Becoming Janet is stressful business in this exclusive The Good Place Podcast clip with D'Arcy Carden
The Good Place’s resident, all-knowing “not a woman”/ “not a robot” Janet might be programmed to make every task look effortless, but for D’Arcy Carden, becoming Janet entails some seriously introspective work. While Team Cockroach/The Soul Squad and reformed demonic architect Michael continue to evolve, Janet has also become more complex with every reboot, “murder,” and sojourn to Earth. Having to subtly (and believably) chip away at the rigidity of a beloved character might just come with some pressure. (Also, having to play Janet as Jason as Eleanor might earn your show an Emmy nod, but it could also be the source of a special kind of migraine, we imagine.)
On the next episode of The Good Place’s official podcast, Carden drops in with co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste and series writer Andrew Law to chat about season four. When the subject eventually turns to Janet, Carden opened up about the stresses that come with playing one of the most sneakily complex characters on television.
As far as what fans can expect from the fourth and final season… Well, obviously Carden could not reveal much of anything. But she did assure everyone that the ending—as unwanted as it may be—made sense within the context of these characters, who have obviously changed for the better. Carden and Law go on to make yet another case for ending a show in its prime instead of stretching a narrative beyond its true elasticity.
The Good Place begins its final run tonight at 9 P.M. EST on NBC. The podcast goes live after tonight’s episode wraps on the west coast, at 9:30 P.M. PST.