This Is The Most Successful Relationship On The Good Place
While NBC's The Good Place got a lot of mileage out of exploring the afterlife and philosophy, the show revolved around its unique cast of characters and the relationships that grew between them. Watching opposites like Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) or Eleanor (Kristen Bell) and Chidi (William Harper) come together allowed the show's excellent writing to shine and gave the series a real sense of progression.
However, one of The Good Place's signature twists was its willingness to reboot its characters and settings, setting relationships back at square one. Perhaps the best illustration of this process occurs at the start of Season 3 when the four primary human characters are sent back to Earth with no memory of their afterlife experience and then pushed together by Michael (Ted Danson). Once back on Earth, viewers have a chance to see the relationships they think they already know build once again under new circumstances.
By including these rebooted timelines, the show explores a lot of different relationship combinations. While some of these pairings are mostly for laughs, such as Chidi and his death-obsessed soulmate Esmerelda (Kate Berlant), others have long-lasting consequences, such as when Jason unwittingly leaves Janet (D'Arcy Carden) for Tahani. Here is the relationship on The Good Place that proved the most successful out of all the pairings that the show tried.
Eleanor and Chidi both became better people
By the time The Good Place reached the end of its run, viewers had seen each of the central characters become better versions of themselves. For Jason, self-improvement was gradual, occurring over multiple Jearimy Bearimys of reflection. For Tahani, the process was proactive, as she mastered every skill on a lengthy to-do list.
However, Eleanor and Chidi's path to enlightenment depended on one another more so than anyone else on The Good Place. From an early point on the show, Chidi begins introducing Eleanor to the moral concepts she needs to improve her outlook on life. That guidance is a recurring theme until their roles reverse after Chidi's mind is wiped and Eleanor tries to lead him and his friends to a more virtuous life.
On the other hand, viewers get to see Chidi manage a relationship with more than one partner throughout the show. While connected to Eleanor in one way or another through the entire series, Seasons 3 and 4 see him pair up with Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), a brilliant neuroscientist who seems like a perfect match. However, their compatibility does not create a motivating force for Chidi, who remains paralyzed by indecisiveness. Only by reconnecting with Eleanor is Chidi able to realign his priorities and take charge of his destiny to finally pass on from the Good Place.
As one Redditor noted, The Good Place created scenarios that tried to stack the deck against Eleanor and Chidi, but "they show how each of these deeply flawed people makes the other better." The fact that Eleanor and Chidi manage to grow through the other's influence makes theirs the most successful relationship on The Good Place.