Michael is running a new experiment in The Good Place season 3 that, as the first scene from the season confirms, involves creating an alternate timeline on earth, rather than yet another fake Good Place. Michael Schur's supernatural comedy series has never been one to try and maintain the status quo between seasons and that will continue when it returns to NBC later this month, via the one-hour premiere episode "Everything is Bonzer!".

After The Good Place season 1 concluded with the game-changing revelation that the show's recently deceased leads - Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto) - hadn't made the cut for The Good Place and were instead in an experimental version of The Bad Place designed to torture them emotionally rather than physically, it wasn't entirely clear where season 2 would go from there. Ultimately, however, the season 2 finale took the series' human characters and the demonic Michael (Ted Danson) back to the place where it quite literally all began: earth.

Related: The Good Place Season 3 Poster Trades Heaven for Earth

Yes, per a ruling by the burrito-loving Judge (Maya Rudolph), The Good Place season 2 ended with Michael creating an alternate timeline where his human buddies weren't killed in various comically violent ways - thus, giving them a chance to prove they could become better people, even without knowing what's waiting for them in the afterlife. NBC has now released a season 3 sneak peek clip that reveals exactly how Michael made said timeline, as you can see in the space below.

In addition to showing Michael in a variety of, er, brilliant human disguises (ranging from biking gear to a ponytail), this clip offers a proper introduction to the Doorman (Mike O’Malley) - a new character who also showed up in The Good Place season 3 images that were released a couple weeks back. By the look of things, the frog-loving immortal will play a key role throughout much of this season and serve as an obstacle that prevents Michael's from interfering in his latest experiment more than he already has.

Throughout the many changes to its status quo, The Good Place has remained committed to exploring the philosophical dilemma of whether people can really change and improve themselves. By the look of things, that will continue to be the case in season 3, even as the series adds a new wrinkle in the form of its four leads having no idea if there even is anything waiting for them on the other side, good or bad.

MORE: Every Good Place Season 3 Update You Need to Know

The Good Place season 3 premieres with "Everything is Bonzer!" on Thursday, September 27 on NBC.

Source: NBC