海角大神

The appeal of television characters is often their flaws. But in contrast to morally challenged protagonists like Don Draper of 鈥淢ad Men鈥澨齛nd Walter White of 鈥淏reaking Bad,鈥澨齮he denizens of NBC鈥檚 comedy 鈥淭he Good Place鈥� are working to fix theirs. And people are fascinated by how.

Now in its third season, the Emmy-nominated sitcom charts the afterlife journey of its main characters by name-dropping philosophers such as Kierkegaard and Aristotle 鈥� atypical fodder for programs that usually deal in one-liners and laugh tracks. Often called TV鈥檚 best comedy by critics, the show鈥檚 tenacity in an industry known for rapid cancellations speaks to its fanbase, and its unusual approach.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there has ever been a network sitcom that talks about philosophers in this way,鈥� writes Errol Lord, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, in an e-mail. 鈥淧lenty of great comedy shows have grappled with philosophical issues (鈥淭he Simpsons,鈥� 鈥淪einfeld,鈥� 鈥淢*A*S*H*,鈥� 鈥淒aria,鈥� and, more recently, 鈥淗igh Maintenance鈥�). But 鈥楾GP鈥� is unique in the way it talks about actual philosophers and their views.鈥�

鈥淭he Good Place鈥澨齣s the brainchild of Michael Schur, a sitcom veteran who co-created both 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine鈥澨齛nd 鈥淧arks and Recreation,鈥澨齛nd who wrote for the US version of 鈥淭he Office.鈥澨鼿is own musings on philosophical matters informed this solo project 鈥� which he has said he pitched to executives as a show about what it means to be a good person 鈥� and have translated to viewers.听 听

鈥淯ltimately, it鈥檚 a show about ethics and about people who make each other better,鈥� says RaeLee Puckett-Sharpless, a 20-something fan from Kokomo, Ind.听

From the moment Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) arrives in a heaven-like afterlife run by Michael (Ted Danson), she thinks it is a mistake. She is joined in 鈥渢he good place鈥澨齜y ethics professor Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), socialite Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil), and aspiring DJ Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto).听

Early in the first season, Eleanor asks Chidi to help her learn to be better (in flashbacks viewers learn that she was often selfish and dishonest) and various philosophers are soon part of her lessons. In season two, which picks up after a twist at the end of the previous season, an entire episode revolves around and is named after 鈥渢he trolley problem,鈥� in which a person must choose between allowing a train to run over five people or diverting it so it only runs over one. Season three finds Chidi exploring nihilism in an episode that also involves good-deed-doing.听

鈥淚 think that the second and third seasons display more philosophical depth than much of the first season, but the reason for this may well be that the first season had to do a lot of setup,鈥澨齟xplains Todd May, professor of philosophy at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., and a consultant to the show. 鈥淎s far as their approach to philosophy, we do see the emergence of the idea of the little voice of conscience, one that Eleanor brings up as a general moral guide. This guide isn鈥檛 grounded in any particular theory, but in the unfolding relationships she has with those around her.鈥澨�

One of Professor May鈥檚 books led Mr. Schur to him, and now May meets with the show鈥檚 writing staff via Skype. 鈥淭hey are very keen on getting the philosophy right,鈥� he says, noting he was tapped by the show for what was a first in his 30-some years in philosophy: 鈥渁n emergency philosophical consult.鈥�

Professor Lord, who is working his way through the seasons, notes that early on the plot brought out philosophical ideas, including, 鈥淒oes expertise in moral philosophy translate into expertise about how to act well?... Can you learn to be a better person?... Does motive matter to whether actions with good consequences have moral worth?鈥�

Lord also noticed changes in the philosophical approach in the second season. 鈥淚t becomes murkier what the show鈥檚 view is about the relationship between being an expert about moral philosophy and being a good person. It still seems to me that it is skeptical about that.鈥澨鼳nd, he notes, 鈥渢he听layer of hope seems to be strengthened and deepened by Michael鈥檚 transformation into something much more like an ordinary human agent.鈥�

In addition to winning the approval of philosophy experts, 鈥淭he Good Place,鈥� rated TV-14, also boasts an enthusiastic fan base. Ms. Puckett-Sharpless says she wasn鈥檛 sure about the show after seeing the first episode but eventually sat down and watched more of it on a friend鈥檚 recommendation.听鈥淓ach season the story has some kind of reboot,鈥澨齭he adds. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a new story that ropes you in. If the show is a puzzle, each season is a newer weirder piece. It鈥檚 fresh and a different take on the afterlife that no one has ever seen before.鈥�

Bridget Heos watches it in Kansas City, Mo., with her husband and three teenage sons.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 funny,鈥� she says, but notes that 鈥渢here鈥檚 a deeper thread that really makes you think about the show.鈥� The struggle by the characters to become better people reminds her of another famous story about improving one鈥檚 life. 鈥淭o me it鈥檚 kind of like another version of 鈥楢 Christmas Carol,鈥� where it鈥檚 about people who ... have opted out of being human beings,鈥� she says. Watching them learn how to be loving and 鈥渘ot be superficial like Tahani,鈥� offers a deeper meaning, she says.听

鈥淏ut what brings us back, I think, is the characters,鈥澨齭he adds. 鈥淚 love spending time with these characters.鈥�

Lord notes that the show taps into 鈥渢he longing to connect with others and the longing to be recognized as valuable.鈥�

He听argues听Eleanor鈥檚 connection with others is what makes the difference in her journey. 鈥淗er meaningful interactions with the other characters ([especially] Chidi) is what really gets her to see the value of these things,鈥澨齢e writes. 鈥淭hese themes are very often explored by TV shows and art more generally.... But TGP executes this agenda in an interesting way.鈥�