Any Florida residents reading this? Great, because “The Good Place” cast would like to apologize for trolling you so hard every week on the NBC sitcom, courtesy of the ever-lovable, and oh-so dumb Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto).
Fans of the Michael Schur comedy know that Manny’s character is the butt of many a joke, thanks to his serious pride for his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, their NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars, and its quarterback, Blake Bortles. In fact, Jason shouts “Bortles!” about as often as he throws Molotov cocktails (which is more than anyone should do either, in Schur’s opinion).
Marc Evan Jackson (who guest stars as Shawn on the series) did not shy away from the show’s mockery of Floridians while moderating the “Good Place” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Saturday, asking Jacinto if he had, “strong feelings about Florida before taking this job?”
Co-star Jameela Jamil (who plays Tahani) quickly cut in to ask, “Anyone here from Florida? Sorry! We’re definitely sorry.” Jacinto added, “Yes, sorry!” Kristen Bell (Eleanor) threw out a very honest, “But you guys get it!”
“No, they’re all great sports,” Jacinto said of the people who the show somehow manages to pick on more than people who take off their shoes and socks on airplanes. “I had no idea about Florida, to be honest. It just coincided with how crazy the character was and how crazy the state is.”
When Jackson asked the actor if people yell “Bortles!” at him on the street now, he quickly replied, “Yes.”
But don’t worry, Jacksonvillers, because Jacinto has been to Jacksonville and is enthused to be representing your city fictitiously. However, that doesn’t mean the writers plan to start going easy on you on Season 3, as the star quickly questioned whether anyone in the crowd was from that particular area of the Sunshine State.
“No? Good! Oh, one in the corner? Great!” he said, to which Jamil replied, “Don’t tell them what we said.”
Too late.
You can read about what happens on the first 2 minutes of “The Good Place” Season 3 — which TheWrap saw during the panel — here.
“The Good Place” returns with a one-hour premiere Thursday, September 27 at 8/7c on NBC.