Note: This post contains spoilers for both seasons of The Good Place.

Bisexuality means you’re attracted to men and women equally, right? Not quite. Sexuality is a spectrum, and you don’t need to necessarily fall in the exact center to be bi. Where better to explore this issue than in the freedom of the afterlife? In NBC’s The Good Place, lead narcissist Eleanor dies and goes to what she thinks is heaven. Once there, she falls head over heels for Chidi, her bookish male love interest, in a roller coaster love story spread across the show’s first two seasons. Meanwhile, she develops a much different kind of infatuation with her female rival-turned-bestie, the stunning Tahani. The juxtaposition of the two romances forms a nuanced portrayal of bisexuality that avoids common misconceptions.

The chemistry between Eleanor and Chidi resembles what you might see in a typical romantic comedy. Imagine: “She’s a narcissistic alpha female prone to impulsive decisions, he’s an indecisive bookworm who struggles with the most basic choices. Watch the pieces of the puzzle fall together as they fall in love, only on the Hallmark Channel.“ It’s the kind of romance that turns Eleanor’s stomach topsy turvy. Chidi is the first man she’s ever unironically said “I love you” to and she can’t deal with the possibility that he might not reciprocate. To shield herself from potential pain, she resorts to her favorite coping mechanisms. At one point, when Chidi says he’s not into her in that way, she blows the whole thing off, pretending like she’s not really in love with him either.

But the afterlife is a wild ride on which Eleanor and Chidi can’t help but sit next to each other. In the pilot episode, they believe they’re soulmates in The Good Place, then it turns out Eleanor is there by mistake, so Chidi has to teach her ethics. By the end of the first season, though, none of it matters, because they were actually in The Bad Place the whole time. Then, the demons in charge wipe their memories and everyone goes through that whole charade 800 more times. And yet, even in the 802nd iteration of the experiment, which takes place across the majority of the second season, Eleanor and Chidi end up together, as if there’s a mystical magnetism pulling them towards each other no matter how many times their minds get reset.

That persistent attraction lends itself to a dramatic romance. In the second season’s finale, as the two lovebirds wait to hear whether they’ll get to go to the real Good Place, the music swells to a climax as Chidi passionately kisses Eleanor. First she’s breathless, then she’s speechless. The only words that even come to her muddled brain in that moment are, “Hot diggity dog!” She’s so madly in love with him she can’t think straight.

Bi contrast, Tahani never turns Eleanor’s brain to mush like Chidi does. And yet, Eleanor can’t keep her eyes off that “tall and glamorous” mega-hottie with “cappuccino skin and curves everywhere.” Eleanor and Chidi are clearly in love – and consummate that love on several occasions – but we never see Eleanor as openly hot and bothered as when she’s checking out Tahani. According to Eleanor, Tahani is “gorgeous,” a “sexy tan Rapunzel” with a “rockin’ bod.” Eleanor and Tahani, aka #Telenor, also don’t connect emotionally in the same manner that Eleanor and Chidi do. Eleanor and Chidi’s strengths and flaws almost perfectly balance out. Meanwhile, Eleanor and Tahani support each other in an almost sisterly way. They each are narcissists formerly raised by narcissists, for example, and tend to relate to each others’ struggles quite well.

The bond between the two women, contrary to what Eleanor and Chidi have, manifests itself as a flirty, will-they-won’t-they? side plot rather than a grand love story. They trade playful remarks and seductive glances without ever turning their relationship into a full-blown romance. Like Eleanor says in the Season 1 finale, “I legit might be into Tahani, but that’s for another time.” Their relationship just isn’t in the spotlight. Part of that is the nature of the characters — again, Eleanor and Chidi complement each other in a way that’s most conducive to a classic TV romance.

The Good Place is also plagued by the same issues that pop up in other instances of bi representation, which may contribute to the lack of escalation between Eleanor and Tahani. Consider: the show never explicitly says that Eleanor is bi, an all-too-common occurrence on television. There’s lots of misinformation about bisexuality floating around, and most writers are not bi, sometimes leading to oversights. Outright biphobia may play a role as well. In an online Q&A, one fan accused showrunner Mike Schur of playing off bisexuality for laughs. From this person’s perspective, the show takes advantage of bisexuality by making light of Eleanor’s interest in Tahani without ever taking their relationship to a deeper level. It’s a fair point (see the photo and caption below).

That said, bisexuality is still underrepresented on TV and The Good Place, despite a few issues, offers a breath of fresh air. Eleanor isn’t necessarily into men and women at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree — an experience many bisexual people can relate to. Fans have taken notice. “Eleanor x Tahani” is a popular Tumblr topic, YouTube is full of fan vids, and there’s plenty of R-rated fan fic to be found in more seedy corners of the Internet. Representation matters. The sparks flying between Eleanor and Tahani have helped a legion of fans attach themselves emotionally to this show in ways that they otherwise would not have been able to.