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The Good Place
Chapter 13 - Michael's Gambit
Season 1, Episode 13
January 19, 2017
And this is what it all builds up to. Not to be hyperbolic, but I think this might be a contender for my favourite episode of any TV show anywhere. Unless they really pull off something amazing for the series finale next month to bump it to number two.
I wonder how many people who watch the series now get to come in cold enough to really feel the revelation? I still try to be circumspect in recommending the series outside of places where spoilers are warned and expected, but I'd have to think that something is going to seep in to most people before they watch it (even that fact that there is a revelation is almost too much to know). I'm probably going to watch the last season of GAME OF THRONES in the next month, and I haven't been able to avoid major spoilers about that (advantage there, I go in expecting to be disappointed, so anything I like is a bonus). TGP isn't quite in the cultural zeitgeist like GoT, but I've seen enough "THIS is The Bad Place" memes to know it's not unavoidable.
Anyway, open with a flashback to Michael getting his promotion, with just enough to maintain the ruse for the viewer that he's from The Good Place while still planting some seeds of doubt with the drab 1961 office set.
It's hard to pick out scenes to highlight in this one since it's such an intricately constructed watch, with so many iconic moments that recast everything we've seen before and inform everything we've seen since.
The two minutes between when Eleanor has her revelation and she reveals it to the others (and the viewers) is just delicious. The Bambadjan interruption in the middle of it ("Michael! I just found an obscure precedent in the rules that might just save everyone." "Buzz off, Bambadjan! Don't need it.") is just so wonderfully done when you look at it in retrospect, especially Michael's reaction. I can still remember the first time I watched it being faked out and thinking that "obscure precedent" was going to be the big reveal of the episode.
From there on it's just non-stop. Michael's laugh and confession, Vicky's reaction to losing her big scene, Tahani realizing why she's there, Chidi's (first) almond milk confession, "Ya Basic" and the first reset, the small differences in the reset neighbourhood and of course the note. How is this all in a 22-minute episode? Jeremy Bearimy?
And of course one advantage people watching it now have is that they don't have to wait 244 days for the next chapter. Although I also wonder if that's an advantage. I probably watched this at least ten times in those 244 days, and it got better with every viewing. I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to wait even for the Fremulon logo to finish before going on to the next chapter if it was available.
Podcast episode is, of course, Marc Evan Jackson (he plays Shawn) talking to creator, writer and director Michael Schur for a full hour and still only scratching the surface of this episode. If you only listen to one episode of the podcast, this is it (again, until the series finale podcast which may eclipse it).
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