This Theory About Michael and Janet in ‘The Good Place’ Has Fans Suspicious
The Good Place just returned for its fourth and final season. Even though only two episodes have aired, fans already have theories about the new season. One of those theories involves Michael and Janet and has many possible outcomes. The Good Place is known for its shocking twists, so some fans feel they can’t be too careful when theorizing about the show.
Fans have a theory Michael was replaced by a demon in ‘The Good Place’
In the first episode of the new season, The Bad Place successfully sneaks a demon into the experiment as a human named Linda. While only Tahani was suspicious of Linda, the demon is caught and returned to The Bad Place. When The Bad Place comes to retrieve the demon, Michael and Janet take him onto the train.
Viewers never see Michael and Janet aboard the train, and instead see Eleanor have a conversation with Bad Janet. Some fans of The Good Place have a theory that when Michael and Janet briefly boarded the train, Michael was replaced by a demon.
“I think current Michael is actually the ‘bad’ Michael that Sean built. I think Linda was just an excuse to get Michael in the train so they could do the swap,” wrote a Reddit user.
Season 3 of The Good Place ended with The Bad Place revealing they made a “Michael suit,” so while it is only a theory it does seem possible. Fans also theorize Vicky is the one impersonating Michael because of her known commitment to acting.
‘The Good Place’ fans think Janet was replaced by a demon
Not all The Good Place fans are in agreement. While most do think the train scene in the first episode of season 4 was suspicious, there is disagreement about which character was replaced. While some fans think The Bad Place replaced Michael, other fans think they replaced Janet.
“… The Michael suit reminder was a red herring… Janet was instrumental in the Eleanor coup after Eleanor started to question why The Bad Place would try something so obvious with Linda. It was completely out of character for her to get involved on that level and it made Eleanor miserable as well as sewing seeds of discord in the group,” theorized a Reddit user.
They continued, “She’s made Jason miserable by dumping him, and then poured salt into the wound by telling him about Blake Bortles. This was part that rang real alarm bells for me – literally one of the cruellest things that could happen to Jason and there was no need – so I think it was to literally torture him.”
Some fans think The Bad Place did not actually make the switch
Another theory suggests Michael or Janet were swapped with an impersonator, but the theory does not think The Bad Place is guilty of it. Instead, fans think the Judge might be behind a switch.
A Reddit user wrote, “Does anyone else think that Michael was switched but it was the Judge? After she realised the Bad Place were going to fork around, she was the one who did a switch to keep a closer eye on things?”
“I’m going to actually say she replaced Janet. If anyone can pretend to be Janet i’d go with the Judge,” a Reddit user commented in the thread.
After the second episode of season 4, some ‘The Good Place’ fans no longer agree with the theories
In the newest episode of The Good Place, Michael gives Eleanor a pep talk about being a leader. It’s an inspiring heart-to-heart, something Michael and Eleanor are known for on the show. Because of how emotional and detailed the conversation was, some fans don’t think there is anyway an impersonator could be pretending to be Michael.
“I don’t think Vicki (or Shawn) in a Michael suit would have told Eleanor all of that,” a Reddit user wrote.
Even with the emotional talk, some fans still think Michael was replaced. In the second episode, Eleanor brings up Michael’s breakdown at the end of the third season and the camera lingers on his face. Some fans and critics took this as a clue that something is not right.
“My thinking is the Bad Place thinks that Eleanor leading the neighborhood is destined to be the downfall of the experiment. Giving her a pep talk, makes “suit Michael” seem supportive and trustworthy and reinforces keeping her in charge. So later when she says, you intentionally put me in charge, he has this slight delay in his look. As if he didn’t know that and is just learning it himself,” a Reddit user theorized.
