Somewhere Else (The Good Place)

In its original broadcast on February 1, 2018, "Somewhere Else" was seen by 3.19 million American viewers and received a 1.1 rating among adults ages 18–49. The episode placed fourth in its timeslot among network broadcasts, behind Young Sheldon, Grey's Anatomy, and The Four: Battle for Stardom.^[4] After factoring in seven-day DVR viewership, the episode was seen by 4.95 million viewers and achieved a 1.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic.^[5]

"Somewhere Else" received widespread acclaim from critics.^[6][7][8] Vanity Fair's Laura Bradley praised the episode's optimistic message and character growth. She remarked that the episode was the opposite of the first-season finale's major twist, but added that it was "just as satisfying as the first – if not more so".^[9] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly similarly complimented the twist and said, "It's cynical and hopeful, an attempt to reimagine all the great philosophies as a sitcom".^[10] Alan Sepinwall and Kelly Lawler each noted in their reviews for Uproxx and USA Today, respectively, that the episode was not interested in humor but felt emotionally satisfying as it laid a new foundation for the show.^[11][12] Sepinwall also expressed concerns about how the show would handle the twist, but he had "long since learned to trust what Schur and company are up to with this series".^[11] GQ's Scott Meslow was similarly confident in The Good Place's ability to reinvent itself as its high-concept premise became a "very human story about why it’s important to care about people".^[13]

Analyzing the episode for Vox, Caroline Framke considered two scenarios to explain the plot – that the humans had returned to Earth or that they were in another simulation – but found that either could make sense, which she found exciting.^[14] Steve Greene of IndieWire found that the finale reinforced the show's theme of faith and of doing good things with no guarantee of later recognition.^[15] Several critics drew comparisons between the episode and the final season of Lost, which also placed its characters in an alternate timeline and followed their self-improvement;^[10][16] Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof had advised Schur when The Good Place was being developed, and IndieWire pointed out an Easter egg for Lindelof in the episode.^[17] Other comparisons included Enlightened, The Leftovers, and the final season of The Sopranos.^[10][18]

In retrospective discussions, "Somewhere Else" has often been placed among the show's best episodes. In his review of the series finale, "Whenever You're Ready", Franich pointed to "Somewhere Else" as "the all-time best Good Place episode" as it "plumbed a deep well of human frailty"; he found that the show drifted too far into escapism after this episode.^[19] In another review for The Verge, Joshua Rivera also described the episode as "the apex of The Good Place's storytelling prowess".^[20] A ranking of the show's episodes before the series finale by The Ringer placed "Somewhere Else" twelfth, complimenting the "incredibly smart writing", the philosophy discussed, and the show's reconfiguration within the episode.^[21] Den of Geek named "Somewhere Else" as one of the best television episodes of 2018, with Alec Bojalad calling it "equal parts twisty storytelling and emotional fulfillment".^[22]

• "Somewhere Else" at NBC.com
• "Somewhere Else" at IMDb
• "Ch. 26" of The Good Place: The Podcast