The Good Place Fan Theory That Will Have Fans Looking Twice At Shawn
Responsible for hits such as "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Parks and Recreation," showrunner Michael Schur seems as though he can do no wrong. Both series were a hit with fans who even helped bring "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" back from the dead for a time (via The Guardian). But one of his recent shows that should not be discounted is NBC's series "The Good Place." Airing for four seasons, the show revolved around a vibrant cast of characters after they have died. Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and Jason (Manny Jacinto) all think that they have gone to the show's titular "Good Place," only to realize that it is, in fact, the opposite. They are all being used as each other's personal brand of torture in the "Bad Place."
One of the more sadistic demons that antagonizes Eleanor and her friends is Michael's (Ted Danson) supervisor Shawn (Marc Evan Jackson). Throughout the series, Shawn hurls hilarious barbs at "The Good Place" crew while attempting to orchestrate their downfall. Shawn is an entertaining antagonist that fits perfectly in with the rest of the characters. But upon second inspection, fans noted something about Shawn that could give his character more depth.
Fans love the idea that Shawn and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Kevin may be the same person
In addition to playing Shawn on "The Good Place," Jackson has also had a recurring role in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as Capt. Raymond Holt's (Andre Braugher) husband Kevin. Though many actors have crossed over in Schur's shows before, fans on Reddit became fascinated with the idea that Kevin and Shawn may be the same person.
"I always had a headcanon that shawn decided to be a human try it out cuz why not? Michael got to be a human..." posted u/i-am-egg-tart. "And then he ended up as Holt's husband." In some ways, Kevin and Shawn are as different as night and day. Shawn is a demon who relishes putting humans through pain. Though reserved, Kevin clearly has a capacity for love and has one of the best relationships on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." However, there are some similarities as well. Both share deadpan humor and show a delight for the darker spectrum of human emotion.
In one post, one fan even pointed out that Kevin has, at times, been just as brutal as Shawn. "Further proof that Kevin from B99 and Shawn are the same person," commented u/14thyear with a graphic of Kevin giving a dark description, just like Shawn has done in the past. It's entirely probable that Shawn could have gone to Earth to become human and fallen in love with Holt. In the Schur comedic universe, anything is possible.