The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden wants to know where Queer Eye's Fab 5 has been all her life

D’Arcy Carden stars as Janet on The Good Place, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

Excuse me, Karamo, Bobby, Jonathan, Tan, and Antoni, but where have you been all my life? It absolutely blows my mind that these five adorable, caring men came into our lives a mere 11 months ago! (11 MONTHS?! Isn’t that insane?) There’s a part of me that feels like I’ve known them for years. But no, the Ab Fab Five have been in our hearts and Instagram feeds for less than a year. I’m almost mad that we haven’t had them in our lives longer — so many years wasted without French tucks!

Although, on second thought, maybe 2018 was the perfect year for us to meet them, the year we needed them more than ever. What a welcome change to look at a screen and see warmth, inclusivity, generosity, and empathy. Oof. I know I needed it.

That’s why I cuddled up with my husband and doggy and watched season 1 in one sitting, alternating between laughs and sobs. I texted JVN (who I knew from the comedy world and from my LIFE’S BEST HAIR CUTS) a picture of my tear stained, puffy eyed face with a huge thumbs up, to which he responded, “Awwww, D’arc. It’s okkkkk!!! We all live, I promise – not to spoil it!�� Though, in retrospect, he probably should have also texted me a good product to take care of those puffy eyes? Whatever.

And then a few long months later, on a Sunday afternoon when I was visiting my family in the Bay Area, I sat on the floor at my sister’s house and we all — siblings, brother in law, husband, niece and nephew, mom and dad — watched episode after episode of season 2 together as a family. The love and care they have for each other, and that they so willingly give to the people around them, made us feel closer to them — and truly, somehow, closer to each other. How though? IT’S JUST AN AMERICAN REALITY SHOW ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST STREAMING SERVICE. How was it making us feel this way? I think… we just needed it.

There are the fun, frivolous things they gave us — like the endless GIFs and memes, the supportive-yet-cheeky social media comments to each other, the red-carpet looks, and the hot-ass CROP TOPS — but the thing that we fell in love with was watching these five lovely human beings doing everything they can to try and DO GOOD. That’s it, just do good in this world today.

Oh boy, it felt so refreshing to watch something truly good in the year 2018. We are so lucky to have Karamo, Bobby, Jonathan, Tan, and Antoni and his goddamn (delicious) avocado and grapefruit salad. Cannot wait for season 3.

—As told to Patrick Gomez

For more on Queer Eyeand Entertainment Weekly‘s 2018 Entertainers of the Year, pick up the new issue when it hits stands on Friday, or buy it now. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Related content:

• EW names its 2018 Entertainers of the Year
• Queer Eye‘s Antoni defends his credentials, T-shirt choices, and love of avocados
• Queer Eye‘s Fab Five name all the books that helped make them so fabulous