The Good Place Season 3 Episode 3 Review: The Brainy Bunch
Rachel Foertsch
at
.
The Good Place sets the bar for television far too high. Period. Even if an episode is weaker than the rest, it's still stronger than just about any comedy on TV. And of course, The Good Place Season 3 Episode 3 was no exception.
The Good Place puts other sitcoms to shame with its innovate and fun twist on the widely debated concept of the afterlife. It somehow manages to make you let go and relax and overthink at the same time.
Related: The Good Place Season 3 Premiere Review: Everything is Bonzer!
While "The Brainy Bunch," wasn't the best of the series, it was still a great television episode in general. The show once again managed to prove what we've known all along: The Good Place is forking genius.
Trevor's appearance on Earth has jeopardized pretty much everything. He was annoying in the fake Good Place and he's even more annoying now. He'll stop at nothing to break up the group, and for a while, it actually appeared to be working.
But despite Trevor's interference in his plan, Michael believes that Chidi and Eleanor's connection will ultimately cause everything to fall into place.
When I did this experiment in my neighborhood, every time Eleanor asked Chidi for help their bond became unbreakable and the entire group improved.
Michael
Michael's resolve to help his friends has actually become one of the driving forces of the new season.
Michael has obviously earned the audience's trust over the show's run, but it still seems like we're missing something. While he does care about his friends and their fate, it feels like there's more to be explored with Michael's motives.
There's no doubt that helping his friends and ensuring their happiness is his main priority, but it would be interesting to dig a little deeper into Michael's storyline this season and see just what his train of thought is. As selfless as Michael is, he must have some fear for himself and his own fate.
Now that he and Janet have run from the judge and escaped to Earth, what's next for them beyond the group? While it would be nice if they could live out the rest of their days with Team Cockroach, the memory loss aspect makes it a little hard to see that as a possibility.
But then again this is The Good Place, and as we know, nothing can ever be ruled out.
Related: The Good Place Season 3 Preview: A New Type of Reboot
On another note, the connection between Chidi and Eleanor is there just as strongly as it was in the rest of the reboots. Eleanor obviously has a soft spot for Chidi, but it's hard to tell if what she's feeling for him is actually romantic.
It doesn't take long for Trevor to weasel his way in and convince Chidi that his friendship with Eleanor and the rest of the group could skew the results of his study.
Chidi: Trevors right. I might skew the study by fraternizing with the subjects. We can be colleagues. Associates is pushing it. By even having this conversation you're becoming my confidant! I can't have that.
Eleanor: Geez. Kinda thought that before everyone else showed up you and I were like, becoming actual friends.
Chidi: Oh no! You're right! What have I done?!
Trevor knew that separating Chidi and Eleanor could easily cause everything to come crashing down. Chidi and Eleanor's determination to stand by each other's side was the reason Michael had to continuously reboot everything in the first place.
Related: Brooklyn Nine-Nine Shocker: Chelsea Peretti Leaving!
When Eleanor doesn't show up for class, Trevor convinces the group that she may never be coming back.
Just like the rest of the reboots, Chidi doesn't give up on Eleanor that easily. You would think watching Eleanor and Chidi go through the same motions after 3 seasons would get tiring, but it somehow has the opposite effect.
The Good Place has managed to create a relationship made up of two characters who always find their way back to each other in any universe or timeline. Isn't that every shipper's dream?
My whole life has been a torture chamber of indecision and now I'm finally on the path to understanding why. And the only reason why that's happening is because you walked into my office and you said you wanted to be a better person.
Chidi
Speaking of ships, it looks like there may be another one sailing.
Jason and Tahani have had a rather complicated relationship in the other reboots. They were fake soulmates and even real lovers at one point. Ultimately it ended up not working out between them, and it felt like the right call. Not to mention that their romance caused Janet to glitch out because of her own feelings for Jason.
With Janet still in love but Jason unaware of his feelings for her, it will definitely be interesting to see how it all pans out.
The comedic timing in the episode was flawless and very well done. Each character is hilarious in their own way, and they all had their own unique moments throughout the episode.
Eleanor: Do you think taking a spider into an MRI machine will give you superpowers?
Jason: Hey, it might work! He already bit me a bunch of times and gave me the power to swell up my hand.
Somehow, even Trevor managed to extract a laugh from me once or twice.
So far, The Good Place Season 3 is off to a strong start.
It's impossible to predict what's going to happen next because the show has opened up a limitless amount of possibilities in just a few episodes.
The Good Place is the kind of show that keeps you guessing and leaves you hanging at the best and worst possible moments. It's time to batten down the hatches because this season is going to be a whirlwind.
Miss the episode? Or just can't get enough? You can stay up to date by watching The Good Place online right here at TV Fanatic!
