Why ‘Good Place’ Fans Who ’Ship Eleanor & Chidi Should Have A Little Faith

Chidi started as a mere nuisance for Eleanor on The Good Place with all of his nerdy philosophy and indecisiveness. However, she falls in love with him eventually. Of course, that was many different versions of themselves ago and the only reason Eleanor knows that she and Chidi once loved each other is thanks to Mindy St. Claire. Yet, there are some serious glimmers of hope that Eleanor and Chidi will date on The Good Place that come to light during the Jan. 11 episode, "Best Self." Spoilers follow.

All of Chidi's lessons on ethics and morality have transformed Eleanor over the course of The Good Place (producer: Megan Amram). And in "Best Self," she's able to admit that the best version of herself was the vulnerable, emotional, and honest one who was able to say she loved Chidi. Michael reveals that in Reboot 119, Chidi fell for Eleanor because she gave him a tissue before he sneezed (classic romance move) and that their first kiss was during a night stroll around the lake (an actual classic romance move). None of this information is able to sway Chidi into thinking he might love Eleanor now, but it most likely makes him consider Eleanor as a partner more than ever before. Sure, he may still be dreaming of an ideal soulmate that exists somewhere in the Good Place for him. But based on Chidi and Eleanor's booze-fueled slow dance to Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable," he's not as opposed to a romance with Eleanor as he thinks he is.

Plus, what a good little tie-in that Eleanor and Chidi dance to that particular song since he's unable to remember the version of himself where he loved her. Is the song "Unforgettable" a clue that one day the humans will be able to remember all of the different versions of themselves from Michael's reboots? Or that, even without remembering Reboot 119, Chidi will realize he loves Eleanor in a pretty unforgettable way despite all of the actual forgetting?

Eleanor admits she has "feelings" for Chidi in "Best Self," but Chidi doesn't reciprocate them. Based on Medium Place Mindy's video, viewers and Chidi know that he is capable of loving Eleanor. But he's not able to see that himself right now. Beyond Eleanor not being the type of a woman he'd gravitate toward — since he didn't meet her around a philosophy event — his signature indecisiveness led the overly-moral man to the Bad Place. Something happened in Reboot 119 that allowed him to be confident in his choice, and thankfully the perverted Mindy documented it on video. So with this knowledge, Eleanor becoming more earnest, and the humans (probably) not getting rebooted again, Chidi might find that romantic decisiveness again.

But perhaps the biggest reason that Eleanor and Chidi 'shippers have every right to feel hopeful is because Mike Schur is the creator of The Good Place. He's known for such feel-good and hilarious shows as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Slight spoilers follow. All three of those shows do something that many other TV series don't do — they actualize 'ships. From Pam and Jim in The Office to Leslie and Ben in Parks and Rec to Amy and Jake in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Schur's shows aren't afraid to follow healthy, committed relationships — putting couples together then keeping them there.

As with pretty much every TV show, there are some obstacles on the way to domestic bliss. But Schur's series show people happily dating, and eventually marrying, in a different way than sitcoms like Friends or How I Met Your Mother. It's one of the traits that makes his TV shows so forkin' endearing. And so with Eleanor softening, there's a very good chance that Chidi will come around too.

"Best Self" marked a lot of endings. Tahani breaks up with Jason, and Michael erases the fake Good Place. But the romantic relationship between Eleanor and Chidi is just beginning (again). As they go through the trials and tribulations of attempting to make it to the Good Place, Chidi might find love along the hellish way.