The “fork in a garbage disposal” metaphor is going to stick with me for the rest of my life. I loved this episode.
I think it was the complete opposite of treading water. They completely abandoned the setting of the show (at least for now) and set the stage for the remainder of the season. This was almost a mini pilot for the second half of season 2.
Well there goes the neighborhood!
Agreed. And we actually get to see the real Bad Place; it’ll be interesting to if/how it lives up to the descriptions we’ve gotten given this is a network TV show. Then again the portal is in the Bad Place HQ so they might just go straight to that office building thing Michael was working in when he came up with the idea for the “Good Place”.
Random probably-not-accurate guess.
Michael is a construct, just like the fake victims of the trolley problem. He thinks he’s a real demon, he thinks the Bad Place is exactly as horrifying as we’ve all been told it is, and he really does want to get to the Good Place.
This entire arc, including the last few episodes, is still for the benefit/torture/torture-benefit of the four human characters.
The only thing that makes me doubt Michael being a construct is why does his boss still treat him like he’s real? If he were just a kind of Janet-being, you’d just upload the “memories” to him and not have a face to face meeting.
I’ll avoid spoilers, but I think the end of tonight’s episode was a pretty impressive show of character growth.
Pirates of the Caribbean 6
The Belayed Crows Nest
Or Something
Who Gives A Crap
Now Showing Everywhere
Forever
“JORTLES!!!”
I thought it was great seeing how Jason fit right in with all the bros in hell. He just seemed like he was hanging out with his friends at a sports bar.
The highlight for me was Tahani trying to pull off an American accent - “pass the NASCAR ketchup!”
I liked the wide shot of the train crossing the trestle. Presumably it crosses the River Styx, and it allows them to bypass those annoying ferrymen.
The Blake Bortles jokes are even more amusing to me considering he’s in the AFC Championship Game this weekend. If he becomes a Super Bowl winning QB (unlikely) it’d make it even more hilarious.
Also the molotov cocktail worked! Because of course they do - as soon as Jason said that I was like yes, do that.
Oh, Michael, sniff.
I died. 
Of course, it being on NBC, they could never show this, but I would have loved to have seen Eleanor, once she realized she could actually swear again, let loose a tirade of filthy curse words, just because she now could.
“Can’t a single hottie read philosophy books for fun?”
The Dax Shepard cameo was a nice touch.
I am going spoiler box free.
So where was Janet at the end of the ep? Did Michael intentionally not have her there? Or is she somewhere else with that somewhere else to revealed as being quite significant?
‘How do you smell loud and confusing?’
I’m assuming that where Janet is isn’t going to be significant in itself…just that being elsewhere allows her to sweep in and rescue Michael next week, without opening up the question of why she didn’t do whatever she does before.
One small annoyance with the episode–the exhibit of the “First white person to grow dreadlocks (and the first person to call Ultimate Frisbee ‘ultimate’).” This plays to the lie that dreadlocks are a “black thing” that has been culturally appropriated by whites, when in fact white people have been wearing dreadlocks for thousands of years. The first white person to grow dreadlocks might have been the first person to call Ultimate Discus “ultimate.” Or Ultimate Poke A Mammoth With A Sharpened Stick.
I also thought that was a pretty weak jab. It’s called “Ultimate” instead of “Ultimate Frisbee” because “Frisbee” is a brand name, and thus it can’t legally be called “Ultimate Frisbee”. (And of course one of the people who invented Ultimate Frisbee grew up to be the creator of Veronica Mars, Kristen Bell’s first big starring role.)
On the whole, I think this episode was a bit less than the sum of its parts. It had a lot of funny moments, but overall had nowhere near the satisfying “OMG I can not believe it” feel of the first season finale.
This wasn’t the finale, though. Was it?
I could’ve used maybe 3 weeks in Hell, dodging Shawn and their former neighbors.
StG
My eye went RIGHT to that poster, when the shot of the train station appeared. And there was another Johnny Depp joke later in the episode. Someone on that show really has it in for him!
Yes, and having the spouses compliment each other, then letting the plot move on, was well-handled.
There are two more episodes: January 25 and February 1.
I, too, was hoping for more of The Bad Place.
(Anyone know how long a wait we’ll have until Season 3?)
There’s still two episodes left to go, so it shouldn’t have that level of cliffhanger anyway. And let’s not assume there will be another twist at season’s end either, that gets tired and feels forced after a while, it’s best not to set too high a precedent, as I’m sure the creators know.