The Good Place – Enneagram and Encaustic

JANET, NULL

Janet is a robot. I’m not sure she can have an Enneagram. It takes us a while to learn that she grows and changes with every reboot. The love she finds in one iteration carries over to future versions of Janet. That suggests that she will indeed have a personality type. Her character arcs.

However, what Type does she fall into? She doesn’t fit any of the general categories of Head, Heart, or Body. I refuse to count her computer brain as a Head Type reaction. Her willingness to pop in and help anyone in the community is not a Heart Type reaction; it’s her programming.

Characters who end up a Null because they were badly written do happen. However, characters who are purposely written as a Null — I discuss Bishop from Aliens as a deliberate Null in my book — are interesting. It’s harder than it sounds to write someone who fits no Enneagram.

Was this the right choice for Janet? The first android in Alien, Ash, is not a Null. A robot is not automatically devoid of a personality type. Janet is a wonderful character, beautifully portrayed. I wonder, though, if an Enneagram might have opened up possibilities in the later seasons when the show isn’t as sharp as it is in One and Two. A Body Type, especially for a robot that needs no physical expression to do her job, could’ve been intriguing.

ELEANOR SHELLSTROP, THREE

Eleanor, dominated by Envy, must be a Heart Type. Our early impression of Eleanor is that she’s selfish; it seems she will always use other people. However, her innate desire to connect with her neighbors leads her beyond her uglier personality traits.

I feel certain Eleanor is no Two, lol. Do we go with Four or Three? On Earth, Eleanor was an accomplished jerk. That’s not how I think of a Three — their successes are usually admirable — but I won’t rule out that Enneagram. Dark Threes make good villains. It’s possible that Eleanor taps into and subverts this quality by becoming our protagonist.

Also, because of her vivacity, Eleanor could be a Four. Her emotions don’t fluctuate between high and low, but she brings a constant energy that other Enneagram numbers wouldn’t be able to sustain.

Whoa, this is a tough one.

I’m going to say Three because of Chidi. He’s so clearly a Six, a Three’s strength number. In every iteration of the Good Place, Chidi persuades Eleanor to be a better person. He models a moral personality that Eleanor has never considered. I don’t think Chidi would succeed as often if she were a Four.

CHIDI ANAGONYE, SIX

I mean, right? No questions, no doubt. Chidi must be a Six.

He approaches the world as a Head Type: solutions will be found by thinking and analyzing. He constantly worries, which is a distinctive Six trait when it becomes persistent. He weighs everything from a black vs. white perspective, with no room for gray.

Although he’s morally resolute, he will go to battle for his friends. Chidi’s Sixness, the conflict within him when faced with the Good Place, is what makes him such a great character. Should he help Eleanor, who’s (unwittingly at first) breaking the rules? Once he’s decided on his choice, he won’t quit. The writing, the directing, and the acting have all nailed a beautiful portrayal of a Six.

I just wish his wardrobe displayed more eccentricity. Men Sixes have a strange sense of fashion, no matter how sophisticated their profession. The tweed-and-turtleneck makes for a great joke, but his pants should’ve clashed. Heh.

Tahani Al-Jimal

ONE

Wearing a turtleneck and a tweed jacket (lol) Chidi teaches Eleanor from the blackboard.

However, she’s more focused on the “You don’t belong here” note tucked in her binder.

Chidi notices and calls her on it. As they argue, a knock at the door sends them scurrying to flip the chalkboard and hide the books.

TWO

It’s Tahani with a flowering houseplant. After she leaves, Eleanor puts on a posh British accent and mocks her. Chidi’s confused that a neighborly visit gets Eleanor so worked up.

“I’m supposed to treat her with mutual respect?” Eleanor accuses. “That’s exactly what she wants!”

After an amused pause, Chidi responds, “Er . . . that’s what everyone wants.”

Roll credits.

Flying

ONE

Picking up where Episode One of The Good Place left off, Chidi still stresses while Eleanor tries to evade the problem. She calls for Janet. (Actually, Chidi calls for Janet because Eleanor can’t remember the name.)

TWO

First, Eleanor confirms that any conversation with Janet is confidential. Yes, not even Michael can access it. Then she asks Janet for bee-striped clothes.

At the town meeting in Tahani’s palace, everyone wears the same fabric. Michael, with false confidence, tells them all that he has no idea how the chaos happened.

THREE

And then Tahani’s normal clothes return as the bee-striped outfit fades away.

Roll credits.

Everything Is Fine

Although it’s been around for nearly a decade and I’ve rewatched it multiple times, I’ve never written about The Good Place. I’ll be very surprised if the episodes, especially in Season One, don’t have a tight Story Enneagram. Let’s make sure, though. Any excuse to have a good laugh is worth taking.

ONE

Eleanor Shellstrop opens her eyes. She’s in a generic waiting room and the wall opposite her shows the chirpy message: Welcome! Everything is fine.

(I won’t jump ahead with spoilers, but be warned that each episode rolls out information. Once you know the season’s ending, the rewatches — especially the ironic touches — become even more delightful. We can talk about that at the Season One overview.)

Michael, the manager, takes her into his office and informs her that she’s dead. She was killed by a column of shopping carts that swept her into traffic. Now, Eleanor’s in the Good Place.

Roll credits.