Tahani struggling with self-love on “The Good Place” is all of us
During moments of extreme stress, people’s true colors and deepest insecurities become exposed. And that’s what happened on this week’s episode of The Good Place, after the sinkhole that appeared during a restaurant opening led to a “Category 55 Emergency Doomsday Crisis.”
The entire neighborhood was on lockdown, and trying not to panic. This created lots of bickering between Eleanor and Chidi, but it also gave viewers a chance to see a different side of Tahani, the resident dream girl and all around perfect specimen.
We know Tahani as Eleanor’s seemingly flawless neighbor with long gorgeous locks, Beyonce-level curves, a killer wardrobe, and such a good heart that she doesn’t seem real. But even people who seem like they have it all together are their own worst critics, and are struggling just like the rest of us.
In an attempt to find a way to help Michael with the sinkhole disaster, she finds a ranked list of every neighborhood resident in The Good Place. She finds her name second-to-last on this list, and this triggers flashbacks of when she was alive, and constantly vying for love and attention from her parents. Her sister Kamilah was their obvious favorite, and Tahani’s charitable work and other talents were never properly acknowledged.
Tahani based her entire self-worth on her parents’ opinions of her. And whenever they appeared unimpressed, her self-esteem plummeted. Oh, Tahani, we feel you.
Every single one of us – women in particular – are born as uniquely beautiful human beings. Then we grow up in a world that constantly tries to convince us of what we lack, and how imperfect we are. It’s an unfortunate reality we know too GD well.
But Michael tells her that the rankings were only for when they were alive. And regardless of where she fell on the list, Tahani is one of the most remarkable people he has ever encountered. So instead of spending another second thinking she isn’t good enough, she finally takes a look back at all the wonderful things she has accomplished.
Tahani’s opinion of herself is the only one that matters. Her ongoing struggle to see her own value in this world is a powerful reminder that nobody is perfect. We’re all just trying to do our best. We’re all trying to love ourselves in the process. That’s a fight that never ends, because self-love is hard work. But if anyone can master it, Tahani can.
