One of the best things about streaming is the ability to binge watch. When a streamer has every season of television series available, it makes it incredibly easy to watch everything in one go. It gets even better, though, when the television series chosen for such a binge is one that is practically perfect from start to finish, a series that not only ends at just the right place in its overall story, but that sticks that ending, too. There aren’t too many shows that can claim that but one of them is headed Hulu.
Arriving on Hulu on February 9th are all four seasons of NBC’s Emmy-nominated fantasy comedy The Good Place. The series, which was created by Michael Schur and stars Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, and D’Arcy Carden originally debuted in 2016 and received widespread critical and fan acclaim, with many even considering the comedy one of the best television shows of the decade.
The Good Place’s Subversive Take on Redemption and the Afterlife Is Hilarious (And Moving)
At the outset, The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell), who dies and finds herself sent to the “Good Place”, a utopia, Heaven-like afterlife overseen by Michael (Danson), its “architect”. There’s a catch, however: Eleanor knows that she isn’t really supposed to be there and tries to avoid this being discovered lest she get sent to the “Bad Place” and sets out on a plan to become more ethical and, thus, earn her place. However, there’s a major twist that upends everything — and keeps the show fresh and engaging across its full four seasons.
While the idea of the afterlife and how our actions in life impact what happens to our souls after we die have long been the stuff of fictional exploration, The Good Place is a bit of a subversive take. It’s funny and thoughtful, and when the concepts of torture and torment are introduced at various points (and for various reasons within the story that we won’t spoil here despite the show having ended in 2020 — they should be enjoyed for what they are) aren’t necessarily what one would expect. Instead, the show presents a story less of absolutes and more that the idea of real “goodness” comes from growth. It’s beautifully done and, while it never misses its target of being funny, it also manages to be deeply moving and is a rare series that ends things perfectly. With the complete season headed to streaming, it’s the perfect series to binge.
All four seasons of The Good Place arrive on Hulu on February 9th.
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