As a show that frequently examines sitcom tropes as a means of subverting them in the same breath, The Good Place has cemented its deserved place in the hearts of fans worldwide. In addition, the show’s witty, captivating sense of humor reminds many viewers of widely beloved, irreverent sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation.
The Good Place is also notable for containing notable Eastern eggs that many fans only notice during their second or third time binge-watching the show. While some of these details are relatively small and rarely offer a considerable impact on plot lines, they nevertheless showcase just how much care and effort the show’s abundantly talented cast and crew put into The Good Place throughout production.
10 Specific Details Were Avoided To Keep The Pivotal Plot Twist Of Season 1 A Secret
Perhaps one of the most notable aspects of The Good Place that immediately got fans invested in the series was the unpredictable plot twist revealed at the end of Season 1, that the Good Place is actually the Bad Place.
To best keep this twist under wraps, the show’s set and costume designers ensured that no bright reds were present throughout Season 1 since the color is often correlated with demons and Hell. As a result, much of the show’s color story is composed of cool and neutral tones to play into the notion that everything is truly fine in the supposed Good Place.
9 Michael’s Neighborhood Reboots Also Slightly Augment Set Decor
Another detail centered around the show’s decor that first-time viewers often miss is that specific decorations are switched around every time Michael reboots the neighborhood. Since Eleanor and her friends in the afterlife discover that the Good Place is actually the Bad Place every time Michael reboots the neighborhood (which he does roughly 800 times), it can be difficult for even the most attentive viewer to spot all the subtle variations in decor.
These minute changes include rearranging the clown paintings in Eleanor’s house and the rewording of the mural outside Michael’s office that typically reads “Welcome! Everything is fine.”
While many fans of The Good Place were already familiar with Kristen Bell from her central roles in notable sitcoms like Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl, she is perhaps most widely known for her portrayal of Princess Anna in the hit Disney film Frozen. To playfully acknowledge this, the show’s costume designers intentionally dress a background actor in the signature side braid and bright blue dress adorned by the film’s protagonist in Season 2, Episode 1.
Although viewers were initially confused since Bell did not voice Elsa, this was primarily done since Elsa is more recognizable as a character than her sister Anna.
7 Michael Faces His Own Trolley Problem Soon After Eleanor Does
As one of the most memorable lessons Chidi teaches Eleanor, the trolley problem is thematized throughout The Good Place and plays a pivotal role in Eleanor’s epiphany that Michael’s neighborhood and the Bad Place are one and the same. This moral dilemma also heavily influences Michael’s moral compass, since he begins the series as a demon who despises humans.
It is this same philosophical trolley problem that ironically calls the demon’s humanity (or potential lack thereof) into question in Season 2, Episode 7, as Michael is faced with a difficult decision: He can either save the neighborhood and its inhabitants while killing his only friend Janet in the process or risk everyone’s lives in order to save Janet. Of the two, Michael ends up choosing the latter.
6 The Magic Panda Jason Fabricates Is Real And Pops Up Throughout The Series
While Jason is memorable for the absurd ideas he offers in times of duress, one of them is included as an Easter egg throughout Seasons 2-4. In Season 2, Episode 2, Jason offers the comedic solution of catching a magical panda and using her powers. Although this was quickly laughed off by the group and fans alike, this magic panda occasionally appears in the series.
Whether incorporated into the backgrounds of scenes in Season 3 or for comedic effect as a citizen of the Bad Place in Season 4, it is clear that even some of the ridiculous comments – that viewers might assume will only occupy a single beat – are remembered by the show’s writers. Subsequently, these details are incorporated as callback love letters to long-time fans.
5 There Is A Fool-Proof Way To Tell Good Janet From Bad Janet
In Season 4, Episode 4, it is revealed that viewers could easily distinguish Good Janet from Bad Janet by taking a closer look at how she grasps her hands. While Good Janet always has her right thumb in her left hand, Bad Janet only grips her left thumb in her right hand.
Although this secret is only revealed in Season 4, rewatching The Good Place with this fact in mind encourages fans to reconsider each variation in Bad Janet’s mannerisms when she infiltrates Michael’s neighborhood disguised as Good Janet.
4 The Good Place Reuses A Set Featured In Brooklyn Nine-Nine
An easier detail to overlook since it only applies to a single episode is that the set used to depict Michael’s office job in the Bad Place in the Season 1 finale was previously used in Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 2, Episode 15, “Windbreaker City.”
While fans of both shows may have recognized the set from somewhere, its minimal usage made it less notable in comparison to other sets that are more iconic within each show. Because of this, this small Easter egg is one that even dedicated fans of both The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine often miss.
3 There Are Several References To Parks And Recreation
Since Michael Schur (the creator of The Good Place) was a co-creator of and writer for Parks and Recreation, it is no surprise that several references to Parks and Recreation are sprinkled throughout The Good Place. Many details, like the safe Jason suffocated in being created by Swanson Safe Company, are clear homages since they explicitly namedrop a character.
One reference that particularly delighted fans was the mention of Tom Haverford’s Snake Juice liquor, which the Bad Place demons can be seen indulging in as they celebrate the success of one of their many evil schemes in Season 4, Episode 4.
2 Michael’s Apartment Number In Season 4 Is A Reference To The Show’s Pilot
Another aspect that reminded fans of the extensive thought that the writers put into The Good Place was the subtle importance of Michael’s apartment number, which is briefly shown in the series finale. While first-time viewers are likely to gloss over this small detail entirely, fans who have watched the series a few times may recall that the number was mentioned earlier in the series.
In the show’s pilot episode, Michael mentions that each neighborhood in the Good Place comprises exactly 322 residents. Although this detail is relatively minute compared to other notable Easter eggs, this one is uniquely significant since it showcases that the show’s writers are just as invested in the world they are creating as the show’s devoted fans.
1 The Shirt Jason Wears In The Series Finale References Eleanor And Chidi’s Final Moments Together
Since The Good Place is full of secrets, it is only natural for the show’s finale to contain plenty of hidden symbolism, like the shirt Jason is wearing in this episode. Although Jason wears tracksuits throughout The Good Place, the shirt he is wearing underneath is symbolic of Eleanor and Chidi’s final heartbreaking interaction.
In the couple’s last moments together, Chidi compares coming into the afterlife to an ocean wave. In addition to being a beautiful sentiment that is touching for anyone who is grieving the loss of someone close to them, the wave being cemented as a central image throughout the finale imbues a refreshing optimism within a moment of sadness and uncertainty as fans grapple with the sudden ending of The Good Place.