I think one of the things that I find most beautiful about The Good Place is the degree to which the characters really bounce off each other and do actually make each other better people, even as it doesn’t always happen in the most obvious way. Chidi’s influence on Eleanor is obvious and Michael clearly recognizes the way in which Chidi helps Eleanor become less selfish, but there’s no in-text recognition of the degree to which Eleanor helps Chidi, whether in terms of giving him a metaphorical slap in the face when he’s being indecisive or even the way she often focuses him more broadly.
I know we’re only in the beginning of season 3 and I know that things can change drastically from episode to episode on this show, but the bottom line is that Eleanor is always there for Chidi when he needs it. She cuts to the chase. She forces him to consider new perspectives he hadn’t previously thought of. She supports him and comforts him and guides him, just as he does her.
But it’s not just Eleanor and Chidi. Jason and Tahani - even as the “secondary” couple (and is that really what they are? are they a couple? are they secondary?), they balance each other out well. Jason gives Tahani so much of the positive feedback/reinforcement she never got from her family, constantly praising and admiring her for who she is and what she does. He sees that Tahani is unfairly hard on herself and seeks to comfort her. He gives her compliments. He is exactly what she needs. And he also grounds her, often giving a more human, “realistic” (if absurd…) context for certain behavior. Tahani, for her part, gives Jason remarkable space when it comes to his behavior and seems to very much appreciate his unique wisdom.
Ultimately, Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason balance each other out not because there is something inherent to their personalities that make them good as a team, but because they are all deeply human. And human instinct guides us to be better to those around us. Eleanor may often be driven insane by Tahani’s persona, but she also gives Tahani her undivided attention - she sees Tahani, even if she doesn’t always like who she sees. (But we all know that she does, of course.) She also knows to give Tahani offhand compliments in a way that isn’t as plainly open as Jason, maybe, but truer to who Eleanor is relative to Tahani. She never forgets that Tahani is there and she never lets Tahani feel like she is a disappointment. Tahani, in turn, contextualizes a lot of Eleanor’s snark. She’s solidly supportive and solidly present, in a way that the frequently abandoned Eleanor very much needs. Eleanor may think that Jason is deeply unintelligent, but she also frequently enjoys his humor and gives him positive feedback. Chidi struggles at maintaining individual relationships, yet his love of teaching means that he is there for anyone who comes at him.
These four humans were chosen to bounce off each other’s worst instincts, yet those same traits that are supposed to make them awful to each other end up making them good people, because they want to be good to each other. Eleanor wants to become a better person. Tahani wants to become less self absorbed and move past her jealousy problems. Jason wants to become more successful and a better friend. Chidi wants to become more decisive and conscious of those around him. And together, they guide each other to do just that because of their differences and contrasts. These messy humans seek to become better people and help each other become better too.
