It’s hard to imagine that a show whose final line is “Take it sleazy” could be something both morally and emotionally profound, but that’s the sneaky brilliance of creator Michael Schur’s The Good Place. The show’s heartbreaking yet hopeful finale aired five years ago this week, and it remains one of the greatest all-time endings of a TV series. Its message of solidarity and optimism is even more valuable in a time when both of those qualities seem in shockingly short supply.
For its entire four-season run, The Good Place mixed sharp wit with weighty existential philosophy, while developing a core ensemble of flawed, relatable characters — even though two of them are immortal celestial beings. Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, and Manny Jacinto play “medium” people who learn to better themselves in the hereafter, thanks to a reformed demon (Ted Danson) and an omnipotent ethereal assistant (D’Arcy Carden).
