"I'd say [flying's] like fifty million simultaneous orgasms. But better. How's volunteer garbage pickup?"
"I don't know what to do here. This is a mess, morally speaking. This is a putrid, disgusting bowl of ethical soup."
— Chidi
Eleanor avoids suspicion in the aftermath of the chaos, and Michael fears he has failed in his first big project. Tahani organizes a clean up day, but anyone who volunteers will miss out on the opportunity to learn how to fly. Chidi agrees to teach Eleanor ethics and how to be a good person, and requires her to volunteer in the cleanup efforts. She does, but then hides the trash to go flying after all, causing a trash storm to occur. Chidi loses faith in her. That night, Eleanor feels guilty and cleans the neighborhood herself; Chidi sees her and agrees to continue to help her. Later, a note is slipped under Eleanor's door, warning her that whoever wrote this knows that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. Flashbacks to Eleanor's life show that she habitually shirked the responsibility of acting as a designated driver.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny: Chidi has to smile when, just as Eleanor promises never to let him down, Janet shows up with the trash Eleanor asked her to hide ... in Antonio's house.
- Africa Is a Country: Discussed when Chidi checks to see if Eleanor was paying attention during his introduction to her by asking her if she remembers what country he's from.Eleanor: Is it racist if I say Africa?
Chidi: Yes, and Africa is not a country; I am from Senegal. - An Aesop: The show delivers the first of the many explorations of moral philosophy that was Michael Schur's goal. Being selfish is bad. It's good to help people and do good things for your community. However, you also have to do it for the right reasons.
- Bait-and-Switch Accusation: Michael tells Eleanor that he knows what she did. She thinks she is found out but Michael only noticed her cleaning up the entire neighborhood by herself.
- Bluff the Imposter: Eleanor thinks Chidi asking her if she remembers where he went to college is a trick question. He was literally a college professor.
- Better than Sex: Apparently, flying feels like 50 million simultaneous orgasms. But better.
- Central Theme: The episode ends with the show's theme: people are capable of growth when given the love and support to do so.
- Eat the Evidence: In a flashback, Eleanor cheats at a draw for the designated driver by not putting a chit with her own name in the hat. When one of her coworkers asks her to prove the draw is not rigged by showing them the chit with her name on it, Eleanor responds by swallowing all of the chits.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: The flashbacks show Eleanor as this, repeatedly shirking being the designated driver.Eleanor: I called a cab for you guys, but they recognized my number and didn't want to come. I've thrown up in a lot of cabs.
- Heroic Comedic Sociopath: Eleanor's thought that gives her pure joy is "people puking on rollercoasters".
- History with Celebrity: Tahani's god-mother is Diana (doesn't matter what she was princess of) and she's been to Johnny Depp's birthday party. This will be a running gag for her.
- Instantly Proven Wrong:
- Eleanor bets Chidi doesn't remember anything about her. He rapid fire lists all the significant details she told him.
- Just after Eleanor promises she won't let Chidi down, Janet shows up with a bag of foul-smelling trash that Eleanor asked her to dump in Antonio's house. Eleanor unconvincingly denies ever having done any such thing.
- The Internet Is for Porn: Eleanor asks Janet if she would tell Michael any of her requests and Janet says that they are all 100% confidential. She then asks what kind of porn she wants, thinking that she was going to ask for porn and anticipating that need, when really Eleanor was just going to ask for clothes.
- It's All About Me:
- Chidi gives Eleanor a "The Reason You Suck" Speech, noting how self-centered she is.
- We also see Tahani name-dropping celebrities as a way of bragging about her life.
- Kick the Dog: Literally and Played for Laughs. Michael kicks a random dog into the sun because he thinks it's the glitch that's ruining his neighborhood. Seconds later it turns out that it really did belong to someone.
- Overly Long Gag: We watch Teacup (the puppy) fly through the air for quite some time before it hits the sun.
- Rain of Something Unusual: When Eleanor shirks picking up garbage, trash suddenly starts raining from the sky.
- Take That!: To Kendall Jenner.Chidi: Your favorite... "book" is Kendall Jenner's Instagram feed!
Eleanor: How do you know all that?
Chidi: Because you are constantly talking about yourself. You are the most self-absorbed person I have ever met.
Eleanor: You should see Kendall Jenner's Instagram feed. - Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: Eleanor gets Chidi a present at the end of the episode: she remembers the name of the country he was raised in, and acts like this is an accomplishment.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Both in the afterlife and in life, people were and are constantly calling Eleanor out for her selfish behavior.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: After he spots Eleanor picking up trash without being asked and with no expectation of reward, he simply tells her he thinks she's capable of change and he's willing to help her try.
