While Eleanor, Chidi, and the gang’s time in The Good Place could go on forever (or, you know, they might spend eternity in that other, significantly less good location), your time there will be up at the end of season four. The announcement came Friday that the NBC series will conclude after its fourth season, which is currently set to premiere sometime this fall. Before you climb all the way up to Heaven and kick God’s ass for canceling your favorite comedy, however, please know The Good Place’s conclusion was preplanned. According to creator Mike Schur, who announced the show’s ending at an Emmys “For Your Consideration†panel on Friday, while the temptation to keep the Trans Eternal Railway chugging along in perpetuity was strong, the series engine was ultimately built to last approximately 50 episodes.
“After The Good Place was picked up for season two, the writing staff and I began to map out, as best we could, the trajectory of the show. Given the ideas we wanted to explore, and the pace at which we wanted to present those ideas, I began to feel like four seasons — just over 50 episodes — was the right lifespan,†Schur said, per a release from NBC. “At times over the past few years we’ve been tempted to go beyond four seasons, but mostly because making this show is a rare, creatively fulfilling joy, and at the end of the day, we don’t want to tread water just because the water is so warm and pleasant. As such, the upcoming fourth season will be our last.â€