The Good Place: The Complete Second Season

One of the most inventive current comedies on TV, the second season of this sitcom starring Kristen Bell as a self-absorbed, inconsiderate young woman who finds herself accidentally sent to Heaven opens after the big reveal of the first season finale: she and her new friends are actually all in The Bad Place, subjects of an elaborate scheme to torture them with moral quandaries, humiliations, and other emotional and mental torments. But the plan fails, so finally “engineer” Michael (Ted Danson)—a demon playing at being an angel—is forced to work with the damned souls, who also include an indecisive ethics professor (William Jackson Harper), a British socialite philanthropist (Jameela Jamil), and an idiot hip-hop dancer (Manny Jacinto). Michael aims to convince the rest of the demons that it’s a success while also getting his own education in morality. Created by Michael Schur, The Good Place serves up a creative mix of slapstick comedy and sophistication, delving into complicated ideas within ethics and philosophy using character humor and wild visual gags, like a live-action cartoon that addresses existential questions. Although it has not been a ratings hit, the show has received rave reviews and developed a devoted following. Presenting all 13 episodes from the 2017-18 second season, extras include extended versions of select episodes, a cast and crew audio commentary on one episode, a visual effects reel, and a gag reel. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)