Top 10 Best The Good Place Hidden Jokes & Easter Eggs

When trying to make a workspace in a show look real, it’s the little details that count. A jumble of paperclips here, a stapler there, and of course, plenty of post-it notes. Of course, for the average workplace comedy, any visible post-it notes likely have generic reminders like “meeting at 12:45” or “report due tomorrow”. Not on “The Good Place” though! In this show, seemingly every opportunity for humor is embraced, and so the post-its are hilariously specific. Janet and Michael have set up a command center from which to watch over the gang. In addition to various tallies, other notes include such funny observations as “Tahani primping again” and “Jason is very cute”.

It would seem that someone in the writer’s room - or set design - isn’t the biggest fan of the long-running Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. And to be fair, the series has been an exercise in diminishing returns, especially the last two films. Taking a potshot at the seemingly interminable film franchise, this season two episode suggests that future instalments belong in the Bad Place. And the suggestion seems to be that another Pirates film would be fitting torture for the poor souls who’ve been sent there. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it advertisement that reads: "Pirates of the Caribbean 6: The Haunted Crow's Nest. Or Something. Who Gives A Crap. Now Playing Everywhere FOREVER."

The attention to detail in “The Good Place”, both in terms of the set design and the careful plotting, makes it a standout amongst its contemporaries. And it’s safe to say that we have creator Michael Schur and his impressive resume to thank for that. Before “The Good Place”, he wrote for SNL, and later co-created both “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. Between the two however, he also wrote for “The Office”. In season 1, Eleanor says “Pobody’s Nerfect”, a phrase that might ring a bell. It was said by none other than Pam in the season 8 episode of “The Office”, “Doomsday”.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, “The Good Place” never misses an opportunity to throw in a subtle visual gag for eagle-eyed viewers. If there’s a surface that needs content, it’s gonna be memorable. When we revisit the day that Eleanor died, two different trucks appear. The first is in the background, and it just so happens to feature an advertisement for Tahani’s sister Kamilah. Underneath her name, there’s the word “perfect”. It’s a nice little nod to the friendship Eleanor will have with the star’s sister in the afterlife. The truck that would have killed Eleanor however, featured an ad for male enhancement pills called “engorgulate”. What a way to go!

First off, can we all just take a moment to bask in the glory of Jason’s logic in thinking that he could survive in an airtight safe by using a snorkel. Priceless. Now, let’s get to the more subtle level of fun offered up by this scene. As previously mentioned, creator Michael Schur also had a hand in “Parks and Recreation” and he’s sprinkled nods to this series throughout “The Good Place”. At Donkey Doug’s, the walls are adorned with street signs that remind us of Pawnee’s pit problem. Jean-Ralphio’s name appears on a magazine ad for champagne. But the real standout easter egg is the safe that claims Jason’s life. It’s branded with “Swanson Safe Company” - seemingly named after Pawnee’s own Ron Swanson.

When “The Good Place” took the action to Australia in season three, they really had fun with it. In episode three, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it magazine cover talking about the fourth Hemsworth brother, Larry - who is depicted as the family’s embarrassing, underachieving outcast. It’s a good gag in it’s own right, but also serves as foreshadowing for Larry’s role in the series as Tahani’s new flame in the next episode. For the record, Larry is a rich surgeon and very good-looking, making the whole “black sheep” angle all the funnier. Sadly, ‘Taharry’ doesn’t last, and so Larry again weathers the mockery of tabloids in a magazine cover in episode six.

From the very first episode of “The Good Place”, there’s something not quite right about this seemingly idyllic afterlife. Eleanor chalks this up to the fact that she isn’t the Eleanor that the house was intended for. Here’s the thing though, Eleanor’s home wasn’t just ill-suited to her personal tastes, it was objectively uncomfortable. It might have looked well-designed, but as creator Michael Schur has explained, every piece of furniture in that place was selected because it’s uncomfortable. The chairs without real back support, the subtly menacing artwork, the awkward heights of the bench and coffee table . . . it’s all intentional and subtly off-putting.

In the eighth episode of season three, we get a glimpse into the big and complex picture that is Eleanor’s life story. A digital slide shows us a tree of connecting life factors that have made Eleanor into the person she is today. For the record, this is just one page out of 162,342, but this single slide, taken on its own, already provides us with a wealth of hilarious insight. We have SO many questions. The fact the Neil Degrasse Tyson has issues with her? HER issue with Princess Jasmine? We’re especially curious about the lifetime post office ban and the ambien-hamster incident.

If it’s going to appear on-screen in “The Good Place” you can bet that it’s been custom designed for the show and that the creative team had fun with it. From the aforementioned magazine covers and ads, to the advertizing, the show is jam-packed with visual gags. Among our favorites however, are the products that Eleanor grabs on her last trip to the grocery store. First there’s the slogan on her “Lonely Gal Margarita Mix”, which reads “You don’t need them anyway.” Subtler however, is the tequila she grabs. It looks fairly legit and classy, and the name, “Basurero,” rolls off the tongue. But it's actually Spanish for "garbage dump" - making this the trashiest tequila around. Nice touch!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions

Eleanor’s Google Search History
"Somewhere Else"

The Hilarious Faces of the Montana Table
“The Brainy Bunch”

A Very Informative Blackboard
"The Snowplow"

Punny Australia-inspired Names in the End Credits
"Various"

Jacksonville Airport
"The Ballad of Donkey Doug"

Ted Danson has had a long and successful career, starring in such series as “Becker”, “Bored to Death” and “Fargo”, among others. Be that as it may, the man will always best be remembered for his role as Sam Malone on the landmark NBC series, “Cheers”. As the owner and bartender of the titular establishment, Sam became arguably one of the most iconic barmen in television history. As such, it was a very nice little nod to Danson’s past when, in the season two finale, his character Michael threw a rag over his shoulder and started tending bar. We see what you did there Good Place - and we loved every second of it!