One of my favorite things about the ending of TTH is the closure Barth and Tanrak received regarding their faith and family. They spent the majority of their lives thinking they had to choose between happiness and heaven, only to discover neither had to be sacrificed and both could be obtained.
Going back to episode 4, Barth opened up about how most of the turmoil in his household was caused by religion. Both of his parents valued their faith over anything else, even if it came at the expense of their child’s (and their own) wellbeing.
He witnessed his family fall apart, and began to resent God because he did nothing to stop it despite all his prayers. Early in his life, he came to the conclusion that there would never be happiness where religion was involved. He could only live how he wanted if he rejected it all together.
When it came down to choosing between happiness and heaven, Barth made the decision to sacrifice his “ticket” to heaven for a chance at happiness.
When it came to Tanrak, his battle with religion was less obvious on the surface because it was mainly internal. Ever since his parents’ passing, he dedicated his entire life to becoming a priest and reuniting with them in heaven. Whenever he felt his faith waver, he saw it as him getting further away from seeing his mom and dad again.
When he first fell for Barth, he didn’t think it was possible to have a relationship with him and God simultaneously. He felt as if it was necessary to give one up to keep the other, and he was willing to give up everything if it meant keeping his faith intact.
One viewed religion as the primary source of his suffering, and the other saw it as the only thing keeping him together. It was only after reconnecting with their loved ones where they began to shift their viewpoints regarding religion.
Tanrak realized that his faith did not have to come at the expense of his own joy, nor did it have to prevent him from pursuing his heart’s desires. Barth learned to no longer see religion as an obstacle in his life, but simply another part of it. It also served as something that brought him and his mom closer.
Through all these trials and tribulations, they discovered happiness and faith do not have to be mutually exclusive. They did not have to leave behind everything they knew and loved just to live a life they truly wanted. They only needed to find their balance, and in the end, they found it together.
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