The #BrainyBunch is dead.
Long live the #SoulSquad.
The Ballad of Donkey Doug completes the pivotThe Good Placestarted last week.
Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC
But the time for contemplation has ended!
The Ballad of Donkey Doug splits its focus between Australia and Florida, truly the sacred and the profane.
Down Under, Chidi struggles with the Problem of Simone.
He cant stay with his girlfriend, much as he loves her.
Janet cooks up a virtual reality simulator to help him practice.
The technology is veryBlack Mirror.
Chidi even gets to wear those cool brain-tapping glowcircles.
When willweget to start wearing cool brain-tapping glowcircles?
(Wait, what if we already are?)
Across this warming world, Jason arrives at the Randy Macho Man Savage International Airport.
Jason shows Tahani and Michael all the local sights.
Tahanis a bit confused by their mission, frankly.
Why does Jason want to save his father, a man hes never talked about?
I talk about Donkey Doug all the time!
Isnt that the guy who was banned from Disneyworld for biting Buzz Lightyear?
In his defense, he thought it was someone else, Jason explains without explanation.
One time, he tried to create a cross between dodgeball and horseshoes, and unfortunately, everyone died.
But this is Florida, the land of monster trucks taxis and theMagic Mikeduology.
Donkey Dougs got Pillboi involved in his newest scheme.
Its a business proposition,Shark Tank-ready.
How much do you spend on energy drinks and body spray in one week?
Three hundred dollars?Tenhundred dollars?
Do you spray it on yourself or drink it?
Youbothit, Pillboi promises.
(Huzzah for you, Pillboi performer Eugene Cordero!)
Should the Soul Squad encourage Donkey Dougs new business venture?
He goes for mystery,I have to break up with you but I cant say why.
He goes existential,Im dying because were ALL dying.
He opts for a vintage Michaelism,My real name is special agent Rick Justice, FBI.
He even tries proposing to her.
At one point, Eleanor steps into the simulation, attempting to break up for Chidi by proxy.
Sparks fly between Eleanor and the Simone simulation.
Some laughs, no doubt, in a subplot about ChidiGroundhog Daying himself through the same bad breakup.
(It could even just be a meta-gag.
Still, the Donkey Dougless corner of The Ballad of Donkey Doug worked less well for me.
kept growing in importance.
Maybe the same will happen with Simone?
Im bored, whats Pillboi doing?
Tahani shows up, mysteriously explaining that he doesnt need to take part in the planned triple heist.
Pillboi agreeably returns to work, not asking any questions.
At an actual analog cafe, Chidi tries to break up with Simone.
It doesnt go well.
He keeps getting interrupted by servers, including chipper Helmut (comedian/YouTube-jot down Flula Borg).
Part of this unceremonial dumping involves Chidi literally saying Ya dumped.
Jasons attempt to save his dad from immortal hellfire goes worse, initially.
But when the cops show up, Donkey Doug reveals an unexpected, tangled decency.
Ill distract them, he promises Jason.
Apparently, saving sons from police is a family legacy.
Someday youll do this exact thing for your son, he says.
I mean, Ihopenot, says Jason, who nevertheless is touched by his fathers sacrifice.
So Donkey Doug leaves out the front door, screaming BORTLES!
into the night as the police chase after him.
Is Donkey Dougs action good, or bad?
This is precisely the kind of hilariously knotty moral question thatThe Good Placeexcels at excavating.
And then the Soul Squads final words to Pillboi are even goofier, and even more complicated.
Meanwhile, Chidi goes to see Simone one last time.
As Chidi patiently explains why they have to break up, Simone already looks pretty over it.
Youre so weird, man, she says.
I think maybe this is for the best.
So, like, um:Thatsover, I guess?
But maybe theres more here than we know?
See you in the next life, Simone tells Chidi a loaded line in this show in any context.
Simone = Desmond, question mark?
Ill explore this more in my upcoming thinkpiece, How Hurleys Chicken Dream Explains Helmut the Helpful Waiter.
Onwards to the next rescued soul!
Everyone meets in Budapest, where Tahanis sisters museum exhibit is about to open.
The Australian contingents happy to hear Jason received closure from his dad.
Eleanors just sorry she cant make peace with her parents, as theyre both dead.
Actually, Janet mentions, one of your parents is nottechnicallyactually dead.
Eleanors mother faked her own death.
Now she has to fly back to America and murder her.
Important question: Whos already shipping Mrs. Eleanor and Donkey Doug?
