If you, as showrunner Michael Schur puts it, developed a Wikipedia [1]-level obsession with moral philosophy after watching The Good Place [2], you're not alone. Fans have fallen in love with the goofy and intelligent show over the course of its 25 episodes, amused by its lively depictions of ethical quandaries [3] . . . and Jason's obsession with Blake Bortles. Needless to say, the series is going strong, with its third season [4] just right around the corner.
Besides its quirky balance between philosophy and physical comedy, The Good Place is also known for its unexpected turns. Season two unravels the revelatory plot twist from the first season — that the team of humans wasn't in The Good Place after all. Rather, they've unwittingly participated in a reality show that Michael has designed so that the four of them can torture each other. But Michael eventually befriends Eleanor & Co. Season two revolves around the gang avoiding Michael's boss and figuring out how to get to The Good Place. By the finale, the humans end up in the place that fans have only seen through flashbacks: Earth.
It's been a while since the show last aired, so we've compiled a refresher course on everything that went down in the season two finale. Keep reading to find out what the characters are up to by the time the third season of The Good Place debuts.
Michael
Ah, yes, our favorite suited-up middle management demon. Of all the characters in the second season, Michael has shown the most personal growth, even earnestly taking in Chidi's philosophy lessons. In the end, he sacrifices himself to Shawn so that his friends can meet up with Jen the judge for the chance of entering the Good Place. Thanks to Janet, he narrowly escapes his boss and finds his way to his favorite humans. Just in the nick of time, Michael convinces Jen to let the humans have a second chance on Earth.
We know that Michael is popping up on Earth every now and then. In the season two finale, he pushes a line of carts out of Eleanor's way and prompts her to find Chidi. When he's not instilling Eleanor with life advice, he's keeping track of the quartet's good points with Janet.
Janet
Janet poses as Bad Janet in the penultimate episode of the second season and eventually helps Michael escape from Shawn. When they both get to the judge, Janet confesses her love for Jason. Currently, she's helping Michael keep track of Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason.
Eleanor
Right before Michael strikes his deal, Eleanor figures out that Judge Jen set her up with a fake Chidi during her test. She ends up refusing to go to the Good Place, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to anyway.
Of all the humans, we have the clearest idea of what happens to Eleanor once she's given a second chance to live. After seeing her life flash before her very eyes, Eleanor decides to become a do-gooder, quitting her job selling fake medicine and enlisting in work as an environmental canvasser.
But over time, she grows disillusioned with doing good, hitting a low point when she gets sued for bumping into a woman's car. One night, Eleanor goes out to a bar where Michael works as a bartender, and he asks her, "What do we owe each other?" Googling that question, she lands on a page featuring Chidi's lecture series and hops on a flight to meet up with him.
Chidi
During her test from Judge Jen, Eleanor figures out that she wasn't with the real Chidi. The real Chidi ends up taking his sweet time choosing between a brown and gray hat on his personalized exam. And fails the test.
Now alive, Chidi continues to work as a professor of moral philosophy. After hearing his YouTube lecture, Eleanor meets up with him at St. John's University in Australia.
Tahani
The last time that we see Tahani, she undergoes a test where she must pass through a hallway with people talking about her behind closed doors. She ends up confronting her parents, which causes the judge to fail her. Now that Tahani is alive, we assume that she's back in England organizing charity events and still harboring unpleasant feelings toward her sister Kamilah.
Jason
Jen tasks Jason with playing a Madden NFL video game as the Tennessee Titans instead of the Jacksonville Jaguars (which is his favorite team). His test turns out to be about impulse control, which he fails. It's likely that he's back at his job as an EDM DJ, hopefully having escaped the safe during the botched robbery that led to his first death.
Shawn
Michael sacrifices himself to allow his friends to go through the portal to get to the judge. Shawn, his boss, grabs him and punishes him by locking him in a room with only New Yorker magazines for entertainment. But luckily, Bad Janet turns out to be Good Janet, and she ends up knocking the wind out of Shawn and helping Michael escape. Still, given that Marc Evan Jackson's presence is so strong on The Good Place's podcast [5], we wouldn't be surprised if Shawn makes another appearance in the third season.
The Judge/Jen
The judge eventually yields to Michael's request and gives the humans a second chance to live instead of damning them to the Bad Place. Jen might be working things through with Michael at this point, but it's more likely that she's enjoying a burrito while waiting for her next case. Still, we're all for seeing more of Maya Rudolph on the show.
Mindy St. Claire
As the only resident of the Medium Place, Mindy doesn't have much going on for her. In the second season, Eleanor and the gang send her Derek as both a gift (specifically, as a sex robot) and part of their escape plan, so we reckon that she'll be keeping busy for a while.