"The real Bad Place was the friends we made along the way?"
"All I've ever really wanted was to know what it feels like to be human, and now we're going to do the most human thing of all: attempt something futile with a ton of unearned confidence and fail spectacularly!"
— Michael
After hoodwinking Shawn into thinking that they'd escaped to Mindy St. Clair's house, the gang prepares to depart to the real Good Place. Michael summons a grandiose balloon to take them there, but it will only accept passengers who are the best versions of themselves. Eleanor, Jason, and Tahani are accepted, but Chidi fails because he's hung up on the previous versions of him, who could be 'better'. Having talked him out of it, the gang tries again, only this time Eleanor is rejected. As they break out into arguments, Michael admits that he doesn't actually know how to get to the Good Place.
Now faced with Shawn's impending discovery and eternal torture, the gang decide to enjoy one last night in the neighborhood. Michael is given an 'honorary human' box full of trinkets. Tahani and Jason quietly break up, while Eleanor admits to Chidi that she has feelings for him. Then Tahani, taking inspiration from Eleanor mocking her constantly "[wanting] to speak to your manager", has an idea — what if they appeal their case to the eternal Judge (the manager, in this metaphor). Deciding that they have nothing to lose anyway, the team decides to try it.
Tropes:
- 420, Blaze It: Jason suggests that their best selves might've been the 69th or the 420th. Eleanor high-fives him for it.
- Book Ends: The first act of the episode has the four humans discussing their ideal Good Places, while in the last act they wonder what personal Bad Places are in store for them when they're out of escape options.
- Bottle Episode: Has only the six regular cast members, and takes place almost entirely on the town square set.
- Breather Episode: Compared to the frantic plot-driven episodes around it, "Best Self" is a much quieter episode focused on character interaction.
- The Cake Is a Lie: As revealed in this episode, Michael does not nor ever has known how to get into the Good Place. He just made that promise up on the spot to convince the humans to team up with him. However, it's downplayed because, when Michael began genuinely bonding with the humans, he did legitimately try to get into the Good Place, and only gave up when he believed it to be literally impossible.
- Character Development: Michael was happy to lie to Team Cockroach at the beginning about being able to get to the Good Place. After a season of hard work and friendship, he now feels terrible about the lie and his failure.
- Chekhov's Gun: Early in the episode, Tahani mentions that, whenever she had a problem on Earth, she would ask to speak to the manager. At the end, Tahani suggests they make it to the Good Place by asking to speak to the manager - as in, the Judge.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Jason says "The pattern is green, green, green, red!" ... yup. Michael always makes the light turn red when it's convenient to try and buy time.
- Continuity Nod: Chidi's frozen yogurt is decked with almonds, which is probably a reference to how he liked almond milk back on Earth.
- Darkest Hour: There's no plan. There's no way to the Good Place. Shawn will find them. They're going to be tortured for all eternity. All they can do is throw a party and say goodbye.
- Determined Defeatist: Everyone realizes they have no chance at victory, their path will take them through the Bad Place, to a portal they can't reach or even get through, to talk to a Judge who won't hear their case, and plead a case they can't win. They saddle up.
- Disappointed in You: When Michael finally admits he's been lying and has no idea how to get to the real Good Place he expects everyone will be angry but instead Eleanor tells him she's just disappointed in him. Michael points out how everyone knows that's worse than someone being mad at you.
- "Eureka!" Moment: While Eleanor drunkenly imitates how Tahani would solve her problems by demanding to speak to the manager, it gave Tahani the idea of appealing to the Judge who manages both the Good and Bad Place.
- Faux Horrific: When the group discuss what the Bad Place would be like, Jason imagines a Skrillex concert where the bass beat never drops, while Tahani imagines being in the Swiss Alps in autumn.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Michael receives a message from Shawn, on the screen that pops up there's a folder labelled "Song Lyrics (Private)" which he briefly mentioned in Season 1.
- Friendship Moment: The toast at the end of act two is everyone telling each other how much they love each other and what they love about them. And Michael is granted the status of Honorary Human.
- Hidden Depths: Because the cab of the truck becomes his chest, Jason is correct that "right nipple" would, in fact, be shotgun on Optimus Prime.
- Horrible Camping Trip: Eleanor imagines that the Bad Place for her would involve a lot of camping.
- It's the Journey That Counts: Michael takes several stabs at coining an aphorism to describe their journey so far. Eleanor finally grants him "The real Good Place was in the Bad Place all along.".
- Lampshade Hanging: Tahani begs Jason not to launch into one of his long stories, then keeps begging as he launches into one of his long stories.Jason: Long story short, it was alllll a dream.
- LOL, 69: Jason suggests that their best selves might've been the 69th or the 420th. Eleanor high-fives him for it.
- Minimalist Cast: This episode only features the main cast with no guest appearances. Even when Shawn communicates with Michael, it's only through text.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: At the end of the episode, the neighborhood that's been the main setting for the whole show dismantles into nothing and is completely gone.
- Only the Worthy May Pass: The balloon to the Good Place comes with a scale that determines whether one is the best version of themselves and let them in. Everyone gets a green light except for Chidi, who is conflicted over whether his present self is his best self. Eleanor talks him down and he gets approved... but now Eleanor doesn't because "Chidi got in my head" and now she has doubts. Eventually, it comes out that Michael only summoned the balloon to buy himself some time to think up a real plan while the humans try to talk through the issue.
- Readings Are Off the Scale: When Eleanor needles a smug Janet about not being honest about her lingering feelings for Jason, she goads her into stepping on the scale that determines whether one is their best self. It shorts while flashing patterns of red and green.
- The Reveal: Michael finally admits that he doesn't have any idea how to get to the Good Place, never did. He tried 1,000,000,012 different plans and none of them worked.
- Scheherezade Gambit: Michael is stalling for time, trying to get the humans to go talk about stuff while he struggles to find an actual path to the Good Place. The balloon is just a stalling tactic.
- Self-Inflicted Hell: When the group talk about what the Bad Place would be for them, Chidi says that, since he's made himself miserable in everything he's ever done, there would be a wide variety of possible versions for him.
- Take That!:
- Eleanor says of course the Good Place will take them in, as "what kind of messed up place would turn away refugees?"
- A Dr. Oz dieting book is considered reading material for suckers.
- Unaccustomed as I Am to Public Speaking...: Subverted. At the party, when people are giving toasts, Janet says "Because of the way we were conceived of and created, Janets do not typically give speeches"...and then she stops talking.
