Jason Mendoza

Grew Up… in Jacksonville, Florida (“Jaguars rule!”), with friends and family as wild as he is. His father, who Jason calls “Donkey Doug,” possesses many of his own qualities, such as a lack of intelligence and impulsivity. These traits are obvious when Jason returns home, as Donkey Doug attempts to steal from bottle, cologne, and energy drink factories to make a 2-in-1 energy drink/cologne product.

Living… in the Good Place under the name “Jiyanyu.” He is the soulmate and house (actually, mansion) mate to Tahani. The two are neighbors to Eleanor and Chidi, and Jason is often at their house to attend ethics lessons. Although he is supposed to be a silent monk, Jason is quite loud, a stark contrast from Tahani’s proper manners and tidy lifestyle.  

Profession… former DJ. On Earth, Jason was an amateur - or, as he puts it, “pre-successful” - DJ, as well as an active member of a 60-person dance crew, which didn’t go very far, either. Sorry, it was “pre-successful.”

Interests… dancing and Electronic Dance Music, a style none of his friends in the Good Place seem to appreciate. Jason’s favorite sports team is the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he especially idolizes quarterback Blake Bortles. Jason also loves to eat; he once devoured 50 jalapeno poppers in less than a minute for a contest.  

Relationship Status… a soulmate to Tahani. Upon first arriving at the Good Place, Jason was required to be silent in order to maintain his false monk identity, which frustrates Tahani greatly. Based on Tahani’s strict upbringing, it doesn’t seem she would appreciate the true Jason, either. However, despite his spontaneous and rather dim-witted nature, Jason’s good looks and genuine personality charm many women, possibly even other residents of his Good Place neighborhood.

Challenge… controlling his extreme impulses and reflexes in order to be a better person. Jason often resorts to violence and rash decision-making when faced with difficulty. As he himself says it, “Anytime I had a problem, and I threw a Molotov cocktail...Boom, right away I had a different problem.” In order to be more ethical, Jason must respond to situations by thinking and reflecting, rather than deflecting issues by creating new complications. 

Personality… impulsive, chaotic, and goofy. Jason has an undeniable enjoyment for life, although his spontaneous persona can cause him to become a danger to himself. However, as Jason oh-so-cleverly points out, his ability to stay alive is more adept than one might think: “I came up with hundreds of plans in my life and only one of them got me killed."