Season 3 of The Good Place was one for the books as its ending allowed it to head in some very interesting directions in Season 4. Unfortunately, one of those directions won't involve incorporating the characters of other Mike Schur shows, as the creator has dispelled the notion. Yep, the incredibly brief and subtle Li'l Sebastian cameo and many other Parks and Recs nods like it were done just for fun. Here's how Schur put it:
Part of the fun of doing the show has been just for literally no reason to drop Parks and Rec Easter eggs into The Good Place. And we’ve done it like, I don’t know, a dozen times. And that was a total coincidence, that was for an episode of The Good Place where all the animals were walking around. We decided just for old times’ sake to get Li’l Sebastian back.
Unfortunately, Mike Schur followed that up with the revelation that he's "drawing the shower curtain" between Parks and Rec and The Good Place, which means a true crossover between the shows will likely never happen. Schur ripped out the hearts of fans of both shows everywhere following his TCA panel (via The Wrap) for his new NBC comedy Abby, which presumably also won't be crossing over with either show.
Mike Schur's news is devastating, especially considering it looked as though The Good Place Season 3 was working towards a Parks And Rec crossover. The reveal that demons construct skin suits that resemble others would've conveniently explained away why actors on both shows portrayed different characters, and Darcy Carden's picture with Li'l Sebastian on social media made it seem as though something big was coming. Again, Schur explained that was a decision made just for kicks.
And then D’Arcy [Carden, who plays Janet] took that photo and said, ‘Can I post this?/ And one of our producers said, ‘If she posts that, it will break the internet.’ And I was like, ‘Ah, go ahead, who cares.’ So I like the idea that Li’l Sebastian is floating around in heaven somewhere and being attended to by Janet, that’s a nice thought to have. But it’s not a crossover.
With all of that said, Mike Schur may still change his mind. The creator revealed that the writing team for The Good Place is only two weeks in on developing Season 4. He described the overall mood as "white-hot panic," which may have to do with the fact that the latest season once again ended with radical game-changing consequences. The team has masterfully written themselves out of shocking twists in the past, but can they do it a fourth time?
History says yes, and should the task prove to be a taller order than Mike Schur ever predicted, it's nothing fans wouldn't forgive provided those final two entrants to the new community are Ron Swanson and Andy Dwyer. Okay, really any former character on Parks and Rec would do should The Good Place get stuck with some writers block. Those who disagree need only look at the adorable photo of Li'l Sebastian and Janet, and then try to disagree.
The Good Place will return for Season 4 on NBC, and there's plenty of television to watch in the meantime ahead of its premiere. Check out what all is on the horizon by visiting our midseason premiere guide.
