demonstrates more about you than it does about me 😬😂 I thought you said bye, why are you still here?
So I figured out why Ahsoka (my cat) was so loud. At 28 mins or so I caught sight of her playing with the catnip Christmas pudding she got for Christmas. Mystery solved. FUN FACT - you can see the exact moment she decided to fuck with me at 29:25 😂 you're welcome.
Cat content is always good content.
Gorgeous cat. And it delights me to see others interacting with their cats the way I do. The concern, the polite request, all building to, “What do you want?!” 😂😂😂😂😂
XD Thanks for the add - I was curious!
She's SO cute
Great reaction and commentary as always. But really, i came here to comment that your cat is *gorgeous*! 😻 Whatever that little boo wants, you are required to give her, with much adoration and worship of her tiny, furry person.
Honestly, while yeah there’s a bit of laughing at reactors while they try to figure out season 1, I think the biggest reason most of us love watching reactions to this show is because it’s the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing the twists and turns for the first time all over again! We get to live vicariously through you!
Absolutely. I'd love to be able to watch from the start again.
With Tyler specifically, he’s so insightful that watching along with him but with my foreknowledge, I’m sure he’ll articulate themes that I totally missed the first time. His criticisms of the system have me so eager to hear his thoughts as we go through (hopefully!) all four seasons!
I can attest to this. A few years ago, I was doing some English tutoring, and I would assign the episodes of this show as homework to have my student practice listening and then also to fuel our discussions in class. It worked so well.
For the season one finale, though, my student was too busy to watch the episode in between sessions, so we watched it together. It was SO cool to watch his face and see the gears turning in his mind as he was both trying to understand the English, but ALSO then wrap his mind around the plot. He was completely SHOCKED at the twist. Didn’t see it coming at all and was totally taken by surprise. It was amazing.
Since then, I’ve probably watched a dozen reaction channels react to this. The weird thing is, I’ve tried watching their reactions to other shows and movies that I love and I just can’t get into it. No shade to reaction channels, but outside of the Good Place, it’s just not my thing. I think there is just something special about how brilliant this show is at keeping the audience on their toes AND how the philosophical questions posed in the show are so interesting to hear people’s different takes on.
Damn, this is a good forking show!
Ted Danson and Kristen Bell were the only two members of the cast who knew going in what the season 1 twist was. There’s actually a video online that Kristen recorded of the show runner telling the actors for Chidi, Tahani, Jason, and Janet!
commenting so tyler can see it
I love that video! They’re all utterly gobsmacked
It's so weird but satisfying watching someone swing the theory hammer around blindly trying to hit the points and accidentally make a perfect shelving unit.
3:01 yes, absolutely. The first episode, right when he's about to tell Eleanor she's in the Good Place, you can see him change his face to bring up the fake smile, it's so obvious when you know it's there. If I remember right, only Eleanor and Michael's actors knew the twist in the script so Michael could act with layers- seeming good while acting as an evil demon. Amazing actor
Michael’s evilness is more obvious this episode, not only because we know to look for it, but also because he feels emboldened to make things even worse than the first attempt. But he takes it too far. It’s not nearly as carefully constructed in round two. He leans too hard into the torture and it backfires.
It is fun to rewatch S1 with the new insight, but I actually recommend finishing the whole show and then rewatching. You’ll catch SOOO much
That feeling of being betrayed is so familiar. 😂 I genuinely loved Michael and hated "losing" him, so to speak. I think my biggest it's-obvious-on-rewatch moment isn't one of the most obvious ones, like him kicking the puppy or telling Chidi his manuscript was awful, but the moment where they're meant to build a case for Eleanor to stay in the Good Place. He emphasises how important what they're doing is, then keeps asking Chidi to make decisions between things and finally asks, "do you want to use a dry-erase board, or the regular pen and paper? Just pick." With hindsight, there's a hint of a teasing smile and you *can see* the glee behind his eyes. I love it so much.
I think one thing to remember, with the demons' willingness to go along with Michael's "inefficiency", is that they're all eternal beings who have always known that they have eternity. Time isn't a factor. It's not shocking that some of them might get bored enough to want to try something different.
Oh yeah, so apparently after the season 1 finale and this episode aired people were going to libraries, finding copies of What We Owe To Each Other and writing on the first page “Eleanor - Find Chidi”
Thank you for that. That just made my day! 😂
Omg that's the best😂 I had no idea!
It's truly delightful to witness a reaction where the reactor not only observes but also articulates their thoughts aloud. While others might simply comment on how the show has evolved, you take it a step further. The theorycrafting, going into detail, having actual discussion about specific elements of the show, thats why I stuck around for all these episodes, all will continue to watch. Great stuff Tyler.
I'm so happy to see his channel growing because it means people want what he's giving. I watch a lot of reaction channels and this one is easily in my top 5, possibly top 3.
The writers room had a policy that they should always get to the next beat ahead of schedule. Don't spin your wheels, get to the next point. It works so well.
That is *perfect*. It encapsulates what Mike Schur was going for: explore a concept to its conclusion vs milk a cash cow for a paycheck.
It's definitely how this show covered so much ground in only 4 seasons.
i love the first few episodes of S2 spesifically because it's just one broken expectation after another. Starting with "oh ok, this season is going to be the second attempt, but we know what's up now" and then just "nope, here's attempt 3"
Sidenote, so glad to see you got through season 1 unspoiled. Good job commenters
"On a rewatch, can you see the bad?"
Well it certainly recontectualizes the puppy-kicking
I think assuming this is more work because it's so specific is incorrect. The Bad Place torture we've heard described has been a mixture of specific mental and general standard pain torture, but it's always required active participation by the demons. The fake Good Place isn't any more work; it's just about trying be less involved in the direct torture so they can watch and have more fun.
Rewatching along with you is so fun! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who figured out the bad place twist early, yet there are so many clues on the rewatch. It’s definitely one of those “once you see it you can’t unsee it” things. It’s better on the second viewing, with extra layers to the performances and the plot holes explained.
A lot of the misdirect relies on our preconceptions about sitcoms and the kinds of stories they tell, and our willingness to overlook what looks like bad writing. That and Ted Danson’s charisma and subtle acting. Don’t feel bad for getting taken in, Ted is just that charming.
Also, there’s an official podcast called The Good Place: The Podcast hosted by the actor who plays Sean, and each episode covers one episode of the show. He always has a guest or guests that worked on the show, from the creator to actors to behind the scenes people!
The podcast started airing between seasons 2 and 3, so if you’re a podcast person you could started listening to that once you finish this season. I don’t remember if the season 1 episodes make any references to events in season 2.
Michael kicked a dog into the sun in the second episode, and I went along with it! Also I interpret his facial expressions in a few key moments differently on a repeat watch. What I do adore is that in spite of the first season's ending twist completely upending what we thought was happening, the core message of the show remains the same.
In season 1 there are looks and phrases from Michael. Like how he tells Tahani she has nothing more to prove. Or him taking a beat and then sly smile before telljng Eleanor shes kn the good place. Or when he looks at the crowd and says you all deserve to be here.
You can see evil Michael in a season one rewatch. There are some expressions and weird smiles that make a lot of sense when you finally have context.
"I see you all, schmucks! Watching me bumbling!"
Omg i love you so much! (Platonic ***) 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
"How beautiful it is that she wrote 'Find Chidi'."
Yessss!! Yes, two words and it just says so much about the entire story so far. Elanor's independence melting down into so much trust in Chidi's ability, even knowing all his flaws. GAH! Lovely. So lovely.
29:25 KITTY!!!!!!
You're such a thoughtful commentator. on the story AND the storytelling. 14/10, good sir.
KITTY!!!
KITTY!!!
KITTTYYYYY!!!
That's what makes this show so great, it doesn't drag on it keeps it moving and fun!
The faces you made in this reaction are so much fun, cant wait to watch more
You talked about how the writer must have known they had something brilliant here from the start, which reminded me of some behind the scenes details. The creator of this show, Michael Schur, had done two previous highly successful shows (co-creator of Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn 99), so NBC came to him and basically said "we'd like you to create another show, whatever you want, we've already greenlit it". On the one hand, this is every writer's dream come true, on the other he felt a ton of pressure - in one direction, out of gratitude to NBC for giving him this chance, he felt obligated to make a successful show. And in another direction, as a stand-in for every writer who'd ever wished they could have this much freedom, he felt obligated to do something really out there. So, it's not just that he knew from the start that he had something brilliant, it's that he knew before he started that he *had to* make something brilliant.
Your genuine sense of betrayal is so much fun to watch. I’m so sorry. I feel you. We all went through it. Michael hurt us all!
But it’s still hilarious to watch you take the journey.
You so NEARLY figured out Season 1. Your insight took you way further than most.
The only person I know who came that close was my dad. He watched season 1 with me and said, “Back in college I wrote a story about a group of people who thought they were in heaven, and you slowly learn they’re actually in hell.”
And I was sitting there like ….👀 “Huh! Sounds… sounds like a cool story! Would love to read it!”
Then the reveal happened and my dad said, “Son of a gun.”
He said, “Ted [Danson] fooled me.”
It is brilliantly designed.
Has anyone told you there’s a clip of the cast finding out the twist? Only Bell and Danson knew from the start.
The real question remains: How did Chidi ever come to a final decision on using almond milk?? 😅
Seriously. That seems legit wild from him. He purposefully did a bad thing? Insane.
"On rewatch, can you see the bad?" Well, for starters, in episode 2 he kicked a puppy into the sun. So there's that.
Exactly 😂
“His biggest crime is that he’s ruined all of his bow ties for me” 😂
In all seriousness, I shared your sadness over losing the Michael that I thought existed, even as I enjoyed the twist and the show’s new direction
Actually, you were more on track than I ever was, at one point I actually thougt you were about to figure ut out 😅. Love your reactions and insights, I don't think you'll be disappointed with were they go with this and the themes they'll touch on!
The rewatch is wiiiild. Also, when you get a second, watch the cast reacting to the first read through of the reveal. Tahani, chidi, Jason, and Janet actors all didn't know until then. Their reactions are amazing
I know that you’re under the impression that Michael hates humans which tbf he was talking mad shit about humans this episode but I personally interpreted all that Michael said in season one about being interested in humans and wanting to live with them to be completely true. I mean think about it, the flashbacks to the bad place when Michael was proposing the plan (under the guise that he was a good place architect) he says that he wants to be with the humans to see how “fun” it is. Like you said before, what the demons were doing before was fine and I personally think only someone who was genuinely fascinated with humans and how they interact would conceptualize this form of torture.
I really enjoy your reactions and had such anticipation for you seeing the reveal for this show. Your reaction was everything I could have hoped for. Reminded me of my own reaction so much!
I absolutely love the twist in S1E13, dont get me wrong. But I think the way the S2 premiere not only subverts but absolutely destroys our expectations for the season is a even more shocking surprise. We thought we were going to get a season one redux with a fresh perspective. Instead they blew through a dozen episodes worth of potential plot and flipped the premise upside down, leading us all to wonder how on Earth they were going to continue blowing our minds for another three seasons.
It's absolutely brilliant!
It's such a joy to watch you react to this series and work out theories with yourself ❤ Especially now that you've passed the season 1 finale and have a better idea of what you're in for overall.
Love it love it love it - you're doing fantastic, in some ways better than you know with some of your conjectures.
Hats off as always to Mike Schur for creating a series like this which gets us all to spend so much time with these concepts of morality, ethics, and our innate ability (or lack thereof) to improve, many of which many of us are taught as children and then told never to question or explore again.
Your cat does steal the show! Very cute!
I was so happy to see this only one week after your previous video. This is my favorite show. 😊
it is genuinely so wild to see how good you are at bringing up things that will fully get explored a little bit later. i’d love to see you write like a checklist of things you want to see/think will get explored and start checking them off as they happen! if i didn’t know any better i’d think you’d been in the writers room!
27:15 - "Chidi is going to accidentally kill your cat." - Hey! A nod to a story line from The Office, which Michael Schur worked on (and he played Dwight's cousin Mos on that show).
Great reaction. Always fun to watch reactions to this show and remember what a brilliant, unique comedy it is. What other sitcoms tell a single, continuous story about morality & the human condition with so many WTF cliffhangers (something typically associated only with dramas). Also, you have a beautiful black kitty!
The show does this a lot. It chooses the difficult unpredictable route instead of most shows would do. Some people have mixed reactions on that, i personally love the progression of it, but im really curious about what you will think
5:36 this is why Ted Danson deserves all the cookies for this performance. He threaded that needle so perfectly.
The thing about this show is that it still would have been entertaining if they had gone the expected route of dragging out the reboot as long as possible. What makes this show better than entertaining is that they don't care about our expectations: they wait for us to catch up their game.
In season one, only the actors playing Eleanor and Michael were aware of the twist. There's a video online of the other actors getting the reveal at the table read for episode 13.
It's very interesting listening to your thoughts on episodes, whilst knowing the things that you don't know. The show was created as a four season story, so it's hard to respond to many of your thoughts without referencing things yet to come. But I definitely enjoy hearing your thoughts!
This show's pacing is fantastic. It has no problem speeding through the more predictable plot to get to the juicier and more ambitious stuff they're planning ahead for.
I'm living for your chaotic energy fuelled by betrayal 😂
Trivia time (sort of)! Amy Okuda plays one of the demons, Jessica. She's got plenty of other credits to her name, but I will always think of her in the Felicia Day series The Guild as Tinkerballa.
"The guy playing Michael" is legendary sitcom actor Ted Danson, and I'm so glad you noticed his layered performance. I feel like this show really revitalized his career and allowed him to shine. (Sorry if I've said this before and/or you know all about Ted Danson and just couldn't bring his name to mind. There's literally nothing wrong with how you referred to him, btw, I just thought it was funny.)
I might need to rewatch the series now, because there are a lot of plot points I don't remember anymore. Thanks for the lengthy commentary, I wish they could all be an hour! Speaking of which, at some point the episodes go from half an hour to a full hour.
I was shocked at how quickly they were moving through plot that could have easily been stretched out the entire season, as you said. I found it really refreshing. The not-knowing is sort of intriguing, and not frustrating.
This was a fantastic reaction and I just can't wait to see you watch the rest unfold. Speaking of folding, you should consider reacting to Schitt's Creek. It has surprising depth to it.
Your cat is so precious and the analysis they added to this video was priceless! I love black cats. 10/10 cat.
YOU HAVE A VOID WITH EYES SO CUTE!!!!
I think the best thing about rewarches i realizing that you never see Michael around the other residents. Like, of course theye our main characters, but also you would think there'd be a few moments of him actually engaging with the others outside of the core four
I honestly think that this show is helpful to rewatch more than once. It changes when you KNOW. Its so good on rewatch. (HIGHLY recommended even if its just by yourself)
I think you must have watched the next episodes at this point. Janet is ride or die.
This is such a good show and I'm surprised as to how onto it you are in this video, you literally get the whole point of the show, yes Michael is an immortal being who got bored and wanted to try something new but he ends up torturing himself because his plan never works, it's like Eleanor said in season one, he picked 4 people he thought would torture each other for years, but they only ended up torturing each other for six months because while humans may torture each other they also help and improve one another they get better overtime because nobody is inherently good or bad we have both good and bad inside of us and we have the potential to grow and change which is something Michael will never understand, so he keeps doing it over and over again, ending up torturing himself because he can't figure it out and until he does his plan is never gonna work because the whole point is that humans can improve and will improve if given the right environment, so there are a lot of things that Michael just doesn't take into account or understand about humanity and until he does he will constantly be torturing himself trying to figure it out since he doesn't understand that like Eleanor said people may torture each other for awhile but they will also help and improve on another cause that's what humans do we help each other get better.sorry for the slight spoiler again you were just onto it and I was so impressed by how you were able to just put that together so easily but it makes sense.
I’d recommend rewatching your reaction to episode 1 - they actually spell out the entire twist. After the party Eleanor ruins, when her and Chico are telling each other about themselves, Eleanor describes her parents as dirt bags who tortured each other. You’re in for a wild ride, this show constantly surprised me on my first watch
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CAT/SHADOW WITH EYES
Only actors who knew the premise of season 1 were Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Others found out at the table read for season finale. John Krasinski also knew even though he wasnt part of the show, because Ted Danson told him by accident :D
I think this is one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. The writers also had the nerve to make decisions like this instead of trying to draw things out. It’s really fantastic.
Not a spoiler: we're never shown the butthole spiders, so we never learn if they're spiders that enter buttholes, or if they're spiders composed of buttholes, or both.
Oh no - I never considered that option two was a possibility until you said that!
Loving your insights on this, and yes, you can trust the writers.
I think Michael is fascinated by humans, even if it's as a torturer, and his Good Place experiment is, for him, a chance to study them closely. His little asides to Eleanor in S1 show he's quite the student of human nature.
Everyone thinks Vicky’s in love with Chidi. Vicky is in love with attention.
I’m on my first few and just want to say that I love your reactions and your analysis throughout. You’re just like me!!!
You're hitting on so many themes from later in the show, but off on a few of them. Not going to spoil it, but I'm excited for the future moral conversations
I said it last season, and it bears repeating.. you are really going to like where this series goes. This time... with a little more context now, you are in for a wild ride that will reach a fully satisfying conclusion. On re-watch you do see a few expressions from Michael that reveal his true motivations. There are lots of little things you pick up and/or appreciate far more on re-watch. I always thought Tahani was out of place, though her motivations were for different reasons, her constant name dropping and need for validation even if she was a generally nice person, just didn't seem like the qualities that would get her into the good place. Gotta say.. your investment in the first season just made the payoff that much sweeter! (not in a gotchya kinda way) Your cat is gorgeous btw and always welcome to co-host!
I really enjoy your insightful takes on this show. You throw a lot of interesting theories on the board and extrapolate with flair.
I like other people to react to this show because it's a thoughtful person's show and I think it's impactful.
Though season 1 finale reactions are a bonus 😂
I loved your assumptions about how things would go here. Very understandable. But get used to being surprised.
This is a brilliant episode. But wait for next episode! Level. Up. Again. 😄
Can't wait until you watch the next one!
Won't say to which part I'm referring to keep it spoiler free, but you're spot on and a season ahead in your understanding of what's going on :P
Late to the party, but if you haven't already, even just for yourself, you have to rewatch the whole of the first season again because man the breadcrumbs!! Right from the first episode they are there and are so obvious and yet that twist still gets you that first time. Right back in ep1 Eleanor says something about where her parents might be and what they must be doing which literally spells out the whole purpose of season 1.
Yes, on a rewatch, you'll see the bad place everywhere :) I highly recommend it at some point.
I loved watching this. I usually find this pair of episodes a little slow, but you made it fun :) I can't wait for what is coming!
Yea this show is great at keeping ya on your toes, you think they are gonna fall into a cliche thing, and they pull the rug and reset episode 1. Excited, 1x13 is the best, but 2x2 is the funniest imo.
PS, Shaun really is the best.
I love your insightful commentary, and also your cat. I had a big black shaggy cat like that as a kid, best cat ever. His name was Buffalo.
You are definitely going to enjoy the ride
I think you HAVE to review highlights of the show and your own analyses from Season 1 *and* come back at the end and revisit the things you said here.
That's all I think I can say about this 🙊; but perhaps from having binged all of your S1 vids over the past few days it’s so interesting what you say and ideas or situations that come up later on.
I love your cat
I think you can absolutely see the bad Michael. The way he treats Chidi’s dissertation, the way, as Eleanor said, he was constantly doing things to make them miserable.
At the time, we put it down to him not really understanding what he was doing, or occasionally sit-com tropes (things that in reality wouldn’t happen, but we accept because it’s a sit com)
Real Eleanor (Vicky) is another example. In reality, she was too perfect, and in retrospect we can look at it and say “no actual human behaves like that”, but at the time, we just went with it
15:52 - HAHAHAHA this had no business being as funny as it was!
*Spoiler*
What’s crazy watching this back is the scene where Chidi panics cause he put almond milk in his coffee. It seems silly to us now but we learn later that he’s right. The system is broken and a choice as simple as almond milk can obliterate your ranking since the system takes into account the most ridiculous shit like almond farming being bad for the environment, and using too much water, but also that using almond milk means you aren’t supporting the dairy industry so you hurting those farmers livelihoods.
what a lovely cat I love her
You'ie watching this series Correctly. I wish I had articulated my thoughts while watching this myself and recorded them like you're doing. You're gonna be happy you took the time, I believe. It's so hard to remember what things were like before you knew what you know now.
So far as seeing the bad in season 1 Michael, way back in episode 2 he literally kicks the dog (into the sun!) and we all just accepted it
Lowkey, Vicky > Real Eleanor for me. At least entertainment-wise.
.. Does this person know that we are talking about immortal beings, who also pretty much can get anything they want.. They ARE doing what they love, they aren't trying to reduce construction cost or anything like that by making these people torture themselves; They ~want~ to do this.. So.. Why change it is probably a good question, but there are so many potential answers to that question.. (To feel superior BECAUSE these people don't even know they are being tortured they are just living a non-fullfilled existence, or just to avoid monotony or to see if they can find a way that somehow increases the pain).. but.. to reduce staff seriously can't be something they even care about.. They don't get paid, and don't need to.
Came for the interesting takes, stayed for the cat. :3
I’m sorry, the actual react and review were great, but the part where I lost it was relating to your struggle with your cat😂😂😂
Hey, loving these reactions. Did u watch Westworld before? I believe it would be fantastic to see your reactions and commentary on Westworld, especially after listening ur comments on humanity in this whole Good Place journey.
Beautiful cat!
Kitty!
That cat is gorgeous
If this were a movie, a drama or a horror movie, say, it could end the way season one did (without Eleanor leaving a message for herself), and that would have worked too, which is interesting.
Something that might help put into context Tahani and Chidi's moral status is a thing that bothered me from the first episode. We are told that all these people are good people, the best, they devoted their lives to helping people, and that everyone they have ever helped, whose lives they improved, will now spend eternity being tortured. Nobody cares.
The truth changes how that seems though. Tahani doesn't care about the people she raised money for, and being told that they will be tortured forever in death doesn't bother her. What matters is that she is part of the elite group, one of the best. Chidi doesn't ask whether his ethics actually improved anyone's existance, he's just excited to be told that he's right.
You should possibly check out No Exit, by the Philosopher Jean Paul Sartre. It's inspiration for the show. Three people go to hell and get put in a room together. They just make each other miserable, but are too spiteful to leave each other alone, and too codependent to leave when given the opportunity.
As an introvert, that sounds like a believeable description of hell.
I truly think that these demons are the theatre kids of the Bad Place - they want to perform!! 🎭🔥
Something I've not heard you say, but many others about Tahani, is how she raised billions of dollars for chairity. And therefore she should be in the good place. But her enviroment and she herself were very wealthy. It raises the question of who is more giving. The person that have 10000 dollar, and gives 2000 away. Or the person that have 100 and gives 20?
I did mention this in my S1E1 reaction. There's a statistic on that initial green board that says the lady gave away a certain percentage of her entire wealth during life and I bring up that this depends on circumstance. For example, if I knew I was never going to want for money my entire life I would also feel safe in giving away a great deal of the money I have at my disposal/earn. And that's simply not fair compared to those who WOULD give away that percentage if only they had the means, but don't because they don't have those means. Tahani falls under that first category.
I've talked a decent bit about Tahani and her circumstances at various points. I don't mention it so much after the reveal because it's been made a bigger deal in the show that intent seems to matter more than what you actually achieve, which was why previously I picked at Chidi being penalised even though his intent was pure. But that's why I haven't so much brought up the money Tahani raised. I think the show establishes more effectively that intent is a big sway for where you end up, and after Michael having mentioned Tahani's intent and Tahani accepting that at face value, that to me was enough for me not to question it so much.
Edit - I personally come down on the side of the person who comes from more meagre means and still gives away money regularly should earn more Good Place currency than someone who gives away a million but will never want for money. I think the wealthy person should still be given kudos but it has less impact to me because of the different circumstances.
If a millionaire gave away 75-90% of their wealth before they died I think then they're on par (almost) for deserving full Good Place points. At the same time a millionaire/billionaire is likely to have revenue streams that are constantly topping this reserve of money up and makes philanthropy a safer endeavour. Which should be taken into account.
@@TylerAlexander I missed that. I really did expect you to land on this side of the argument. It's just so few that mention that the amount really doesn't matter. Jason say in episode 13 'Didn't you raise like thousands of dollars for charity', but in my opinion: if he'd given thousands, it would mean more than Tahanis billions. For him thousands of dollars seem as impossible as billions.
On behalf of everyone who have already watched the entire series and are now watching you work your way through it: Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha
I have to know: what did you think Sean meant when he was talking about butthole spiders?
not gonna lie 28:16 made me jump
aaaaaah what's under your bed!?
Bruh, he kicked a dog INTO THE SUN, the show could’ve swore it was heaven until the end and I would’ve never believed it. No heaven allows kicking animals into the sun. Nope.
Have you seen the show LOST?:)🔥
I just can't keep my eyes off Ahsoka grooming in the background
Ted Danson. Good performance. Who'd have thought?
'he is wasting his time'
He is eternal, he hqs lot of time to waste and get bored doing same thing
Does this commenter have adhd. Because I think it's relatively rare to find someone who forgets the end of their sentence when they're half way through, and they are completely neurotyp
90% of the video is podcast bye
Go check my channel description 😂 yes, correct, that is the content 🤣 byeeee 👋
@@TylerAlexander so tell me, um this video where is the "mix"? Again 90% of the video is you saying random things. Please dont lie, if you wanna do a podcast then do it, bit dont lie to you audience
@@coisasm3029 because it's not just a podcast 🙄 do you...understand what the word 'mix' means? My channel description denotes my 'channel' in general, not 'each individual video'. Go watch them all if you want an accurate reading of my channel description. Do you ever think before you comment or do you just vomit brain rot?
Also if you think the things I say are 'random' and not inspired by the episode, this demonstrates more about you than it does about me 😬😂 I thought you said bye, why are you still here?