The Good Place is through three seasons now, and it’s gone through a number of different permutations as the show continues to explore the space of comedy and ontological thought. The show can get pretty heady sometimes, and even the smartest characters on the show can be a bit overwhelmed by the reality of the show’s universe.
Earlier in season three, for example, Chidi had a complete mental breakdown and made chili with Peeps and M&Ms in it while he ranted about nihilism to his students.
But not every analogy needs to be as complex as the show’s Jeremy Bearimy explanation about how nonlinear time works. William Jackson Harper, who plays Chidi on the show, was interviewed as season three came to a close and used a clever analogy when describing the show’s cast. Harper was asked what his role is in the Good Place universe, and he launched into an analogy about a “healthy” Golden State Warriors team.
If the universe was the Golden State Warriors starting lineup, healthy, Chidi would probably be a Draymond Green. If there’s a need for someone to score 30 points, you might get that, but if you need someone to score one point and get 12 assists and nine rebounds, I can do that. His place in this whole universe is to be the utility guy. Whereas I feel like definitely Ted [Danson] is Kevin Durant. D’arcy [Carden] is Steph Curry. Jameela [Jamil] is DeMarcus Cousins. Kristen [Bell] is Steve Kerr. She’s the coach. Manny [Jacinto] is definitely Klay Thompson.
This is a really astute analogy and it clearly shows that not only is Chidi jacked, but he’s a huge hoops fan as well. Carden’s role as basically every other character on the show was a great example of just how much of a powerhouse of an actor she can be. Plus Manny Jacinto, who plays Jason on the show, can absolutely carry an episode with a huge run of jokes like Klay can take over a game with a string of threes.
It’s a bit presumptuous to describe yourself as a Golden State Warrior given their epic run as a modern NBA dynasty. But the show really is that good, and it’s consistently delivered just like the Dubs have over the last three seasons.
