Maria Watches "The Good Place" PT. 2

[00:00:03] Hi, welcome back to Mario Watches Everything where we're at Philly Fan Expo where we're going to dive too deeply on shows that I've deemed important. With me is my good friend Jeff, an avid con-goer. Hello. How are you doing Jeff? I'm well, thank you for asking. So Jeff and I met because he introduced me to a little known show called Attack on Titan and in return I introduced him to The Good Place. And obviously he loved it. So Jeff, what was your favorite thing about The Good Place?

[00:00:31] Honestly, just in general the entire thing was really well done. It's a fourth season thing, you know, the beginning season is great to introduce all the characters. Second season is a lot of lore dump as well as the third. But then like the third into the fourth is very like, it shows the characters' growth, redeeming qualities, their recovery, not sorry, not their recovery, their redemption arcs and everything.

[00:00:59] And it all works so seamlessly that you don't really like notice very much because it immediately is just like, Oh, I love these characters. Oh my God, this happened to these characters. Oh my God, what is going to happen to my characters? I love the cast. I think they did an incredible job casting. I think they also did an incredible job casting them so that their chemistry is just so seamless. It seems to just translate right onto the film. So it's absolutely fantastic. I love it.

[00:01:28] So you would say it's as good as Attack on Titan, right? Yes. In comparing like apples to sushi, it is totally on par. Apples and sushi are both good. So that's all I heard. You brought up the cast. Who's your favorite character? My favorite character, honestly, it's a toss up because... Who knows Jason, just say it. You like Jason. We know that you like Jason. Wait, why would you say that? You say it's because I'm dressed up as a symbol. I don't know.

[00:01:58] No, obviously, I think that one of my favorite things is like, I love Chidi. I like them all for their different like things. And especially seeing them from season one all the way to season four and seeing their growth, you do learn to love them for their individuality. So like even Janet, who is not technically a... Janet. Who is not technically not a girl. Not a girl. And not a robot. She uh... Extremely good looking though. Yes. One thousand percent.

[00:02:28] She even has growth and like there's so many like little quips and little quirks that they have. I feel like if I had to like... Rank them? Rank them? I don't know if I'm going to rank them. You're going to rank them? Okay. You're going to rank them. I feel like it's Michael. Oh shit. I was not expecting that. Michael is number one. Okay. Um... That... Unexpected. Janet. Okay. Valid. Jason. Eleanor Chidi or Tahani? I don't know.

[00:02:58] It's either Chidi or Tahani. Oh really? Not Eleanor? Okay. Wow, this is not like game changes. No, for me Eleanor is probably... She's not my least favorite character. I do like Eleanor's character. Yeah. I think I would rank her at the bottom just because her growth was the quickest. Fair. That is a really good point. Her growth was so fast that after a while she just didn't have much more development to her. I mean, I'm sorry. She did. Yeah. But it just wasn't as...

[00:03:28] She's like the leader though too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So she basically led everyone else's growth. That's what you're trying to say. Sort of, yes. But I think that like you don't see the growth as... Steadily? Yes. Because her growth is so quick, right? Okay. Like she figures out what's wrong with the stuff and then she like gets to the end and then in the second season it kind of happens again. But then like there's not...

[00:03:56] Like she's always herself no matter what, right? Whereas like Chidi changes for the better and Tahani changes for the better. Even Michael changes for the better. Obviously Jason changes but we love Jason a little bit more than most of us. But I feel like even though Eleanor didn't change like so drastically, she did have change. It just wasn't as like I guess notable.

[00:04:25] Because even in the last season she was still herself. Yeah. But with more I guess like empathy and more... No, you know what? Like as I say these things out loud. It is impossible to rank the characters. That's the other reason I'm just like this is bold of you. I appreciate it. No, for me it's still Michael. I really like that. I appreciate that. We... I know you have a favorite episode you want to talk about so we're bringing up Michael later. Okay. But before we get into that, you had this really great theory while we were watching it. By the way we watched The Good Place together so I got to see his live reactions. His reaction to the trolley problem, amazing.

[00:04:54] You brought up a really great theory whenever we were introduced to The Bad Place because The Bad Place takes place in the 50s, 1950s America. And you brought up that this makes sense and I was like oh tell me about it. So what is your theory on why The Bad Place is the 1950s of America? So I feel like The Bad Place is like that 50s-esque era because in the 50s you know aside... Obviously we all know that the 50s were not really that great for everyone. Right? And it was only great for like you know some people.

[00:05:24] Aside from like family there wasn't anything wonderful about it. And I think that wrapping like The Bad Place in that where it's like you know... Pseudo-American dream. Thank you. There you go. For some people. Some certain looking people. For... For... Right? I think it really... It's interesting that it grasps the idea of like this is supposed to be amazing but it's really not. Right? They're all in suits.

[00:05:53] They all have that 50s look. Even like their cubicles, the machines that they use are all like that outdated 1950s thing. So it was just... I don't know. It just kind of like struck me because you know they're supposed to be great. No I think it's a great theory because there's a lot of reasons why it could be 950s but I really like the idea that like it's this like pseudo idea of like perfection. Yeah. So going into one of your favorite episodes which is the finale which makes complete sense because the finale is perfect.

[00:06:22] We're going to do a quick recap about it through the characters. Okay. So we see that Jason is the first one to go. Yup. It happens whenever he gets the perfect game with his father Donkey Doug of course. Yeah. Call him Donkey Dad. Yup. How would you celebrate your last day at Aunt The Good Place? Because Jason does this big party with all of his friends. What would you do? Wow. Yeah, I was a thinker. So we're going to get deep and existential quick. Yeah, that is a good place. That's a loaded question.

[00:06:52] Wow. My bad. No, no, no. It's okay. I don't know. I honestly feel like I think I'd go. So like Jason is supposed to represent the everyday person, right? Like he's supposed to represent us as the viewer. Well, that's what I took from it, right? Interesting. And I really feel like I would do the same exact thing. I feel as if I would have a party for my friends because essentially what this is, is their funeral. Yeah, exactly. Right? Yeah. It's their funeral. They're leaving an existence.

[00:07:22] And I would probably do it because in reality you're not going to be around for your funeral. And it's, as morbid as it sounds, it's really like the last party that you'll ever have for yourself. Right? But you're not there. You're in the casket and everyone's there. And they had a funeral episode too. So that's funny because they have like a double funeral. Yeah, yeah. And you get to attend this one. Yeah. And I think that's like, it's very beautiful, right? That like you get to celebrate you and your life and who you were with all of the people

[00:07:50] that have shaped you, that have made you, that have been so important to you in any way, shape or form, right? Like obviously I would have my friends. I would have my family. I'd have my daughter. You know, like I would have like all my online friends. I'd have some people that I know, right? Maybe. Nah. Nah. They probably wouldn't attend anyway. So, um, no, but, but it would be, it would be very like, um, I feel like it would be like a complete circle.

[00:08:17] And I think that I would probably do the same thing that, um, that Jason did. However, I don't think that I would let people know. I think I would go the Chidi way as well. Okay. That's good. Cause I was going to bring up Chidi, but yeah. Okay. I don't think that I would go to, or I think that I would do the Jason party without letting anyone know, obviously the people that know me know why this would be happening. I like that. But I wouldn't want to like have them feel those feelings of like absence and things.

[00:08:46] So I would just, as painful as it would be for them that I just like dipped, I think it would be more painful if I didn't, you know, if like they did or if they did know that this was going to happen. Right. Um, it's kind of like knowing when something's going to happen and having the anticipation and the anxiety of getting to that moment. Yeah. Then just like having it just happen and sitting through that.

[00:09:13] I would have like my, I would have a party as well, but we would eat all my favorite foods and we'll do all my favorite activities and watch my favorite movies and shows. That makes sense. Like the good place. All right. Making it a little lighter, Dhani goes whenever she decides to master everything and when she checks off everything on her list, that's when she's like, I'm done. I'm content. We obviously see this is a continue, but if you had to master anything in the good place, what would it be? Like any skill. It could be one that you're working on now and that you worked on in like real life too.

[00:09:43] Or a fun one. Um, or magical one. You know, I would probably do something along the lines of, um, learn every instrument because I love music. Ooh. Okay. I actually thought I had a feeling. Uh, I do love music. Um, and I feel like mastering every instrument would be something absolutely incredible. Um, like I've always wanted to learn how to play piano, but I don't have the attention span to play piano.

[00:10:11] Um, I taught myself how to play guitar. I like to learn new instruments. I love music. Uh, you know, randomly though, I think I'd also like to know everything about fixing a car. So specific. Okay. Because I just feel like it's one of those skills. But no, but you know what? I would like to learn. I feel like I'm very Tahani too because. She had a long list. I would have a long list too. I would, I would like to learn all of the trades too. Like being able to weld, being able to like build a house, you know, having all

[00:10:41] the, doing my taxes properly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's just kidding. There are no taxes in a good place. Totally something I would want to learn how to do. Um, no, but I feel like a trade would be fantastic because you know, like these are skim and it's like, as I'm saying all these things out loud, it's cool that they have an eternity there because much like the show that I, that I'm watching and someone else is watching, uh, time is very like, like limited. Right.

[00:11:09] So if you had all the time in the world, what would you do? Exactly. And like for me, it would obviously be like trades and music. I just realized free run is so similar. We're watching free run right now too, by the way. All right. Last question is existential. Okay. So get ready. All right. Um, Michael, your favorite character. Yes. He is like basically like the pinnacle of the ending. And it's whenever Eleanor decides that making Michael human is the way he's going to go. So why do you, and Michael loves being human. He's obsessed with this idea.

[00:11:37] What do you think is so great about being human? From Michael's perspective or just in general? In general. In this timeline? Um, nothing. But, uh, I think, I think one of the great things about being human is experiences. Um, because everybody can experience the same thing in a different way.

[00:12:05] Um, and to me, it's very like, like even coming to a con, right? Yeah. Your con experience can be completely different. Look at us bringing you back. I know, right? Um, even coming to a con, your experience can be completely different. Yeah. You know, you could feel anxious. You could feel like your social battery is running low. You could feel a sense of like, like euphoria because you're in a place where like everyone accepts you for who you are. Right?

[00:12:30] There are so many different things that you can feel and experience, uh, that is one of like the beauties of being human. Um, and I think that's why Michael loved everything about humans is that he is a demon living forever. Couldn't fathom something like that.

[00:12:56] But also the idea of him never being able to die also makes it difficult because like, again, our time is very limited. So, like... That's what I think. I think the best thing about being human is the fact that it ends. So not everything is fleeting so you enjoy it more. Yeah, and that's what happened in The Good Place. They, they... There was no end. So it was just the same thing over and over again. Uh, oh wow, look at you bringing it back. I know, right?

[00:13:25] All right, well that ends our episode. Thank you so much for doing this and watching The Good Place. Thank you for... You can watch this on all ways platforms or streaming. All right. All right. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.