The Experiment to Save Humanity Ends in ‘The Good Place’
Wow. Just wow. The newest episode of The Good Place jumped ahead six months to the last day of the experiment. What followed was one of the best episodes of the series. Warning, this article contains mega spoilers.
The residents figure everything out in ‘The Good Place’
Just like the original humans, the new residents of the neighborhood figure out they are being monitored. It turns out Simone spent her entire time collecting evidence. Once she reveals what she knows, John caves and spills that Jianyu is actually Jason. Brent then tells everyone that Eleanor and Michael told him The Best Place existed.
Simone and Chidi break into Eleanor’s office to look for more evidence. As Chidi defends Eleanor to Simone, soft music plays over the scene. Up until that point, the episode spent time chipping away at Simone and Chidi’s relationship. After everything, Chidi is still inclined to believe Eleanor.
Chidi tells Simone that they are apparently soulmates, but Simone tells him she does not believe in soulmates. At the beginning of season 4 of The Good Place, Eleanor wondered if Chidi and Simone could be soulmates. “Help Is Other People” solidifies that Chidi and Simone are wired so differently they could never work as a long-term couple.
Michael comes up with a plan in ‘The Good Place’
Once Team Cockroach realizes the humans know something is up, Michael comes up with a plan. At the year-end party, Michael invites Brent onstage for a magic trick, but instead causes him to fall in a sink hole. Team Cockroach then leaves the rest of the humans to rescue him.
Simone, John, and Chidi realize they are in Hell. In a running gag, Chidi acknowledges he is there for drinking almond milk. Chidi tries to make a plan to help Brent, but Simone and John refuse.
Chidi argues that they are morally bound to help Brent even if Brent would not do the same for them. It’s an ethical dilemma and only Chidi passes. He and Simone break up, and then Simone and John flee in Brent’s car. Chidi attempts to save Brent, but gets stuck himself.
Team Cockroach turns to a last resort
Because the group split in half instead of bonding with just minutes to go in the experiment, Eleanor comes up with a Hail Mary play. Back in Eleanor’s office, Chidi declares they are in The Bad Place. Calling back to Eleanor’s revelation from the first season of The Good Place, Eleanor and Michael let out an evil cackle.
They tell Brent and Chidi they are in The Bad Place and a train will come collect them soon. Michael and Eleanor leave the room, hoping it will incite Brent to want to change. Chidi has already passed a moral dilemma, but Brent never developed good intentions during the experiment.
As Brent panics, Chidi tells him that he is a bad person. In a brilliant acting moment from Ben Koldyke, Brent spirals as he realizes he is in fact a bad person. In a moment of clarity, the realization dawns on him.
He begins to apologize to Chidi, and then the experiment ends. Both Chidi and Brent freeze, and the outcome of the experiment is left unknown. Eleanor drinks a margarita from a pitcher, not knowing if they were successful in saving humanity.
While the experiment did not end as planned, Brent did show he was capable of change. He just had the realization at the last minute, resembling the same way Mindy St. Claire changed for good right before she died. There are still seven episodes left in the fourth season of The Good Place. No matter the outcome, it seems The Good Place is making its own rules now, making it nearly impossible to predict.
