In news that might make you feel like we’re living in the Bad Place, afterlife fantasy comedy, The Good Place is ending with season 4. Although the show’s ratings have been gradually declining, it remains one of the most positively reviewed shows currently airing.

NBC's The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) as she arrives in a utopian afterlife of a peaceful neighborhood of people whose actions while alive were positive enough that they were granted entry. It's soon revealed that she was sent there by mistake, taking the place of a human rights lawyer of the same name. Soon, Eleanor's presence begins to adversely affect the tranquility of the neighborhood and she must learn to be a better person in order to set things right. The ending of each season sees a major change in the setup that drastically alters events going forwards - meaning it’s a show that can’t be dipped in and out of like many sitcoms, but rather needs to be watched from the beginning to appreciate The Good Place's constantly changing story.

Related: What To Expect From The Good Place Season 4

The news that The Good Place season 4 will be its final season comes from creator and showrunner, Michael Schur, who shared the news on The Good Place’s Twitter feed. His reasoning is that The Good Place's episode count as of the end of season 4 will be a decent enough length of time for the show to have run for, wanting to bring it to an end rather than risk it stagnating by continuing past a point of natural conclusion. He also thanks the creative team for their “dedication to a very weird idea.” Read Schur's full statement below:

The popularity of The Good Place is in large part because of its consistently high-quality comedic writing, the ongoing development and growth of its characters, and its imaginative plotlines in a surreal yet believable world. It portrays a message of optimism without coming off as saccharine, and posits that even the seemingly worst people among us can be redeemed. It’s also notable for its efforts in portraying diversity, seen in three of its six central characters being played by non-white actors, and Eleanor’s bisexuality being brought up matter-of-factly and without fanfare.

This is only the latest in a spate of announcements of shows ending - SyFy recently canceled Deadly Class after just one season and DC Universe's Swamp Thing has been canceled before it even fully aired - but The Good Place is fortunate in having the opportunity to end on its own terms rather than being unceremoniously cancelled. There is a tendency for some shows (and comedies in particular) to stay around for too long and end up declining in quality as they become increasingly complacent about drawing in viewers. While fans will undoubtedly be disappointed The Good Place is coming to a conclusion, that the events of season 4 will hopefully allow it to go out on a high note .

Next: Theory: The Good Place Doesn't Really Exist

Source: Michael Schur/Twitter