Four Oreos Away From The Good Place in 'The Good Place'!

Hey! How are you?! How was your break? Oh, mine was pretty good, mostly just hanging out with family, catching up with friends, and trying to ignore the fact that it has been one month since we last saw our heroes in The Good Place.

But you’re here. We’re here. We made it! And now, we can turn our attention to “The Book of Dougs”.

If you’re new, or just have been away for a while, Welcome! Everything is a joke. As in, this is not a review, really, but more just trying to photohunt the semi-hidden jokes and references the show makes over the course of the episode.

(Also, spoilers. Let’s go!)

Smells Like Heaven

Not a visual gag, but we do learn what The Good Place smells like - turns out, it’s whatever smell makes you happiest!

For Eleanor, it’s her favorite (trashy) childhood water park. Chidi’s is the smell of absolute moral truth (which happens to smell like warm pretzels). Jason’s is a combination of Blake Bortles winning the Super Bowl while calling Jason his best friend (and weed), and Tahani’s smells like the curtain closing between First Class and Economy.

So far, so accurate.

Levels of Importance!

Apparently business in The Good Place (or at least, in the mail depot of The Good Place) falls into three categories: Important, Very Important, and Extremely Important.

That unfinished pile, however, certainly seems ominous.

Nailed the Casting!

Perfect casting for the primary person (angel?) we meet in The Good Place, as Gwendolyn is played by the infectiously cheery Nicole Byer, who you may remember from some baking-related programming we like around here.

Thumbs Up!

Not a surprise, but naturally, the insignia representing The Good Place is a big thumbs up.

Compliment Shower

This one is less a visual joke and more a modest insight into the stuff I definitely should be working on, but was I the only one who felt itchy when Michael was being showered by compliments? Pretty sure that would be my Bad Place.

Mailman Chidi

Presented without comment.

“We’re the good guys. We can’t just do stuff.”

I wonder where the writers found the inspiration for this committee (led by Paul Scheer), who casually demonizes the (well, demons) on the other side, and takes decisive action like… forming more committees? We may never know.

The Book of Dougs

Finally, the titular book comes into play! Here we see how a man in the 1500s earned points for giving his grandmother roses (despite a slight negative impact on local bees)…

…whereas a modern Doug lost points for the same actions due to the unintended consequences of modern life, like inadvertently enriching a man with a history of racism, sexual harassment, and inhumane crimes against humans, cats, and one racehorse.

That’s it for now. Only two weeks left! But next week: Ihop! …but not that Ihop. This one is the most dangerous place in the universe… which, you know, seems about right.

See you all there next week!