The Good Place and other things..
Nov. 16th, 2018 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatTook today off -- mainly because if I didn't, I'd lose the day. It's the last personal day of the year, and per contract they give you back a percentage, not the full amount of the day if you don't take it prior to Thanksgiving.
Also, I wanted a break from work and commuting.
Saw a few television show fall finals this morning. They are calling them "Fall Finals" now, we can thank streaming and cable for this change. Before they just didn't tell us, and would show reruns or maybe an off-shoot standalone in December and two in January.
If you want to know why this happens? It's because they only shoot 13-22 episodes a year. And they shoot (aka film) between July and October, or there abouts. Take a break. Then pick up again and shoot for the second half. So basically they are filming during January through March or something like that. And, in the US, the broadcast networks do not broadcast television series during the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Years, with the view that most people aren't watching or just want to watch holiday fair. Also the advertisers dictate broadcast programming in the US. So what pops up between Thanksgiving and around the Second Week of January are a lot of Awards shows, reality shows, Christmas specials, Christmas movies, musical variety specials...and Football. Lots and lots of Football. In short, it is a great time to catch up on your DVR queue, and binge watch things on Hulu, Netflix and Amazon, also HBO.
I used to hate it when they did this. Now? I'm relieved. Gives me a chance to catch up. I've over 50 hours saved on the DVR. Mainly because I've a couple of shows that I'm beginning to wonder why I'm bothering taping.
The Good Place
Frigging NBC puts a ton of commercials right before the last five minutes of the show, so as a result, the show runs over the allotment and my DVR cuts off the last two-three seconds, which are over the credits. (It's a nifty trick to get me to watch whatever is programmed after it. Which would be fine if I liked what they programmed after it. I do not. Which is why I don't remember to tape it just so I can see the last two seconds of The Good Place.)
Anyhow...I asked the FB Good Place Fanboard which is entitled "The Boundless Void"...
ME: Can anyone tell me what happened in the last two-three seconds of the Good Place? (Huge Spoiler Space) Did they go into the Boundless Void?
Poster: Yep.
Me: Thank you. It cut off when Janet was explaining all the risks of going into the Boundless Void.
I was actually relieved that the demons showed up en force and drove them into the Boundless Void, because I wasn't liking the alternatives. (Janet and Michael hunting down the Accountant, while the other four hung out with Doug and took care of his pets and the local sociopath. That joke worked in this episode, but it would not have worked stretched out over the course of five episodes.)
This episode did a rather good job of exploring the philosophy of how making everyone happy, often at the great detriment of oneself, in the hopes of gaining points to get into the Afterlife isn't such a great idea. (ie. Being a Slave to Other's Happiness or the Utopian Happiness Duff.) Starred Michael McKeon as the Happiness Duff, Doug. And it revealed how there is something wrong with the Good Place's point calculation system.
I'm still wondering about the character of Jason, who to date, exhibits the least growth. (YMMV, although no one has convinced me yet.)
Eleanor: We have to leave immediately. You go out that exit, and we'll go out -
Jason (lighting up a maltov cocktail): Or we can just - here you go suckers -
Eleanor: No!
Later..
Michael: What we need to find is some evidence.
Jason: No, Michael, you are confused. Evidence is not something you want to find, it is something you want to destroy so you won't go to jail.
Michael: Jason, could you please go find me the coaster that fell behind that pillar over there?
Jason: Oh sure...(of he goes like a puppy)
Michael: Sorry, I needed a 30 second break.
Group: We totally understand.
Yep. Right there with you. Jason is slowly moving into grating territory.
This is a weird show for me. Usually, I care most about the characters -- in this series, I care more about the philosophical humor and satire. I don't know why this is...but I haven't really emotionally invested in a situation comedy character since the 1990s. It's why when people write long-heart wrenching bits on these characters, I find I'm channeling Spike from Buffy, "I'm paralyzed with not caring all that much" -- which is what is keeping me from falling in love with or obsessing over this show. I like a few of the characters a great deal, can even sort of identify (Eleanor, Michael, and Chidi), but I don't love them, and the other three, I find tolerable at best and grating at worst.
That said...there were some great bits here.
The scene where Michael and Janet realize what is wrong with this picture. That Doug is truly miserable and not a good representative, or if he is one...there's clearly something off about the system. This bit makes fun of the "do good deeds to get into heaven" religious philosophy that is at the forefront of many religions.
And the aforementioned ones regarding how they were going to escape. And Eleanor figuring out they were surrounded by Demons (providing an extra weight and meaning to what Michael had shown her earlier -- nice plotting there).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend -- I fast-forwarded through about 80% of this weeks episode. I'm finding it harder and harder to watch. And not at all funny. There were two musical numbers -- but neither really worked. I can see why this is the final season. And they are doing a good job of wrapping things up, I guess. I'm hanging in there out of curiosity, but it's fading.
Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 both ended on cliff-hangers. Liked Grey's better. Station 19 hasn't quite found it's footing.
blackish -- did a tribute to Prince, which was a wee bit too over-the-top. It made fun of people who'd never heard of Prince, but was a tad over-the-top in how it went about it.
Also, I wanted a break from work and commuting.
Saw a few television show fall finals this morning. They are calling them "Fall Finals" now, we can thank streaming and cable for this change. Before they just didn't tell us, and would show reruns or maybe an off-shoot standalone in December and two in January.
If you want to know why this happens? It's because they only shoot 13-22 episodes a year. And they shoot (aka film) between July and October, or there abouts. Take a break. Then pick up again and shoot for the second half. So basically they are filming during January through March or something like that. And, in the US, the broadcast networks do not broadcast television series during the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Years, with the view that most people aren't watching or just want to watch holiday fair. Also the advertisers dictate broadcast programming in the US. So what pops up between Thanksgiving and around the Second Week of January are a lot of Awards shows, reality shows, Christmas specials, Christmas movies, musical variety specials...and Football. Lots and lots of Football. In short, it is a great time to catch up on your DVR queue, and binge watch things on Hulu, Netflix and Amazon, also HBO.
I used to hate it when they did this. Now? I'm relieved. Gives me a chance to catch up. I've over 50 hours saved on the DVR. Mainly because I've a couple of shows that I'm beginning to wonder why I'm bothering taping.
The Good Place
Frigging NBC puts a ton of commercials right before the last five minutes of the show, so as a result, the show runs over the allotment and my DVR cuts off the last two-three seconds, which are over the credits. (It's a nifty trick to get me to watch whatever is programmed after it. Which would be fine if I liked what they programmed after it. I do not. Which is why I don't remember to tape it just so I can see the last two seconds of The Good Place.)
Anyhow...I asked the FB Good Place Fanboard which is entitled "The Boundless Void"...
ME: Can anyone tell me what happened in the last two-three seconds of the Good Place? (Huge Spoiler Space) Did they go into the Boundless Void?
Poster: Yep.
Me: Thank you. It cut off when Janet was explaining all the risks of going into the Boundless Void.
I was actually relieved that the demons showed up en force and drove them into the Boundless Void, because I wasn't liking the alternatives. (Janet and Michael hunting down the Accountant, while the other four hung out with Doug and took care of his pets and the local sociopath. That joke worked in this episode, but it would not have worked stretched out over the course of five episodes.)
This episode did a rather good job of exploring the philosophy of how making everyone happy, often at the great detriment of oneself, in the hopes of gaining points to get into the Afterlife isn't such a great idea. (ie. Being a Slave to Other's Happiness or the Utopian Happiness Duff.) Starred Michael McKeon as the Happiness Duff, Doug. And it revealed how there is something wrong with the Good Place's point calculation system.
I'm still wondering about the character of Jason, who to date, exhibits the least growth. (YMMV, although no one has convinced me yet.)
Eleanor: We have to leave immediately. You go out that exit, and we'll go out -
Jason (lighting up a maltov cocktail): Or we can just - here you go suckers -
Eleanor: No!
Later..
Michael: What we need to find is some evidence.
Jason: No, Michael, you are confused. Evidence is not something you want to find, it is something you want to destroy so you won't go to jail.
Michael: Jason, could you please go find me the coaster that fell behind that pillar over there?
Jason: Oh sure...(of he goes like a puppy)
Michael: Sorry, I needed a 30 second break.
Group: We totally understand.
Yep. Right there with you. Jason is slowly moving into grating territory.
This is a weird show for me. Usually, I care most about the characters -- in this series, I care more about the philosophical humor and satire. I don't know why this is...but I haven't really emotionally invested in a situation comedy character since the 1990s. It's why when people write long-heart wrenching bits on these characters, I find I'm channeling Spike from Buffy, "I'm paralyzed with not caring all that much" -- which is what is keeping me from falling in love with or obsessing over this show. I like a few of the characters a great deal, can even sort of identify (Eleanor, Michael, and Chidi), but I don't love them, and the other three, I find tolerable at best and grating at worst.
That said...there were some great bits here.
The scene where Michael and Janet realize what is wrong with this picture. That Doug is truly miserable and not a good representative, or if he is one...there's clearly something off about the system. This bit makes fun of the "do good deeds to get into heaven" religious philosophy that is at the forefront of many religions.
And the aforementioned ones regarding how they were going to escape. And Eleanor figuring out they were surrounded by Demons (providing an extra weight and meaning to what Michael had shown her earlier -- nice plotting there).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend -- I fast-forwarded through about 80% of this weeks episode. I'm finding it harder and harder to watch. And not at all funny. There were two musical numbers -- but neither really worked. I can see why this is the final season. And they are doing a good job of wrapping things up, I guess. I'm hanging in there out of curiosity, but it's fading.
Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 both ended on cliff-hangers. Liked Grey's better. Station 19 hasn't quite found it's footing.
blackish -- did a tribute to Prince, which was a wee bit too over-the-top. It made fun of people who'd never heard of Prince, but was a tad over-the-top in how it went about it.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-17 02:57 am (UTC)I can't speak for everyone, but as much as all shows are about the characters in them... this show is just explicitly about its philosophical explorations, far more than its characters.
The show essentially handwaved how Eleanor could afford to move to Australia and live there, and didn't really consider what her actual life there would be like. Right, they just gave her lottery ticket money. Because its not interested in what a day in the life is like for her. (even more than other shows handwave characters days...)
They may not be giving you enough of her to care. And its not like Eleanor couldn't be relatable if they spent more time inside her life.
In terms of what the show does, I feel like this episode was one they had to cover. That Doug could guess the "point system of the universe" but still not live a worthy life.
He is trying to appease people, and not hurt people -- he's being a happiness pump. But he's not actually producing joy.
Like, he's doing what the bullying kid wants, but is that really actually making the boy a happy person? Doug's not happy. He doesn't make Michael or Janet happy. And I'm gonna guess he makes life harder for everyone who encounters him. Kind of like Chidi did for his friends in life....
I'm not really one to "invest" in SitCom characters. Though I've invested in situations. This show would have lit up the old ATPO boards, but in much nerdier ways....
no subject
Date: 2018-11-17 03:54 am (UTC)In terms of what the show does, I feel like this episode was one they had to cover. That Doug could guess the "point system of the universe" but still not live a worthy life.
He is trying to appease people, and not hurt people -- he's being a happiness pump. But he's not actually producing joy.
Yeah, I think you're right. They needed to show the person who plays by the rules perfectly. Michael and Janet see him as the "poster child" for who can get into the Good Place, and a "legend". He's the "perfect" human.
Yet, after about thirty minutes in his company, possibly less (time works differently on sitcoms), they realize -- this is the perfect human? He's a Happiness Pump...but, wait, Michael states, he's not making us happy.
I loved the satire of it. Mainly because I have a lot people on FB and elsewhere, who keep preaching how we all have to do this, that, and the other thing to be truly good people. Such as being on a "plant based diet", "eating only lentils", not using anything but recyclable goods, being kind to bullies..etc. To the point that it sort of is ridiculous. In this episode the writers really underline how ridiculous some of it is.
At the same time they are doing a lovely job of making fun of the metaphysical/philosophical point system. Which is sort of a flashback to S1. They made fun of the point system in S1 as well.
I'm not really one to "invest" in SitCom characters. Though I've invested in situations.
I think it is really hard to. Because each episode is just fifteen-twenty minutes long with ten to fifteen minutes of commercials. That's not a lot of time, even with 22 episodes, to build characters and relationships and tell jokes.
Some have succeeded, but not many. And usually the characters do stay somewhat stagnant, because it works better for the audience, similar to episodic procedurals actually.
The Good Place has a bit of a problem -- because it is more serialized than most sitcoms truly are. There's no stand-a-lones. While Big Bang, the Connors, Murphy Brown, Community, The Office, Seinfield, Fraiser, Cheers, etc...could all be watched out of order or intermittently, you can't do that with the Good Place.
It sort of sits outside of what a typical sitcom does. And I think you are right, the writers aren't really that concerned about characters or writing a situational comedy, but writing a nerdy philosophical satire with relatable characters who most likely are more representative of various philosophical tropes and inside jokes than they are actual people.