William Jackson Harper likes ‘The Good Place’s’ Peeps chili recipe. Who are we to argue?

William Jackson Harper discusses the “Jeremy Bearimy” eipsode of “The Good Place,” and why he found it “freeing.”

May 22, 2019 11:31 AM PT

Picking a favorite episode from this past season of “The Good Place” would pose the kind of existential conundrum that the NBC comedy so expertly explores.

But … if we had to choose, we’d go with “Jeremy Bearimy,” the half-hour in which Chidi (William Jackson Harper), the show’s reliable rock, despairs of meaninglessness while eating a pot of chili made with M&M’s and Marshmallow Peeps. (And some other interesting things happen too.)

Turns out that chili actually tastes … interesting, Jackson told The Times during a recent video interview. But then, not as bad as you might think, provided you have an indefensible fondness for Peeps.

“I started to kind of like it toward the end,” Jackson said. “I got in there. I feel like I’m like one of maybe five people in the United States that actually kind of likes Peeps. I do think they’re pretty good.”

We’re going to let that last comment slide because, again, Jackson is so great in the episode, playing an emotionally bereft Chidi who doffs his shirt, goes on a chili ingredient shopping spree and then lectures his philosophy class about looking into the abyss.

“That episode was very freeing and also a little gonzo,” Jackson said. “Often it’s my job to ground things and be the guy that sets up the wacky moments and react to them, but in this episode, I was the one who went off the rails completely.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Jackson delves into another gonzo topic — his participation in Ari Aster’s upcoming indie horror film “Midsommar” (“ ‘Wizard of Oz’ for perverts”) as well as Todd Haynes’ drama “Dry Run.” So grab your snack of choice — no judgment — watch and enjoy the full interview, which you can view below.