Warning! This post contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of The Good Place! Read at your own risk!
Creator Michael Schur and the crew of The Good Place have sprinkled in quite a few references to his former hit series Parks and Recreation, and the latest easter egg is just more visual evidence these two shows share the same universe. The latest nod to the workplace comedy came in The Good Place's Season 2 finale, when Eleanor was reading an issue of Celebrity Baby Plastic Surgery Disasters that featured an advertisement for Jean-Ralphio's champagne:
The magazine advertisement, which referred to Ben Schwartz's Parks and Rec goofball, was also a callback to the Season 1 finale of The Good Place, which featured another magazine-housed easter egg. In that scene, Eleanor was seen once again reading a copy of Celebrity Baby, although this time, the ad on the back was for the fragrance Glyde. Parks and Rec fans may not have recognized that specific perfume, but they definitely know its creator, Dennis Feinstein. Unfortunately, we probably won't be seeing any Feinstein cameos in the show, since the Parks and Rec perfume mogul's portrayer, Jason Mantzoukas, already plays Janet's A.I. ex-boyfriend Derek on The Good Place
Dennis Feinstein isn't the only Parks and Rec character who'll likely go without a cameo, as actor Adam Scott has already been seen on The Good Place as The Bad Place demon Trevor. So unless Parks And Rec's Ben Wyatt got a lot of negative points for his "Ice Town" debacle, among other things, he's probably not within The Bad Place, or dead at all. Those are just two of the many actors that both shows have shared (leading lady Kristen Bell included), so fans shouldn't get their hopes up for The Good Place to hold any sort of Pawnee reunion.
That said, The Good Place did reveal in Season 1 that Parks and Rec recurring character Bjoern Lerpiss was in the fake Good Place; his name appeared on a list. So maybe we shouldn't count all character crossover cameos out just yet!
As for other nods to Parks and Rec in The Good Place, Jason Mendoza suffocated in a safe that was made by the "Swanson Safe Company." Now, there's nothing in Parks and Rec that said Ron Swanson's family owned a safe-making company, but he did mention at one point that he worked in a sheet metal factory as a child. Could it be that Ron Swanson was working for his family's safe manufacturer back then? Obviously, we can only speculate, but Michael Schur had to have a reason for spiking that reference in there, right?
The Good Place has been renewed for Season 3, and if the past two seasons are any indication of when to expect its return, we should see the new season kick off on NBC in September of 2018. Those wishing to watch Parks and Recreation can find the whole series currently streaming on Netflix. For a list of new and returning shows coming in 2018, visit our midseason premiere guide.
