How Authentic Is "The Good Place" Version of Australia? An Investigation

Each week, we're seeing how close The Good Place gets to recapturing the Australian experience. Kind of.

Like The Leftovers (that other great afterlife-themed series) before it, The Good Place has relocated to Australia for its third season. Welcome, cobbers! 

(Okay, they're still technically filming in America, but we'll take all the on-screen representation we can get.)

The season premiere—titled "Everything Is Bonzer", following in the tradition of S1’s "Everything Is Fine" and S2’s premiere "Everything Is Great!"—debuted on 28 September on Netflix Down Under. In it, the demonic Michael (Ted Danson) sends Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) back to Earth with their memories wiped, to see if they would have naturally become better people if they’d never died. Unfortunately, when it appears they’re still damnation-bound, Michael conspires to get them together in Sydney, where Chidi is based.

It was very funny and sweet and everything we’d come to expect from The Good Place.

But, more important than any of its ethical quandaries about being a decent person and what we owe one another was this question: How authentic was its depiction of Australia?

Each week, we’ll delve into the Aussie representation. Behold!

Episode 1: "Everything Is Bonzer"

The episode title: Hmmmm. Though this may be a regional thing, "Bonzer" feels like the more formal spelling of "Bonza", and thus, not as authentic as Aussie slang for "Great!" could be.

We Crumb From a Land Down Under:

The Good Place has some of the finest pun-loving proprietors in television, and though the outdoor muffin-cart feels like a very L.A. thing, this Men at Work-referencing store (pictured above) gets a Kangaroo's thumbs-up. It's even staffed by a gent named "Len Bee" (is that a Ben Lee reference?), played by Sydney actor Matthew Foster. Bonus points: He appears to sell Tim Tams too. Very authentic!

Chidi’s Office:

Chidi's office at St. John's University is full of Indigenous art and also includes the Australian flag. Authentic.

Dr. Simone Garnett:

We very much enjoyed Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s appearance here as a jokey neuroscientist (we also enjoyed her in Killing Eve and Barry). But Howell-Baptiste is British, and though her Australian accent is admirable (note the lilt at the end of sentences) she is not authentic.

Henry:

We first met Chidi’s Aussie pal Henry in Season 1, when he purchased some amazing boots. He is played by Dominic Burgess, who seems nice. Sadly, Burgess is also English, and therefore not authentic. We have like 80 Hemsworths living in America that could’ve been hired instead. For once, can’t we cut the Hemsworth family a professional break?

Electrical Sockets:

Well, damn, I thought we’d catch them out here, but nope, Simone’s laboratory indeed has Australian powerpoints. Well played, Good Place.

Reginald:

The very upbeat grieving man in Simone’s office is played by Jonny McKeown, a Californian. NOT AUTHENTIC.

Tahani's Assistant, Phaedra:

We know what you're about to say: "Tahani's assistant has an English accent, and isn't actually in any of the Australia-based sequences. Why include her here?" Well, it turns out that there was another Australian actor in "Everything Is Bonzer". It just turned out she was playing an Englishwoman. What a twist! Anyway, her name in real-life is Taryn Leggett, and we can think of nothing more authentic than an Aussie actor living in Los Angeles playing a Brit.

Michael's Accent:

"I really ny-ahhled the Australian accent." Not authentic. But still beautiful to behold. 

Episode 2: "The Brainy Bunch"

St. John's University: 

Okay, we probably should have picked this up last week, but the fictional St. John's University was apparently established in 1826, which is several decades before the actual oldest university in Australia (University of Sydney, est. 1850). And no, this can't be blamed on the weird new timeline created by the un-dead-ening of the main quartet. Not authentic.

"This is a knife... on the barbie!"

Trevor (Adam Scott) is a literal demon, but his awkward, ocker delivery of these mangled catchphrases is actually very authentic for American tourists.

Hortence:

Cowboy Skyscraper may not be a real American-themed restaurant chain Down Under, but at least the maître d', Hortence, is played by an Aussie: Antoniette Iesue. Authentic. The depiction of America: also authentic.

Toilet Flushes:

The Good Place is officially the first American TV show set in Australia not to comment on the way in which our toilets flush clockwise. However, this also means that we're not sure if the toilet Trevor uses to wash his hands in flushes correctly. Therefore, the authenticity of this sequence is pending.

Aus Weekly:

Though a very funny pun on Us Weekly, there is, sadly, no Aus Weekly in Australia. Nor is there a "Larry" Hemsworth (played by Ben Lawson, another famous acting brother). Still, if this magazine did exist, you can bet there would be an interview with Nicole Kidman in which she admits to being a fair dinkum drongo. Plus, we love the idea of a feature called "Coldies With Naomi". Authentic.

Eleanor's Hotel Room:

Don't be distracted by the cute koala bear. Note the six-pack of Bundaberg on her bedside table. Authentic.

Episode 3: "The Snowplow"

The "Sydney Daily Herald":

Headlines (glimpsed at the depressingly empty journalism department of the university) include "Roo Gone Troppo" and "Killer Clown Under". Strewth, this rag puts the NT News to shame. We're calling it authentic.

Scratchies:

Would buy.

 

 

 

 

 

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one of my favorite things from season 3 of @nbcthegoodplace was the writers room pitching a bunch of fake Australian Lottery scratch-off tickets and then the props department making them real.

A post shared by Joe Mande (@joemande) on Oct 11, 2018 at 6:31pm PDT

Ken Garoo and His "Caffe Americano":

Ken is played by Aussie born actor Adam Groves. Authentic! But just when you thought The Good Place was on a roll, we noticed that Mr. Garoo's coffee/scratchie shop sells "Caffe Americano", when any true Aussie knows to call this a Long Black. This is so far from authentic, authentic looks like a dot right now. (Update 05/11: It took almost a month for us to realise Ken Garoo is a play on 'Kangaroo'. Authentic.)

Larry Hemsworth:

Ben Lawson, previously only glimpsed on the cover of Aus Weekly, appeared in the flesh this week, playing "the hideous shame of the Hemsworth family", Larry. Authentic, especially when he pronounces TMZ as "Tee Em Zed".

Monty:

No, that isn't Bob Odenkirk. Janet's bartender boss Monty is played by Aussie actor John Leary, who has appeared in Red Dog, Oddball, Offspring and Get Krack!n. How authentic is that?

Local News:

As seen on the Super Board: "Koala exhibit at zoo overrun by extra koalas who just climbed in and won't leave." Yeah, authentic.

Episode 4: "Jeremy Bearimy"

Sydney Opera House:

This establishing shot of the Sydney Opera House does not show its sails adorned with advertising for a horse race, and is therefore inauthentic.

"Lod Raver":

Eleanor's birthday-celebrating bartender is played by Benjamin Watts, who is from Melbourne. Authentic. Bonus: As the closing credits reveal, his character name is Lod Raver, an inversion of famous local Tennis player Rod Laver.

"Cat Pash":

Later, we'll see Aussie actor Olivia Mackenzie-Smith playing Sydney Opera head "Cat Pash" (again, only named in the credits), clearly inspired by another tennis legend, Pat Cash.

"Gvonne Eoolagong":

And then, we get Aussie actor Liz Dubberley credited as a grocery store clerk named after Aussie great, Evonne Goolagong. Her nametag reads "Rose", but we'll just assume it's because her workplace refused to make a "Gvonne" badge, and not because she was renamed randomly by the show's writers as a joke.

"Nicole Mankind":

Actress Liza Fernandez: Aussie. Being named after Nicole Kidman: The Aussiest.

"Waomi Natts":

Okay The Good Place, you are going HAM this week, with Sydney actor Kathy Luu—as witness to swole Chidi—christened after Nicole's BFF, Naomi Watts.

"Gel Mibson":

FNB may not be a real Australian bank, but actor Nathan Lovejoy is at least from Tasmania. He plays bank manager Gel Mibson. You don't need help figuring that one out.

"Mylie Kinogue" and "Eeth Kurban":

Aussies Seychelle Brown and Judah Simard play Chidi's students Mylie Kinogue and Eeth Kurban, respectively. We see you, The Good Place. 

"Mark Supial":

Another Aussie actor (Paul Tassone), here named Mark Supial. Mar-k-supial. Geddit? We have heaps of those here!

Money:

There was a lot of cash flying around this ep, and yep, it was as colourful as our local tender is meant to be. Authentic. The recipient of said cash, Fred Booth, was played by NIDA graduate Ben Geurens.

Damon:

Okay, this un-pun-named dude is played by Ryan de Quintal. However, we can't confirm if he's Australian or otherwise. On his Instagram, he's getting complimented on his accent, while his resume boasts "Australian accent" as just one of many he has mastered. He also appeared to get his training at California State University. So, until we see a birth certificate, we're gonna have to call Damon inauthentic.

Chidi's Chilli:

Unless Chidi went shopping at a speciality U.S. supermarket, there's no way he'd be able to buy that many Peeps. They're not a thing here! Flagrant inauthenticity!

Episode 5: "The Ballad of Donkey Doug"

"French-Pressing Nemo Cafe":

The name of the café where Chidi breaks it off with Simone is barely a pun, but, sure, Finding Nemo was set in Sydney, so we're calling it authentic.

"That's not a street, this is a street":

Take a closer look at those street signs. Crocodile Dundee would be proud. Authentic!

Lamingtons:

It's hard to see exactly what's on the menu at "French-Pressing Nemo Café", but in the top right hand corner you can almost glimpse the fact they've got Lamingtons, which are Aussie as.

Local Flora:

I'm no florist, but that looks like a bouquet of bottlebrushes (or maybe kangaroo paws) in both the café and Janet's VR replica of said café. Either way, those are native to Australia. Double-authentic! (If it's neither of those flowers, well, what do you want from me? I literally started this paragraph saying I'm no florist.) Update: Turns out the long ones are Veronicas, which are indeed Australian, though the other is a Dahlia, and that one isn't. We're all learning today!

Jolivia Oowton-Nohn:

The waitress with the bangs is played by Emily O'Meara, who is so Australian her first acting credits on IMDB are for Blue Heelers. Plus, her character name according to the credits is Jolivia Oowton-Nohn. Very authentic.

Helmut Deutschermann:

Jolivia's replacement, Helmut Deutschermann, is played by German actor Flula Borg. Not authentic, you say? Well, Australia is a multicultural society, with citizens from all over toting a whole variety of interesting haircuts! Flula may not be Australian, but we welcome Helmut and his lack of social graces with open arms. We're calling it: Authentic.

Episode 6: "A Fractured Inheritance"

This episode did not even take place in Australia at all:

And yet this picture captures the feelings of spurned Australians everywhere. Authentic.

Episode 7: "The Worst Possible Use of Free Will"

Eleanor after seeing a flash-back to the "Good" place:

... accurately captures our dawning realisation that we're probably never going back to Australia on this show again.

This article will be updated after every new episode of The Good Place. Yes, we will be watching closely.

Header Image: Netflix