As one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 21st century, it’s no surprise that the stars of The Good Place are still discussing their experience working on the TV show. Hilarious, heartfelt, and in conversation with larger conversations about morality and our place on Earth, The Good Place evolved a lot over its four-season run, as did its characters.
Led by a stellar ensemble cast including Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, D’Arcy Carden, Jameela Jamil, and Manny Jacinto, The Good Place dedicated time to developing all of its characters. The Good Place became a masterpiece at the end of season 1, but for actors like Jacinto, some of the best work came after this.
The soulmate pairings in The Good Place were a key piece of the story, and one of the most unexpected but delightful romantic storylines was the one between Jason (Jacinto) and Janet (Carden). While Janet wasn’t human, this didn’t stop their relationship from being genuinely touching and emotional to watch unfold.
Screen Rant recently heard Manny Jacinto speak about his time on the show at the Denver Fan Expo. When Screen Rant‘s Dani Kessel Odom asked during audience questions about how he took on the evolving relationship between Jason and Janet in The Good Place, the actor said:
I think what it comes down to is, with Jason’s character initially, even though he’s emotionally intelligent, he’s become very selfish. He’s a very selfish character who only really thinks about himself. And I think when Janet came into play, he started thinking about another being, Another ‘not a girl,’ because he had someone else to care for. For Jason, it was always, ‘oh I want to do this,’ ‘I need to do that,’ ‘I want to do this because it feels good.’ But then I think Janet coming to play, he became a lot more selfless because he had Janet to think about. So, yeah, that kind of how he evolved through Janet.”
Jason Is An Underrated Character In The Good Place
Each of the characters in The Good Place has a flaw, or several, that brought them to the Bad Place that they work on throughout the series. For Jason, as Jacinto mentions, it’s his selfishness and instinct to do whatever feels good to him that holds him back from his genuinely kindhearted impulses and nature.
Carden is another brilliant comedic performer who played off Jacinto’s work as Jason with ease.
However, though it seemed strange that Janet and Jason would fall in love, since Janet isn’t technically a person, the pair ended up fitting together perfectly. Meeting someone he truly cared about and having his worldview broadened in this way is a big step for Jason and is what allows him to become such an evolved person by the show’s end.
Carden is another brilliant comedic performer who played off Jacinto’s work as Jason with ease. The chemistry between the two actors helped the burgeoning connection between Jason and Janet, and allowed audiences to understand the romantic dynamic as one that worked within the story’s world. It’s almost impossible to imagine the characters’ arcs without this plotline.
Though The Good Place season 1 was amazing, it’s arcs like the relationship between Janet and Jason that make the later seasons worth watching. While The Good Place could never compete with its own brilliant twist in the season 1 finale, the series didn’t rely on shock to be compelling. Instead, the series relied on character development and deeper explorations of its themes.
|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
The Good Place (2016–2020) |
97% |
90% |
Our Take On The Relationship Between Jason And Janet
It Demonstrates What We Still Love About The Good Place
It’s not easy to balance the tonal shifts of The Good Place, as the series juxtaposes light comedic storylines with an inherently nuanced and complex premise. However, Jason and Janet almost instantly stood out as an underrated but perfect couple because they find each other despite impossible circumstances and make each other better, which is what The Good Place is all about.
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The relationships are far from the only enduring themes that the story tackles, but the romance angles help ground the high-concept narrative. The Good Place isn’t afraid to grapple with serious emotional moments and investigate burning questions of morality and spirituality. However, it knows that the interpersonal connections are what make the story so real.
