The Good Place: Existential Dramedies

The pursuit of meaning is inherently a double-edged sword. A complete absence of meaning can throw us into emptiness and depression, and yet the relentless search for a greater purpose can be equally exhausting. The Good Place teaches us that the beauty of life lies in its ephemerality— that all good things must come to an end, and that infinity is, simply put, tiring.

During the first season, despite being an immortal demon, Michael spirals into a “midlife crisis” after confronting mortality. Michael’s sudden awareness of fleeting time drives him into an existential depression, revealing that even an eternal entity isn’t immune to the anxiety of non-existence. By showing an immortal being grappling with the concept of mortality, the show offers a comforting truth: existential anxiety is universal, and our shared fear of mortality is fundamentally what makes us human. 

To comfort Michael, one of the main characters, Eleanor tells him that “all humans are aware of death,” then adds, “so we’re all a little bit sad, all the time.” Although this sounds disturbingly pessimistic at first, it connects back to the idea that our awareness of the ephemeral is the essence of humanity. We are all connected by the small piece of sadness we carry inside. Eleanor also makes it a point that “if you try to ignore your sadness, it just ends up leaking out of you anyway,” highlighting the importance of emotional connection. Both the lack of meaning and the relentless search for it can make us feel incredibly lonely. Comparing our smallness to the vast existence of the universe can make us feel insignificant. But these topics are not issues we must fix. Rather, they are fundamental conditions of existence that we must learn to sit with and accept. And those shared experiences become much easier to carry when we face them together.

At its core, the show embodies the principles of existential philosophy. As philosopher Nicola Abbagnano notes, existentialism holds that human beings are not born with a predetermined purpose; rather, “existence precedes essence,” meaning we forge our identity and beliefs through conscious choices. In a world where meaning isn't handed down, The Good Place reminds us that the responsibility and freedom to define our existence belong entirely to us. 

Making sense of our finite time is tied directly to our own deliberate actions. By blending humor with moral philosophy, the show reassures us that feeling lost about mortality isn’t a flaw—it is an essential part of the journey we call life. Meaning isn’t something to discover; it's something we actively construct. And this construction can take many forms: through our relationships, choices, and the seconds we take to appreciate quiet moments. And maybe, a greater meaning isn’t necessary to enjoy life. Maybe sometimes, we can just appreciate that tomorrow the sun will rise again, the grass will be a vibrant shade of green, and the apple will be just as juicy.