Ep 1. Everything Is Great!

Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up in the afterlife, only to discover that she has been mistaken for someone else. In the first season, we followed her as she tried to keep this secret and not get sent to the Bad Place as a result. In season two episode one, titled "Everything Is Great!", we see Eleanor waking up, once again, to find herself in the Good Place. But there's a twist; everything is now "perfect" for her.

Eleanor experiences a significant change in her surroundings as well as the people around her. Her soulmate, Chidi Anagonye, is reading fairytales, while Tahani Al Jamil is still Tahani, but without any of her inherent pettiness, and Jason Mendoza is actually an enlightened Buddhist monk named Jianyu. They are all different versions of themselves, and this new reality is jarring for Eleanor.

Initially, Eleanor seems bombarded with this new reality, but as the episode moves forward, she starts embracing it. She finds herself enjoying her new home, which is now her perfect dream house and also reconnects deeply with Chidi. Eleanor is ready to accept the fact that she is destined to be in the Good Place and perhaps finds solace in the idea that there is no such thing as imperfection or hardship in this place.

Nevertheless, Eleanor's moment of peace is short-lived, as she is visited by Michael, the architect of the neighborhood. He is eager to hear her feedback, but she is initially reticent to tell him anything that might risk her being sent to the Bad Place. However, the episode progresses, and we see a vulnerable side of Eleanor that starts to begrudgingly trust Michael. We also see that Michael retains that monstrous hidden personality trait that we saw in season one, and his over-eagerness to please only brings more questions into the show's already-twisted storyline.

As the episode concludes, Eleanor finds herself unable to shake the feeling that everything is not as it seems, in spite of her now seemingly perfect surroundings. She starts to have dreams or flashbacks that hint that her experience may not be what it seems. The show ends with a cliffhanger that leaves the viewer eager to watch the next episode and find out what's going on in the Good Place.

Overall, this episode of The Good Place is an excellent continuation of the show's universe and its many mysteries. It's still funny, but now it adds more depth and portent to the already-colorful story. Season two starts off strong, reeling in fans with the promise of more secrets and plenty of humor. Fans of the show will not be disappointed by what "Everything Is Great!" has to offer.