Anyone who says modern sitcoms aren’t bristling with humour (pretty importance since it is the “com” that goes with the “sit”), thoughtfulness and intelligence clearly has not laid their jaundiced eye on the jewel in NBC’s crown that is The Good Place.
Not only has the show, which is set in the Good and Bad Places of the afterlife, tackled some fairly weighty existential issues in its first three gloriously hilarious seasons but it has done so in a consummately creative fashion, pivoting its premise a ridiculous amount of highly-successful times.
These changes in its premise have injected new life into its storylines and given its actors – Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, Ted Danson as Michael, D’arcy Carden as Janet, William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye, Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil and Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza – all kinds of new acting challenges, in turn providing viewers such as yours truly with an ever-evolving, always immersively-enjoyable show to watch.
It’s been a delight so news that the upcoming fourth season will be its last is very sad but given how brilliant The Good Place has been to date, you have to admire the integrity of the creators and producers to end the story at what they see as the right time.
After all, when you’ve been lauded for being this clever and this funny, the last thing you want to do is muddy up the show’s passage to the sitcome afterlife.
Even so, tears will be shed when the final episode goes to air.
The Good Place season 4 debuts on 26 September.
Behold, character posters for all the major characters! (images via SpoilerTV or TVLine)
