NBC's The Good Place is one of the most unique and artistic TV shows to come along in a long time. Many people would watch Kristen Bell or Ted Danson in literally anything, so it helps that this series is actually smart, funny, and full of surprising moments. After the Season 1 twist, the show seemed like it kept reinventing itself, and although it's never fun to watch a beloved TV show end, the fourth season of this series was the last.
Since the series finale aired at the end of January 2020, fans definitely have some strong opinions about what went down. Here are five reasons that the series finale of The Good Place was perfect, along with five things that we wish had happened.
Perfect: Allowing The Characters To Leave The Good Place
The series finale of The Good Place is a perfect example of the popular sayings "be careful what you wish for" or "too much of a good thing." While the main characters have enjoyed being together and being in the Good Place, it turns out that being in a perfect afterlife location can actually be kind of boring.
The fact that the characters were allowed to leave this place and, essentially, know that their time had come is brilliant. This storyline works so well because it's a clever, powerful metaphor for the way that humans experience death, and it just felt like a natural plot point.
Wish Happened: Eleanor And Chidi Leaving Together
Watching Eleanor say goodbye to her one true love, Chidi (William Jackson Harper), was absolutely heartbreaking for fans. Yes, it made perfect sense that he felt that he had done everything that he wanted to do and he was simply ready.
But even though this was a logical way to end Chidi's story, it's hard not to wish that Eleanor and Chidi would have left together. It would have been sweet, romantic, and poetic.
Perfect: Jason Waiting For Janet
Jason (Manny Jacinto) and Janet's (D'Arcy Carden) romance is a huge shock but also so perfect. They seem meant to be, even if the fact that he's a human who passed away and she's a guide who knows absolutely everything will complicate things.
Another perfect thing that happens in the series finale of The Good Place is when Jason is about to leave, then he can't find a necklace that he wants to give to Janet. He spends a super long time just waiting in the forest-like environment because he's so devoted and loyal to her. This is a lovely moment, and the finale wouldn't feel the same without it.
Wish Happened: A Storyline Featuring Janet
While the finale was great, it would have been cool to have a storyline featuring Janet (besides the Jason one).
What is going to happen to her now? Sure, she'll keep on with her same responsibilities, but since she has become such a fan favorite, it would have been nice to see her meet a new group of people in the Good Place. This would be tricky since Janet's character has certain rules, but it feels like something could have been done.
Perfect: Tahani Bonding With Her Parents And Finding Her True Calling
Tahani (Jameela Jamil) has so many amazing moments in the series finale of The Good Place. She gets the chance to bond and connect with her parents, which is something that she had always wished for but didn't think that she would get. It's emotional to watch them and pretty funny, too.
Tahani then decides that she wants to stay in the Good Place and what she wants more than anything else is to be an architect. It feels right since she has been coming into her own and learning how to be a good person.
Wish Happened: The Gang All Stays And Helps A New Group Of Friends
Yes, it felt right for the main characters to go their separate ways. But we still can't help wishing that the gang had stayed put forever and helped a new group of people in the afterlife who would become friends.
Michael could still go to Earth and be a human, and he would be passing the torch, so to speak, onto the characters.
Another perfect thing about the final episode is Michael getting to experience human life on Earth. It's something that he has always been interested in, and he felt pretty trapped in his role as the architect.
Perhaps the best last line of any TV show is when Michael says, "Take it sleazy." It's hilarious and also a callback to Season 1 when Michael said he never got to say that to someone. It's special to see him get the opportunity to actually say it.
Wish Happened: Gen Goes To Earth, Too
We loved seeing Michael on Earth so much that it would have been amazing to see Gen (the judge played by Maya Rudolph) do the same thing.
She already loves so many things that humans love (like chips and guac and binge-watching addictive TV series) so she would fit right in. This could have been a short scene and it would have been very funny.
It was totally perfect when Eleanor decided to help Mindy St. Claire (Maribeth Monroe) in the finale. She feels like this is what has been missing and that it would be a great thing to do, and it's heartwarming to watch.
This storyline really proves how far Eleanor has come and how her personality has completely changed. When she first arrived back in Season 1, she was selfish and would never think about doing something like this, but since being in the Good Place and meeting the others, her moral education feels complete.
Wish Happened: A New Person Arriving In The Good Place
The final episode was definitely awesome, but there's something that could have happened that would have been interesting: What if a new person arrived in the Good Place, and we saw Janet or Tahani start to help them?
Sometimes a series finale will feature a scene alluding to the "next generation" going through the same thing that these characters just did. This happened in Pretty Little Liars with a new crop of teen girls and the queen bee disappearing. We're totally satisfied with The Good Place's ending, but it's fun to think about what could have happened, too.