Entertainment

Michael Discovers The Joys Of Pizza Hut & Taco Bell In This 'Good Place' Season 3 Sneak Peek

NBC

One would think that being an infinitely wise and eternal being might mean that nothing is exciting or revolutionary anymore, but it turns out that the most fascinating thing in the universe is just a combination Pizza Hutt and Taco Bell. Or, well, at least it is to The Good Place's resident demon Michael (Ted Danson). In this new Good Place Season 3 sneak peek, Michael's first trip to Earth shows the immortal being absolutely entranced by the idea of American fast food — who knew? Spoilers for The Good Place Season 2 finale ahead.

In the clip, which appears to be from the Season 3 premiere, Michael journeys down to Earth after Maya Rudolph's judge, Gen, agrees to give Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) a second chance at their lives in order to see if they really can be reformed into good people, thus earning them a spot in the Good Place afterlife.

The clip shows how Michael was able to save his human friends' lives, be it by pushing them out of harm's way (Eleanor, Chidi, and Tahani all suffered deaths at the hand of heavy objects), or, in Jason's case, by letting him out of the safe so he doesn't suffocate to death. That said, many fans will agree that the best part of the scene is seeing Michael's joy at being able to experience such mundane activities as riding the bus, and, of course, his marvel at the Pizza Hut-Taco Bell combo.

"I'm going to ride in a forward-facing seat!" he declares with delight to the Doorman (Mike O'Malley) after finding out that he'll be taking the bus for transportation because his powers won't work on Earth. "Or no, maybe a sideways-facing seat. I'm going to get so motion sick!"

Of course, the scene does more than simply allow fans to get a glimpse at Michael's unbridled happiness — it also answers a few important questions established in the Season 2 finale. For example, the scene reveals how, exactly, demons like Michael are able to get down to Earth. (Like everything else in the Bad Place, it involves a lot of paperwork and gatekeepers.) It also demonstrates how he was able to save the humans, in order to give them a second chance at life. But, this being The Good Place, the sneak peek manages to set up even more questions than it answers.

After all, with all of the hoops that Michael has to jump through in order to get down to Earth to execute his plan in the scene (and the fact that his plan had to be approved by an eternal judge in the first place), it's hard to believe that Michael will be able to hop back down whenever he feels like it. Fans will remember in the Season 2 finale that Michael went down to Earth (presumably for a second time) to give Eleanor a nudge in the right direction, but after watching this clip, it's clear that he wouldn't have an easy time making it onto the planet in the first place. So how did he go to Earth again without facing the wrath of these gatekeepers and the eternal judge?

Coincidentally, the clip places a great deal of importance on the key that opens the door to Earth. Made from the very first atoms found in the universe, it can only be used by the Doorman himself, and it cannot, under any circumstances, be duplicated, which likely means that fans can expect to see Michael and Janet try to duplicate that it at some point in Season 3.

The main question that lingers after watching this Season 3 sneak peek, however, is just how much Michael will end up interfering in the lives of the protagonists. If he's willing to personally break some rules and go down to Earth to set Eleanor straight, what will he do to get Jason or Tahani on the path to the real Good Place? And if he does personally try and keep them all on track, will he be punished for that when he comes back to the afterlife? And, perhaps most importantly: Is there some way that all of this can be a trick that Michael is playing on Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason, as yet another creative way to punish them?

Hopefully the Season 3 premiere of The Good Place, which airs September 27, will provide a few more answers to all of those questions. Or, at the very least, a few more scenes of Michael exploring Earth. Just wait until he finds out about all of those combination Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins.