‘The Good Place’ Season 2: Ted Danson Talks Janet’s Rebound Boyfriend Derek

The creation of Janet’s rebound boyfriend Derek puts Team Cockroach in a dangerous situation.

In a recent interview with USA Today, “The Good Place” star Ted Danson revealed that Derek’s (Jason Mantzoukas) arrival in the neighborhood may blow the team’s cover. “I don't want to do a spoiler thing, but what Derek brings is total chaos and danger to the plan to appear as if we’re still torturing the humans. He’s such a loose cannon, it makes for scary moments,” said Danson, who plays Michael on the NBC series.

While the new character only brings trouble to Team Cockroach, Danson said that Mantzoukas is a great addition to the Michael Schur-created series. “Instant laughs,” the 69-year-old actor said when asked what Mantzoukas brings to the show. “You can get him to say anything and it comes out in the most wonderful, funny way.”

Mantzoukas made his first appearance as Derek in Season 2, episode 7 after Michael figured out that Janet (D’Arcy Carden) was glitching because she’s in love with Jason (Manny Jacinto). To prevent future Janet-induced issues in the neighborhood, Janet told Michael to set her to self-destruct mode. But because Michael now considers Janet as a friend, he refused to “kill” her. Instead, the two decided to consult with Eleanor (Kristen Bell) for help.

“You just need to get drunk and go dancing. You’ll forget about Jason,” Eleanor told Janet. “Pop a couple of magnets. Listen to some No Doubt. Dye your hair and you’ll be totally fine in just two seconds. And honestly, the best move is to get another dude and just go to town — rebound guy.”

Shortly thereafter, Janet created Derek and introduced him to Michael. “Eleanor said that to forget about Jason, I should create a rebound guy, so I made one, Derek,” Janet said. While Derek may probably stop Janet from glitching, Michael doesn’t think that creating a person is a good idea. “This could be very dangerous,” the afterlife architect told Janet. “It shouldn’t even be possible!”

This week’s Season 2, episode 8, titled “Derek,” is expected to reveal more details about the new character. The synopsis for the episode also teases that Eleanor lets Chidi (William Jackson Harper) in on a secret, and Jason puts Tahani (Jameela Jamil) in a difficult position.

“The Good Place” Season 2, episode 8 airs tonight at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC.