Never Have I Ever gave Devi a better love story than Paxton or Ben
Never Have I Ever season four spoilers follow
The great debate has been settled. Paxton (Darren Barnet) versus Ben (Jaren Lewison).
Fans hedged their bets as early as season one as to who Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) would ultimately end up with. The hot pocket heartthrob or the "nerd from her AP class."
It was a tight call, they both made mistakes but none more so than Devi during that iconically disastrous two-timing phase.
Still, by the beginning of season four there was no real competition at all. It was clear which pair was the ideal match as Ben and Devi were declared endgame.
Sorry team Paxton, or to put it like Ramakrishnan during an exclusive interview with Digital Spy "sucks to suck."
This she said when asked if she had any words of comfort for the losing side and we've got to be honest, there's something very badass and Devi about that attitude because really, does it even matter?
We know, the show spends three seasons making us fall in love with these guys who are the complete opposite of each other. It did such a good job that even we switched allegiances multiple times and that's the point.
Both guys were great. Even better once they'd been churned through the maturity mill and came out on the other side of adolescents a little more wise and compassionate.
While a large part of Never Have I Ever may have focused on the ironing out of this threesome their love triangle was far from the central attraction of the story and if you missed that, then you missed the point.
At its centre it was always about Devi's journey through grief. How she fought to navigate the turmoil of deeply bitter emotions surrounding her dad's death and throughout this painful process it was the women in her life who nourished her in the most profound way.
Yes both Paxton and Ben supported her too but it was the women who were the consistent source of strength. They empowered her, grieved with her, coddled her at times and equally removed the cotton wool when she needed setting straight.
That this safety harness strapped around her grief was the core of the show makes this slightly more average season still feel wholesome and meaningful.
Devi's relationship with her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) is one such bond that has grown alongside Devi throughout the seasons.
Never Have I Ever makes clear that father and spouse Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy) had always been the buffer between mother and daughter who could never see eye to eye.
Following his death they were ill-equipped to navigate each other's emotions without their referee.
Not only were they forced to cope with his absence, they had to learn how to connect with each other. To see things from one other's perspective and to move with compassion instead of impatience, understanding instead of judgement, frustration or mistrust.
The show's creator Mindy Kaling takes this fragile relationship, strips it and rebuilds it from the ground up and in doing so relays the powerful message that growing together is a choice and the responsibility of both to move with empathy.
Kaling also knew what she was doing when she placed Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor (Ramona Young) in Devi's life. They were designed to be her biggest cheerleaders. They were also the right people to call BS on her ridiculously unhealthy behaviour when she needed it. That balance offered her stability when things got too overwhelming.
If we're talking about the sisterhood of support then we would be remiss not to include Doctor Ryan (Niecy Nash) on that list.
Sure she was on the clock every time Devi threw herself into that therapist's chair and spiralled into a rant but that relationship became precious.
She got to play a part in the shaping of a young woman with boundless potential who was caught in destructive behavioural patterns.
While this is ultimately the Devi show, Kaling was intentional with the support she surrounded Nalini with.
Kamala (Richa Moorjani) may have joined their broken family initially to study at CalTech but it's no accident that she became another pair of eyes to gently guide Devi in a way that Nalini couldn't, thus taking strain off this new single parent life she was thrust into.
Devi's grandmother Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty) also joined in season two adding to the growing network of sisterhood that also extended to include teachers like Ms Warner (Alexandra Billings), who guided Devi's scholastic journey in season four.
It would be easy to get stuck on the dramatic romantic relationships of the show. Especially given that Never Have I Ever makes the questionable decision to ensure that literally EVERYONE is coupled up at the end.
We're not joking, from Devi and Paxton right the way to Nirmala and Nalini, everybody's got someone.
The unfortunate side effect of this approach is that it sends the subtle message that romantic love is a key marker of success and that happiness is not complete without a partner.
However we overlook this indiscretion because one of the show's biggest strengths is the gorgeous way in which it reflects the kaleidoscope of female relationships.
Each of those relationships nurtured Devi in a way that was not better than but different to her romantic ones, which Ramakrishnan notes is really special.
"It's just really important and special that we get to [showcase the complexities of those female relationships], because we don't often get to see that in such a genuine way and in a way where we put the importance of platonic relationships at the same level as romantic," she told Digital Spy.
"I think [love] is very special, especially between women, when we don't get to see that often enough."
*Enthusiastically finger guns in agreement*.
Never Have I Ever seasons 1-4 are available to watch on Netflix.
You Might Also Like
