In the second season of Survival of the Thickest, Tone Bell’s character, Khalil, continues to navigate self-discovery, with a focus on mental health and therapy—two topics that are not often addressed for Black men in mainstream media.
In an interview with The Quintessential Gentleman, Bell shared his personal journey with therapy, which he now brings to Khalil’s character on the show.
“Not often do you see men, especially Black men, go to therapy or accept it,” Bell noted. “I was very surprised and happy when I saw that in the scripts this season.” This topic being discussed in the series shows its commitment to normalizing mental health conversations for Black men—a demographic often underrepresented in discussions about therapy.
For Bell, the inclusion of therapy in Khalil’s storyline is deeply personal. “I tried to start therapy in 2017, and it wasn’t the right fit,” he shared. “I probably got to like therapist number four before someone didn’t let me try to manipulate or take advantage of it because I didn’t think I needed it.”
His own experience with therapy has clearly influenced his portrayal of Khalil. “Having done my own journey and finding the right therapist for me, and Khalil goes through the same thing; it was actually kind of a cool thing to already have in my arsenal.”
Khalil’s struggles with mental health take center stage in Episode 3 of the new season, where he opens up to his friends about wanting to find a therapist. In a scene that has gone viral on social media, Khalil nervously confesses that he needs help. His friends initially assume he’s about to ask for money, a lawyer, or a fake passport. But when he says he needs a therapist, they quickly downplay his nervousness.
The moment takes a turn as two friends reveal they are also in therapy, and another shares that he is a licensed therapist. As the group jokingly discusses terms like “inner child” and “generational trauma,” the scene uses humor to normalize therapy while delivering a clear message: Black men should not be ashamed of prioritizing their mental health.
For Tone Bell, the inclusion of therapy in Khalil’s storyline is deeply personal. “I started therapy in 2017, and it wasn’t the right fit at first,” he shared in his interview with The Quintessential Gentleman. “It took me four therapists to find the right one.” His own experience with therapy has clearly influenced his portrayal of Khalil, as Bell brings authenticity to the character’s journey. “Having done my own journey and finding the right therapist for me, and Khalil going through the same thing, it was cool to tap into that experience.”
We are still in a world where mental health struggles are often sidelined, especially within Black communities. While progress has been made, there is still much work to do. It’s encouraging to see a series that features Black people not shy away from tough conversations, but instead help the community grow, evolve, and heal.
Check out the full interview.
Survival of the Thickest Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
