Throughout the year, actress Emma Caulfield keeps a TV diary on EW.com.
She uses this space to talk about what shes loving, hating, or tolerating.
Currently, shes into the second season of NBCs sitcomThe Good Place, which airs Thursday nights.
Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC; Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic
I love when Fall TV returns.
Its television Christmas for me.
(I feel this way everyGame Of ThronesSunday, but thats another article.)
With year-round programming on every gear, its not the magical annual event it once was.
(Seriously, next up is your uncles pacemaker as Must See TV.
Like, Whaddya doing tonight Uncle Mel?
And hes like, Pacemaker and Chill, little Tito.)
If you want to know whats so brilliant aboutThe Good Placeand dont mind spoilers, read on.
If you do mind, get thee to a nunnery, fool, because Im about to go long!
(Fall also equals football.
Okay, lets dive in.
What isThe Good Place?
Heres the basic info: In life, its a comedy on NBC.
On the show, its Heaven and every character on the show is dead.
Way to be bold, NBC!
But this isnt your average Heaven.
Its elite Heaven no average great soul is allowed.
Not even Mother Teresa cracked their admission standards, though Lincoln did (Go, Abe!).
Competition is fierce as fork!
(Whats up DArcy Carden?!
Can we be friends?)
#SamMaloneForever!).
The shows first soul jumbo lottery winner is Eleanor Shellstrop, played by next level hilarious Kristen Bell.
Up top, girls!)
Michael and Janet guide Eleanor through the neighborhoods attractions (yogurt for everyone!)
while praising her for all her corporal selfless deeds.
(I smell foreshadowing!)
Like, the WORST.
The Good Place got her name right, but accepted the wrong soul.
What the fork?!
(Theres no swearing in The Good Place because fork it, why would they?
Everything is forking perfect!)
WHY DO I LOVEThe Good PlaceSO MUCH?!
Let me count its twisty ways…
1.The plot.
I have more on that but first let me…
2.The cast.
That brings me to actor Manny Jacinto, who plays Jianyu/Jason.
We first meet Jacinto as Jianyu, a devoted monk who took an oath of silence.
Upon arrival at The Good Place, Michael asks if he would like to remain silent for all eternity.
And he meditates, much to the frustration of his soul mate Tahani.
Poor perfect Tahanis afterlife is giving her blue balls.
Youre so funny and smart!
Everything you do is art!
(Its not about you Emma!
Whats up Michael Schur?
Your show is quickly entering my all-time list!
Lots of loud enthusiastic clapping is happening right now for you and your brilliant writers room!
An analogy is forming; I feel it.
I gotta go stream of consciousness here.
Not about you, Emma.
Not about you, Emma.
I want fall boots.
Not about you, Emma.
Less is more, is more or less good.
Good things come in small packages.
Honey, I shrunk the kids.
Its not about you, Emma.
The Good Placeis a Russian nesting doll set.
You know the kind where there are like six smaller dolls hidden inside one large doll?
But the doll in this case is an onion and the onion is the show.
Lets peel that onion and start crying, shall we?The Good Placeis high-concept television.Large Russian doll.
Inside that doll is a comedy that looks like cotton candy, sweet airy and whimsical.Smaller Russian doll.
Inside that doll is a subversive take on the 1 Percenters.
Its elite Heaven remember?
Inside that doll is a show about motives.
What motivates us to be good?
What makes us friends?
Is it shared values?
Does misery truly love company?Even smaller doll.
The even smaller doll inside that doll is a show about soul mates.
Are soul mates only sexual?
In the play a group of souls are left in a waiting room on route to Hell.
A show this smart could sustain itself on six Russian dolls and be perfect.
But inside THAT doll is one more raisin-size doll called redemption.
Each of these brilliantly drawn characters attempts to better themselves despite their present circumstances.
Even demon Michael finds himself for the first time, experiencing genuine affection for Good Janet.
(Theres a Bad Janet, too.
Seriously, watch the show.)
Like I said, this Russian doll onion has many layers.
God, I want French onion soup.
Its not about you, Emma.
The Good Placeairs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.
