The Good Place Roundtable: Team Cockroach

Vicky gets her chance at a reboot in but Michael out thinks her by allowing the humans to keep their memories. He feeds them information so they can stay one step ahead of Vicky and promises them a chance at getting into the actual Good Place.

1. Are you still on Team Human (Cockroach) or Team Vicky? Why?
Roz: Always Team Cockroach! They’re all trying to be better and are obviously very good and thwarting Michael’s plan and I can’t see Vicky’s plan being more effective.
Melissa: Team Cockroach forever! Partially because I love a good underdog story, partially because I do NOT love people who break out into song just to show off.
Cara: Team Cockroach for sure. I think it’s going to be great to watch Michael and the gang drive her crazy.
Cay: I thought this was a really clever way to reshape the season! Let’s team up with the demon with the hopes that we will get less torture or even make it out of hell. Even if Michael is a demon, he made such a good impression on me during the first season, that it’s hard to root against him (or the rest of the Team!).
Lexie: Always on Team Cockroach. Because Team Cockroach is where my love Janet is! I kind of feel like this Team Cockroach was a little off—Jason’s lack of intelligence was played up a little too much, though I did adore his questions about the Jacksonville Jaguars and his desire to “play iPad.”

2. Please rate Tahani’s death scene.
Roz: OMG! I have giggled each time I watch it! Death by golden sister is too hilarious.
Melissa: Ridiculous. In a good way. But seriously, who else feels sorry for Tahani? She just wanted some attention!
Cara: Nope. Tahani gets no sympathy from me. Her sister was pretty brutal though.
Cay: Having grown up with some pretty intense sibling rivalry with my sister, I can imagine how Tahani felt and why she did what she did, but she still wasn’t a very nice person, and that’s what she is accountable for.
Lexie: Everything about Tahani is so gilded and over the top that the only fitting death, as it were, is literally being crushed under a representation of her sister’s glorious deeds. And this show did not disappoint. Dying in Cleveland: the true low point. 10 Drew Careys out of 10.

THE GOOD PLACE — “Team Cockroach” Episode 204 — Pictured: (l-r) Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, D’Arcy Carden as Janet — (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)

3. Michael’s making a very good case on how to get the quartet into the real Good Place, but do you think he can?
Roz: I’m skeptical that he will be able to do it, but I applaud him for having some carrot around for the humans to chase after. I don’t want to watch Eleanor’s reaction if he fails, though.
Melissa: It’s a good goal, which we needed now that the endless reboots are over. That concept was fun for the first few episodes of the season, but we need to actually move forward now. I’m curious whether Michael himself will become a better per…demon.
Cara: I think Michael is still a scammer and just stalling for time. However, I think he’s about to experience his own bad place working with Team Cockroach.
Cay: Yeah, I’m going with empty promise to save his own butt! On the other hand, I can see him getting sucked into Team Cockroach and it benefiting them all somehow in the end.
Lexie: There’s absolutely nothing stopping him from telling them that this is the Good Place….and then secretly it’s the Bad Place all along! IT’S LIKE THE M.C. ESCHER PAINTING OF COMEDIES.

4. Janet’s role seems to morph as needed. How do you feel about her being from The Good Place?
Roz: For a show that revealed most secrets last year, its great to know we can still be surprised. I’m also happy she’s the most advanced Janet and shows that with the belly rub/head pat.
Melissa: It was a surprise, but it makes sense. Although Lexie’s suggestion (on Twitter) that this is actually all Janet’s game is also intriguing…
Cara: I love Janet so much. She seems like she’s got all the answers, if only you thought to ask the right questions.
Cay: I like that Janet is not in on the whole thing per se. It also makes me wonder if maybe she could somehow prove helpful to the team.
Lexie: I mean, we’ve known she was appropriated from the Good Place for a long time now, so I’m quite happy about it. I also love that rebooting her enhances her social skills because it gives us the best of both worlds—a happy and a little vacant Janet and genre-savvy Janet who just wants to make her humans happy. It’s going to be amazing to witness.

5. Joke that made you laugh?
Roz: Jason wanting an iPad like every small kid I know who’s bored.
Melissa: Eleanor’s description of Team Cockroach: An Arizona dirtbag, a human turtleneck, a narcissistic monster, and literally the dumbest person I have ever met (as Jason looks around).”
Cara: For me it was Janet showing up with a bag of cocaine and a get away train right as Eleanor denied her selfishness. Classic Janet. Jason was also great overall this episode, in a lot of small ways.
Cay: Jason made me laugh a lot this episode. He’s so simple-minded that it’s hard to give him enough agency to have gotten himself into hell.
Lexie: I have to hand it to “Pump up the Clam” as a restaurant name, really. And I missed the little musical cue as the clown doors in Eleanor’s funky little house closed!

6. MVP?
Roz: Eleanor! She’s learning and working while being a voice of reason.
Melissa: Eleanor for choosing to stay and learn to be a better person because that’s what Chidi would do for her. And for coming up with a way to torture Michael.
Cara: I’m going with Chidi for being the only one who really does seem to want to be a better person.
Cay: Jason, for making dumb so believable!
Lexie: Janet! She’s advancing and it’s wonderful to see my baby go!

The Good Place airs Thursday at 8:30/7:30c on NBC