If you have been reading this blog or listening to any of our podcasts you know that I love talking about all things nerdy. Falling into a good video game or getting into the nitty-gritty of Star Wars lore always brings a smile to my face. That being said, those same things that used to always be fun and bright have lost some of their sheen. Lately it seems that there is some kind of funk hanging over the world. This is why when something can break through that cloud of negativity to bring joy and a much needed emotional boost it deserves as much attention as it can get. Which brings me to a show that has done just that: It’s called The Good Place and it’s everything I want from a comedy series, especially right now.

The Good Place, in a nutshell, is about Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) who arrives in the afterlife and quickly realizes that she doesn’t belong. Everyone else appears to be an amazing person who did amazing things and Eleanor is not one of them, but she resolves to become a better person and earn her place. The show is LITERALLY about being good! A concept that is endlessly refreshing right now. Using some light sci-fi concepts the show is able to embrace the joy of experiencing a facsimile of heaven or hell without isolating any one religion, and instead of focusing on the how or why of the concept, which could become cumbersome, it leans into the characters to drive the series in an ultra light-hearted way. Which is ultimately the strongest aspect of The Good Place.

From Kristen Bell, who has regretfully flown under my radar until now, to Ted Danson playing Michael, the architect/host of this particular piece of paradise, every actor is doing stellar work. The show is filled with well written characters that feel familiar and relatable but become increasingly more complex each episode. It’s truly a pleasure to watch them grow on screen while familiar guest appearances join them to spice things up.

Allowing characters to grow and change over time is something that I have always appreciated in comedies, and I’m happy to see more and more shows adopt that approach to characterization, but I shouldn’t be surprised to see it here. The Good Place is created by Michael Shur, a writer and producer who cut his teeth on Saturday Night Live and The Office, and went on to create another one of my favourite shows; Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Brooklyn Nine-Nine also leans heavily on its strength of characters to drive the comedy and it’s this core aspect that is likely why I connect so well with his work. It’s clear Michael Shur has a knack for creating likeable characters that you want to spend time with.

I have to come back to the joy of it all though. I can’t speak highly enough on how well The Good Place is able to capture the delight of living in a paradise by allowing itself to be straight-up silly at times. The writing is whimsical and fun with well crafted jokes and call backs making it a full on comedy in the truest sense. After shows like Rick and Morty or BoJack Horseman, which can get pretty dark, it’s nice to have a show that is all about having a good time. The Good Place also has a visual style that just exudes glee. It’s visibly brighter and more vibrant than most shows on TV right now and in almost every way it sets itself apart from other comedies simply by embracing a sense of pure delight.

That’s not to say it’s completely without fault. After a shocking twist at the end of season one I’m noticing that season two is having a hard time trying to find itself again. Right before the mid-season break things were starting to ramp back up, but the first couple episodes of this season were a little rough. It’s a minor gripe though as much of season one was almost perfect and it’s only normal for a show to go through some growing pains early in it’s life. Overall there’s not much to dislike here.

I’ve had such a good time binging through the first season and a half of The Good Place that I honestly had a hard time even describing what makes this show so great. Have you ever tried to explain why something makes you happy? There’s an intangibility to it. You just know that it does sometimes. So just take my word for it; The Good Place is a must watch.

Jun 5, 2025

SSSW - Tales of the Underworld

Lucasfilm Animation has been hard at work on their next major project, 'Maul: Shadow Lord', but they've found the time to deliver another installment in their "Tales of" anthology series. The first ones covering the Jedi and the Empire, they now turn their focus towards the Underworld. However, be warned, this is a bit of a misnomer. Don't expect any crime syndicates or really any large scale criminality here. These 2 mini-arcs instead focus on Asajj Ventress (I know, not the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the Underworld) as she assists a young Jedi on the run from the Empire, and the origin story of Cad Bane. Which admittedly is closer in line with the criminal underworld concept, but is really more interested in telling a western style revenge story instead. All in all, despite the always great visuals and sound/music design, and few interesting ideas, there's not enough meat on the bone here to satisfy most viewers. But most disappointing is its failure to capitalize on the potential of the Underworld concept.

May 22, 2025

SSSW/ToB Film Club - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.

May 15, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.

May 9, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

When dealing in the world of prequels, it’s impossible to escape the inevitable - Anakin will fall, Han will win the Falcon, Cassian will die on Scarif. Somehow, in the midst of some of the most thrilling episodes of television ever put to screen, Tony Gilroy and his team found a way to address that impending doom and weaponize it against the audience to induce some of the most gut wrenching and heart breaking moments we’ve yet to see on ‘Andor’ - “There’s some place he needs to be”. At a larger scale, the show continues to outdo itself on a weekly basis, proving that the Star Wars galaxy provides a colour pallet of some of the richest hues from which to paint bold and personal stories. Proving you can go beyond the larger than life stories of heroics and grandeur to human stories of loss and pain and everything in between. That’s without mentioning the deft touch in pulling in themes that resonates with the contemporary while remaining timeless - a feeling that is a staple of Star Wars. Every detail is considered, every character is deep and interesting. There isn’t much more that can be said about such a powerful piece of art, except that not even the audience can escape the inevitable - only one week remains of this masterpiece.

The Joy and Whimsy of 'The Good Place’

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