Spoilers ahead for the The Good Place Season 3, Episode 11. Somehow, yet again, things for The Good Place gang have gotten even more complicated. In the Jan. 17 episode, Michael convinces the judge to let him conduct a new experiment. If he removes the complex circumstances that keep sending everyone on Earth to the Bad Place, he reasons, he can help people become better versions of themselves — just as he did with Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason. The judge isn't completely buying it, but her interest is piqued, and so, four new humans are selected to test Michael's theory. So who are they?
So far, there doesn't appear to be any news about the new characters, though we were already kinda-sorta introduce to one: At the end of the episode, a man woke up in the same waiting room where Eleanor's journey began so long ago. That being said, The Good Place tends to be very secretive about new additions to the cast, even if they're just guest stars. For example, comedian Nicole Byer played a delightful Good Place worker in last week's episode, but her role wasn't announced before it aired. There are tons of twists, turns, and secrets The Good Place is constantly trying to keep under wraps, and the less viewers know about what's coming down the pike, the better.
What we do know about the new humans is that whoever they are, they all have to be "the same level of bad." Per the agreement between Sean, the Bad Place leader, Michael, and the Judge, the Bad Place was able to choose the human specimens, but they weren't allowed to pick anyone hopeless — i.e. no murderers, dictators, or other obviously irredeemable prospects.
Michael describes the first guy we see as a journalist with no huge black marks on his permanent record, so viewers can probably assume that the new humans are in similar positions as the original crew was. They're everyday people who perhaps weren't the nicest, or who got into some mild trouble, or whose motivations weren't the purest. But they likely aren't actual monsters.
If Michael's experiment pays off, it'll prove once and for all that living a truly moral life on Earth has become so complex that it's impossible to get into the Good Place, and the point system should be adjusted to account for that. There's nuance to every choice, there are unintended consequences to good intended acts, and as Jason's story in this episode points out, humans are often dealing with day-to-day struggles that make it impossible for them to weigh every possible negative outcome of each decision they make throughout their lives.
The experiment, in short, would insist that those who control the points system need to have some level of empathy and compassion for the world people are living in. Most everyone is just doing their best in an already messed up world they were born into, and the points should recognize that somehow.
Just before meeting the first new human, Michael has a little bit of a nervous breakdown, and it looks as if Eleanor will have to step into his shoes for a bit. But if they can stick together and pull this thing off, the Good Place could be welcoming in new residents by the thousands.
