Here's How "The Good Place" Characters Changed From The First Episode To The Last

Now THIS is what you call character growth.

The Good Place series finale has aired, and it packed a massive emotional punch. Warning: spoilers from here on out.

NBC

The Good Place was a remarkable show in so many ways — it was constantly surprising, incredibly smart, and both very funny and completely moving.

One of the best things about The Good Place, though, was being able to follow the journeys of these very human characters (as well as the non-human ones). The growth each character went through was amazing and well-earned. Let's take a look back at how it went down for our faves...

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell)

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When we first meet Eleanor, she is a total dirtbag. She's selfish, lost, and lonely, but she pushes people away and leans into her worst instincts. She knows she's terrible, but she doesn't particularly care or want to be better.

The Eleanor of the series finale couldn't be further from where she began. While she still loves margaritas and shrimp and mild sexual objectification, she's learned the importance of connecting with others — of not just having friends, but being a good friend. She has become truly good after much striving, repeatedly putting the needs of others ahead of her own, down to literally saving the universe on multiple occasions.

The way Eleanor finally lets Chidi go in the finale, even though she's not ready to say goodbye to him, is the perfect encapsulation of the selflessness and care for others that has come to define her. Even her final acts before leaving the Good involve making sure the people she cares about are okay.

Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper)

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In Season 1, Chidi is indecisive and anxious to the point of being unable to function. He's so hung up on doing what's right that he removes his own desires from the situation to such an extent that he's completely ineffective and can't really take any action.

By the finale, Chidi has experienced so much. He's now confident and calm. He's not only able to make decisions, but he literally has a sense of peace wash over him, making him sure he's ready to leave the Good Place. The fact that he feels so sure is significant — he doesn't even sit down on the bench to contemplate or hesitate when Janet suggests it. He knows he's ready, and he strides confidently through the door without a second thought. It's Chidi at his most evolved.

Michael (Ted Danson)

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It's wild to think that Michael started out as the villain of The Good Place — albeit masquerading as a friend and good guy. He was a demon whose job was to torture our favorite humans, but the truth is deep down he was yearning for something different. He was always curious about what it meant to be human, and what it would feel like to have a human life.

Michael grew to care about others — and humanity in general — in a way that no other demon had before. He became more and more human over the course of the show — with all the joy and pain that comes with the territory. The fact that he ends the show living a very ordinary human life on earth is the ultimate happy ending for him.

Janet (D'Arcy Carden)

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Janet begins the show as a kind of advanced Siri — she is basically a computer that holds all the knowledge of the universe and can conjure just about anything from thin air.

Through many reboots that made her more and more advanced, not to mention unique experiences — including time on Earth without her powers — Janet experienced massive character growth. Like Michael, she became more human — she learned how to empathize, to care, and most importantly to love. She went from existing purely for others to learning to live for herself, without being selfish.

Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto)

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Jason at the start of The Good Place is the epitome of impulsiveness. He acts first and thinks later (if at all). Of course, this is hidden initially underneath his monk facade, which he is only really able to maintain for as long as he does because, well, he doesn't think too deeply. He's also someone who is a bit selfish, not because he's malicious, but rather because he's simply thoughtless.

Jason's connection to the group is the first time he's been really invested in what happens to people other than himself. His relationship with Janet in particular forces him to grow, and in the last episode we see him trying to take care of her and show his love through meaningful actions. The way he chooses to announce his decision to leave the Good Place to the group in the place where they met also demonstrates his thoughtfulness. And then the fact that he basically turns himself into a real monk without realizing it — he's able to sit still, contemplate deep things, and be introspective for an extended period of time — shows just how much he has changed.

Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil)

NBC

When we first meet Tahani, she's self-absorbed, deeply insecure, and overcompensating for a deep-seated feeling of worthlessness. She's obsessed with external and superficial things as a mask for the emptiness and lack of purpose she feels.

By the end of the show, Tahani has been able to heal. She not only cares for others, but she also focuses on learning, creating, and being useful. The fact that she chooses not to go through the door and instead becomes an architect is a perfect ending for her. She has a sense of purpose that she always searched for in life. She's also, significantly, okay on her own — not lonely or lost, but rather comfortable and secure within herself.