The Good Place Cast — Season 2 Rankings
If you like goofball comedies that end with the satisfying voice of Nick Offerman saying Fremulon, then chances are you’re already a fan of NBC’s The Good Place. From the same wonderful people that brought us Brooklyn Nine-Nine comes this equally outlandish series that takes a laugh out loud look at the confusing and hilarious afterlife of Eleanor Shellstrop. Kristen Bell is terrific in the role of Eleanor and has taken to leading the cast like a fish to water, but in such a strong a group of funny and talented actors has Bell been outshone by some of her co-stars? Check out our Season 2 power rankings of the cast below to find out:
Willam Jackson Harper — Chidi Anagonye (Grade): B-
It’s hard to find much to criticise about a cast that captures the tone and supports each other’s comedy as well as The Good Place’s cast does, but if there was one character that was yet to truly develop far beyond their stereotype without maximising their humour it would probably be Chidi. Lets be honest, playing the straight man to Kristen Bell’s Eleanor is always going to be a tough hang. While Chidi and Eleanor’s romance is one of the more intriguing stroylines in the series, it would be so satisfying to see Chidi’s character extend beyond struggling to make decisions and studying ethics to to taking on some more practical problems that might add to his story arc.
Jameela Jamil — Tahani Al-Jamil (Grade): B
If there wasn’t a small part of you that jumped for joy when you realised the insufferably ‘good’ philanthropist/ socialite Tahani Al-Jamil was actually in the bad place, you may need to get that checked out. The “hot, rich fraud with legs for days” who Eleanor may or may not be into has definitely had her moments throughout the first two seasons. “I haven’t been this upset since my good friend Taylor was rudely upstaged by my other friend Kanye, who was defending my best friend, Beyoncé.” However, to continue to hold our attention, first time actress Jameela Jamil will need to find more nuance and depth to add to her character, beyond the low hanging fruit that her character’s stereotype has offered up in season one and two.
Manny Jacinto — Jason Mendoza (Grade): B+
Jason is the kind of character who makes you snort on your fruit loops and milk while laughing at his utter stupidity. He might also be the kind of character that then makes you look at yourself in the mirror and say “I need to sort my life out.” As far as extending characters beyond their stereotypes is an issue for The Good Place cast, Jason may actually be the only one where no further depth is required. Among his many dim witted laugh lines, his relationship with Janet and now Tahani have caused some of the best storylines in the series so far.
Kristen Bell — Eleanor Shellstrop (Grade): A-
In the midst of a very successful career as a voice actor, having stolen over 25m people’s hearts because of an overwhelming love of sloths and once upon a time being the title character of a cult classic TV series in Veroica Mars, the world was ripe for a Kristen Bell led comedy. The result has been an overwhelming success. Bell is outstanding in The Good Place, leading the cast with both humour and pathos. As Eleanor, Bell rides the wave of insanity the show provides balancing plenty of slapstick comedy with moments of depth and stillness. A long time scene stealer it’s excellent to see Kristen with her own show once again.
Ted Danson — Michael (Grade): A
There are certain members of TV royalty that if they chose to, would never have to work again in their lives. However, a chosen few simply can’t seem to help themselves. The fact that Ted Danson fits into that second group has truly been a gift unto us all. Whether through “Cheers” or “Becker” the 70 year old Danson holds an iconic place in more than one generations mind, but to reinvent himself and seemingly add a third iconic role so late in his career has been a revelation. Danson seems custom built to play Michael and through his outlandish personality which, unlike Brad Pitt in War Machine is matched by the rest of the cast’s intensity, Danson seems unleashed, with a new lease on life and a new perspective toward what’s possible. Look for his character to simply grow more fascinating to watch as the stakes of escaping the bad place get raised in the conclusion of season two.
D’Arcy Carden - Janet (Grade): A+
First place on The Good Place cast power rankings however, has to go to the robot (not a robot) we all wish Siri could be, but never will be, the one and only: Janet. Casting D’Arcy Carden as Janet in The Good Place as a producer is akin to drafting Draymond Green in the second round of the NBA draft. A hard working actor for a number of years, D’Arcy finally got a shot in the right situation with the right role and has become the most valuable player on the team. Janet is the glue that keeps The Good Place together, their spiritual leader if you will and the most welcome surprise of 2017. Even put up against the likes of Aziz Ansari’s second season of Master of None, if there’s a funnier one line factory out there, that is more fascinating to watch from the shows that came out this year, I am still waiting to find them. Here’s to more Janet in 2018 and a hell of a lot more D’Arcy Carden!
