According to The Good Place, everyone hates moral philosophy professors. But, it's impossible to hate Chidi. After Chidi dies, he ends up in a neighborhood in the afterlife with other humans. He spends most of his days teaching his friends, otherwise known as "Team Cockroach," ethics. But along the way, Chidi learns how to be a better person through his friendships.
Chidi's nerdy qualities are endearing. Also, his wit gets the gang out of many difficult circumstances. Whenever Chidi geeks out about something, it's hilarious, and his nerdy moments tend to steal the show.
When He Wanted To Check Out 12,000 Books
The group gets sent back to Earth to prove that humans can become better people. Chidi has a rough time at first. While trying to find the answers to moral questions, he goes to the library for solace.
Chidi goes up to a librarian (who's Michael in disguise), asking how many books he can check out at once. He asks if the maximum is 12,000 novels. If he were able to, Chidi would definitely check out that many books and undoubtedly put them all to good use.
When He Speaks Latin, In Case It Comes Back
While talking in Chidi's office at the university, he tells Eleanor about his background. He grew up in Senegal, and his native language is French. But he went to an American school, so he also speaks English.
However, he additionally speaks other languages, including Greek and German. One of the languages Chidi can speak is Latin. It's a dead language, but he wanted to learn it anyway. Like many scholars, Chidi hopes Latin will make a comeback.
When He Thinks Normal People Meet At Philosophy Lectures
Eleanor and Chidi have a heart-to-heart on their last night in the neighborhood, and they discuss the status of their relationship. Chidi wishes that they would have met the way normal people meet. As they imagine this, he pictures them meeting at a philosophy lecture.
The scenario makes Eleanor laugh. She thinks his idea of how ordinary people meet is dorky. Although, they do end up meeting in a similar way when they go back to Earth.
When He Says His Soulmate Will Be Books
Michael tells Chidi that people in the Good Place have soulmates. Chidi is thrilled about this, as his love life was a bit of a disaster on Earth. He wants to be sure that he’s chosen the right partner.
However, Michael says that Chidi doesn’t have a soulmate. To hide his devastation, Chidi tells him that it’s alright. He claims that his soulmate will be novels. If the number of books in Chidi's apartment is any indication, they probably are his soulmate.
When He Makes Eleanor A Goofy Calendar
Eleanor and Chidi spend many years together in the real Good Place. However, Chidi decides to leave, as he feels fulfilled. Eleanor doesn’t want Chidi to leave her, but she loves him enough to let him go.
Chidi, per her request, leaves before she wakes up. On a pillow, a surprise is waiting for her. It’s a calendar with a bunch of silly pictures of him. The images include him dressed as a mailman, a wrestler, and a sexy professor.
When He Rows A Boat While Reading French Poetry
Chidi has to lie about Eleanor's true identity, so he's under constant stress. He spends most of his days teaching Eleanor how to be a good person. So, he doesn't have much time to relax.
Eleanor realizes that Chidi needs a break. So, she makes one of his fantasies come true. She gets him a rowboat to take out on the lake as he reads French poetry. This may seem like a dull day to some, but Chidi finds intellectual stimulation relaxing.
When He Relaxes By Reading A Table Of Contents
When Chidi teaches the group the "Trolley Problem," Michael makes him play out the scenario in real life. He claims that it will help him learn. However, Chidi gets angry when he realizes that Michael is doing this to torture him.
To calm himself down, Chidi reads the table of contents of a book. He says that it’s like a menu, but the food is words. Only Chidi would find a table of contents soothing.
When He Solves A Puzzle
The humans that Derek and Janet created in the neighborhood begin malfunctioning like robots. So, Team Cockroach sends the test subjects to a lake house. But Chidi being Chidi, stays home to read.
To keep Chidi from going outside, Eleanor and Tahani keep him occupied. They make up a puzzle game for him to play inside his apartment. Luckily, Chidi loves puzzles. They’re fun but also like homework, which is a win-win in Chidi’s mind.
When Chidi Fangirls Over A Philosopher
Chidi is excited to meet Hypatia of Alexandria, who is played by Lisa Kudrow. She's a famous philosopher and one of the few to make it to heaven. He wants to ask her a bunch of questions about the universe.
When they get to the Good Place, Chidi fangirls over Hypatia, who also goes by "Patty." Chidi used to have a poster of her on his wall. Well, it was a poster of Trinity from The Matrix, but that's how he imagined Patty would look.
When He Summons A Book Like Thor’s Hammer
In season four, “Team Cockroach” must prove to the judge of the universe that humans can improve. Chidi gets his mind erased so that he can partake as a subject. As a gift to Chidi, Eleanor gives him a new power.
While showing Chidi around his apartment in the Good Place, Eleanor tells him that he can summon books to his hand. Chidi geeks out about this, saying, “I can summon philosophy books like Thor’s hammer!”