| "Janet(s)" | |
|---|---|
| The Good Place episode | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:The_Good_Place_-_Janet(s).jpg) Michael (Ted Danson) and Janet (D'Arcy Carden) observe the four humans as Janets (also played by Carden). | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Morgan Sackett |
| Written by |
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| Original air date | December 6, 2018 |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
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"Janet(s)" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American fantasy-comedy television series The Good Place. The thirty-sixth episode of the series overall, it originally aired in the United States on NBC on December 6, 2018, as the show's mid-season finale. "Janet(s)" was written by Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan and directed by Morgan Sackett.
After rediscovering the afterlife earlier in the season, Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason help others on Earth alongside afterlife architect Michael and assistant Janet. In the episode, the four humans find themselves transformed into versions of Janet as they seek to escape demons from the Bad Place. Eleanor tries to address her romantic feelings for Chidi and has an identity crisis when he denies any feelings for her. Meanwhile, Michael and Janet visit Accounting, the section of the afterlife that calculates point totals for people's good and bad actions during their lives, to determine if the Bad Place is manipulating the points system.
The premise of the episode originated during production of the show's second season, and the writers studied concepts of identity and the self for the episode. D'Arcy Carden, who plays multiple versions of Janet in the episode, prepared for her role by watching rehearsals of her castmates and following the actors between scenes. Filming took place in July 2018 and required significantly more visual effects than normal; several crew members wondered during production if the finished product would make sense.
Seen by 2.58 million viewers in its original broadcast, "Janet(s)" received praise from critics; Carden's performance earned widespread acclaim. The episode was ranked as one of 2018's best television episodes by many publications. Analysis has focused on its discussion of the meaning of the self, as well as why nobody had reached the Good Place in over five centuries. The episode won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, and Siegal and Morgan were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for their work on it.