WiC Watches: The Good Place season 4

Image: The Good Place/NBC

Episode 402: “A Girl From Arizona (Part 2)”

It just occurred to me watching this that Brent Norwalk, the rich entitled new arrival with a fancy education and a history of sweeping HR complaints under the rug, is a spin on Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court justice who was confirmed amid a firestorm over an alleged sexual assault he committed in high school, and who used his confirmation hearing to lash out at people trying to hold him accountable. It was Brent listing off his “guys” that did it — Scotty and Schultzy and Porcupine and Squirtman…the whole gang.

And indeed, Brent does most of the heavy comedic lifting in this episode, from speeding away from Eleanor’s “This is Your Life” game show to play nine holes, complaining about his “dumb kid,” or being so thick after a chaos storm caused by his actions that he thinks he actually belongs in a better place, the Best Place, some heaven reserved for the cream of the crop. It’s incisive, spookily relatable, and apart from Chidi being brained in the head with a book late in the episode, the funniest stuff “A Girl From Arizona (Part 2)” has on offer.

It gives a nice satiric edge to an episode that’s mostly about Eleanor’s struggles to become a leader. After Tahani and the others suggest that maybe a change in leadership is in order — after all, all of Eleanor’s decisions have been losers so far — she makes like a Shellstrop and quits, only to be talked back into the fight by Michael. It’s a powerful, necessary scene that sees Eleanor really grapple with her own self-doubt. She may be in a position where she’s now helping others become better people, but she still has work to do on herself.

Although her setting up Chidi with Simone is a pretty impressive display of selflessness. If anyone can save humanity, it’s our girl from Arizona.

The Good Bullet Points

• About Brent: “Born on third base, thinks he invented the game of baseball.”
• “People tried. Mostly judges.”
• “She hasn’t worn any of my gifts.”
• “You’re all ungrateful ash-faces who can shove your fat grumps all the way up your snork-box.” What swears was she using?
• Jason and Janet are on a break. And RIP Blake Bortles…’s time as a Jacksonville Jaguar. Tough day for Jason.
• Only one Tahani name-drop today, but it’s a good one. What’s her breakup routine? “Champagne and Alanis Morissette. Not the actual singer. I’d just listen to her albums at my friend Adele’s house.”