The Judge is Justified

Warning, if you haven’t watched last week’s episode of The Good Place, turn back now. To those of you that have watched it, come on in and sit down. Get comfy. I need to ask you a question. Did you, by chance, happen to hear a deafening scream recently? Maybe an uncontrollable shriek of joy? Did your dog hear a sound so loud, he had to perk up his ears in confusion and ask, “What the heck is that?” Well, it was me.

I was trying to catch up on some shows the other day and decided to watch everyone’s favorite network comedy, The Good Place. I knew this was going to be a good episode, because within the first two minutes of the show the Judge (Maya Rudolph) made multiple references to Timothy Olyphant and the series, Justified. As a long-time Olyphant fan myself, I couldn’t hide my excitement and laughter. “The Judge totally gets it,” I thought. What could be better than one of my favorite shows loving one of my favorite actors? Well, I was in for one more surprise.

“I’m on season three of Justified, and can I just tell you, it is so good. I, like, binged all of season two in, like, a day.”

While the Judge searched Janet for the big, bad button that would destroy humanity, Eleanor and the gang tried to come up with a game plan. They needed to convince Shawn and the Judge that their new proposal would work. How could they do that, though, if the Judge refused to hear anything they said? Luckily, Janet had an idea. There was only one person who could keep the Judge’s attention and help her see reason. Cue the screaming.

“That’s, like, fifty gallons of man in a ten gallon hat.”

Timothy forkin’ Olyphant. Timothy Olyphant with the hat and the plaid, in all his Justified glory. Now, I understand that his appearance will only entertain a small group of people. There is only a select few who will understand this unforgettable and momentous surprise. However, let’s be clear. There is someone who is clearly relatable here.

Hello! The Judge is a total fangirl! She obsesses over an obscure TV show. She blushes every time someone mentions her favorite actor. She’s awkward and speechless when she meets said actor in real life. SHE IS ONE OF US.

Thank you, The Good Place, for giving all of us fangirls the representation on TV we so desperately needed.