The Good Place Season 4 Episode 2 Review: A Girl From Arizona, Part Two
Rachel Foertsch
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A girl from Arizona realizes that she can't stop fighting to save humanity on The Good Place Season 4 Episode 2.
With Brent refusing to acknowledge the error of his ways and Simone still believing that the afterlife is a hallucination, Eleanor finally cracks under the pressure.
Related: The Good Place Season 4 Episode 1 Review: A Girl From Arizona
Given all she's had to go through, it was inevitable that this day would come, and although it was painful, it was also a much-needed step in Eleanor's emotional journey.
Ever since The Good Place Season 1, Eleanor has used humor as a defense mechanism.
Although the show feels like it could fit into other genres given its intricate and unique plotline, the series is a comedy at heart.
Eleanor's funny quips and upbeat attitude in the face of danger are what help keeps the show lighthearted. But there reaches a point when viewers have to wonder how she's able to put on a brave face for so long.
On The Good Place Season 4 Episode 2 Eleanor's facade finally fell apart when her friends doubted her leadership abilities.
Self-doubt is a natural thing that everyone feels at some point, but hearing your closest friends voicing those doubts aloud turns fear into reality.
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Eleanor may have been speaking out of anger, but she made a good point when she argued she was the best option given the circumstances.
I didn't ask for this! I'm only doing it because Michael, who is supposed to be in charge, had a nervous breakdown the second it started! But, maybe you can do it better than me. Tahani can be in charge since she's so smart. Or better yet, Jason, maybe all of humanity can be saved with one good old fashioned Jacksonville carnival.
Eleanor
As much as we love Jason and Tahani, neither of them have proven that they can step up to the plate in the same way as Eleanor.
It's always Eleanor who brings the group together, and it may have felt like a lifetime ago, but Eleanor was also the only person to pass the Good Place test on The Good Place Season 2 Episode 12.
The things that are happening here are above my paygrade! How do I get Brent to stop being such a deckhead? How do I fix Simone when she's convinced all of this is happening inside of her brain? Oh! Maybe I should drive her into the arms of my ex-boyfriend. That sounds fun. What do I do about John the gossip king? Or the demon spy who punched me in the face? And how do I do it all with a pleasant smile to keep everyone's spirits up?! I'm not meant for this! I'm not the freakin' savior of the universe! I'm just a girl from Arizona.
Eleanor
Eleanor may think she's just a girl from Arizona, but it's time for her to understand that she's become so much more.
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Eleanor's friendship with Michael is often overshadowed by the more prominent relationships in the series. But ever since Michael joined Team Cockroach and left the Bad Place behind, he is the only person who has never doubted her.
Michael has believed in Eleanor since day one, and it's his belief in her that keeps Eleanor fighting when she's at her lowest points.
You think you can't do this? Eleanor, you're the only one who can do this. Like it or not, the only one who can save humanity is a girl from Arizona.
Michael
Without Michael, Team Cockroach as a whole may have given up a long time ago.
His character development has been incredible, and Michael has gone from a demon who would do anything to see the gang suffer to a person who would give up his own life for their happiness.
Out of all the character arcs throughout the series, Michael has, arguably, the best one.
Brent isn't making life easy on Eleanor, and it appears as though he'll be the person who puts the experiment the most in jeopardy.
The gang may have reused the same tactics on Brent that worked for Eleanor, but Eleanor and Brent are not the same people.
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The major difference is that Eleanor knew she was a bad person, while Brent thinks he belongs somewhere even better than the Good Place.
Brent: This chaos is clearly all about me. This is the universe telling me that I don't belong here.
Michael: Brent, what do you mean?
Brent: I don't belong in the Good Place. I mean, obviously there's a place better than this. I belong there. In the Best Place.
Brent's privileged life has made him believe that he deserves an even more privileged afterlife, and he doesn't seem to understand moral integrity. While Eleanor understood that she was in the wrong, Brent doesn't even seem to be able to distinguish between good and bad.
As unlikely as it may be, it is possible that Eleanor and Michael may be able to trick Brent into making his good deeds a habit.
Perhaps a certain ethics professor could teach a class and lend a hand? If anyone needs a moral philosophy lesson, it's Brent.
Now that Eleanor has introduced Simone as Chidi's soulmate, things are moving full speed ahead for the pair and leaving Eleanor heartbroken.
Chidi, you and Simone are soulmates.
Eleanor
But despite what Eleanor may think, Chidi never loved Simone in his real life, and he won't in the afterlife, either. Chidi has only ever loved Eleanor, and he's loved her over and over again.
The circumstances of this life might be different, but when is it ever the same?
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It could be a painful road ahead, but Cheleanor is undoubtedly endgame.
Jason and Janet are also going through a tough time, despite finally acknowledging their love for each other.
Their situation is almost like Chidi and Eleanor's without the memory loss.
As much as it hurts, we can't blame Janet for breaking off things with Jason. The relationship began to interfere with the experiment the moment Jason got jealous and killed Derek.
Janet: I can't be in a relationship with you right now. Being with you is fun, but it's not always easy and I'm afraid it would endanger the experiment.
Jason: It won't though.
Janet: Jason, it already has.
It might not be what we wanted to happen, but it was the right move on Janet's part.
Why can't any of our favorite couples be happy? Probably because no one's made it to the Good Place yet.
When the characters make it to the real Good Place, and we have full faith that they will, there better be some happiness on the horizon to make all the pain worth it.
But it's your turn, TV Fanatics!
What did you think of The Good Place Season 4 Episode 2? What are your predictions for the upcoming episodes?
Drop a comment down below and let us know!
And don't forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch The Good Place online right here at TV Fanatic!
The Good Place airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
