Chapter 33: A Fractured Inheritance is the 7th episode of Season 3 of The Good Place.
Plot[]
Eleanor makes a startling discovery that tests her resolve, Tahani looks to make amends and Janet does some bonding.
Summary[]
Eleanor and Michael have arrived in a Nevada suburb to track down Eleanor's mother, Donna, who had faked her death and is now living under the fake identity of Diana Tremaine. They discover that she's remarried to a nice man named Dave, who has a daughter from a previous relationship named Patricia. Eleanor is not all happy that her mother faked her own death, stole her go-to fake alias, and got herself a new family. Michael has to keep Eleanor calm so that she doesn't blow things for them.
Meanwhile, in Budapest, Tahani tries to reconnect and repair her fractured relationship with Kamilah, with Chidi keeping watch to stop her from doing anything drastic while Jason and Janet wander around the museum to look at the exhibition. Kamilah is initially cold and refuses to accept anything from Tahani, who flies into a rage and drives an ax into a table, leading to her and Chidi almost getting arrested. As they sit and wait, Tahani looks over Kamilah's paintings and notices a recurring theme in them, realizing that Kamilah's aloofness stems from her own resentment of how their parents forced her to constantly outdo herself to live up to their sky-high standards and making her compete with Tahani for their approval throughout their childhoods. Tahani gives Kamilah a hug, which she reciprocates, and the two of them finally are able to connect and reconcile over their shared resentment of their parents. Kamilah makes her latest art project a collaborative effort, giving Tahani credit for inspiring her.
Back in Nevada, Eleanor refuses to believe her mother has truly changed for the better and is determined to expose her true identity to Dave and the rest of the neighbors during a PTA meeting at Patricia's school. Dave, however, already knew of Donna's true past. Michael asks Eleanor why she won't accept that her mother really has changed for the better and Eleanor tearfully admits that she's jealous of the fact that Donna is being a good mother to Patricia because Eleanor wanted that mother herself, and accepting this means accepting Donna was always capable of changing but wouldn't do it for Eleanor. Ultimately, the two of them reconcile, with Donna acknowledging that she hadn't been a great mother to Eleanor and apologizing while Eleanor makes Donna promise to cherish her new family and do right by Patricia. As they leave to reunite with the others, Eleanor admits to Michael that she still feels emotionally scarred, admitting that Donna's failures as a mom left her unable to truly get close to anyone, much less ever tell them she loved them. Michael then reveals that one time, she did tell someone she loved them... and that person was Chidi.
In Tarantula Springs, Nevada, Eleanor sits outside her mother's house with Michael. Michael explains to her that her mother faked her own death because she bid 30,000 on a 'Win a Date with Gene Simmons' auction and didn't want to pay. So she moved to Nevada and reinvented herself as Diana Tremaine. Eleanor is upset because Donna is using her fake identity name. Michael tells Eleanor that they are here to help her mother get into The Good Place. The two of them knock on the door and when Diana answers Eleanor abruptly yells at her.
Eleanor asks who's house she's in. Diana tells her that it belongs to her nerdy boyfriend, Dave. Eleanor believes that Diana is running a scam. Dave and his daughter, Patricia, arrive. Diana lies and introduces Eleanor as her sorority sister. In Budapest, Tahani, Chidi Anagonye, Jason Mendoza, and Janet are standing in line at a museum to meet Kamilah. Janet reminds Tahani that it's important for her to make amends with Kamilah because that's largely why she didn't get into The Good Place. Tahani cuts through the line and goes to talk to Kamilah. Kamilah is making omelettes and asks Tahani if she'd like one. Tahani says no and this causes Kamilah to close the exhibit, disappointing the crowd of people.
Eleanor asks how Diana and Dave met. Dave tells them that he met her on a job. He was closing a bar when he walked in and saw Diana sitting at the counter. She held a knife to his throat but they ended up making out in the back alley. Diana says that she has to go get ready for PTA elections. She's running for PTA secretary. They leave and Michael says that Diana is doing pretty great on her own. Eleanor is still suspicious about the whole situation. Meanwhile, Jason and Janet wander around the museum. Jason asks Janet to name the prices for all the paintings since she knows everything. Tahani apologizes to Kamilah but Kamilah doesn't accept her apology. Eleanor goes through Patricia's room looking for any sign of Diana's escape plan. Michael stops her from cutting up Patricia's stuffed animals and tells her that they're going to go to the PTA meeting.
Chidi asks Tahani if he can try talking to Kamilah. Tahani agrees but Chidi becomes mesmerized by Kamilah. Tahani is so distraught over the whole situation that she grabs an axe off the wall and hits the table. At the MGM Grand Elementary School, Diana gives a speech of why she should be PTA secretary. Afterwards, Eleanor tells Dave the truth about Diana. Dave tells her that he already knew all that and that they're waiting until Patricia is older to tell her. Michael asks Eleanor why she can't accept that Diana has changed. Eleanor responds that she wanted that type of Mom and is jealous that Patricia gets to have that when she doesn't. Diana ends up winning the election.
Eleanor finds Diana in the laundry room and apologizes for not believing that any of this was real. Eleanor offers to help with the laundry but Diana stops her from grabbing one of the soap boxes. Eleanor takes it from her and opens it up to find wads of cash stuffed inside. Tahani and Chidi are handcuffed while sitting on a bench. Tahani confides in Chidi and tells him about how her parents used to pit Kamilah and her against each other. Suddenly, Tahani realizes that all of these painting are about them. Tahani gets up and goes to hug Kamilah. She apologizes for what their parents did and Kamilah, finally, embraces her.
Diana reveals to Eleanor that she sneaks a little bit of cash away just in case she needs an exit strategy. Eleanor tells her that Diana likes her new life and that she needs to commit to it. This means getting rid of the cash. Eleanor suggests that she spend it on Patricia. Eleanor points out that this is her doover so she shouldn't waste it. The two of them embrace. On the drive to the airport, Chidi shows Tahani an article that has both Tahani and Kamilah's names in the exhibit title. Michael and Eleanor say goodbye to Diana and her little family. While driving, Michael tells Eleanor that they're going to pick the others up from the airport. Eleanor tells Michael that she's glad that he mom's changed but it doesn't fix all the damage she did to her. She points out that she's never even told a boyfriend that she's loved them before. Michael tells her that she has when she was in a relationship with Chidi in the afterlife.
Cast[]
- Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop
- William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye
- Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil
- D'Arcy Carden as Janet
- Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza
- and Ted Danson as Michael
Guest Starring
- Rebecca Hazlewood as Kamilah Al-Jamil
- Andrew Daly as Dave Katterttrune
- Ajay Mehta as Waqas Al-Jamil
- Leslie Grossman as Donna Shellstrop
- Anna Khaja as Manisha Al-Jamil
Co-Starring
- Stella Edwards as Patricia Katterttrune
- Janet Song as Peaches McPlum
- Yanellie Ireland as Young Kamilah
- Peter Katona as Jozsef Müvészember
- GraceAnne Pullappally as Young Tahani
- Johnny Kostrey as Istvan Müvészi Ember-Baråtja
Trivia[]
- Leslie Grossman, who portrays Eleanor's mother, is only nine years older than Kristen Bell, who portrays Eleanor.
- Spacey in the film The Usual Suspects (1995). Eleanor then refers to Söze "groping all those people." In 2017, Spacey was accused of sexually harassing multiple people throughout his career.
Gallery[]
