Hidden Jokes and Hooded Figures in This Week's 'The Good Place'!

By Dan Hamamura | TV | October 11, 2019 |

By Dan Hamamura | TV | October 11, 2019 |

Welcome! Everything is ominous.

Because after an episode that saw our team split, with Eleanor, Michael, and Jason trying to improve Chidi (through torture, of course), and Janet and Tahani working on John Wheaton (Brandon Scott Jones) through spa days, we were left with that final, ominous figure, approaching the neighborhood via handcar.

And just who is that hooded figure? Why, he’s none other than—

Wait, we’ll get there. But first, as always, time to roll through as many of the hidden jokes as I could find in this week’s episode!

Shirt Engine Optimization

Because the neighborhood has been more static (so far) this season, there haven’t been as many opportunities for new puns, but the list of John’s blog articles about Gigi Hadid was a natural place for the writers to sneak in a few.

Hard to choose a winner, but for my money “Oh No She Hadidn’t!” felt right.

Shiny New Budhole

As Eleanor and Michael unleash Jason on Chidi (using all his best moves, like creating a budhole and playing video games), there are a couple of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them reminders of Jason’s life on Earth:

The napkins suggest that the wings Jason’s been eating are from Ugly Nick’s Meat Trench (so we know in the Jeremy Bearimy of it all, we’re past the point where Stupid Nick had his fryer accident).

Jason’s put a bunch of “DJ Music” stickers everywhere, in case you forgot his amateur DJ alter ego.

You Cannot Have-A Da Mango

This sign at the luau is a reference to the “Mango” sketches on Saturday Night Live in the late 90s/early 00s, where a young Michael Schur happened to be working a writer.

Sub-question: does that mean Saturday Night Live exists in the show’s universe? And if so, does that universe have its own Mike Schur, who created his own The Good Place, which has this episode, which references SNL, which hired its own Mike Schur, who created his own you know what I’d better bail on this loop before we get stuck here forever.

Cruller Intentions

I feel like this one is another new sign? Or it’s slipped by me in the past.

Okay, Who Is That Figure?

Alright, you’ve been good, so here’s the answer (highlight if you want to see): it’s Glenn the demon. We know this because although we didn’t see his face, he was credited in the episode, which is a very exciting way to figure this out.

In any event, things are about to change again for our heroes. See you next week!