Loveday Writing

The Judge and Michael tell the gang that The Judge will put them in their own Medium Places until she decides what to do about the system. When The Judge informs them that they can’t be together as each Medium Place has to be medium for the individual, Eleanor argues that this decision isn’t fair, only for The Judge to point out that the gang barely passed her tests and argues that they only became better people as they were seeking out moral desert. However Michael disagrees with her, arguing they would have improved if they were pushed in the right direction. This leads to Michael coming up with the idea of sending the gang back to Earth.

While all four of them were sent back to Earth, the episode chooses to focus on Eleanor’s return to Earth, with her life being saved by a stranger pulling her up and away from the trolleys that led to her death in the previous timeline. Her near-death experience motivates Eleanor to become a better person. She quits her dodgy (and most likely illegal) job, and apologises to Joe, an environmentalist working for the Clean Energy Crusaders, she constantly encounters outside the supermarket. As she apologises to Joe, she asks to join the Crusaders, he welcomes her and she ends up enjoying the work. She also confesses to her roommate, Madison, about hers and their other roommate, Brittany’s, involvement in the ‘Dress Bitch’ incident. Madison commends her for her honesty, but kicks her and Brittany out of her apartment.

After six months, when Eleanor’s attempts to become a better person result in her being taken advantage of and becoming disillusioned, she reverts back to her previous lifestyle. Michael, having monitored the gang’s behaviour with Janet via stock tickers, goes to Earth and poses as a bartender who Eleanor confides in about her efforts and how no-one cares if she tries to be a do-gooder. Michael points out to her that she is seeking moral desert and has her question her morality by asking her ‘what we owe to each other’. This prompts her to Google the question the next day and find a YouTube video on Chidi’s lecture exploring the subject. Eleanor becomes so enthralled by it that she flies out to Australia, where Chidi is living and working, to meet him, which pleases Michael.

Overall I felt that this was a solid season finale with the flawed system story arc kicking off. Full disclosure, I have seen all episodes of the show, so I know that this story arc will continue until the end of the series. I feel that having a neutral being outside of Michael’s original experiment who is impartial was the perfect way to kick off the story arc. I also appreciated that the focus in the second half of the episode was on Eleanor’s life back on Earth when she is saved, due to being the protagonist, and that Michael was proven right when he gave Eleanor the push she needed when he posed as a bartender.

As for the season as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the progress that the characters have made. This season started with Michael re-attempting his torture plans and it ended with Michael’s happiness at the gang improving. The gang’s development and progress throughout the season, both individually and as a whole, was natural and didn’t feel forced in any way.

I’m looking forward to reviewing the third season.