Heartwarming / The Good Place

No spoilers are marked. You have been warned.

Season 1

• "Everything Is Fine"
  • While drunk, Eleanor tells Chidi that he is a nice person.
• "Flying"
  • Even after Chidi tells her he won't be helping her, Eleanor still decides to clean up all the trash by herself. Chidi wouldn't even have known about it if he hadn't seen her.
• "Tahani Al-Jamil"
  • Eleanor comforting Tahani about her seeming lack of connection to Jianyu, the first genuinely nice thing she did without strings attached in The Good Place. And then she gets "an amazing hug".
  • Chidi is down after being told by Michael that his 3600 page book on ethics is a mess. Eleanor, however, points out "I get bored halfway through a text message" so Chidi should be proud of having achieved something like this. He then decides to rewrite his book into something more manageable with Michael as his editor.
• "Jason Mendoza": Eleanor's "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Jason, surprisingly, manages to be one.
  Chidi: I can't believe I'm doing this, but, Jason, please come to my classroom. I will teach you ethics, like I'm doing with Eleanor. And if you work hard and absorb the material, you just might be able to earn your place here.
  Jason: ... No, I'm good. (goes back to playing video games)
  Eleanor: (grabs the controller and throws it across the room) Dude, Chidi is giving you a lifeline right now! And you need to take it, because you suck!
  Jason: You suck!
  Eleanor: I KNOW! That's what I'm trying to tell you. We both suck! You know who doesn't suck? Chidi! He is putting himself in danger to help us, because he, unlike us, is an amazing person.
  Jason: I didn't get into Heaven to go to school.
  Eleanor: You didn't get into Heaven at all, shirt-for-brains!
  Jason: I just want to be myself.
  Eleanor: That's a very, very bad idea. Do not be yourself. You need to be a better version of yourself, okay? And I do, too. And our only hope right now is this kind, selfless, amazing nerd. Think about that.
  Chidi: Do you have to call me a nerd so much?
  Eleanor: I said a lot of other nice things, okay? Toughen up, nerd.
• "Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis"
  • At the start of the episode, Eleanor is so happy when she realizes she's starting to become better. Her childlike joy and pride is really, really sweet to see.
  • When Tahani secretly looks at the neighborhood rankings and she sees "Jianyu's" in second place, she actually seems genuinely happy for him, smiling and saying, "Well done, my love!"
  • Eleanor gives Chidi a "Fork Off, Eleanor" card that he can use any time he wants her to leave him alone. Also, her helping him live out his fantasy of being on a boat with a bottle of wine, reading French poetry (though it turns into a Funny Moment when he reveals that he has no idea how to row a boat).
• "What We Owe To Each Other"
  • Michael and Eleanor spending the day having fun together is pretty adorable. Especially as, to begin with, Eleanor was only trying to score points by helping Michael and, we find out later on, Michael was only pretending to bond with her to gain her trust, it's obviously the beginning of the both of them caring for each other.
  • Michael's joy at human things. Him loving human items so much he keeps them even though he's not supposed to, calling paper clips "the greatest thing [he's] ever seen," his bewilderment and joy at experiencing karaoke.
    • In a bizarre twist, this can be even more heartwarming upon The Reveal. Michael's fascination with humanity was never part of the ruse - in fact, it was the very reason why he created the fake Good Place to begin with. Even before he became a good person, Michael was intrigued and delighted by humans.
  • Eleanor coming to realize what a terrible friend she was when she was alive. She comforts Michael during his moping and promising that no matter what, she'll be there.
• "The Eternal Shriek": Eleanor sees just how much keeping her secret is negatively affecting Chidi and comes to appreciate the efforts he's going through to help her. After sincerely telling him "I love you, man", she stands up in front of the entire town and confesses that she was mistakenly accepted into the Good Place and shouldn't be there.
  • Despite being initially happy that Michael wrongly blames himself as it means she will, hopefully, get off free, Eleanor still berates Janet when she shows no sadness over Michael leaving.
• "Most Improved Player": When Eleanor says goodbye to everyonebefore boarding the train to the Bad Place. Most sweet of all is her hugging Tahani, insisting that she was a caring neighbor despite everything.
  • Eleanor admitting that she doesn't belong in the Good Place, but she wants to belong because of what Chidi has done for her.
  • Eleanor had at least a few moments of genuine goodness when she was alive. Her best act involved her cousin's daughter Julie; when said cousin couldn't get her life together, Eleanor would take Julie to the mall and buy her junk food to cheer her up.
• Michael deciding that they weren’t going to give up on Eleanor until they figure things out.
• "Chidi's Choice"
  • Eleanor realizing that she's truly, deeply in love with Chidi. Many of the things she lists are small character traits, but she's still noticed them because she is genuinely in love with him.
  • Jason and Janet are surprisingly adorable together. They fall in love and decide to get married because they're simply nice to each other. Jason was kind to Janet after she rebooted and was feeling lost and confused, and Janet is nice to him in return (also because she's programmed to be nice to everyone, but still), making her the only one to care about him for his own sake after they find out he's not Jianyu. Their relationship provides plenty of funny moments, but they're consistently kind to and in love with each other.
  • When Tahani finds out that not only did Eleanor know about Jason all this time, but also that they might be rivals for the affections of Chidi, everything seems geared up for a big fight between Tahani and Eleanor... but then Eleanor decides that no, they're not going fight over a guy and ruin her "weird, complicated, forked-up friendship." They spend the rest of the episode bonding and trying some of each other's favorite activities.
• "What's My Motivation"
  • Jason gives Janet a hug. When she asks why, he says that she's the one person who's always nice to him.
  • For all his idiocy, Jason's categorization of Michael as Janet's dad is this. He thinks the dad of the person he married should know about the marriage, he calls his father-in-law 'Dad', and he talks about how he and Michael are family and selflessly helps when Michael has a panic attack over how mixed-up everything has gotten. When referring to Janet as the smartest "girl" in the world (another heartwarming moment in itself), he says, "Your dad's an angel," referring to his belief that Michael is an actual, literal angel.
  • Eleanor brought photos of Chidi, Jason, and Tahani and some philosophical books along with her. The one of Jason and Tahani are of them sitting together, and the one of Chidi is of him reading. After setting up Jason and Tahani's in the living room, she set Chidi's down near her, potentially implying it was going to be moved to various spots depending on where she was, and started to read one of the books.
  • As Eleanor initially prepares to say goodbye and head off to the Bad Place with Jason, Chidi apologizes to Eleanor, feeling like he failed her. Eleanor reassures him and says this is not the case and thanks Chidi for everything he has done, even incorporating Plato's Allegory of the Cave into her analogy, saying that "I was dropped into a cave, and you were my flashlight."
• "Michael's Gambit": Eleanor's realization that despite their many issues that led Michael to set them up to torture each other, she, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason have come together as a family, and all four of them have grown together.
  • A later line by Shawn reveals that the Bad Place has tried to get humans to torture each other before, but could barely make them pull each others teeth out. The only way Michael could make it work, even temporarily, was to make it so they didn't realize they were doing it. Even in the Bad Place, most of humanity won't turn on each other.

Season 2

• "Everything is Great!":
  • Jason unknowingly runs into his former wife Janet, and is so relieved to have someone he can talk to that he gives her a hug. After he explains the concept, Janet hugs him back.
  • Eleanor is both grateful that a drunk Tahani interrupted her speech and also sympathetic for a miserable woman embarrassing herself while sloshed. After all, Eleanor has been there. She gently asks if "hot stuff" wants some coffee and is more shocked than mad when Tahani rips off her "Best Person" sash.
• "Dance Dance Resolution"
  • Mindy reveals that Eleanor and Chidi have hooked up on half their visits to her, and even sincerely says she's rooting for them to somehow end up together permanently.
    • During this visit, Mindy shows a tape she recorded of Eleanor and Chidi together as proof they reached the Medium Place before. In the tape, we see Eleanor in bed with Chidi, confessing her love to him. She states that she knows that Chidi has trouble being open with people... but in one of the very few times we see Chidi act confidently and decisively, he immediately cuts her off and says, "I love you too".
    • And when we meet Mindy again, her yard is neat and she has clothes on. Small as it is, even she's improved.
  • One of the loops shows Tahani sitting in on the Ethics classes.
• "Team Cockroach"
  • Michael revealing that in all the reboots they have been through together, Chidi never refused to help Eleanor when she asked for it. And moreover, it always worked. She was always able to improve, every single time.
  • A small one, but when Eleanor ordered an escape train to the Medium Place, she also ordered Janet to load the train with cocaine. Even if she didn't go through with it, she still intended to keep her promise to Mindy.
    • She also makes a genuine offer to take Chidi with her.
  • After finding out the cause of her death, Tahani agrees to Michael's idea proposal not because she wanted to prove how good she is or that she's better than everyone else, but because she genuinely wants to be a better person for herself.
• "Existential Crisis"
  • Jason lifting Tahani's spirits after the party, saying she's "good at everything" and giving her the highest score possible on his dance troupe's rating scale. It's even enough that she sleeps with him.
  • In a flashback, when Eleanor has a breakdown over a toothbrush holder, finally processing her grief over her dad's death, the Bed, Bath, and Beyond employee is very gentle with her, offering her tissues and patiently telling her she can cry as long as she needs to. He has no idea what's going on, but he still tries his level best to help... even if he does have to charge her for the toilet plunger she cried into. Later on, when recounting this to Michael, Eleanor still seems to appreciate his kindness.
  • The way Eleanor helps Michael overcome his existential crisis.
• "Janet and Michael"
  • Janet concludes that her current severe glitches make her a danger to the entire neighborhood, and that the only way to keep everyone safe is for Michael to activate her self-destruct function and a new Janet to be installed. After making a series of excuses to avoid doing so, Michael finally admits that he can't bring himself to destroy her, as he's grown to consider Janet to be his best friend.
  • Seeing Janet and Michael working together before starting the neighborhood has a few sweet moments, even with the context that Michael is lying to Janet about everything. Best example: when Janet is the one to suggest frozen yogurt restaurants for the neighborhood. Michael's reaction is equal parts hilarious and adorable, and he even calls Janet a genius for suggesting it.
• "Derek"
  • After chatting to Eleanor about his struggle with learning to be ethical, she praises him for becoming more human-y and encourages him to stick with their group. Michael is so touched that he's beaming all the way back to his office.
  • Tahani and Jason go on a proper date, and Tahani suggests a game of croquet in the garden, which even she quickly admits is boring ("It combines the British love of whimsy and restraint"). Jason quickly suggests spicing things up by instead hitting the ball as hard as they want. This leads to them getting tipsy on all the champagne, then destroying the champagne bottles and glasses WITH the croquet balls. It's silly and impulsive like everything Jason does, but one gets the sense Tahani hasn't had this much genuine fun in ages.
  • Though it's also a tearjerker, Tahani admits that she's never had a friend before, and it's obvious just how touched she is to have someone who wants to spend time with her and have fun with her.
    • Michael at first attempts to break up the wedding, but admits that Chidi's gotten into his head with his morals and he just can't.
    • Later, after they find out Janet isn't over Jason and that's why she created Derek, they snuggle up in bed and discuss what future they might have. Tahani may be pompous and Jason may be an idiot, but they fact they both unselfishly want the other to be happy is very sweet.
  • When Michael decides to reboot Janet and/or Derek to fix their glitches, he can't go through with it after their endless pleadings. Considering that Michael rebooted Janet literally hundreds of times, this is an indicator of how far he has come.
• "Leap to Faith"
  • Shawn being impressed with Michael's Bad Place and promoting him. Even if it doesn't mean much now that Michael's more focused on trying to be good, he did achieve his goal when he first became an architect. Shawn even admits he was happy for Michael (even if he didn't show it).
  • After a whole episode of the team wondering if Michael has turned against them again, they finally figure out he's been covertly slipping them clues about his plan to save them, and after it works he's immediately moved to Inelegant Blubbering about how worried he was and how glad he is they pulled it off.
  • Eleanor immediately running to hug the sobbing Michael once they're safe. Considering Michael is a demon, this might be his first hug ever.
    • Chidi also gives Michael a fist-bump when the latter tells Eleanor that Kierkegard's work is better translated "leap into faith."
  • Michael tells them that he dropped over 1200 hints to them. While he may be exaggerating, the fact that he went to such an effort to do so right under the demons' noses is both incredibly heartwarming and totally awesome.
  • While sending Derek to the Medium Place, Eleanor gives Mindy a gift for helping them through their many reboots; Derek as a willing sexbot and two big duffle bags full of cocaine.
  • The ending as a whole. The Bad Place workers are gone, there's no lingering threat of being exposed with Vicky gone and the Neighboorhood destroyed, Team Cockroach is hopeful that they'll be admitted into the real Good Place, and Mindy finally gets her cocaine. For once, everyone seems rather happy and it ends on a high note.
  • During the roast, Jason can be seen touching Tahani's arm in support, clearly concerned for her when the jokes get too cruel.
• "Best Self"
  • In solidarity with his newfound perspective on ethics and humanity, the group declares Michael an honorary human. They even give him a human starter kit, complete with more useless Earth trinkets for his collection. He is genuinely touched.
  Michael: Oh, you guys, this is all garbage that I have no real use for!
  Eleanor: That's right. Welcome to being human, buddy.
  • The group bond as close friends for what's really the first time in which all of them cared for each other this way, and knew each other "warts and all". They may not be the best version of themselves, but that's okay because such a thing isn't necessarily possible/is based on a specific combination of internal and external influences.
  • Team Cockroach has a party on what they assume will be their last night together, including a lot of dancing. Chidi and Eleanor slow-dance, and Michael is seen twirling Tahani around the floor. The whole scene is just so sweet and shows how close they've all become.
  • At the end, Team Cockroach decides they have nothing to lose, so they're all gonna go talk to the Judge and make a case for their goodness.
  • Michael admits that all he's ever wanted is to understand how it feels to be human. And now he does.
  • When Chidi offers a toast to Michael, everyone else immediately agrees. Michael's genuinely shocked and touched expression is what makes it.
• "Rhonda, Diana, Jake, and Trent":
  • Chidi is pleased when Eleanor reveals she read ahead in their class and cites to him an argument that lying isn't necessarily wrong.
  • Eleanor telling Michael to be careful when going to get more pins to reach the Judge. Michael is caught flat-footed; this is very probably the first time anyone's expressed genuine concern for his wellbeing.
  • Michael gives Eleanor his last pin and shoves her through the portal, allowing himself to be caught so the humans can escape. What's more, he distracts her because he knows Eleanor wouldn't leave him, and pushes her right as she shouts in protest.
    "I solved the trolley problem."
• "The Burrito"
  • Tahani's face off against her parents closes on a sad, but still heartwarming, note. She apologizes for their relationship and sincerely wishes them the best while closing that chapter of her life.
  • Eleanor claims she failed her test rather than let the other three know she was the only one who actually passed.
  • Crossed with an Awesome Moment for Janet - after struggling to pass off as a Bad Janet in the last episode, she's able to successfully pretend to be Bad through knowing she has do it to save her friends.
  • While it's a funny moment, the fact that Eleanor recognizes Chidi's "moral quandry" grimace as opposed to his "gas pain" grimace or his "someone used bad grammar" grimace shows that she loves him enough to pay attention to all of his expressions, no matter how silly.
• "Somewhere Else"
  • Michael defending the group to Gen as good people deserving of the Good Place and stating that the entire system of reward and punishment is unjust. Quite an amazing amount of Character Development for a demon. He isn't just saying what he says because he likes the humans and is trying to get them out of eternal damnation — he is honestly believing Chidi's teachings.
  • Chidi finally stops coming up with excuses and lets Eleanor know how he feels with a Big Damn Kiss. The smile she gives him afterwards...
    • After he hears about it, Michael exclaims "hot diggity dawg," just as Eleanor had, and even the Judge smiles.
  • Tahani tells Eleanor that all of Tahani's Character Development happened because of their friendship. Quite a heartwarming moment from someone set up literally by design to be Eleanor's Sitcom Archnemesis!
  • Michael and Janet realize that he needs to make sure that Eleanor and Chidi (and by proxy, Jason and Tahani) meet in order for Eleanor to stick to the better path that she attempted to go on.
  • Michael subtly giving Eleanor a nudge in the right direction at the bar. The fact that the things he tells her are the same things she told him earlier, showing how well it affected him.
  • Chidi appears to have improved himself just as much as Eleanor after being saved from his death, confidently giving an hours-long lecture to a rapt audience with none of his usual dithering over the particulars.
  • Janet admitting her love for Jason, who reciprocates. Later, we see that she's the one tracking Jason's progress.

Season 3

• "Everything Is Bonzer!"
  • Michael's determination to save his friends' souls is on full display in the first episode, offering consistent, kindhearted advice that push the gang closer and closer together.
  • Eleanor pushing Simone and Chidi closer together, fully supportive and invested in their dates. While she may be costing herself a relationship with him, she already wants Chidi to be happy.
    • On a similar note, Michael thinks Chidi dating Simone is a disaster because he's so invested in Eleanor and Chidi's relationship.
  • The start of Tahani and Eleanor's friendship on Earth? Eleanor admitting to Tahani that she was never into Kamilah and offering her a space at her motel. Tahani's gleeful smile clearly show this is the first time anyone has enjoyed her company without praising Kamilah left and right.
  • Michael listens to Jason unload about the past year he's had, and gives him the same advice that Eleanor once gave him, about trying to be better even though it's not easy.
  • The way the Doorman just lights up when Michael brings him a thermos with a frog on it from Earth as a souvenir. He's spent the entire episode as The Stoic but the moment he sees the frog, he starts chattering away about it like an excited kid, giving Michael a sincere "thank you" in appreciation.
    • The scene also demonstrates once again just how far Michael has come. He has no pragmatic reason to think of the Doorman at all once through the portal, but he feels genuine gratitude and applies what little he knows about his colleague to bring back a truly thoughtful gift.
• "The Brainy Bunch"
  • Tahani and Jason's developing friendship. Not only does he think she's fun, this time around, she does tell him he's pretty.
  • After all the reboots where Eleanor asked Chidi for help, this time it was her turn to help him.
  • The fact that Eleanor is genuinely trying to be polite to Trevor and avoid outright hurting his feelings is a testament to how far she's come. The old Eleanor would've just told him to fork off.
  • Tahani drunkenly flirts with a flattered Jason. His response is to... call her a cab and make sure she gets home safely. Tahani greatly appreciates it and apologizes to everyone the next morning for her "boorish" intoxicated behavior.
  • When confronting Trevor after his attempt to break up the group fails, Michael says that the four humans are "all I care about in the universe".
  • As Michael and Janet run away from Gen they stop in front of the Doorman who stares them down for a moment...before throwing them the key to the door back to Earth, allowing them to escape. He even salutes them with the frog thermos Michael gave him in the previous episode.
    Jeff: Good luck, frog man. Pulling for ya.
• "The Snowplow"
  • At one point, when explaining her distaste for group activities, Eleanor says, "To me, the single most awful sound in the universe is that mangled opening note of your co-worker singing "Happy Birthday." In one of the Time Skip transitions, we see her and the rest of the Brainy Brunch doing just that for Chidi.
    • In a Fridge sense, the fact that when Eleanor wins the lottery, she uses the money to stay in Australia rather than spend it on superficial things.
  • Janet takes advantage of having total knowledge of, well, everything from before she and Michael arrived on Earth in order to get rid of an eyewitness. How does she do this? By informing him that his ex-wife still loves him, and that he should show her his poetry. The guy's overjoyed reaction makes it clear that Janet probably just changed two people's lives for the better in a major way.
  • After Eleanor publicly lashes out in anger over the study ending and the group breaking up, she and Simone have a heart-to-heart chat where Simone correctly guesses that Eleanor had spent so much of her life looking out solely for herself and now that she has finally made genuine connections and friends, she's terrified of losing that. Eleanor gives Simone a hug and lets her ride in her cab and then go apologize to the others for her outburst.
• "Jeremy Bearimy"
  • When faced with eternal damnation, the humans ultimately decide to do what they can so others can get into the Good Place, even if they won't be able to. Even if they're doomed, saving their loved ones is the least they can do.
  • In a Call-Back to "Everything Is Fine", Eleanor finds a lost wallet at the bar and, instead of keeping it as in the previous example, she goes out of her way to return it to the original owner (along with a lot of his other stuff that was left behind when he moved). Even knowing that she's going to Hell when she dies and that there's nothing she can do to change it, she still makes it a point to do the right thing.
    • The owner of the wallet, Fred Booth, was less interested in getting his money back than in his daughter's drawing folded inside. She drew it when he moved away for his new job, and it reassured him whenever he felt down. It's enough to make the usually cynical Eleanor break into tears.
  Fred: Are you okay?
  Eleanor: No, you shut up. ... I'm having a really weird day.
  • Tahani decides to make a massive anonymous donation to an opera company, which is already very nice of her, but then, Jason comes up with an even better idea. He and Tahani run up to random people on the street (some of whom are obviously struggling), and give them a few thousand dollars each. No questions asked, no strings, not even any explanation. Just going up to total strangers and offering them a huge wad of cash. They both have a great time doing this, and Jason explains to Tahani that, even though a few thousand is barely a drop in the bucket to her, that much money would've changed his whole life. This moves Tahani to (platonically) marry Jason, so she can share her fortune with him.
  • The entire concept of Jeremy Bearimy. From a metaphysical perspective, Jeremy Bearimy means that time in the afterlife passes in such a way that it isn't perceptible by the human mind. In other words, you don't spent your time in the Good Place waiting for your loved ones to grow old and die to see them again, since as far as you are able to perceive time, they're already there, they've always been there, and they've been there as long as you have. In Jeremy Bearimy time, there's no such thing as separation, even for an instant. And for those of us stuck in boring, linear mortal time, missing someone we love, it's a little comforting to imagine that in some ineffable timeline, we're already reunited.
• In "The Ballad of Donkey Doug" we have Jason trying to save his dad from The Bad Place. His reunions with both Pillboi and Donkey Doug also qualify. Though he eventually shifts his focus onto Pillboi, Donkey Doug does eventually prove that he cares about Jason when he gives himself up to the cops for his son. He even asks him to call him 'Donkey Dad' before they both agree that it's weird. Also, redeeming Pillboi through his work with senior citizens.
• By the end of "A Fractured Inheritance," both Eleanor and Tahani have reconciled with Donna and Kamilah, respectively. Kamilah shares credit for her art installation with Tahani, who realizes that all of Kamilah's paintings are a symbol of how their parents always pitted the two of them against one another their whole lives and they bond over their shared resentment of them. Eleanor accepts that her mother has genuinely changed, with a loving boyfriend and daughter figure, and makes Donna promise to cherish her new family. When Eleanor still feels emotionally scarred by her upbringing, Michael reveals the time she told Chidi she loved him.
  • A more subtle heartwarming moment is that Michael genuinely bonds with Donna's boyfriend Dave over their love of architecture, probably the first time he's befriended a human outside of the Soul Squad.
  • It took a lot of work, but "The Good Place" managed to turn a real housewives bitch-fest into a heartwarming and funny moment.
  Donna: I am not basic! YA BASIC.
  Eleanor: No mom, I'm not basic... ya basic. And that's okay.
• "The Worst Possible Use of Free Will": When Eleanor finds out about the time she and Chidi declared their love for each other, we actually get to see the full story: that reboot's new torture was giving everyone mismatched pets for eternity, coupled with Eleanor's lizard running away which could reveal she's a fake. So Chidi skipped out on being able to fly (in a nice Call-Back to his first real lesson to her) to help her look, leading to them kissing, and ultimately declaring to the still evil Michael that their love can conquer anything he throws at them.
  • Upon viewing it, Eleanor immediately puts her walls up and spends most of the rest of the episode arguing that Michael manipulated them into it, since she's terrified of being vulnerable. Michael wins the argument in a combination heartwarming, funny, and awesome moment by dumping a glass of iced tea on her head (because he can) and telling her that he knows exactly why she's doing this. She later thanks him for doing so.
• When Eleanor-Janet wants to calm down Chidi-Janet in the void, she gives him a replica of the puppy that looked like his childhood puppy from the memory walk in "The Worst Possible Use of Free Will".
• A small moment in "Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By" - while giving Eleanor advice, Tahani assumes she and Eleanor were best friends in every Bad Place reboot, and Eleanor lets her believe it was true.
• "The Book of Dougs": Eleanor and Chidi's first date. They're just four Oreos away from officially being in heaven, but that's unimportant, because they're together. Made all the more poignant by Eleanor - the most headstrong, self-sufficient, sarcastic member of the Soul Squad - having a moment of real, complete vulnerability. She's come a long way since her defensive persona in Season 1, and it's her trust in Chidi that got her there.
• "Chidi Sees the Time-Knife".
  • This small but sweet exchange while Michael and Janet are rebuilding the neighborhood:
    Janet: I have some ideas on how to design a sort of "basic" neighborhood, which we can then tailor to the guests as we learn more about them!
    Michael: Now, when you say "some ideas"...
    Janet: I have eleven trillion ideas.
    Michael: Yes! I'm so glad you're here, Janet.
    Janet: Me too.
    (Michael affectionately strokes Janet's shoulder.)
  • Jason's story to prove that life on Earth is complicated. He talks about a member of his dance crew who was always late for practice and Jason gave him a hard time about it... until he crashed at the guy's place one night and found out he was always busy working to support all four of his grandparents. Jason never complained about him being late again.
  • Eleanor and Chidi hold hands in their new house. Eleanor suggests studying philosophy, and Chidi recommends having sex.
• When Eleanor goes to get the briefing from Michael, she notices that he's nervous, not realising that he's just been tormented by Shawn and Vicky about what will happen to his friends when they lose, and does her best to be supportive.
  Eleanor: Your friends will always trust you.
• The whole scene between Eleanor and Janet at the end of "Pandemonium," in which Janet draws on what she's learned about being human to comfort Eleanor and give her the strength to carry on with the team's plan. Eleanor says that "for a robot, you're a really good girlfriend". Janet confirms that "I'm only one of three of those things". She's not a robot, she's not a girl, she is a friend.
  • And the scene before in which Michael shows them clips of their time together over the reboots (several of which we, the viewers, also never saw before and including several Callbacks). Ironically, it was probably the purest torture he's ever done to them and goes to show how much he's changed.
  • Recognizing that Eleanor is the one making the real sacrifice, as she'll have to keep her memories of their relationship and see the oblivious Chidi every day, he comforts her.
  Eleanor: [crying] I just wish we had more time together.
  Chidi: Time is nothing. Jeremy Bearimy, baby. We'll get through this, and then you and I can just chill out in the dot of the i forever.

Season 4

• "A Girl From Arizona Part 1": In a... weird way, Shawn's pep-talk to the rest of the Bad Place crew at the beginning of the season. He gives them the same juvenile insults we've come to expect from them, but because of their evil natures, to them, he's giving them glowing compliments. When Val shoots back with a Your Mom joke, Shawn seems downright proud, and actually gets a little choked up.
  • From the same episode: Eleanor, still posing as the Architect, returns from showing Chidi around and is clearly upset that he can't even remember her name. When the others see her, she tries convincing them that she's okay, only for Tahani to get up and give her a big hug. Jason joins as well ... although it's more because of the fact that his hands are cold, but hey, props for trying!!
• "A Girl From Arizona Part 2"
  • After Eleanor has a meltdown and tries to quit being team leader, Michael gives her a You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech to get her head back in the game.
    Michael: When I started my experiment, I thought, "Four broken bird-brains will believe everything I tell them. This will be a breeze." You beat me in three months. "Okay, fine," I thought, "a fluke." You then beat me eight hundred more times. Because human beings, it turns out, are weird, and I will never truly understand what it's like to be one. This job is for a human. One who is tough, but empathetic, and has a big heart, and a world-class bullshirt detector. You think you can't do this? Eleanor, you're the only one who can do this. Like it or not, the only one who can save humanity is a girl from Arizona.
  • Jason, instead of doing something that would make his situation worse, actually goes to Michael in order for advice on how to win Janet back. Michael gently explains that his impulsive nature caused a lot of harm and chaos on Earth, and says to give Janet some space. Jason actually takes the advice to heart and tries to control his impulses.
  • After Janet breaks up with Jason, she also has to break it to him that Blake Bortles has been cut from the Jacksonville Jaguars. She adds, "I am genuinely sorry," and seems to mean it. No one else gets why Jason loves the Jaguars, or Bortles, so much, but it matters to him, so it matters to Janet. Either ruined or oddly even more heartwarming in hindsight when it's revealed to be an imposter.
  • After Jason and Janet's break-up, Tahani comes to comfort Jason, saying that she's sorry about the whole thing. They share break-up strategies, and end their talk with a hug. Regardless of their complicated relationship, Tahani and Jason are friends and will always be there for each other.
  • Eleanor setting up Chidi and Simone together despite still having feelings for Chidi. Her sacrificing her and Chidi's relationship for a shot at trying to redeem Simone shows how far she's come.
  • Michael tells her that he believes she made the bigger sacrifice by having to live with the knowledge the person she cares about doesn't remember her while Chidi gets to carry on unaware. Considering Michael bonded with Eleanor and the others in Season Two only to then see their memories erased and have to meet them again on Earth, he may be speaking from experience of what she is going through.
  • How Chidi convinces Simone to stop going wacko; he playfully puts a finger in her frozen yogurt and dabs some of it on her nose. She finds it Actually Pretty Funny as Chidi explains that there may not be consequences and they're figments of her imagination, but it may be worth trying to not act that way, so as to not be a Jerkass.
  • It's a small moment, but Jason high-fiving Eleanor for a joke at the end of the episode is also quite nice. Even despite being upset about the situation with Janet, he won't leave Eleanor hanging.
• "Chillaxing"
  • Eleanor breaking down into tears after realizing that she's pushed Chidi too far due to her anger that he wiped his memories of her. While Eleanor's anger was misguided, she realizes that it was wrong and that it was her fault.
  • Once again, Michael is there to comfort Eleanor when she breaks down and tells her that it's okay for her to feel sad or angry.
  • After spending a week trying to befriend John and make him become a better person, Tahani realizes that she and John are really not so different - both felt excluded and lonely throughout their lives and just wanted praise and attention. She goes up to John and tells him that wanting fame and attention isn't all that great. John, in return, apologizes for all the mean things he wrote about her, and the two go out for a walk together. It really shows Tahani's growth and gives John a push in the right direction.
• "Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy"
  • The fact that Glenn snuck out of the Bad Place and told Eleanor and co. about the traitor in their midst. It's not dwelt on, but he took a huge risk in doing so.
    • He did it partly because he's sick of being treated like crap by Shawn (even though he's pretty awesome, able to develop things like Vicki's Michael suit), but also because he, like Michael, thought that torturing people was okay because the people deserved it and, thanks to the Soul Squad, he no longer believes that.
  • The fact that Jason couldn't care less about Michael being a fire squid, even though Michael is super disgusted by it and assumes the humans would be too. Michael even asks if they would really want to be friends with him after seeing him in his true form - to which Jason exclaims that, yes, he would, and he keeps trying to tell Michael that.
  • Michael offering to blow himself up when the gang isn't sure if he's really himself or Vicky in disguise. After losing her trust in him, it's this selfless act which convinces Eleanor of the truth.
    Michael: We still have a major problem. You can't be sure if I'm really me.
    Eleanor: Yes we can. You offered to sacrifice yourself for a bunch of cockroaches. That's about the most Michael thing you could do.
  • Michael and Jason start preparing to go to the Bad Place to rescue Janet. They are literally going to hell and back to save their friend.
• "Employee of the Bearimy"
  • Michael expresses that he's utterly disgusted by the demon he used to be, and still feels extreme guilt for his past actions. In the end, Jason gently tells him it's okay that he still feels ashamed, but he shouldn't keep beating himself up about it — he's not that demon anymore. What's important is the kind, happy, selfless person he is now. And he of course says it in that delightfully stupid yet somehow insightful Jason Mendoza way.
    Jason: You're not a demon anymore, you're just, like, a nice weird happy old dude.
    • Michael quietly chuckles at Jason's speech.
  • Tahani regains her memories of their time in the fake Good Place, and emphasizes to Eleanor that she wants to be a better person and have a stronger friendship since she realized they were at odds for most of the time.
  • Michael voluntarily returning to the Bad Place. He knows this will not only be a risky endeavor, but an incredibly emotionally painful one as well. But he needs to be there to save Janet, so he willfully treks through this nightmare, which is just another sign of the selfless person he's become.
  • How Jason tells Janet that it's really him and not Glenn in a suit; he does what seems to be a Jason impression and says, "I know we had a fight and I'm sorry. I love you, girl." She responds, "Not a girl" with astonishment, catches on that the Michael with Jason is really her Michael and not Vicky, and plays along after realizing that they've come to rescue her.
  • Michael's Dare to Be Badass speech to the demons in the audience. He tells them he was exactly like them once, thinking they were providing balance. But he has since learned that humans are capable of self-improvement, and then stresses to them that so are they. It's just so clear that Michael wholeheartedly believes that things can change for the better; after all, he did.
  • Janet confirms the unfortunate news that the Jaguars actually cut Blake Bortles and replaced him with a man named Nick Foles. Jason is shocked at first...only to reveal it's because he's ecstatic. He cheers out "Foles!" and Michael and Janet join him.
• "A Chip Driver Mystery"
  • It's revealed that Michael's been trying to reform the Bad Janet that was sent to sabotage the Soul Squad's experiment since she has more sentience and self-awareness than the average Bad Janet thanks to being put through multiple reboots. While she's generally dismissive and rude the whole time and he even agrees with her that not everyone wants to change, he still lets her go free with a copy of his and Janet's manifesto. It's obviously a very long reach and a big leap of faith to take since she's the most powerful Bad Janet in existence now and there's no way to tell if she's still loyal to the Bad Place, but he acknowledges that she has been used by Shawn and never given a choice in her life. Now she has control of her future, and maybe that will come with the propensity to change for the better.
  • Jason trying to help Chidi relax by dancing in the same episode. They're having such wholesome fun it's hard not to smile... until John discovers them.
    • And working off that, John, who can't resist the opportunity for juicy gossip, promises not to spill Jason's secret. And he actually keeps to it!
  • The reason why Simone criticizes Brent's book; she notes that it's turned Tahani into an unflattering caricature and one-note love interest for "Chip Driver". She's mad on Tahani's behalf and invites her to roast the book over drinks. We see the two ladies doing so, happily enjoying each other's hatred of "racist, sexist poppycock" as Tahani puts it later.
  • Eleanor tries to get Simone to forgive Brent, but is forced to concede that Simone is completely right that Brent is an unapologetic white man that feels entitled to walk over everyone's feelings. She switches tracks and advises Simone to break it gently to Brent that his book is terrible so he won't react badly.
  • The reason why Chidi steps in to reason with Brent when the latter has a temper tantrum about no one liking his book; he called Simone a "mean bench" for criticizing his work. Chidi can handle insults towards himself, but insults towards his loved one is another issue altogether. He tries to summon a book to calm down the situation and warns Brent before it brushes past him. Simone is visibly proud of Chidi for punching Brent out when the latter shoves him.
• "Help Is Other People"
  • John was able to keep Jason a secret for six months without telling anyone. That's pretty big for someone who used to define his life around spilling other people's gossip.
  • Part of the reason Chidi didn't tell anyone that Jason had a big secret, in addition to not wanting to let someone else get tortured, was that he considers Jason his friend. This is without their memories of spending time together on Earth.
  • Michael tells Eleanor that he has a plan. Without hearing it, Eleanor trusts him and agrees to it.
  • Michael holds a last-ditch Secret Test of Character, knocking Brent into a pit and asking the four humans to save him. When John and Simone bail on saving Brent, and Chidi gets trapped in his attempt, who comes to the rescue? Tahani and Jason!
  • It took until the literal last minute of the experiment and pushing him to the breaking point, but Brent finally sincerely apologizes for his terrible behavior, showing he isn't irredeemable.
• "The Funeral to End All Funerals"
  • The Good Place Committee has forgiven Michael for lying to them, and praise him for working on the experiment. When Michael points out they don't know how he did, the Committee says regardless, they know he did a good job. Despite himself, he looks flattered. They also have the grace to laugh at Shawn's Your Mom quip.
  • The humans' fake funerals and eulogies to each other, celebrating their friendships and their growth over this journey.
    • Tahani claiming that she "never felt as seen" as she did when Eleanor saw her is a wonderful summation of their friendship.
  • Three of the four humans improved! John became less catty and gossipy, Simone learned to care for others and allow herself to be less rational, and Chidi Grew a Spine to become more decisive.
    • Who was it that grew the most? Not Chidi the philosopher, or Simone (who spent the most time with him), but John, whose score improved by 44%!
  • The work the Soul Squad did during their brief time on Earth was not in vain: Kamilah is revealed to have opened a charity in Tahani's name giving scholarships to underprivileged girls so they can go to college, Pillboi is still staying the course, and Donna is still with Dave and taking good care of Patricia.
  • Michael's continued passionate fighting for the behalf of humanity in this episode is nothing short of inspiring. Even when he admits that Brent was a terrible person who did indeed become worse in the afterlife, he still argues that the man did show he also has the potential to become better after getting a push in the right direction and that this proves that humans can do better when they get real love and support and it's not fair to hold it against them when they don't.
• Michael coming close to shedding tears of joy when the Judge tells him they won. Cue a tight hug between him and Eleanor.
  • Michael's kindness to Bad Janet pays off in the motherload of Karmic Jackpots: after she read through Michael and Good Janet's manifesto, she came to realize that humans are indeed complex and the judgment system isn't fair to them, and passed it on to all the other Janets (good, bad, neutral, and Disco) in existence, who then come together to stop Gen from wiping the slate clean and rebooting existence so they can give the heroes time to find another solution.
• "The Answer"
  • Chidi as a cute newborn baby and later as an Adorably Precocious Child. He's both smart and loving enough to create a lecture that convinces his parents to keep working on their marriage and reminds them of their love for each other and inspires him to pursue philosophy and solve problems in the same way.
  • In one of the reboots, Eleanor points out the fundamental flaw in Chidi's story about his presentation saving his parents' marriage: It's a helluva lot to put on an eight-year-old kid to have to make a presentation about that.
  • In one of the reboots, Tahani remarks on the spark between Chidi and Eleanor. When Eleanor asks to talk to Chidi alone (importantly, if Chidi wants to talk alone), Chidi The Ditherer immediately says yes.
  • After spending his whole life seeking out answers, Chidi has a talk with Michael about how impossible it is to find the answers to everything, as life is a constant journey of seeking out answers every day. Michael also theorizes that while soulmates might not exist, if they do, it's because you make someone your soulmate.
  • Before Chidi prepares to have his memories wiped, his last request is for Janet to store a note that he wrote. Janet tears up and ends their conversation by giving Chidi a kiss on the cheek as a farewell.
  • Chidi realizing that his parents stayed together not because of the cold hard facts he presented as a kid, but because him making the presentation made them realize he needed them. Michael adds it also reminded them that they did love each other and inspired them to put in the hard work a real relationship needs to survive.
  • During the various reboots, we not only see affirmation of Chidi's positive relationships, we get special attention to what he learned from Jason. Jason, who was consistently seen as unwise by both other characters and fans, became a consistent, non-judgmental source of life advice for the person who was supposed to be teaching him.
  • Chidi's awakening. Every single experience from the show, which the viewers have been privy to but Chidi has always been at least partially unaware of, has been fused into one and placed into his mind. He stands, stretching, affirms that he feels great. And then, with the full, unabridged knowledge of everything his friends have done for him across hundreds of years, he thanks them from the bottom of his heart.
    Chidi: Thank you. All of you. For everything that you've done for me, you are wonderful people.
  • The last thing Chidi does before the mind wipe is write a note for Janet to hold if he ever sees her again. When he awakens with his memories, he asks to see the note again, referring to it as some of the best writing he's ever done:
    There is no "answer."
    But Eleanor is the answer.
• "You've Changed, Man"
  • Chidi's confidence when he's reawakened is a huge one. First off, it's concrete proof of his change and growth. Secondly, when Eleanor takes a second to confront him vis-a-vis "them", there is no hesitation or shyness when he declares that he loves her.
  • The Big Damn Kiss.
    Chidi: Hearing you talk about philosophical concepts of justice is so sexy.
  • Michael sincerely extending friendship to Shawn, realizing that he's as trapped in the broken system as anyone else, and that working together is the only way to change it.
• "Mondays, Am I Right?":
  • After all the problems Gen caused for Team Cockroach, when they finally do prove the new judgment system they've proposed works and are fully prepared to go through it themselves, she instead grants them automatic acceptance into the Good Place, because she knows they've truly earned their spot.
  • Michael and Vicky finally making amends by him giving her the position of running the new system after realizing she'll do a good job at it. The Time Skip at the end where she's efficiently running the new training system with both Good and Bad Place architects with a fulfilled smile is pretty sweet.
• "Patty"
  • When Jason asks Janet if she's certain they're going the right way to the Good Place, she replies she's sure of it because she feels like she's coming home at last.
  • In the extended cut of the episode, when Michael starts to panic that he won't be welcome as a demon in the Good Place, Jason and Eleanor reassure him that it's going to be okay.
    Eleanor: We're here and we're safe and we have forever.
  • The humans linking arms together and going to the portal to their party as one group. The Good Place is nothing without each other.
  • Chidi geeking out and squealing in delight at getting to meet Hypatia of Alexandria. While she finds it amusing and a little confusing, Eleanor can't help but feel happy for him at getting to finally meet one of his inspirations.
  • The Good Place Committee's welcome to the Soul Squad, calling them heroes, and giving Michael a spot as an architect. Sure, in the latter case it was to help them quit their own jobs, but they were sincere in their compliments to them.
  • After figuring out a way to help relieve the residents' boredom and mental ennui from being worn out on too much pleasure, the residents show their appreciation to the Soul Squad by happily dancing along to Jason DJing the party and Janet proudly declares "That's my boyfriend!"
  • Hypatia and Chidi's conversation at the end. She's going to try to relearn the things she forgot and thanks Chidi for helping her rediscover her own passions before looking at the rest of the Soul Squad with a smile.
  • In the extended episode, after the dance party, the group are having dinner around a table. It's great to see the gang just having fun and laughing after all they've been through.
    Janet: I thought I felt like I was home because I was in the Good Place but it's you guys. You're my home.
  • This little Call-Back to the pilot.
    Eleanor: You know, Michael, at the end of the day, you were right. Everything is fine.
• The look that Michael gives as he watches his friends go to their respective houses he's built for them. All he's been working for and sacrificing so much, for so many years, has to been to make sure they were all safe in the Good Place. Finally, he's done it.
  • Eleanor and Chidi cuddling on the couch together, watching the sunset, ready to face eternity together. It's a happy ending they've earned and a new beginning.

Whenever You're Ready (Season 4 Finale)

The hour long Series Finale of The Good Place has so many examples that it deserves its own folder.

• Shawn says that he's never, ever, ever, ever (repeating for 25 "ever's") going to admit that he prefers the new system. Michael smiles and says, "I know, buddy. I know."
  • Shawn smiles back, then notices what he's done and replaces it with his scowl.
• Donkey Doug tells his son that he loves and believes in him when Jason's preparing to win the perfect game of Madden.
  • Also, it appears Jason is now referring to Donkey Doug as "Dad."
• Jason, who didn't even need Michael toying with him to realize he didn't belong in the fake Good Place, is the first of the cast to become so "good" and complete that he's ready to move on from the real Good Place.
• Michael checks in on Janet when he hears about this. She promises that she's fine, but promises she'll come to him if she needs help.
• The goodbye party they throw him. His father and best friend both give speeches on how much he means to them and his old dance crew gets back together so he can go out in a blaze of glory. Jason also has a talk with Chidi and Eleanor about how he knew and it sounds extremely peaceful.
• Before he goes through the door, Jason makes it clear that he's 100% fine — and even happy — with the idea that Janet might meet someone else and fall in love again.
  • Jason quietly waits one thousand Bearimys in the forest, despite being ready to go through the door, just to wait for Janet to come back so he can give her his final gift. D'Arcy Carden wears it as a bracelet in the after-show discussion.
• Janet tells Jason that, in all the Bearimies they spent together, she never had any bad memories with him.
• More than that, we meet Jason masquerading as a Buddhist monk, Jianyu. The last time we see him, he's spent centuries sitting under a tree to reach enlightenment...just like the Buddha.
  • Jason's last words before he goes through the door for real are a joyful "Chidi, wait up!" before he chases after his friend and passes on happily.
• Tahani and Kamilah are much more at ease with one another than they ever were on Earth. Once their parents arrive, the first thing they do is tell their daughters that they love them and that they're sorry for how they treated them. For the first time, they do normal things together as a happy family.
• When Tahani feels as though she's mastered every skill, she briefly decides to walk through the door. At the last minute, she decides to apply to become an Architect, so she can keep learning and continue helping people in the afterlife. Michael even gives her his own peacock bowtie - the very same bowtie he wore in the first episode.
• Eleanor, after thousands of Bearimys, finally convinces Mindy to go through the system and get into the Good Place, pointing out that the help Mindy previously gave her means that she can't be entirely self-serving, and that Mindy could learn to bond with other people just like Eleanor did. Additionally, Mindy's test will be Tahani's first job as an official architect.
  • Shawn also seems rather pleased with Tahani's work, assuring Eleanor that she will be certified soon. To think a guy who wanted nothing more to torture humans is eager to work with one!
  • Mindy sincerely thanks Eleanor for helping her, admitting that it's nice to have someone care about her when she never really gave a crap about herself.
• Unlike Eleanor, Jason, and Chidi, we never see Tahani find a true soul mate... but because of Eleanor, Jason, and Chidi, she realizes she didn't need one, as she found the love in herself and no longer needed outside validation. Her self-confidence and self-esteem are now so thoroughly justified that she's beaten the limits of what humans were thought to be capable of. Also, several of the background characters' fates suggest that plenty of people can be okay without a soul mate, which Michael confirms to Chidi.
• Chidi tells Eleanor that he didn't just have the feeling he's ready—he's been feeling ready for a while, but has been trying to hide it for as long as possible for her sake.
• Eleanor desperately tries to persuade Chidi not to go through the door... but when he agrees to stay for her sake, she realizes she can't ask him to do that. Her only request is that he leaves before she wakes up the next morning. It takes the concept of, "if you love something, set it free" to a whole new level.
• Before Chidi goes through the door, he leaves one final gift for Eleanor: a calendar with pictures of himself in various pinup poses. It's funny, sweet, and sad all at the same time. It also covers all of the interests she's shown her strongest attraction to over the course of the show, down to him with a pro wrestling championship belt on the cover. Plus, it's a calender of Bearimies. The concept that broke his human mind became his memento for his soul mate.
  • Perhaps the best? The picture she lingers on is one that's a picture of Chidi in his normal clothes, smiling at her.
• In the table-read of the original script, there was a scene were Michael checks in on how Eleanor is coping after Chidi leaves and he presents her with a gift basket full of massage oil, candles and books on coping with loss. In the extended cut of the episode, when the two of them are chatting in Michael's office, the basket can still be seen underneath Michael's chair.
  • In said scene, Eleanor vents her frustration at not being sure what her final thing is supposed to be to make her complete. Michael shares his own worries with her about feeling directionless after so many years and calls her 'sister'. The two then chuckle over Michael still not being able to learn the guitar. It's nice to see that, despite Eleanor's fears about being alone without Chidi, she still has her demon buddy for company.
• Michael when he learns he's going to become a human. When he first starts to suspect what Eleanor and Janet are hinting at, his voice just radiates pure and utter awe, and he keeps trailing off as if he can hardly believe it. Even when he's told that he'll one day really, truly die and will then have no real way to determine what'll happen to him after that, Michael doesn't care because that's one of the aspects of humanity he's always craved and is what'll make his time on Earth so special.
• Janet hovering over Michael before he leaves for Earth, ensuring he goes to a doctor, takes care of his health and finances, and every other thing a human would need to do on Earth. When Michael assures her that he will be fine, she just says she knows, but she worries. After spending eons in paradise with him, Janet is now handing her oldest friend into the unknown, but she also knows he wants this more than anything, so she lets him go.
• Among the people we see in The Good Place, Doug Forcett stands out as someone who truly Earned His Happy Ending. We also see that eventually, the Soul Squad's parents, John, Simone, Eleanor's friends, Uzo, Pillboi and even Donkey Doug passed their tests and got to spend time in the afterlife with their loved ones. Brent is still working on it, confirming that willfully bad people don't get an easy Karma Houdini—but also that no one is beyond redemption eventually.
  • The scene where Chidi and Eleanor have dinner with their friends implies that Madison has forgiven Eleanor for the instigating and profiteering off the Dress Bitch incident, while Uzo and Chidi have reconnected after the former had enough of the latter's indecisiveness (and presumably stopped talking to him). In addition, Chidi and Eleanor's respective friend groups get along with each other.
• In his office, Micheal's picture of Doug Forcett has been replaced with pictures of Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason.
• After Jason gives it to her, Janet visibly wears her necklace every time she appears.
• Eleanor's speech about humanity. How being human is full of good and bad moments, of teaching yourself things yet also letting others teach you, of messing up and then trying to improve, even when you mess up again. It just rings so true, and is made doubly sweet by the fact that we see a montage of Michael doing all the things mentioned, showcasing how he truly is experiencing humanity.
  • He has a great dane named Jason with his own little bow tie.
• Michael's new life on Earth. All Michael's wanted for eons is to know what it feels like to be human. Now he finally has it, and it's clear it's everything he ever dreamed of and more. We see him making friends at a New Year's Eve party, learning to play guitar like he always wanted, and comforting a friend in need. He even gets a dog, whom he names after Jason!
  • Also, keep in mind that Michael hadn't even seen Jason for over a thousand Bearimies at that point. Nice to know he still remembered and loved Jason after all that time.
• The last line of the series is Michael finally getting to say his favorite human phrase in the context he's always dreamed of.
  Take it sleazy.
• One of Eleanor's soul fragments touches a man and inspires him to do something nice and make someone else's day a little better. That someone else being her good friend Michael. The implication being that her being one with the universe now inspires others who used to be like past self to be better people.
• All of the human's moments that made them feel 'complete' can count; Tahani repairing her relationship with her parents, Chidi witnessing Eleanor receive affection from her mother, Jason winning a game with his dad, Eleanor making Michael's dream come true.
• There's a beautiful little Freeze-Frame Bonus at the very end: Once again, Michael is living in Neighborhood 12358.
• Janet became aware enough to feel the pain of losing her friends. The episode ends with her having lost Jason, Chidi, and Eleanor through the doorway, and she'll probably, unlike Michael, never have the desire to pass through it herself. What keeps this from being a pure tearjerker is the fact that she confirms with Jason that she experiences all of her existence. She hasn't lost them and never can. Her life with them (not alive) is always happening and always will.
• The entire portrayal of the afterlife, once our main characters are done with it. When you die, no matter how badly you messed up or how many mistakes you made, you get a fair chance to prove you're good enough for The Good Place. And if you don't? You learn from your mistakes and take the test again. And again. And again. No limits on how many times you can take the test, no threat of eternal torment — you get to keep trying until finally, you pass the test. The tests don't even make you become a completely different person — instead, they enhance all the positive qualities that made you you, and have the negative ones washed away. You truly become the best version of yourself, and that version of yourself gets to enter the Good Place, having cast off what held you back on Earth. Even the Bad Place demons get a win: the people most thoroughly bad go through the system so many times that the Demons may never get bored, especially since they'll be hand-crafting the tests to every person ever to live. Not only do they still get to torment people, but they now have the confidence that it truly is what they deserve and for the greater good. And when you make it through, the final Good Place is whatever you want it to be, and you can spend as much time as you like partying, seeing everything you ever wanted to see, and hanging out with your friends and family, content in the knowledge that, whatever their flaws, they'll be joining you eventually, even better than you knew them. And when you're finally content and complete, completely at peace and with nothing left you wish to do, you walk through a beautiful, tranquil forest towards a doorway. You can spend as long as you need sitting on a bench preparing yourself, and then, you walk through the door. The exact nature of what happens after that remains a mystery, but comparisons are drawn to a wave returning to the sea, what you've always been meant to become and what you've always been, with bits of your essence influencing people on Earth for the better. But until you're really, truly ready for that, something you get to decide, you get to spend eternity having fun and surrounded by who and what you love most. It's probably one of the most comforting, most merciful depictions of death ever put to television.
• Jeff the Doorman spent eternity alone in the hub with nothing but the key, the return clicker, and his frog keychain. He ends the series surrounded by gifts given him by all his new friends, finally the center of a hub of activity as the afterlife has been transformed in a way that gives him joy and meaning, too.