Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
This is borderline unfair. NBC’s deliriously delightful sitcom The Good Place, arguably the funniest series on television, added certified scene-stealer Jason Mantzoukas to its comedic arsenal during the end of last week’s Janet and Michael-centric episode. Equal parts sentimental and hilarious, the quasi-bottle episode focused on the unlikely friendship between Michael (Ted Danson), a demon, and Janet (D’Arcy Carden), the afterlife’s version of a cheerful Siri. Unable to stop malfunctioning due to her burgeoning romantic feelings for Jason, Janet decides to create a rebound boyfriend, the wonderfully aloof Derek (Mantzoukas), as a way to deal with her heartache.
Michael: Janet, you can’t make a person!
Janet: I know, but I did though.
Things don’t go according to plan, however, because, as it turns out, making a person can be quite tricky.
Derek is the human equivalent of taking cupcakes out of the oven before they’re done. Basically, he’s a delightfully jumbled, gooey mess of a character. It’s the type of role Mantzoukas excels in making his own, which Good Place creator Michael Schur knows all too well. Schur is no stranger to the off-kilter comedic charms of Zouks, having cast him as renowned fragrance mogul Dennis Feinstein in Parks and Recreation and loose cannon detective Adrian Pimento in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
We were only offered a glimpse of Derek last week, but tonight’s episode, aptly titled “Derek,” focuses on the topsy-turvy romance between Janet and her Weird Science-inspired creation. Spoiler alert: It’s incredible. D’Arcy Carden is such a joy to watch and pairing her with the kinetic mayhem of Mantzoukas’ Derek is an inspired choice. The two UCB vets play off of each other incredibly well, and every absurd word out of Derek’s unearthly mouth is laugh out loud ridiculous.
He’s an unbridled maelstrom of anarchy who is so earnestly flummoxed by life (or I guess the afterlife) that he repeatedly introduces himself to plants.
Mantzoukas may only be around for two episodes, but he certainly makes the most of his guest appearance. Tonight’s Good Place is the last all new episode for two months (thanks a lot, FOOTBALL), so savor the insanity of TV’s funniest sitcom while you can.
