#ted dansen

[moviesludge]

yeah yeah, the Ted Dansen in the sand gif, we've all seen it

[pennamerequired]

I just finished watching A Man on the Inside which was a delightful show, had lots of emotional moments and was so genuinely funny that I was actually giggling and barking out laughs.

I swear Michael Schur made this show just so Ted Dansen could be a cutie patootie.

But one thing I haven't seen a lot of discussion on is how Charles, Ted Dansen's character, is very clearly autistic coded. And very much gives off undiagnosed autistic dad energy.

Minor spoilers for episode 1

He's widower and a retired engineering professor, his relationship with his daughter is strained because his late wife was the emotional glue, and he was never really great at communicating with his child but he loves her and snips out newspaper articles to send her in the mail. Though she can't seem to have any meaningful conversations with him, her husband says he's the one to call if you need to know the fastest route somewhere. He's hesitant to break out of his daily routine.

He's full of fun facts.

When entering a cafeteria to grab breakfast to find there was nowhere to sit he says "I'm not much of a breakfast guy" and leaves.

There's a bunch of other things that kinda flagged it but those are some of the ones that really stuck out to me.

Anyways, the show is honestly fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

[just-your-casual-nerd]

[poonyo]

[tinysandwichchild]

The Judge looking down on Earth right now must be like

[welcometothegeekyside]

The Good Place S4 E12

Source: Netflix

[lady-griffin]

So, I finally watched the finale of The Good Place.

I didn’t want to watch it, because I didn’t want what has become one of my favorite shows to end – which is very fitting with the subject matter of the last episode.

But my Janet was it satisfying.

I don’t think I have ever been that satisfied or at peace with a show’s ending before, but my goodness did they do it. I have one problem, but really it was just  so wonderful that I hardly call it a problem, just a difference of opinion. 

The Good

Shawn

Shawn’s little evil, but trying to be sincere moment, was just so funny. 

Vicky

Her talking about acting and being so pretentious, she was always such a delight. I hope I’ll see Tiya Sircar in more things, she was fantastic. 

Mindy St. Claire

I just loved how she was grateful that Elenaor cared about her and her afterlife as she didn’t. It was just sweet and of course a bit pervy with those two, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Derek

Hilarious as always.

The Second Gang – Simone, John and Brent

It was nice seeing them again. Just the quickness of it, was good. Simone hanging out with Chidi and Eleanor and people she might not have hang out with before was good.

That last bit of gossip from John.

And Brent still going through the test.

Maybe their moments were too short, but I would rather have a short few seconds with them in the end then cut anything away from the main gang.

The Judge

Now listening to podcasts. Maya Rudolph is always a treasure.

The Doorman.

I love the transition of him basically being alone when we first saw him to being the center point of the afterlife that was very nice. Especially seeing him being surrounded by frogs and being so happy, to being bored and annoyed by all the frogs, to him getting a real frog.

I love Mr. Jumpy Legs

I didn’t know that was something I even wanted, but my gosh was that precious and such a nice microcosm of the overall afterlife affect.

Team Cockroach

Tahani

Tahani and her being with her family was so very touching and her living with her sister (it looked like) and them being sisters and friends to her accomplishing everything on her list and still realizing there’s more for her to do was just so damn wonderful.

I’m really happy with how her story ended, or I guess how we left her. Her not going through the door, but her finding something else to do and finding satisfaction with that was good.

Michael

Michael becoming human. That’s perfect. That’s so nice for him and Ted Dansen’s real-life wife playing his guitar teacher was so sweet and lovely.

Also, Michael trying to go through the door and it not working, was hilarious.

Such a charming former fire squid who deserves only the best.

Also Michael Realman being is actual name on earth, is hilarious and forking fantastic. 

The Bowtie

Michael giving Tahani the first bowtie we ever saw him in. That was super touching. I hope either Jameela or Ted got to keep it or stole it from set.

Janet

I love Janet. I mean Janet being a constant and experiencing all of time at once is just so Janet.

My favorite not a robot and not a girl there ever was. And I am so in love with Manny stealing the necklace and giving it to her. 

Hello and Goodbyes – Janet and Michael

I love how Michael’s and Janet’s first lines were greetings and their last lines were farewells. That’s just very nice and fitting. 

Janet and Michael’s relationship was just the best friendship ever. And Michael making sure Janet knew she could be sad and that she could always talk to him and Janet fretting over Michael in his human form, they are just the best.

Jason

Jason was very sweet. 

Him waiting for Janet to come back and him knowing that all the other Janets he saw weren’t his not-a-girl. That was very touching. And even though Jason was ready to go, him waiting and being at peace with it and just thinking about life and Janet was truly satisfying. He truly became a monk. 

And of course, Jason’s first line being about waiting for Eleanor to him actually waiting several eternities for Janet and telling Chidi to wait up was so nice. 

Chidi & Eleanor

OMG. These two. What can I even say about these two. I love them so much, these two will probably be in my top 10 ships forever.

I legit started to cry when Eleanor was so desperate to keep Chidi and telling him she didn’t want to be alone and she’d been alone her whole life. Then Chidi saying he’ll stay with her, because he loves her and Chidi never wants to make Eleanor sad.

His literal moment of peace happened when Eleanor received maternal affection and love from both his mother and her own.

I mean come on.

But of course, Chidi is ready to and wants to leave. And Eleanor realizing that letting him leave is the best thing for Chidi, no matter how sad it might make her feel, is the right thing to do.

Eleanor has grown so much from the first episode.

I mean, from someone who basically entrapped Chidi to lying for her to letting him go because it’s the best thing for him (a selfless act), she really has grown so much. And Chidi, Chidi being ready to go and being comfortable with the biggest choice of his life without a second of hesitation. My boy has grown.

It’s so forking satisfying.

And when he left her that calendar, it was so funny and sweet and stupid and just wonderful. And oddly is very fitting with this show and how it makes you feel.

The Not So Good

Honestly, nothing was bad in the finale for me. I was truly satisfied by it.

I do wish the last thing in the show, was just Eleanor walking through the door and the sound of waves being the last thing we hear.

To me that would’ve been a bit more fitting and satisfying. 

At least for me.

There’s something about a show that is literally about the afterlife and the final episode being about how we have no idea what is going to happen in the end, is just so excellent to me.

I love that so much. 

There being no definitive answer, is oddly the most satisfying thing this show could’ve done with what happens after you go through the final door.

That being said, I do really like and love the idea that after you choose to leave the afterlife - a bit of you becomes a moment, a little voice to another to do the right thing. 

Fitting with Eleanor’s journey and the whole, what do we owe one another question.

And just the idea that the world is becoming a better place, with the good place residents being allowed to leave and becoming said moments on earth and the bad place residents being allowed to try, try again until they get it right. 

So, I really don’t have a problem with the ending and I do really love it. 

I would’ve just ended it with Eleanor walking through the door and the sound of waves. 

I personally just like the question not being answered in the end. 

But by goodness, did they end this show with perfection. It’s hard to write about my so called problem, because I did love the ending we got, even if I might’ve done it a bit differently. 

What a truly lovely and satisfying show, that has beat my expectations every single time. 

Just a truly well-made, well-acted, wonderful and lovely show with a lovely and wonderfully diverse and talented cast.

I love The Good Place.

And while I hate to see it go, I loved watching it leave.  

[thegeminight]

HOLY MOTHER FORKING SHIRT BALLS!!!!