In the final moments of the series finale ofThe Good Place, things got real, man.
As in: Michael Realman.
in a guitar lesson (taught by Danson’s real-life wife,Mary Steenburgen!
Colleen Hayes/NBC
The entire series would end on the most Michael of moments.
He instinctively changed his mind, fished it out of the trash, and delivered it to Michael.
“I’ll do you one better,” he told the neighbor at his door.
Colleen Hayes/NBC
What did Danson think of those triumphant, bittersweet end-game moves ofThe Good Place?
How did that surprise cameo come about?
What happened to Michael on Earth after the credits rolled?
Read on for an engaging Ted talk.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It’s been six months since you shot that finale and two weeks since it aired.
So that was lovely.
So the actual goodbye was not as sad.
The takeawaythere are so many little messages or thoughts about how the universe works.
Because you don’t know.
And that’s the wonderful, sad, and exciting thing about being human.
So there’s all of that, which I found so pleasing to be part of.
I took awaythe one thing that you know: just attempt to be better every day.
Trying to be better is perhaps all we can really, really do, and really know.
Just keep doing better.
And it was made possible by Eleanor, someone whom Michael had helped along her journey.
Was that the ending you were expectingor hoping forfrom Mike Schur?
It just was so perfect.
Because even in the beginning, you could tell he was fascinated and just intrigued by humanity.
And then he just grew to love them.
So it was a perfect, perfect ending to experience what it is to be human.
I just found itoh, I can tear up just thinking about it.
I thought it was just very sweet and perfect.
How long had Mary’s cameo been in the works?
Was that something you all had been talking about for a while and then Mike brought it to her?
I think we all had the same idea at the same time when we read the final script.
And I’m sure Mike had it in his head all along.
It was this perfect idea that we all just loved.
What sticks out to you about filming that sequence and the physical comedy you created?
Just the “This is what I’ve wanted so badly.
Don’t leave me behind,” and obviously it’s not gonna work.
Then Eleanor finally realized that that’s [her final mission].
The final one was written.
“Okay, here I go.
It’s working now!”
That final moment was in the script.
Everything else was just Mike encouraging me to come up with something else.
And, you know, silly is kind of my middle name.
So we just played around.
What was your first reaction to that pay-it-forward, your-life-will-go-on concept when you first learned about that?
I wish I had something pithy to say.
I think I was just delighted by Michael’s delight in being human, you know?
I just loved that he was so excited about getting awhat was it, like a…?
A Coyote Joe’s Rewards Card.
which was such a perfect callback to season 1?
Or implies that it does.
I mean, this is the final message ofThe Good Place.
You just want to be…present.
Film is so weirdyou’re either there, alive in that moment, or you’re pretending to be.
So you really just venture to keep doing it until you somehow get there.
You just keep doing it until finally, you are in the moment.
How do you think Michael wound up faring on Earth?
What do you imagine his adventures were like?
Finding love seemed to be something.
That was the implication of hiring Mary to do that.
Clearly, he was as hypocritical as all of us by texting that he was five minutes away.
I think he’ll experience what Kristen Bell narrates over that moment.
He’ll be fully human.
He’ll do all those things that human beings do.
He’ll make stuff up.
He’ll be sad.
He’ll be happy.
And what you do is you just keep trying to be better every day.
And have faith that matters.
Did you imagine what day job that he might’ve had?
But I started working for an architectural firm, which may make total sense.
He was boss in the architectural firm.
So I’ll go with “architect.”
What was the most challenging moment for you to play in that finale?
Probably that very last moment, trying not to get in the way.
Why was this important to you to keep?
Oh, I’m bad at memorabilia.
So I figured that’s something I could keep in my drawer forever.
Here’s the joke, because we’re not going to do this.
And I somehow get the old band back together to make a run at defeat him again.
What can we expect when you trade the architect’s chair for the mayoral seat?
Well, I probably will not be fixing any of Los Angeles' problems.
[Laughs] It’s going to be hopefully just funny as all-get-out.
That’s our mandate: be really bright, really smart, and really funny.
But they’re so smart and such great people, I’m really looking forward to that journey.
Where would you rank thisGood Placerole in your career?
It’s been such a signature chapter for you.
I’m kind of bad about roles.
I can talk about the show, though.
I love that [universities such as]Notre Dame have ethics and philosophy classesbuilt around the show.
Here’s a way to think about how to live your life."
