‘The Good Place’s’ “Jeremy Bearimy” is the Chidi Breakout Episode You’ve Been Waiting For

Tonight’s episode of The Good Place isn’t just one of the funniest offerings of the series, it’s also an unmistakable breakout episode for the indecisive ethical sweetheart named Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper). Titled “Jeremy Bearimy,” tonight’s installment of NBC’s critically-adored comedy focuses on the fallout from Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason stumbling upon Michael and Janet’s portal to the afterlife. You know, that old sitcom chestnut. You may recall that Friends did it back in Season 3 (“The One Where Ross Discovers a Portal to the Afterlife”), and I believe Becker used this plot in its pilot episode.

Penned by The Good Place’s resident food pun expert Megan Amram, “Jeremy Bearimy” is wall-to-wall comedic brilliance. It features a wonderfully insane explanation of how time works in the afterlife, yet another classic weirdo food pun, a cameo by Amram, Eleanor’s pitch-perfect dissertation on the current state of America, and perhaps the best wine-inspired novelty t-shirt in TV history.

Despite all those gems, tonight’s episode will be remembered for one thing: Chidi Anagonye.

Perpetually on the verge of an existential crisis on his best day, tonight’s bombshell is just too much for Chidi to handle. Unable to process the news that he’s on a non-musical, less festive highway to hell, Chidi loses it. “This broke me,” the exasperated scholar states. “That broke me. I’m… I’m done.”

So what exactly does a broken Chidi look like? Without giving too much away, it’s a delirious blend of nihilistic Nietzsche quotes, shirtless grocery shopping, and musical stress cooking. William Jackson Harper has always possessed a sharp subtle humor, but “Jeremy Bearimy” gives him the opportunity to truly go nuts, and he does not disappoint.

Also, if you’re less of a fan of Chidi’s brains and more of an admirer of Chidi’s brawn, this, dear friend, is the episode for you. “Jeremy Bearimy” gives the gift of shirtless Chidi, and to borrow a phrase from Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, his body “be bangin.” Let’s hit pause on Plato, Aristotle, and a third smart person for a second, my man’s got a real abalanche situation a-brewing’ underneath those sweater vests. Chidi’s Mt. Rushmore of abominable splendor aside, it’s Harper’s comedic chops that will truly make you go aoogah.

Earlier this year I wrote that The Good Place is TV’s funniest comedy, so every episode falls under the category of “must-see.” That said, tonight’s offering is a level above the rest. It’d be unethical not to watch it.

Where to stream The Good Place