The Good Place review: Saving Donkey Doug

The Good Place splits up the team and has them take on different problems. But will Jason save Donkey Doug’s soul? And will Chidi break up with Simone?

The Good Place wants us to believe our four humans can help save their friends back on earth. And it honestly feels like they might be able to! Even if it’s trying to save Donkey Doug.

Let’s recap…

“Bing!” Janet says as she walks across the room. Since she doesn’t have her void, she has to make her own bing noises.

We do finally get to see Simone again, as Chidi needs to break up with her before ruining the potential to save her soul and explain the whole afterlife. Of course, being Chidi, he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings if he can help it.

Janet creates a simulation where Chidi can walk through scenario after scenario to see how she responds. He even tries Michael’s special agent Rick Justice!

THE GOOD PLACE — “The Brainy Bunch” Episode 303 — Pictured: (l-r) William Harper Jackson as Chidi, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Simone Garnett — (Photo by: Justin Lubin/NBC)

When the real thing happens, it goes poorly. “It’s happening. Ya dumped!” He finally splutters out, much to Simone’s dismay and annoyance.

That’s not good enough for Chidi — heck, that’s not good enough for anyone. When he tries again, it flows much better. Because Simone is awesome, she deserves more, and she also knows Chidi well enough to see how certain he is about breaking up with her.

”See you in the next life,” she says, only to make Chidi freak out.

“Why would you say that?!” he shrieks. The Good Place really knows how to twist our main characters around. Sometimes it still feels a little like torture…

THE GOOD PLACE — “The Ballad of Donkey Doug” Episode 306 — Pictured: (l-r) Jameela Jamil as Tahani, Ted Danson as Michael — (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)

Tahani, Jason, and Michael head off to Jacksonville to help save Jason’s dad’s soul. And, not surprisingly but also surprisingly, Jason’s father is Donkey Doug. And there’s more Pillboi, my favorite!

Pillboi and Donkey Doug have a new pitch that will get them rich quick: Double Trouble. It’s both a body spray and an energy drink. It sounds so very… Jacksonville. And very much Donkey Doug and Pillboi.

Of course, when the three of them start to buy into the Double Trouble, Donkey Doug and Pillboi break the news: They have to rob three factories just to get this idea off the ground.

So Jason switches tactics. He decides to try to save Pillboi instead. Basically, he keeps Pillboi out of the robbery and helps his dad. Unsurprisingly, the police show up and Donkey Doug decides to take the fall to save Jason.

Donkey Doug also yells “Bortles” before he does epic things, so there’s that.

They also trick Pillboi into keeping his job at the nursing home and helping the residents. It should keep him on the straight and narrow. Plus telling them they’re secret astronaut spies makes it all the more official. Right?

THE GOOD PLACE — “The Brainy Bunch” Episode 303 — Pictured: (l-r) Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza, Jameela Jamil as Tahani — (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

Favorite Jacksonville things

Randy “Macho Man” Savage International Airport because why not?

Taxis in Jacksonville are also monster trucks.

Favorite moment includes the secret handshake between Pillboi and Jason, completed while both of them cry uncontrollably. It feels so true to their characters, that they would still complete the whole thing despite being full of emotions.

Next week’s episode of The Good Place looks to break up the crew again. Tahani will attend her sister’s museum opening while Eleanor looks to hunt down her not-dead mother back in America.