THE GOOD PLACE: Kristen Bell & Ted Danson

The first time I heard about NBC’s new series, The Good Place, I couldn’t wrap my head around the premise, but with Kristen Bell in the lead, of course I was going to check it out. When I watched the first two episodes (premiering Monday, September 19 at 10/9c), I alternated between laughing out loud and wondering what in the world I was seeing.

We enter The Good Place alongside Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), the newest citizen of the afterlife. As she calmly processes her death, and the embarrassing details surrounding that tragic event, she is guided by Michael (Ted Danson), architect of this particular neighborhood in the Good Place.

In this version of the afterlife – “Every major religion got about 5% of it right,” Michael tells Eleanor – there are different neighborhoods that represent the ideals of those who live there. Here that translates into sunshine, picket fences, and frozen yogurt on every corner. Eleanor is delighted, until she arrives at her new home: a sweet cottage decorated in the Icelandic primitive style, “just as you like it.”

As a matter of fact, Eleanor does not like it. See, there’s been a mistake and Eleanor has been given someone else’s Good Place. Someone who deserved to be there, unlike Eleanor. She was not a good person in her lifetime. Her “score” would not be nearly high enough to get in, something Eleanor realizes after watching a video of “her” good deeds and meeting “her” soulmate, Chidi (William Jackson Harper).

Sidenote: The scene where Michael explains how every action Eleanor took in her life, positive or negative, was tallied for her own personal Judgement Day is brilliant. The mass of actions displayed on screen (“End slavery” is good; “Tell a woman to ‘smile’” is bad) is just one of many visuals that will have you pausing for a closer look.

Knowing that she doesn’t belong, Eleanor is determined to shed her selfish ways and become the kind of person who does deserve to be in the Good Place before anyone else figures out her secret. Easier said than done, especially when confronted with her seemingly perfect new neighbors, chipper Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and silent Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), who live in a mansion Eleanor covets.

The issue of how Eleanor’s presence in the Good Place disrupts the balance of the neighborhood is what takes The Good Place from good to great. In a surreal scene that’s equal parts Salvador Dali and B-horror movie, Eleanor gets a crash course in how her actions affect others. Up until that moment, I’d been thinking the show was a solid comedy with a phenomenal cast. Afterward, I knew I’d seen something remarkable.

The Good Place is one of the most original, creative shows I’ve seen in a long time. Creator Mike Schur cut his teeth on another innovative series – The Office – before helming one of my all-time favorites, Parks & Rec. He has a knack for highlighting how ridiculous people are without ever losing sight of our humanity. Schur is playing in a more imaginative world here, exploring the boundaries of creativity while remaining accessible thanks to Danson and Bell’s low-key performances. There is a discussion to be had about whether The Good Place is poised to transform modern comedy, much like The Office did when it debuted, but I’m not sure I have the skill or insight to lead that discussion.

Whether or not it turns out to be groundbreaking comedy, The Good Place is funny, charming, and provocative with an amazing cast. Tune in for the two-episode premiere on Monday, September 19 at 10/9c on NBC before the show moves to its regular slot, Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c.