12. Chidi Sees the Time-Knife

Complete story — includes the ending

In the IHOP, Jason and Janet decide to start dating. After Jason's impassioned speech on the human condition, Gen agrees to live on Earth; after her time there, she acknowledges humans are at a disadvantage in moral decision-making and may be better than their point totals suggest. She pulls Shawn into a meeting; he maintains that humans are fundamentally bad, but the humans' ability to improve casts doubt on Shawn's claim. Chidi suggests the experiment be repeated with new subjects. The parties reach terms: Michael will design another fake "Good Place" neighborhood, and Shawn will select four new moderately bad humans to live in it, with the humans having one year to improve. Mindy St. Claire allows the neighborhood to be built in the Medium Place. Janet creates progeny to serve as the rest of its residents with the help of Derek, who has improved through repeated reboots; Jason is disconcerted that Derek is Janet's ex. Shawn tells Michael that, should the experiment fail, Michael's friends' torturers will be disguised as Michael. Alone with Eleanor in his office, Michael is incapacitated by a panic attack as the first new human, John, wakes up in the waiting room.