'The Good Place' Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: Chidi Wrestles With A Real-Life Trolley Problem [SPOILERS]

All aboard! “The Good Place” Season 2, episode 6 brings back the ridiculousness with some breakneck shenanigans. This week, we take a more practical approach to ethics, courtesy of Michael (Ted Danson). In a frankly hilarious episode, Chidi (William Jackson Harper) introduces the age-old “Trolley Problem” to his students. But things hit a snag when Michael struggles to comprehend the ethical dilemma and decides they need to watch the scenario play out with their own eyes. And boy, does it play out. Over – and over – and over again, with indecisive Chidi panicking at the controls. Can you say “splat”? Meanwhile, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) encounter a few bumps in their new relationship. Their solution? Couples therapy – mediated by our very own Janet (D’Arcy Carden).

Chidi At The Controls

Imagine that you’re the operator of a runaway trolley with broken brakes. Up ahead, you see five oblivious workers directly in the trolley’s path. On a connected track, a single worker stands equally oblivious. And here lies the dilemma: as the operator, you have the ability to switch the tracks the trolley is on. Do you stay your course and splatter the five men, or switch tracks and purposely smash into the single worker? That, Chidi explains, is the essential premise of the Trolley Problem. While the humans contemplate the conundrum, Michael veers way off course. He reveals a drawing he made of all six of the workers dying (he got the one on the second track by attaching a blade to the trolley). Obviously used to these relapses, Chidi tells him to draw ten more lines of “People = Good” on the chalkboard.
Hilarious as this is, however, Chidi remains concerned about Michael’s intransigence. When he declares that he knows more about human ethics than Michael, the being decides to put Chidi’s knowledge to the test. Literally. With a snap of Michael’s fingers, Chidi and Eleanor (Kristen Bell) find themselves on the runaway trolley with Chidi at the controls. “To see how the ethics would actually play out,” Michael explains. But here enters Chidi’s greatest flaw: real-world decision-making. And on their first attempt, the five workers go splat. All over Chidi’s body. And into his mouth. Yuck! But to get conclusive results, experiments need multiple trials. So Chidi is forced to go through the scenario multiple times, at one point even choosing to save five William Shakespeares over one Santa Claus.

The Doctor Is In

When the Trolley Problem starts to become repetitive, Michael decides to try out another version. He snaps his fingers and they find themselves in an operating room. The new dilemma: What if instead of a trolley operator, you’re a doctor and you need to use the organs of one healthy person to save five lives? At first, Chidi takes refuge in the Hippocratic Oath and refuses to harm the healthy person (Eleanor). But Michael adds a twist when he forces Chidi to deliver the news of the five peoples’ deaths to their loved ones. Including an adorable little girl whose dad suffered from a mysterious trolley accident (“Oh, come on!” Chidi shouts in frustration).

Now, if you’re starting to think there’s something fishy going on with this “thought experiment,” you’d be right. When Michael starts to concoct even more elaborate versions of the problem, Eleanor confronts him. “You don’t care about learning ethics lessons, you’re just torturing Chidi!” she accuses. Caught, Michael bursts into laughter and confesses he wanted to let off some steam. But Chidi’s patience finally snaps and he banishes him from his class.

Michael Pulls A Shellstrop

While Chidi’s had it with Michael’s carefree attitude, Eleanor suspects that something more is going on. And then it hits her – Michael’s pulling an Eleanor! He’s lashing out at the teacher because he couldn’t face his own failure. And he’s putting the responsibility of being the better person on someone else’s shoulders so he doesn’t have to risk humiliation. She tells him to make it up to Chidi and, surprisingly, Michael takes her advice.

At first, he gives the humans presents (“opposite tortures”) – Eleanor gets a shrimp station; Tahani, a humongous diamond; Jason, a Pikachu balloon – but Chidi rejects his (a lost journal of Emmanuel Kant) after correctly identifying it as a bribe. All he really wants is an apology. So Michael gives him one, bursting with mockery and sarcasm. But – and here’s where it gets really good – when faced with Chidi’s earnestness, Michael tries again. He gives the same speech but with actual sincerity and an actual apology. Smiling, Chidi invites him back to class.

Couples Therapy With Jason And Tahani

We need to talk about Janet. And Tahani and Jason – but mostly Janet. Namely, what the fork is going on with her? While the others deal with their Trolley Problem, Tahani and Jason encounter speedbumps in their relationship. They decide they need an outsider’s perspective, but since Tahani is reluctant to bring their relationship out in the open, that leaves only one option. Thankfully, Janet remains eager to help, despite psychotherapy not being one of her original functions. And that’s how she essentially becomes the couples therapist for Jason and Tahani.

Tahani explains her worry that she has never dated someone in Jason’s station before. That is, someone who doesn’t pass her “Duke Rule” as either a holder of the noble title or a graduate of the university. Jason, on the other hand, admits that he feels an imbalance in their relationship and doesn’t feel appreciated. (Though in not so many words.) Janet helps them through the bumps – but not without incident. Seemingly, as Jason and Tahani’s relationship improves, Janet experiences “glitches.” Her thumb separates from her hand and floats above them. Later, she vomits up a frog.

A month into the sessions, the now happy couple thank Janet for her help, to which she expresses her happiness. But as soon as the pronouncement leaves her mouth, a world-shaking tremor rocks The Good Place. Janet teleports to Michael’s office and delivers the bad news: she can’t stop glitching, it’s getting worse, and the neighborhood might be on the verge of total collapse.