The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13 Review: Whenever You're Ready

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There are two types of people in the world. Those who loved The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13, and those who hated it.  

It saddens me to say it, but I found myself unsatisfied with how the show decided to wrap. 

It's easy to get caught up in the emotions, especially, when we're saying goodbye to characters we've known and loved for so long, but there was something about the series finale that felt incomplete. 

The Gang  - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

Although it was most likely meant to be symbolic, Eleanor walking through the door and disappearing forever was a letdown. 

The point the show seemed to be getting across is that it's impossible to know what comes after our time in the universe is over. 

The final moments of the episode did imply that the humans turned into a kind of influential energy, but that's something that needed to be elaborated on, or at least showcased in a less subtle way. 

Janet: What do you think happens when people walk through the door? It's the only thing in the universe I don't know.
Eleanor: I don't know either. The wave returns to the ocean. What the ocean does with the water after that is anyone's guess. But as a very wise not-robot once told me, the true joy's in the mystery.

The series never misses an opportunity to teach a life lesson, and while we admire them for it, this one didn't settle the same as the rest.

On The Good Place Season 4 Episode 12, the idea of the four humans living their dreams for a few million bearimies before deciding to walk through the door sounded like a bittersweet end. 

Anagonye Style  - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

The problem is that they didn't do it together.

One could argue that all the characters are different and there's no way they'd all be ready at the same time, but the bond between Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani was unlike any other. 

Eleanor was offered a spot in the Good Place during The Good Place Season 2, but she declined after realizing that none of her friends passed the test.

One of the most important lines of the series was when Eleanor said, "It's not the Good Place if we're not together."

When the four of them did finally make it to the Good Place, they linked arms and walked through that door together. They should have gone out of the Good Place the same way they went in: as a team. 

Jason - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

Something else that stood out during the series finale is that the ending had nothing to do with the plot of the show. 

The Good Place has always been about Eleanor and her friends attempting to make it to heaven. It was never about them trying to wipe themselves out of existence. 

But carrying out the rest of eternity in the Good Place was what most fans expected to happen with the characters, and it's clear that the series didn't want to be predictable. 

Therefore, the problem isn't necessarily with the ending. In a way, it was a smart and unpredictable conclusion to the show. The issue is that the ending wasn't carried out satisfyingly.

Michael - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

The only storyline that was done justice was Michael's. 

I am returning my damn essence to the damn fabric of the damn universe!

Michael

Michael has spent all of eternity wanting to be human. He started the series as a demon who's eternal mission was to torture Eleanor and her friends, but he had the best character development out of everyone on the show. 

Michael was never going to reap the rewards of the Good Place. Heaven isn't a place for demons and getting himself there was never the goal.

I Love You, Babe - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

Everything Michael did he did so that his friends could be happy. Michael becoming human and going to Earth to finally experience what he was missing was his idea of complete bliss. 

The judge gave me the power to make you an actual human.

Janet

The most heartbreaking moment of the hour was undoubtedly when Chidi told Eleanor he was ready to leave. 

On the off chance that the four humans didn't walk through the door together, I at least expected Chidi and Eleanor to do it. Their entire story has been about finding their way back to each other and sticking by one another's side until the very end. 

One Last Time - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

Eleanor letting Chidi go when he was ready felt like the right choice morally, but it was heartbreaking as a fan of Eleanor and Chidi's relationship. 

As Eleanor expressed to Chidi when he decided to walk through the door, she spent her entire life on Earth all alone. But once she found Chidi, she realized she would never have to be alone again. 

Jason's gone. Tahani's off doing her thing, and I'm not ready to go. So if you leave, then I'm alone here. I was alone my whole life, and I told myself I liked it that way, but I don't. I like being with you.

Eleanor

Yet, Eleanor and Chidi didn't go out together. They didn't hold hands and walk through the door to be at peace. Eleanor was left knowing that Chidi chose to end his existence, and she would never see him again. 

The way their story ended was the most unsatisfying plot of them all. 

Overall, while it was undeniably emotional, the series finale of The Good Place didn't do enough to stress the unbreakable bond between Michael, Janet, and the four humans. 

Good Janet - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13

Considering that this friendship was the core of the entire show, the ending wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. 

It hurt, but not in the way that the ending of such an acclaimed series should. 

Regardless, The Good Place, as a whole, is one of the smartest sitcoms ever created and not even this finale can take away from all of the life lessons it taught us. 

It's been a fun ride, but nothing, not even eternity, lasts forever. 

So with a heart still full of love for The Good Place, a series that showed us all how to treat each other with kindness, I leave you with this:

Take it sleazy. 

Speeches - The Good Place Season 4 Episode 12

Stray Thoughts: 

  • It's unclear whether Nick Offerman was playing himself or Ron Swanson, but it was a fantastic cameo, nonetheless. 
  • Speaking of Parks and Recreation alumni, it's a shame that Adam Scott didn't make an appearance in the finale. Trevor's fate is still a bit unclear, but it would've been fun to bid the demon farewell. 
  • We've got our fingers crossed for Mindy St. Claire. The Medium Place must get boring after a while. 
  • What's going on with Tahani? She was the only one of the humans who didn't walk through the door. Is she planning on being an architect forever? Because if not, that's a goodbye viewers probably should have seen. 
  • If the afterlife holds all the power in the world, couldn't they just remove the ability to feel bored from everyone's mind? That might have been an interesting route to explore. 
  • Janet may not experience time the same way humans do, but it hurts to know that she's been left behind. She'll eventually see Michael again, but she's the only one who will never walk through that door. Ouch. 

It's your turn, TGP fans! What did you think of the series finale of the show?

Did it go how you expected?

Were you disappointed? Were you satisfied?

Drop a comment down below, and let us know your thoughts!

And don't forget that if you missed the episode, you can watch The Good Place online right here at TV Fanatic!

And we sure would appreciate a follow of our new Twitter account as we work to rebuild our audience!

@TVFanatic

Whenever You're Ready Review

Editor Rating: 2.8 / 5.0
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The Good Place Season 4 Episode 13 Quotes

I'm never going to forget you.

Janet

Chidi: How did you know?
Jason: It wasn't like I heard a bell ring or anything. I just suddenly had this calm feeling. Like the air inside my lungs was suddenly the air outside my body. It was peaceful.