#also Ben and Devi need to kiss more

[thefabulousfab-3]

Rewatching s4 and honestly i think it is my least favorite just because it has the lowest rewatch value for me. Besides the Benvi scenes in the last episode, Trent's proposal, and the scene where Fabiola is diffusing tension between Eleanor and Devi at the party, I don't feel the need to rewatch any of it. I know everyone hates on s2 but the plot was tight and it was hilarious plus it had way more Aneesa!

I agree, actually. Like I know this is not the point of the show but I feel like this season suffered so much by having Ben and Devi barely talk the entire FIRST HALF of the season. Like it just felt so off and weird.

They could have done the whole falling out WAY better!!! Like the fall out in season 2 was done very well actually. It just felt like they were making up drama to stall the endgame. Ben and Margot should have broken up in episode 1 or 2. There was no point to their relationship it was stupid.

I wish so bad that Ben and Devi became a couple after episode 5. They could have basically done the same things and gotten the same points across AND had Ben and Devi as a couple. Like it would have been so much better!!!!!!!! I’m mad about it. Like season 4 had such wonderful potential and I feel like they dropped the ball. Like they were hoping that having a strong finale would make up for the weak first half of the season.

I loved everyone’s storylines besides Ben and Devis. (In the romantic sense. I loved Devis individual storyline. Ben barely had a storyline so no comment there). Like I adore them and am SO HAPPY they got together but I just feel like it could have been done better. For time the first part of the season could have been slightly redeemed if THEY HAD FUCKING TALKED TO EACH OTHER ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!! They NEEDED that talk and I am so pissed we didn’t get one.

Also the love confession needed to be way more than just, “I love you”. I needed a whole ass speech from him.

Not at all relevant but where was all the John McEnroe narration???? Like I feel like he was barely there and that made me so sad.

[gredandforgeweatherby]

All the Way Across the Country?

Ben Gross x reader

WC: 825 Warnings: None, just fluff. Nothing romantic between Devi and Ben has happened for the sake of this fic (dw I'm team Benvi 100% :)) I do not own any of the dialogue from Never Have I Ever, I am just writing about Ben Gross because no one else will, please do not sue me.

A/N: This is not proofread, and the ending kinda sucks, but I really couldn't figure out how to end it. I hope you still enjoy <3

It was the night before you and all your friends left for college. Last night, you, Fabiola, and Eleanor had what was supposed to be your last hurrah, but Devi's grandmother invited you guys to her wedding the next night. She actually invited all of Devi's friends. You were excited you were going to have one last night with your friends before everyone left, though there was one person missing: Ben.

Ben left for an internship in New York right after graduation, and while you were happy that he got the opportunity, you wished you had been able to see him again before he left.

While Devi and Ben's relationship was based on academic validation and rivalry, your and Ben's relationship differed. You and Ben were friendly with each other through Devi and Ben's rivalry, (sometimes bothering Devi in the process. "You're supposed to be my right-hand girl not canoodling with my nemesis!). Though Devi and Ben often time butt heads, that somehow never got in between your and Ben's friendship. Eventually, your feeling turned into more than platonic, and you could never tell if Ben felt the same. The two of you would kiss, but neither of you would bring it up ever again. You because you were afraid of ruining the friendship and making it awkward, and he because he was afraid you would reject him.

The two of you had never been great at talking about your feelings.

¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤

You and all your friends, sans Devi, were sitting at a table playing a game of never have I ever.

Alright, never have I ever hooked up in my bestie's bed." Eleanor said, her gaze directed at Fabiola.

She and Fabiola met each other's gaze, and Fabiola's mouth hung wide open, a look of faux betrayal on her face.

"Fabiola you better pick up that damn cup," Eleanor said, her eyes narrowed at the girl in question.

Fabiola obliged.

Everyone gasped in surprise while you spoke up.

"Woah, woah, woah, whose bed?" You questioned, hoping that your name didn't fall from her mouth.

"Remember that party Devi had where she two-timed Paxton and he got hit by a car and his swimming career was over?" Fabiola questioned.

Chuckling a bit, you nodded. "Yup, everyone remembers that. How could you not?"

"Me and Eve had a make-out session on her bed."

Yours, Aneesa's, and Paxton's mouths dropped in surprise, while Eleanor and Trent looked at each other excitedly.

"Wow."

"Damn."

"You think she'd be mad if she found out?" Fabiola questioned.

"Well, I guess I should also drink," Trent spoke up. Paxton questioned why.

"I definitely had a couple of solo seshes on your futon." This, once again, made everyone gasp in surprise (and probably a bit of disgust).

While Trent and Paxton were talking about Trent's "solo seshes", Devi came over to you.

"Hey Y/N, I need your help with something in my room."

Thinking it was another way for your friends to sneak alcohol like you, Fab, Eleanor, and Devi did earlier, you didn't question it. You followed her to her room while she was talking nonsense the whole time. As the two of you were rounding the corner to her room, you felt her hands on your back give you a push into her room. Confused, you turned around to question her when you noticed someone in there.

"Ben?" You questioned. "What are you doing here?"

He was standing by Devi's window in a sweatshirt and jeans looking a bit bewildered.

"Uh, yeah, it's weird," he began, " Uh, well, I was in New York, and Devi mentioned that her pati invited all of us to her wedding and all of a sudden, I got this feeling that I needed to tell you that I... like you."

You chuckled lightly. "You flew all across the country to tell me you like me?"

"Well, yeah. Uh," he seemed conflicted with what to say next. "Actually," he chuckled, "I think I love you, y/n."

You stood there, not quite believing this was happening. "What?" You breathed out.

"I love you."

Hearing those words fall from his mouth made you realize this was real. This was Ben Gross, who hoped on a cross-country flight the night before you left for school to tell you he loved you.

"I love you too Ben."

The two of you smiled at each other before he suggested you guys left. You grabbed your things, (that were luckily in Devi's house and not in the tent,) and guided him to your car, driving to his house. The two of you made it to his room before your lips met.

¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤•¤

You and Ben spent the night together, deciding to try and date during the semester. You were both going to be in New York-- him obviously at Columbia and you at Cornell, you guys could totally make it work.

And the two of you certainly did.

[mellarkably]

ur so right abt the way that scene between ben and devi was shot because every single moment when we see devi making out with someone (or about to have s*x) is so driven by her “horny side” only, for paxton and des she just wanted to have s*x and get over with it and with ethan she just was on her horny and active rush which is good but the ben/devi scene, yes it was framed with a sense of urgency between them but also so much care and love. the lighting, the touches, the hands, smiling at each other and just everything about it was beautiful.

and call me crazy but i am happy the show didn’t do the typical “devi only has s*x with ben” narrative because i was about sure they wouldn’t have her have s*x with ethan and they did and was surprised because most shows don’t do that. ben and devi lost their virginity together and that’s already special but they didn’t have devi pondering around waiting for ben. she got to experience a little bit of fun and discover her preferences and be comfortable with it (and maybe ben did so too with margot) and then they get to make love to each other and know what it means and the differences in that and now they can start a relationship when there’s some level of experience and they can just explore what they both want.

some shows tend to do the opposite for “romanticism” so i am glad they did not.

OH ANON HOW I LOVE YOU FOR THIS BECAUSE CAN. WE. TALK ABOUT IT!

i already predicted a while ago that the show would have ben and devi make love again but this time it would be much more natural and easy for them:

i agree with you. i think it was important to show benvi's first time as being awkward, and having it pale in comparison to her next time with ethan, who is far more experienced. it allowed devi to have fun (and im assuming its almost certain ben also had sex with margot) while embodying the whole, fun time NOT a long time thing. im sure they both learned a lot about their preferences like you said during those respective relationships.

but going back to what i loved most about 410's sex redo - how it was the ONLY sex scene in the show that wasn't shot like a high school steamy fling type of deal.

of course, there's that big damn kiss that's been building up for four years with more steam needed to be released than pati's rice cooker, BUT, the lighting. the song, the actors' natural chemistry. the tone itself already feels so much more serious than any other romantic scene in the show.

i honestly thought it would end here, so imagine my surprise when they continued - and i think this second part is what sets it apart from all the other intimate scenes in the show.

henna shot. i fucking died. ive talked enough about this on twitter and im sure other people are talking about this but it is just so symbolic for devi as an individual, her relationship with her culture and how she doesn't have to separate that from her romantic endeavours because she is desirable as she is! s1 devi would faint! she absolutely would!

and now this shot, which is what the tags you're referring to were about, has me still going cuckoo bananas like. pulling away to smile at each other. they're literally in fucking love. this is love. this is not the show trying to gain an audience using steamy scenes, or devi being horny - not that there is anything wrong with that either - but she is so visibly content and comfortable and happy and you can see it in her smile. both of their smiles in fact.

that small moment is what makes this scene for me.

anyway sorry for the huge rant. if you couldn't tell already i really love this scene! it was very well done.

[hamliet]

Never Have I Ever... Been So Grateful For a Show

Well, NHIE finished strong after the fourth season got off to a rocky start. The first three episodes were... messy, honestly, but then the story picked up steam. By the time we got to the final two episodes I was bawling pretty much the full way through.

NHIE also continued to flex its mature understanding of nuance, its appreciation for cultural differences, and its determination to keep its characters flawed and realistic. And including a game of Never Have I Ever in the finale? Fab.

All in all, it's a great ending to a great show. I loved it.

Ben and Devi

I've seen people complaining that the end relationship was predictable, or that Devi should be single, and kindly: no. <3

It fit Devi's character to end up in romantic love with someone, because the entire show has been about love for her. Love for her family, love for those who have died, love for her friends, love for her mentors, and yes, romantic love in all the aspects that entails (physical, intellectual, emotional).

The other thing that I think is beautiful about their relationship is that they both push each other in all these ways--physical (obviously), emotionally (Ben's final realization in New York was chef's kiss), and intellectual. They both get to go to their dream schools in part because of each other. Not only have they been pushing each other to excel since before the show started, but Devi helps Ben finish his schoolwork, and Ben encourages Devi to write that final letter to get into Princeton.

Ben's early acceptance to Columbia, which seemed a given given, well, his father and nepotism (I appreciated the show behind upfront about this), ultimately still almost gets sabotaged by his own repressing of other aspects of his life (which parallels Paxton, Blair Quan, and more, and isn't exactly new--see Ben's physical issues last season). This contrasts him with Devi, whose self-sabotage is always doing too much too suddenly. She's been trying so hard all along, but sometimes you need a final cheer to push you over the finish line.

Ben and Devi, Ethan and Margot

Ethan is dark!Ben. Margot is dark!Devi. On paper it's great.

Except... Margot was really, really annoying. I'm sorry, I found nothing remotely redeeming about her. Ethan at least served a purpose. The reason I think the first three episodes are so rough is that they focus on Margot but seem to not know what to do with her. But more about that later on.

Ben's speech about why he chooses to be with Margot in the first episode is well done and shows how much growth he still has to do. Because an essential part of love--of a mature kind of love and relationship--is that you are challenged to become a better version of yourself. Ben and Trent, in episode 2, shy away from this. Trent breaks up with Eleanor because he's afraid she'll break up with him, and he wants to do it first. Ben stays with Margot because she offers him superficial challenges, but nothing substantial in terms of his flaws.

That said, Devi making peace with Margot (numerous times) was narratively necessary because, of course, Margot's kind of a literary shadow (just not really well done). It also showed how much Devi's grown.

Trent + Eleanor

Trent's character is also really well done. That's how you deepen a comedic character. (Ethan was also dark!Trent in some ways; hence, Eleanor's crush on him.) Yeah, Trent's a stoner and not so bright. But, he loves Eleanor. He adores her, and he wholeheartedly believes in her. It's heartwarming to see.

I wasn't surprised they broke up early on, but was relieved they got back together. I think it was a funny inversion of what you'd expect, because El moving on to bigger and better things seemed like a natural progression. Yet, as the scene with El's mom showed... that's not what bigger and better is for Eleanor.

Yes, Eleanor still wants to grow. Yes, she still wants to be an actress and a director, and she's good at it.

But she doesn't want to leave her family and loved ones behind.

Eleanor knows what it's like to be left behind. And obviously it's not the same to leave a teenage boyfriend as to leave your own child like her mom. But, Eleanor ending up back with Trent was, frankly, narratively perfect for both their characters. Because Trent was helping her in her growth, and always had been from Season 3.

I also think they handled Eleanor's dreams and her complicated mother relationship well. The dream itself, even if it is far-fetched, even if it is unlikely to happen, is not bad. Pursuing it also is, in fact, positive (they paralleled this with Devi's dreams of Princeton). But, one of the best parts of dreams? Is the people you meet along the way, the people who cheer you on. It's a metaphor for life.

Paxton (and Lindsay)

Paxton's arc I think is one of the best in the series. I loved his journey from boy who was considered "hot guy" who sucked at school to the point where it was comic becoming a teacher. The episode where he helped Eric join the swim team was actually really powerful.

And, I didn't even roll my eyes when Devi told him he was an even better friend than boyfriend. On paper it's a cliche line, but it totally works within the characters' arcs (and of course the actors' portrayals!). Lindsay also seemed like much more than just a consolation prize to the guy who ends up outside the triangle--their relationship paralleled his with Devi, and quickly got me invested.

His final advice to Devi: "don't reinvent anything" also fits really well, because when Paxton at first refused to be Devi's boyfriend it was because Devi's image wasn't acceptable after the two-timing thing. Then, Devi's anxiety during their public relationship, the anxiety that actually ruined their romance, was because she didn't think she fit with Paxton or "made any sense" with him. But, she does fit with him. As a friend, and as herself.

Blair Quan + College

Blair Quan was also dark!Paxton--someone who lost themselves because they were always the Best in high school. The best student, the most popular. And then at college, everyone was the Best. And suddenly you're nothing.

The situation with Blair Quan was really realistic for how college can be for people, and in how the show (admittedly briefly) addressed the fundamental unfairness of college admissions. I work in higher ed, and... it's not fair. Nothing about it is fair. Professor Warner telling Devi outright that she "should have" gotten into all the Ivies actually meant a lot to me, because it's true.

For any readers of this who are applying to schools, there's a degree to which your merit matters, and there's a degree to which it's up to sheer luck. If they reject you, it's almost certainly not because you're not on par with other applicants. Hard work does not get you into prestigious schools. That's a lie. It gets you to a point, but it also gets a lot of other people to that same point, and then there is nothing at all you can do. It's up to luck.

Fab (and Addison. Kind of).

Fab's arc was interesting, but I feel like it peaked in season 2. I did like her conflict this season though, particularly with messing up about lying to Devi. The scene where she and Devi reconcile was beautiful, and the show handled it really well--giving empathy for Fab as for why she kept it a secret, while also pointing out that the lying was the fact greater problem than the initial applying.

The negative is that... I like Addison, but I wanted more. It kind of sucks that the queer character is the one whose romance doesn't come with two complex characters getting development. And sure, Fab isn't as important as Devi, Ben, or Paxton, but the fact that they wrote a compelling romance between Trent and Eleanor and gave Trent some damn deep character development despite him being a comedic character shows they were more than capable of writing a complex character romance for Fab. Addison is really just... kinda there, and we get no development for them at all.  Which sucks because I would like to have learned more about them! They had potential, especially as a parallel to Trent!

Nalini and Andres

Nalini and Andres were a little more out of left field... that said, Nalini clearly has a type! She likes guys whom she argues with first. I still preferred the hot doctor from Season 2, but that had less to do with Andres and more to do with the fact that I found Margot so irredeemably annoying. Still, I appreciated Andres' growth in realizing that he'd been spoiling Margot by catering to her every whim. This was itself a nice contrast to Nalini, who hurts Devi by being too hard on her.

That was especially a flaw in the early seasons, but Season 4 really showed how much Nalini has grown. She does mess up with her response to the college debacle, so her flaws are still there, but she's so much better than in Season 1. For example, Devi lashing out at her mom after she got deferred was irrational; Nalini really didn't deserve any of that, and yet Nalini still met Devi where she was at: with a chip salad, addressing her fears. It was heartwarming.

Even when Nalini then does mess up with the "stupid" comment, we know she didn't mean it in the same way Devi fears she did (that that's all she can be, rather than that yes, Devi did a dumb thing). When she comes to help Devi pack, it's genuinely heartwarming. I honestly think Nalini and Devi's relationship is one of the best in the show, if not the beating heart at the center of it.

Pati and Len

Now, Pati. Pati and Lens' relationship parallels Kamala's romantic drama--not just with Manish in Season 3, but also with Steve in Season 1. Pati is also very clearly where Devi gets her drama from, and I stan.

I also liked the parallels between Len and Pati and Ben and Devi. They are both Indian-Jewish couples, and Pati and Len's wedding of course marks a grand romance for them... and a grand romantic gesture for Ben, who arrives to tell Devi he loves her.

Kamala (and Manish)

Kamala's arc this season was good as well; I just wish we had seen more Manish than just in the finale. Still, at least Manish did have an arc in the previous season. Though, it was a nice twist to have Kamala's arc be not about romance, but about her career.

Where Art Thou?

I also missed some other side characters, like Rebecca Hall-Yoshida and Jonah.

Margot & Aneesa

The overall show was filled with callbacks to past seasons that were really well utilized, in that they showed the character's growth. Unfortunately, in one instance, this came back for the worse when they repeated one of their biggest writing mistakes from Season 2.

Devi is, simply put, absolutely not morally responsible for reporting Margot to have lied about her alibi for vandalism. Yeah, Margot ultimately didn't do it--but Devi didn't do anything wrong by reporting that. In fact, the principal should have actually done her job and checked the alibi with the teacher; it's like 101 common sense.

Clearly this is a callback to Aneesa (the episode even has Devi reclaiming the nickname "crazy Devi," which started there). However, the shame is that the writers didn't learn from how they bungled the Aneesa plotline, and they did. Here again they hold Devi responsible for something she frankly is not morally in the wrong for. The show also mentions the Aneesa incident and calls Devi "a liar and a bully" for it, but she objectively didn't lie? And frankly Aneesa bullied Devi more than Devi bullied her and was never called out for it.

While I think it's a flaw, it COULD theoretically work from a psychoanalytic theory in that really all that Devi can control is herself. She can't force others to do what she wants, even if it's unfair. And that's part of maturing is realizing that (and it's not the same thing as selfish focus). You can't control the world, even when it's unfair and even when other people are frankly wrong.

I did like more or less how Margot was resolved in the end; namely, that she was not there among Devi's friends at the end. I also liked that Aneesa did defend Devi in the final episode from someone mocking her about the Clean Sweep. It just would've matter more if Aneesa's actions had ever been addressed.

The Principal + Professor Warner

Also, while in general the show is great in its portrayal of teachers and satire of other teachers, the principal sucks and she's not actually funny. She acts like another teenager, but unlike some of the other teachers/adults who are framed well, she's framed as being more or less fine instead of with the critical lens of the others. And she isn't.

Professor Warner stands in stark contrast, because she is wise even though flawed. The principal is just... awful. I'd never liked her, but this season made me hate her.

The Therapist + Grief

Now that I've gotten my salt out of the way, let's end with a positive and a theme.

The therapist's final session with Devi in the penultimate episode--I bawled.

“When I first met you, you were a closed-off, angry little thing... But look at you. Look how far you’ve come. You faced your trauma, and you came out on the other side.” 

They used this to emphasize the show's main theme: grief. Despite how this quote makes it sound, the show doesn't actually frame grief as something to move on from. Instead, it's something that accompanies you.

Grief is like chasing a dream. Grief is part of life. It is love itself, but a painful part of it, and grief never, ever stops. You never "get over" someone's loss. You never stop loving them.

But, you learn to see them around you, and in you. In the dreams you planted together, like Devi's dad telling her about Princeton. In the loved ones you shared, like how Devi yells at her imagination of her father that he's not here, but then Nalini arrives to help her pack.

Just because someone's gone doesn't mean they stop influencing you, or stop being a part of your life.

There will always be moments of pain, like Devi in the final episode with the imagination of her dad. But, there will also be moments of feeling them again.

[things-keeping-me-up-at-night]

Ok.

Having watched the announcement, I’m happy to report that I genuinely believe Devi and Ben are going to end up together.

Having him in the trailer so little, not showing anything new from them together, seeing them kiss other people…it’s pretty bad, and that is exactly why I think they’re going to be endgame.

That being said, I’m very afraid that we’re never going to get to see them as an actual couple and that they’re only going to get together in the last second.

Honestly, while I ship them to an unhealthy degree and really want to see them end up together, I would have been absolutely fine with seeing Devi just be single at the end of the show because I know that it’s more about her personal growth than any of her romances; and while I’m happy as a Benvi stan, I really didn’t think we needed another new love interest this season, or to see both Ben and Devi in other relationships again.

Again, I very much think that, would this season focus more on their relationship and eventual breakup, we would have seen that in the trailer, but alas, we did not. I’m still nervous. And excited. Very much so. Because I really can’t wait to watch this season and think it’s going to be good.

(Also where the fuck was Aneesa? Ngl, I was really hoping the new love interest would be for her after all, but who knows, there is a stunning girl going to their prom…hey, I can dream.)

All in all, while the trailer was fun, I do hope that it was misleading, which is very possible. But hey, what do I know.

[draculagerard]

u asked for it so i am HERE to tell u about the netflix tv show never have i ever......except im not going to explain Everything super concisely bc i already have a hard enough time trying 2 explain the complexities of devi vishwakumar when my brain is Actually working but rn i am running on three hours of sleep, an energy drink that partially sprayed out of my nose, and some sour punch straws but i am going to do my best to like. idk explain it. apologies in advance bc this got so long im SO sorry. ANYWAY. never have i ever. its about a first-generation indian american girl named devi and she is like. well. not cool. her n her friends are called the "UN" which they thought meant united nations bc they're all woc but no it means unfuckable nerds. and the person who coined the term unfuckable nerds? one ben gross, aka devi's longstanding academic rival. do u see where this is going yet? great. wonderful. devi spends most of season 1 chasing after this jock paxton (who. we do love. just not with devi.) and imploding all of her personal relationships in an attempt to Not Feel the grief of her father dying. at one point she even tells her mom that she wishes her mom died instead of her dad (ouch, but also, been there). atp devi's friends, the other members of the UN, are taking a "friend break" bc she was. well kind of a bitch. so she moves in w ben (rival) for like a week and then he drives her, unlicensed, to where her mom is spreading her dads ashes and then she goes back up to the car and they go "you stayed" "yeah i just wanrted to make sure you were okay" and then KISS. KISS!!!!!!! but then paxton (jock) also likes her so she dates BOTH of them and then implodes on her and they both break up with her. and then she accidentally spreads a rumor around the school about ben's new girlfriend having an eating disorder which ends up being true. and then paxton (jock) dates her again. and then they break up after like 3 months and ben's new girlfriend (aneesa) also breaks up w ben same day and then ben and devi are like. besties for a bit. devi dates a new guy des who honestly should probably be in a relationship with his own mom instead and then he dumps her bc of his mom and THEN. after all of this. ben jokingly gives devi a "one free boink" card. (was it really a joke ben was it i dont think so!!!!) and. at paxton's graduation he sort of mentions devi but not by name and the narrator (which, i should mention the narrator for devi's inner monologue is american tennis player john mcenroe) says she doesnt get stomach knots!!! but then she and ben share an like an intimate moment in the hall and mcenroe says "there's the stomach knots" like!!!!! and THEN later that night!!!!! she goes to ben's house!!!!!!1 and redeems the one free boink card CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!! and thats where season 3 ends....

season 4 comes out in THREE DAYS and weve gotten SOOOO many spoilers for the first two episodes which (if anyone who watches never have i ever is still reading this and doesnt want spoilers please sotp reading) we find out that ben and devi DID boink and that they both thought iut was like?? bad foir the other person??? and ben just didnt know what to say so he asked if she needed him to call an uber like ben WHAT. as rae @ice-sculptures put it "can you believe that ben gross not knowing what to say after fucking led to the whole spiral of miscommunication lmfao" like they just DONT TALK devi tries to ask if he wanted to get coffee and he says NO because a basketball player at the gym told ben that devi wasnt serious about him because she put a period in the text or somethjing?? so instead he goes and dates this girl from art class margot and devi sees ben with her on the first day of school and gets. well upset. and then someone spray paints "STUPID BITCH" on devi's car and of course she thinks its margot!!!! (but shhhh it wasnt....it was actually this kid ethan....more on him later) and then like other stff happens im not super clear about that but basically at some point ben tells devi that margot doesnt want ben talking to devi anymore :( i dont rlly know much else past that i think thats where s4e2 ends??? but we do know that devi ends up DATING that ethan kid at some point but. sooo many things point to ben/devi endgame esp bc her other main love interest (paxton, the jock) is now STAFF at their high school so like?? i dont think they're going that route but im just. dsjfkhjsad SO EXCITED except i cannot watch s4 the day it comes out bc i will be seeing waterparks which. im so excitred for but also WHYYY do they have to be on the same day

i feel like i didnt explain this very well and left out a lot of like pivotal ben/devi moments but im sitting here jus.t typing and not rereading any of this im. So sorry that this is as long as it is jkhsddfsd thank u for reading this and. if u didnt read it i dont blame u szdkjhdfsakd

WOW OKAY HOLY FUCK A LOT GOING ON THERE HUH????? HELLO.

Okay okay key notes:

I already like Devi and I haven't even watched the show.

WHAT THE FUCK IS BEN DOING HELLOOOO. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM DSFJJFD

by boink im assuming it means fuck right. cause like i've never euphemism in my life

THEY END S3 LIKE THAT ?? FWERLJW

oh LORD devi's complex relationship with her mom okay i hear it

bro the miscommunication sounds SOOO bad... like they cannot communicate properly even once huh 😭

devi ends up dating WHO now???? first the guy who gave them the name un and then the stupid bitch dude?? HELP....

IT COMES OUT IN 3 DAYS??? oh shit good luck??!!

OMG youre gonna go to a Waterparks show????? have fun holy shit

anyways are you kidding ofc i read the whole thing i NEED media rants rn

[fishyyyyy99]

*Spoilers for Never Have I Ever Season 4*

So, I'm a huge Benvi shipper but I always loved the love triangle and I felt like season 3 left a lot of things unsaid (at least on Paxton's end towards Devi) between Daxton that needed to be resolved to give us proper closure (even though I knew that Benvi was going to be endgame and was happy about it), so I felt that the resolution that Daxton got in episode 7 felt really "meh". But then I rewatched it, and I think that Darren's acting actually says a lot of stuff that wasn't verbally said. Initially, I thought that it was unrealistic that Paxton just laughed the whole thing off and didn't seem to care at all because he definitely seemed to want to try things again in the future with Devi at the end of season 3. And I also felt that the Daxton arc within the episode felt really disconnected with the rest of the episode because Devi didn't really add much to his character development.

However, I realized that Paxton actually flirts a little with Devi in episode 6 ("You know I still look good"), and earlier in episode 7 ("And I thought you were just doing this job to hang out with me"). I think what's important to note is that in the moments leading up to the kiss, he realises that Devi had sex with other people. Especially finding out that she had sex with Ben is a real eye-opener for him. And yes, he laughs (because it is funny and he isn't so in love with her that he'd be heartbroken), but Darren definitely portrays expressions other than humour there. There's definitely some disappointment apart from shock. For example, notice his tone when he says "Yeah", after she thanks him for congratulating her on having sex. He also chuckles a little sadly at some point during their conversation. I think that is when he realised that Devi and him were probably never going to happen again.

And I also think it brought back his earlier insecurities regarding not being able to connect with her intellectually the way Ben did. And I think it was an extra blow to his already low self-esteem considering he already felt pathetic for not being able to succeed at college - that's how it connects to the rest of the episode - it was a part of him feeling like he had hit rock bottom. And while it sounds romantic when he says that she is way too good for him, it's actually a sign of just how awful he feels about himself. I think the kiss that came after is him trying to find a little bit of comfort from someone he knows is on his team, and also a goodbye (romantically) kiss. As for Devi, I think she had mostly let him go in 3 x 10 when she no longer felt the "stomach knots" for him. But to finally kiss him as an equal and decide that she did not want anything else to happen between them (even before he said that nothing else could happen between them) was a sign that she truly had definitively outgrown her original dream. And Paxton had also accepted that they would never happen again after that kiss. He is also at peace with himself after that conversation with his mother and no longer feels like he is not good enough. And I think he realises even more definitively that the Devi chapter in his life has ended when she tells him that it was for the best that nothing else could happen between them (he clearly had a bit of a surprised expression when she said that even though he had already let her go - that's why Devi clarifies that the kiss still "ruled") and that it felt like closure. While Devi has a slight smile on her face when she says that it felt like closure, Paxton has a serious look on his face that turns into a smile, showing mild disappointment but that he had accepted that they were well and truly done too (and that the kiss had given him closure too). And he was at peace with it. After that, Ben walks in and the scene is a bit similar to Paxton walking in during 3 x 10 when Ben and Devi were having a moment. Except, in 3 x 10, Paxton does not recognise the vibes between Ben and Devi while in 4 x 07 he does (because he has all this new information). He points out the vibes to Devi showing that he has moved on too and is happy with how things are. And I thought that the friendship scene in 4 x 10 was a really sweet last scene for Daxton. They hugged for a long time and it was clear that they were really special to each other. There seemed to be a tiny bit of sadness in his eyes before he smiled but I definitely don't think that means he has not moved on. That's just the way things are for exes who meant a lot to you. Also, maybe I just imagined the sadness, so I can't say for sure.

[catty-words]

Oh! The mustache thing and David. Okay, okay. It still feels kinda weird to say someone is racist over this, but yeah, now that you point it out I see it. I had a childhood friend who got in a foreign exchange student program for a year in high school and when she came back she told us how since the gringos couldnt say her name properly they just defaulted to calling her "Brazil" 😑

I feel a bit called out about twitter, even if its true and I'm only there cuz I'm an addict being held hostage. I've also curated my fandom experience, but I was really needing more info and saw stuff that bummed me out while researching 🥲🥲 I dont mind seeing people criticize characters cuz like we are all entitled to our opinion even if I disagree, but I guess it kinda shocked me still. I guess I forgot about how in some ship wars I participated in when I was 13 some people would call the other characters rapists and stuff after being away from typical fandom toxicity for so long lol.

About the tone shift: yeah I did, but it didnt feel "drastic", just different. In a bad way. Like one of the first metas I read talked about how Devi lacked autonomy in season two and I was like YES THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING even thought not really I was just "wait why is this feeling a bit off... weird... let me play the next episode and just hope is merely a vibe" I dont hate season 2 as much as you seem to, however season 1 and 3 are indeed superior. Season 3 is my favorite out of the three because I really like how the characters matured. A favorite episode is probably 1x10, like the scene of Nalini with dr. Ryan moves me, then Ben driving cackles me up, then I back to being moved by them spreading Mohan ashes with beautiful day playing, then boys like you as "you stayed" and benvi kiss and paxton calling and back to the kiss and I'm like OMG WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO I HAVE CLASS TOMORROW AND ITS ALMOST TWO BUT FUCK I NEED TO KEEP WATCHING THIS. I always feel like that when I'm rewatching even if it's not two am and I dont have class the next day lmao

You are going to think I'm super horny but probably "why don’t you show me the bitty spark you’ve been saving for his mattress?". It's the one I reread the most after all. The awkwardness of the situation?? Their great characterization??? Devi having no idea of what to do with Ben of all people making her feel like that??? Fab and Eleanor still unsure about him at school and being cutely protective of Devi??? Ugh, just kill me already (please dont)

"you're gonna fall (but i'll catch you)" is also great! I love to read adults au for shows about hs characters and hs aus for shows about adult characters idk why but there are not enough adult aus for nhie in my opinion and yours is my fave!!! Plus Ben being so into stories is adorable as someone who really sees herself in Abed Nadir. Plus the way is not just about their romance but also Devi dealing with grief and her complicated relationship with her mother and self destructive tendencies and... ugh I just love it.

It still feels kinda weird to say someone is racist over this, but yeah, now that you point it out I see it. - i think the disconnect comes from the way fandom uses words like 'racist' to build cases about how it's Objectively Wrong for anyone to like a certain character, whereas the word itself applies to a whole spectrum of behavior and morality. like, it shouldn't actually be that uncomfortable to admit that ben can be and is sometimes racist, he is a walking definition of privilege. him internalizing racist sentiment should hardly be surprising. but it also doesn't make him irredeemable scum. he's obviously a really caring character, as well.

on a related note, yikes @ those students who committed micro-aggressions to your childhood friend. as they get further and further into their life, may they reflect and do better rather than double-down.

I dont mind seeing people criticize characters cuz like we are all entitled to our opinion even if I disagree, but I guess it kinda shocked me still. I guess I forgot about how in some ship wars I participated in when I was 13 some people would call the other characters rapists and stuff after being away from typical fandom toxicity for so long lol. - i get it, i get it. for me, there need exist a gaping divide between exposing myself to critical or even harsh reads of characters i love and/or identify with for the sake of refining my own read of the text and giving the time of day to people who aren't engaging sincerely with the text. protect yourself in the echo-chamber!

About the tone shift: yeah I did, but it didnt feel "drastic", just different. In a bad way. - VINDICATION

but jfgdf - I dont hate season 2 as much as you seem to - i feel compelled to clarify that it's not that i hate season two, not really. it's more that the season let me down and then, by nature of netflix shows' release schedules being what they are, forced me to sit with that disappointment for over a year. it's that i love season one SO MUCH, i couldn't reconcile how much i didn't vibe with season two. on paper, you're right, the tone difference is not drastic, but the emotional response it elicited in me definitely was.

and I'm like OMG WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO I HAVE CLASS TOMORROW AND ITS ALMOST TWO BUT FUCK I NEED TO KEEP WATCHING THIS. I always feel like that when I'm rewatching even if it's not two am and I dont have class the next day lmao - i love you for this, and 1.10 is such a valid choice she really is That Bitch

You are going to think I'm super horny but probably "why don’t you show me the bitty spark you’ve been saving for his mattress?". - first of all, embrace the horny within. it's important to the show that you do, we're in the spirit of the source material here! second of all, this choice makes me really happy because i love that fic and generally speaking, people are a little shier about giving feedback on smut but, like, that's hands down some of my best writing (both for d/b and more generally). so. thank you.

Fab and Eleanor still unsure about him at school and being cutely protective of Devi??? - you may already know that i'm writing a long-form follow-up with 'bitty spark' acting as the prologue since it sounds like you picked through my blog a bit and i feel like i never shut up about the sequel BUT ANYWAY one of the best parts about it is ben finding himself enmeshed in the girl squad, if i do say so myself. (x)

I love to read adults au for shows about hs characters and hs aus for shows about adult characters idk why but there are not enough adult aus for nhie in my opinion and yours is my fave!!! - okay, well now i'm going to think about you every time i read an adult AU for a high school show or a high school AU for an adult show.

thank you for fueling my vanity and for stopping by my askbox in the first place!

[the-paris-of-people]

Finished the season ten minutes ago but just now finished crying lol. Not only did we get Benvi endgame but the Devi and Paxton friendship is everything. This is not me rubbing it in the Paxton x Devi shippers face or saying their ship is wrong because on the one hand I get why people would still ship them but on the other I'm confused how people still ship them. What Devi said in the S3 finale about him being a dream was so true. Even though he's his own person and a great character in his own right, a relationship with him always seemed like it was never meant to be a potential endgame so much as a step in the healing process so seeing people still think it was a possibility up until the end is interesting to me.

I genuinely loved Devi and Paxton this season so much. They were so healthy and helped each other out as friends, and I didn't mind the fun kiss scene they had with the "Oh no we're trapped in a closet" trope! It was just a nice spattering of chemistry because Devi needed a distraction from Ben (as was every lil romantic romp she had) I genuinely think people who ship Daxton just love Paxton, and I hope after seeing Ms Thompson (YES I KEEP REFERRING TO HER AS MS THOMPSON AND NOT LINDSEY AS WELL) they will see they are on more similar life paths and may use her as a self-insert instead LOL. I also thought throughout the entire series (like from episode 6) it was soooo obvious that Ben and Devi were going to end up together. Also... it's a Mindy Kaling show and the love interest's name is Benjamin. I think some daxtons are on some delulu but honestly I respect it I wish I could be on that sometimes

[maliceofminds]

omg team ben ??

Oh god, I don’t know it’s complicated?🙂

So short answer yes, but also no cause I don’t like that small man a whole lot sometimes

Im putting the long answer under the cut…

Okay, basically, I think the season wrapped up really well. It was satisfying. It was neat. I liked it a lot. I cried (mostly because of like Devi and her mom, or like the feeling of moving on from high school, everything just hit a little close to home) so that’s good.

The relationship bit is a little more complicated to me I think because I love Paxton, but Ben is kind of annoying me (not because of his pretentiousness, I know that’s very much an intended character trait. More because he is stupid. And him and Devi are just messy). Like okay: Paxton is my boy, he’s a baby, someone needs to hug him, I will if no one else volunteers. He has come a long way. Ben…I kinda wanna bitch slap. I feel like he deserves it. Only once and I would even apologize after, but you know. I feel like people let so much slide when it comes to him. Especially Devi?!

Now in relation to Devi it’s different…like I fucking hated Paxton and Devi together. It just- no. I think this also might have to do with Paxtons actor (cause he looks so much older to me like what). And also they’re just better of as friends. I loved how they turned out actually in the end. Scrumptious. I don’t doubt that they did like each other at some point but I think they were hung up on one another for a long time. Especially Devi with her freshman dream of fucking him and everything. And as she grew from that she also grew away from the need to be with him idk how else to say this.

Ben and Devi are serving seriously. Academic rivals. Nemesis to lovers. Chefs kiss. I love me some of this. They are also a mess. Like holy shit. I don’t know how often these two broke up and got back together and wrecked all their other relationships on the way. In the end I think they work out and fit well together, only because they have the right mental state by then idk. In high school they definitely weren’t.

I won’t forgive the Uber thing Ben (also everything else, but I have shit memory sorry)! What the hell? He always does these things?!😭 Like Bro, im rooting for u, but you’re making it hard?!

What about you though<3? xx

[fishyyyyy99]

It's my favourite on-screen kiss too (though it's not my top favourite Benvi scene). Also, as an ace person who is sex-averse, I think the first time I actually understood sex as a genuine form of intimacy was when I was watching 4 x 01, when Ben has that little smile on his face when he says "I was" (after Devi says he was inside of her). I'd heard people say it before, and I understood it theoretically. But that scene actually made me see it. And, he was clearly happy about the intimacy despite the fact that the sex was mediocre.

Also, the bathroom scene in 4 x 04 actually made me reconsider sex for a solid five minutes. They're the ONLY couple (out of all the fictional and real couples I've seen) to make me feel this way.

But I also don't want to frame this as "ace people just need to watch the right media to be converted". That's definitely not the case. I just wanted to point out that even as an ace person, I could feel their chemistry. So, I absolutely cannot agree with anyone who says that they have no chemistry, or that Daxton has more chemistry.

devi and ben's first kiss is one of my favorite on-screen kisses ever. i cannot stop thinking it cuz it made me feel things my lil ace ass doesn't normally feel when watching kissing in tv and movies. i don't have a rank of faves, but this one is up there. devi and paxton's first kiss? also brilliant, BUT. something about the benvi kiss Hit Different. chef's kiss.

[randommusingsstuff]

Why Ben and Devi are Endgame (Meta)

At the heart of every rom-com, it always comes down to this: what does the protagonist truly want? 

Why Devi and Paxton Don’t Work

In the season 2 finale, Devi triumphantly says “So, I guess I'm Paxton Hall-Yoshida’s girlfriend now”. She got what she thought she wanted at the start of her journey, only it’s not what she wants anymore. 

Although Devi cares for Paxton, she views him as a status symbol. Paxton, for all his growth, still sees himself as cooler than her. And no, he was not just embarrassed because she cheated on him. Before he knew she was cheating, he invited his friends on their first date and refused to call her his girlfriend. In the finale, it once again takes someone else to point out that he shouldn’t blow her off. As Devi and Paxton walk into the dance, he gives his friends a sheepish look while they judge him. Not only does he still have lingering feelings of embarrassment, his friends’ reactions suggest turbulence ahead for their relationship. 

There is also a lack of communication between Paxton and Devi. They have a magical kiss by the window, and makeout sessions afterwards, but they don't actually talk about their relationship in that elapsed time. Devi makes the assumption that they are together and Paxton doesn’t articulate what he wants until it is forced out of him. 

What can we conclude from this? Paxton is a great character, but he is not the one for Devi. They have differing interests and goals, a lack of communication and they do not see each other for their true worth. 

Can the writers surmount all of these issues to give them an endgame? Yes, but it would require fundamentally changing who Devi and Paxton are. 

Why Devi and Ben Work

In episode 1 of season 2, Devi wants to pick Ben but her friends talk her out of it. This is crucial to understanding why they belong together: her gut instinct has already revealed the truth. She had both guys vying for her and she wanted Ben. Just by this one fact alone, we can infer that Devi’s relationship with Ben was more meaningful to her than her pursuit of Paxton in season 1.

When it’s revealed that Devi is two-timing the boys, Paxton is hurt but Ben is devastated. Paxton likes her, but Ben connected with her on a deeper emotional level. Devi follows Paxton out of the party, which is understandable because he is the one walking away. Again, this is cleverly hinting at their communication styles. Paxton wants to avoid the situation and Ben wants to talk about it. From Ben’s perspective, Paxton is the guy she has wanted for so long and he is the second choice. 

Throughout the season, Ben never considers the fact that Devi could want him over Paxton, which is equal parts sad and infuriating. Her therapist asks what she wants more than anything and she says Ben. In context, it’s a comical line, but it’s also Devi revealing her truth. Like she does at the beginning of the season, she makes a choice and it’s Ben. She pursues Ben romantically before Paxton even though Paxton is the one more willing to forgive her. 

It takes Ben longer to forgive her, and yet he is still there for her when she needs help. The little things he does like give her advice about Aneesa and make her feel better about Paxton’s rejection all show Devi’s ability to be vulnerable with Ben. 

As an aside, they had the opportunity to show Devi being vulnerable with Paxon but didn’t take it. In episode 8 of season 2, Paxton sees Devi crying and she reveals that she got into a really bad fight with Eleanor. I was thinking: here it is, here is the moment that Paxton finally helps Devi with her problems... but no. His response is “seems like you’re in a fight with lots of people” and the conversation quickly shifts to her apologizing and helping him yet again. Devi is able to open up to Ben and be supported by him in a way that she can’t with Paxton.

Before I talk about the finale, which is arguably the biggest point in Ben and Devi’s favour, I want to look at the season overall. The entire story arc is Ben and Devi wanting to be together but constantly running into roadblocks in the form of Eleanor/Fabiola, Paxton and Aneesa. It was so alarmingly obvious they belonged together after season 1, that the writers had to find ways to forcibly separate them for the time being. It’s important for Ben and Devi’s relationship that she dates Paxton first. If she had been allowed to go for Ben, they would have had to explore Devi wondering what she missed out on. When Devi and Ben do get their happy ending, it will be because Devi has realized that Paxton is not the person for her. 

In the finale of season 2, we get 3 crucial scenes from Devi and Ben. The first is the bathroom scene which reaffirms Devi’s ability to be vulnerable with Ben and his ability to support her (something she doesn’t have with Paxton). The second is their tension-filled scene at the dance where they longingly stare at each other. This directly contrasts the scene in episode 8, where Devi tries to reframe her mindset and stop seeing Ben as someone she is attracted to. Here, it becomes apparent that she is unable to stop thinking about him in a romantic way despite actively trying. 

The third scene is basically Eleanor saying “you dummy, she wanted to choose you!”. The writers intentionally reference the pros-cons scene from episode 1, re-affirming that Devi wants Ben. The only reason they are not together is because he is not an option. 

Then we get the line “it wasn’t always him”. Many Devi and Paxton fans believe her choice was Ben, but he took too long and now it’s too late. But when has it ever been too late for a main love interest in a rom-com? Mindy Kaling is a rom-com savant, and she knows as well as I do that it’s only ever “too late” for douchey guys who do not acknowledge the self-worth of the heroine. That’s not Ben though, he has always seen Devi for who she is. 

The heartbreak on Ben’s face is infinitely worse than Paxton’s voicemail at the end of season 1, although these scenes are meant to parallel each other. Devi and Paxton are two people who like each other but do not work as a long-term relationship. Ben and Devi are two people who work as a long-term relationship but never acknowledge their feelings for each other at the right time. It’s a tragedy just waiting to be rectified in season 3.

Season 3 Predictions

Now that I've given my analysis on why Devi and Ben are meant to be, here are some predictions I have on the Devi-Ben-Paxton love triangle for season 3.

Fabiola/Eleanor will be the ones to help Devi act on her true feelings for Ben. This one is a no-brainer for me. After sabotaging their chance to be happy in the first place, Fabiola and Eleanor will decide that they want their friend to be happy and set things right. It will also parallel Ben mending their friendship in season 1.

Paxton and Devi will have some sweet moments in the first half of the season, but not without their issues. The lack of communication and their respective status (the way they view each other) will cause them to fight. They will break-up mid-season, but the ending will leave hope for reconciliation.

On that note, I do not think they will kill the love triangle. Even though we will likely see Devi confessing her feelings for Ben and saying that she wanted to choose him all along, this is still a TV show. Contentious love triangles = buzz and money.

Ben and Aneesa will break up by mid-season, but probably earlier. Ben will find it hard to be in a relationship with Aneesa as he grapples with his feelings for Devi.

Ben will be a pillar of support to Devi as she navigates how to be a girlfriend. It’s the classic trope of the guy helping the girl win over the man of her dreams, only to realize that the person she wants is right in front of her.

 Devi and Ben’s friendship and lingering feelings will culminate in an epic finale confession and kiss. Everything that they were unable to say to each other last season will be spoken aloud in season 3.

Ben and Devi are soulmates, drawn to each other and unable to avoid their feelings. I can’t wait for them to take over my life again next year.

[basiltonpitch]

Spencer I know you're still watching but I am popping this ask into your box for when you finish. What were your favorite benvi moments (top 5) of the season and why, what were your top three episodes of the season, what were your favorite/least favorite storylines, and what do you think will happen in s4!

OKAY SO this is gonna be a long post bc i'm including screencaps so everything will be under the cut!!

(also i am sorry it took me over 24 hours to answer this lol)

top 5 benvi moments (the order does not matter until we get to like, 1 and 2 lol)

5: this right here in 3x03:

like, i gasped. i smacked my hand to my face. i mean, i fuckign called it. it's such a small moment, and it's not even a moment with both of them present, but i feel like it holds so much weight. because ben has known that devi is his match. he's known for so long. this wasn't even a confirmation for him, because in his head it was already confirmed. and while i desperately wish devi's card had said ben gross, i think it's important that she figured that out on her own, make the decision herself, instead of having a little piece of paper tell her. but the fact that he kept the card. because even though he knows, even though he has known, this is tangible proof that what they had (have) is real.

4:

listen. they're both so jealous that the other kissed someone else. but it's also just so soft. idk. i love them.

3: one free boink: part 1

idk i just thought it was super cute and banter-y and lowkey flirting (because banter and teasing is their love language!!!)

2: surprisingly not number one, but number two: devi cashing in the one free boink. them coming back together is just so fucking...idk poetic to me. it beats malibu. malibu was about seeing each other in a new light for the first time, while free boink (yes i will keep referring to it as that fight me) is about returning to that and seeing each other in an old light again. while ben has been pining for devi the whole season, i don't think he thought for a single second that she'd want him ever again. the smirk here:

mirrors the post-kiss malibu smirk perfectly. one is about a beginning. the other, this season finale, is about picking up where you left off. about coming back to something that has always been waiting for you, no matter how long you took to come back to it.

1: HALLWAY SCENE. MY BELOVED. bathroom scene in 2x10 used to be my top benvi scene (yes it literally topped malibu kiss i just really loved the vulnerability in the bathroom scene) but it has been knocked down to number 2 after hallway scene. ben's hesitance at first, then just going for it, saying fuck it and telling her he wants her to stay, that he'll miss her. a lot. it's basically a fucking love confession, lets be real. as much chemistry as maitreyi and jaren have with physically intimate scenes, i feel like their chemistry shines so much more in scenes where they're being emotionally intimate. devi tries to give him an out in this scene: "You need my annoying personality to fuel your competitive drive." and he doesn't take it.

it takes major guts for him to admit that he'll miss her like that. he is being so vulnerable with her. this season gave ben such an amazing arc. his character growth was just so fucking good and i'm not over it. he's following what he wants now, not what he thinks other people want out of him. and what he wants is for devi to stay. because he cares for her, because he'll miss her, because he loves her. i don't think he's trying to get her to stay so she'll be with him; as far as he knows, she still sees him as a friend. and he's satisfied with that. he wants her to stay in his life, in any capacity, and he's not afraid to admit that anymore.

but then we get this, and everything starts falling into place:

honorable mentions:

3x02 troll shenanigans! they are just too cute like LOOK AT THEM:

3x06: "i filmed you doing something dumb for blackmail <3"

3x09: "your outfit is ugly <3"

especially since after this he doesn't banter back, he just lets it be, because he knows he has to give her the bad news.

but anyways all their banter this season was just shameless flirting even if they didn't realize it and i refuse to take criticisms on that statement

top 3 episodes:

3: 3x05. i really love these fabpax moments we get:

like this duo is so good. so hilarious but also paxton just helping her out with aneesa even though it doesn't really do anything for him in return. idk. i just enjoyed that

also the whole ben/devi kiss competition thing was absolutely wonderful and i STAND BY the point that they should have kissed each other. THEY WANTED TO.

like this here? devi you idiot he doesn't wanna kiss anyone else because he wants to kiss you!

and this. i really loved this moment, especially with aneesa going off on him right afterwards. like, ben. you fucking idiot. you could have it. you don't have to be miserable.

and then this jealous devi!

like! honey i know you don't realize it yet! but you wanna be the one kissing him!!

3x05 was just so good lol

2: 3x06. i just really love these windows we get into ben's head, honestly. and samberg's narration is just wonderful. ben's pov episodes both have been so so good, but this is probably my favorite out of the two because the growth in this one is absolutely amazing. from being overworked and burnt out because of his own self-expectations to live up to his dad's legacy, literally not pooping for over two weeks and ending up in the hospital after being carried fucking bridal style by paxton hall-yoshida himself, to realizing that he doesn't have to be perfect. he doesn't have to go to columbia or take every single class possible or work himself to the point of exhaustion. he can take breaks, he can do what he wants, he can find new passions (like art!!). his bonding with paxton was absolutely wonderful; i have been waiting on their bromance since season one and i think they'll make wonderful friends. this moment? so good. and though ben does hear it from his father later in the episode, i feel like it is so important for him to hear that from other people as well. that he's working hard and has reason for people to be proud of him.

and this scene with his father is just wonderful:

i love that howard acknowledged he hasn't always been a good dad. i love that that did not go unsaid, because it needed to be said. and ben hearing his father say "i'm proud of you," even after he admits that columbia may not be a possibility anymore, is just so so good. the whole episode just felt very....cathartic for ben's character, i think.

1: 3x10. so many reasons. paxton's graduation speech, devi telling her mom she didn't want to leave because she needs one more year with her, HALLWAY SCENE, ONE FREE BOINK. i'm not even afraid to say it: this season finale beats malibu. so fucking hard.

fave & least fave storylines:

for least fave, can i just say rhyah in general? like, obv i think narratively it fit really well esp with the whole situation culminating in nalini defending devi & assuring her that she will find someone who loves her just as she is, but i hated rhyah lol. des was fine. he was ok. i didn't particularly like him but i didnt hate him! and i really think it was important for devi to date someone who wasn't ben or paxton before going back to ben. so yeah, des was fine. but rhyah? god she was the worst. i thought she was like, okay at first, but she really turned around on us, huh? i know it was an important plotline bc it led to this discussion in devi's room:

which was definitely so crucial for devi to hear. but also i just wish devi didn't have to think that she was "too much" in the first place.

for my fave, obviously, the whole benvi arc is my favorite storyline because that slowburn was just so fucking good and i am a sucker for romance, but we already know how much i love that. my favorite storylines of this season aside from the obvious are ben and paxton's individual arcs.

i'm gonna talk about paxton's here, because he has never ceased to impress me with the growth he's capable of (and because i already have talked a lot about ben's arc in this post lol). i mean, in season one, we're led to believe that he's really just this shallow hot jock, but he just keeps growing and growing! this season was particularly wonderful i think, even moreso than last season. he owns up to the shitty things he did in the past (which is just…ghosting a shit ton of girls which like, while typical for a teenage boy, is still pretty shitty lol). he is really such a good boyfriend to devi too! (i still don't ship daxton, don't think i ever will, but it's something devi definitely needed to get out of her system) and the way their breakup happens:

him establishing his own boundaries and letting her know that he cannot be with her if she doesn't see how amazing she is just like he does, because she will continue to be insecure in their relationship if they keep going on like that. i also loved that he didn't date haley at all after he broke up with devi -- it would have felt so cheap if he did. they make really good platonic friends! and so do devi and paxton!!

i really love how this season ended with both ben and paxton admitting what they want and going for it (ben with admitting he wants devi to stay, and paxton admitting to trent that he wants to go to asu). and also with realizing that he doesn't want whatever he has going on with phoebe, because before, he did want something easy and thoughtless, but now he wants something more real -- and i don't think he'll find that with devi, because i will always believe that their relationship was too superficial to have any shot at longevity, but i hope he does find what he's looking for. not to mention all the interaction he had with other characters: el, fab, ben. it was just wonderful.

i also really loved the entirety of nalini and devi's relationship this season. they've just continued getting closer and closer as they both work around their greif and it is absolutely beautiful. nalini sticking up for devi with the whole rhyah/des situation? so wonderful. the talk they had in her room afterwards? fucking beautiful. THIS SCENE???

i will never get over it. as someone who has always had a rocky relationship with their mother, this just feels so healing for me.

season four thoughts:

i'm now leaning towards devi freaking out and ghosting ben after they...boink. but i can also see it going in a direction where ben is scared that devi isn't as serious about him as he is about her, so he avoids her and instead starts going out with margot (because he knows he wouldn't be setting himself up with heartbreak with margot -- yeah, he likes her, but he loves devi). and obv this is going to hurt devi a lot -- and honestly, i kind of like the idea of devi being heartbroken by ben for once. i want to see her pining again like we did in season 2 -- openly admitting that she has feelings for ben. and i want devi to be the one to tell ben she loves him. i feel like that's something they both need -- for her to say it out loud, and for him to hear it.

plus this interview from jaren even further solidifies my thoughts on ben and devi being endgame lol

[becky5203]

I think the whole cast did a great job this season and have been doing a great job throughout the whole show, but there were two standouts in particular to me: Benjamin Norris as Trent Harrison, and Jaren Lewison as Ben Gross.

I’ll admit, Trent has always made me chuckle, sometimes he’s annoyed me just as much as the characters in the show have been by him (see season 2’s “mountain dew” comment, which made me want to vomit), but overall I thought he was usually a nice bit of comic relief. But I think I did want more from him. I wanted him to evolve past just being “Paxton’s sidekick”. With characters like his though, they usually either get flanderised, lose what them appealing in the first place, or disappear altogether. I’m thankful he didn’t get any of that. Instead, he was given a rather sweet arc that didn’t upstage anyone in the cast, but still made him shine in his own right. And that’s not even mentioning his relationship with Eleanor, which, if I’m being honest, was probably my favorite subplot of the season. I’ll admit that when they were paired up at the end of season 2, I was worried this would become a boring “pair the spares” situation that felt forced and like a waste of time, but Ramona and Benjamin brought a lot of chemistry to this relationship and, surprisingly, I found myself rooting for these two.

Now though, I want to talk about Ben. I want to talk about Jaren’s performance. I think it’s safe to say that Ben was a bit sidelined this season. At least in the first half. Until episode 5, maybe 4, I don’t think I could say he was very present in the show, at least not in the same way he was in the first two seasons. During the first three episodes, we didn’t see a lot of him, and when we did, he was playing a supporting role in Aneesa’s storyline. We got some breadcrumbs of what was to come, sure, but nothing substantial, and nothing that was just Ben’s storyline. Episodes 4 and 5 gave us a better look into his life, but I felt it was still build up to when we were gonna see his story more in-depth, we weren’t there yet. Episode 6, though, that was the big one. This is the first time all season we’ve gotten a look into his life without it being anchored in a supporting role for another character. What’s important about everything before this moment, is that it’s passively shown, which is where Jaren comes in. Episode 6, cannot stick the landing without all of the slow buildup we’ve had before. After getting dumped by Aneesa, Ben doesn’t have a lot of support, so we don’t see into his world like we would Devi or Paxton’s, by him talking to other people, getting his own narration, or people talking about him. We get it through quick camera cutaways or small interactions, and all of this is carried by Jaren’s performance. We have to see the way all this pressure is slowly building up around him, the way he’s pining after Devi but still trying to let go, but we’re not gonna know how bad it really is until episode 6. After this, things may seem like they slow down for Ben, but they don’t. It’s once again passively shown, albeit less passively than the front half of the season, but we can still see that he’s on the upswing for the latter half of the season. That’s what makes the finale so satisfying, not just for Devi, but for Ben as well. With Devi we got to see her whole story unfold, but Ben had to take a step away. He had spent the prior season and a half almost latched onto Devi in some way, subconsciously in-universe, but also out of universe in terms of the narrative. After he tried to kiss Devi at his birthday party in 1x08, he was explicitly cemented in the story as her love interest. That’s great for us Benvi shippers but he wasn’t able to stand on his own again until this season. Because he knew he had to let go of whatever could’ve been with Devi. He couldn’t keep being apart of her story. He had to work on his own. And that’s why we didn’t see a lot of it. But that’s also why the Ben who clearly needed to slow down but sped up instead is not the same Ben we see at the end of the season. That’s why the Ben who clearly needed support but wasn’t reaching out to anyone is not the same Ben we see at the end of the season. That is why Ben is not the same person at the end of the season as he was at the start. He’s gone through his strongest character arc yet, but the real marvel is we didn’t even get to see all of it and it’s still one of the most captivating storylines of the season. And it’s because Jaren was able to show us that slow build in the little time he had in the first few episodes and then throughout.

[aboutdifferentthings]

Paxton's journey around Devi.

This is long!  I wrote this in reddit as an answer to a question… I thought I could add some pics and do a nice post from it (I don’t do gifs 🙈) I hope you like it.

 

Paxton is a teenager. He is very confortable on his junior year. He is popular, has a future in swimming, he cares a lot a bout his family and has an easy life, when something bothers him or makes him feel awkward he just brushes it off and keeps going (like with all the girls he had sex).

But here he is in his junior year. And he meets Devi and she is supposed to be another of her ‘sex without commitment girls’ but… it doesn’t happen… what happens is that he starts knowing her and he likes her, so he doesn’t want to have sex with her anymore because he does not want to loose her… not because of her or his status… from episode 2 he is already involve and empathetic with Devi and this boy will start orbiting around her even when he does not want to.  

When he gets mad because she was saying they had sex it is not because of his status either, it is because he though they had something else, something different and when he realizes that for her it means nothing, he is upset about it (I would be too) but he still supports her lie because he cares about her, although he can not completely process what he is feeling because she is pushing him out of his comfort zone.  

But he will still be there and when he helps her at he swimming pool party he comprehends that there is really something more.They kiss and he cares about the kiss but when he goes to see her the day after her mom calls him basically an idiot and he has doubts again because (as we said) he is getting out of his comfort zone, but here he is again waiting for her, apologizing.

A lot of people criticizes he needs his sister to realize, but I don’t understand why. I think it is great to have such a good relationship with your siblings: it helps you grow and it shows he listens and really wants to learn.

So… after the disaster in the date with friends with Trent vomiting (my god Pax, that was really a disaster of a date 😆😆) he gets hurt when he chooses Ben to collect garbage…. and he decides to openly tell her he wants something with her and he puts everything in it because he really likes her (I would say more than like, here, this boy is in love although he has maybe not realize yet). 

And when does he realize? I think he does realize just the second he learns she is cheating and what he says just before the car hitting him speaks loud “ As if you could hurt me” of course she can, and she did, and he is so mad he tries to convince himself they do not make any sense but they do make sense… so again he is orbiting around her,  because he is in love: he loves how genuine she is and how he feels when she is around, he loves her in her ups and downs but that doesn’t stop him from telling her his opinion (always respectfully).

So when they get together and he says no to the dance is because he is in love and scared and doesn’t even know how to explain himself (much less his friends) that he is with the girl that cheated on him and that hurt him that much… the thing is that if he doesn’t step forward he is going to loose her, so he does… and tells Trent that he really trusts her this time and this is so beautiful… 

At the same time, he is spending more time with people out of his circle and getting to know them and he also cares about them. 

And you know what comes next… he breaks up because he has to let her go, because he knows she is spiraling and their relationship is not good for her. He loves her… and cares about her every second since first season episode 2…

After breaking up he still cares about her but not only her also about the people he has bonded with (like Fabiola o Eleanor). And some people says around 3x05 he is again at the beginning but he is not… although he is trying… he is trying to go back to when everything was simple and he could brush things off but he can’t and by the end of this episode he embraces who he really is, he says he will be helping more because he enjoys it an he cares abut people. We learn later it did not work with her new girlfriend because that is not the kind of relationship he wants anymore.

He has a great arc and he and Devi  make each other better, but Devi needs time to finish growing, to gain confidence and to finally realize who she truly is and what she really wants and he is giving her the space and hopefully when she goes through this process she will return to him to have the relationship they both deserve.  

Sorry for the long run! It got longer than expected! :)

[nnishinoyaa-04]

First kiss

characters: Ran, Rindou (sorry if it's kinda ooc)

teenage love!! fluff!! btw Ran's part reader has a strict asian parents

tmi how i got this idea (also spoiler): i just finished watching never have i ever s1 😩 Ran's story is when paxton kiss devi in his car while Rindou's is when devi kiss ben after finishing tossing his father's ashes

Haitani Ran

"Ughh fuck this- now i'm all wet" looking at your dress on the mirror infront of you "Mom's really gonna kill me"

Basically you decided to disobey your asian mom to sneaked out to go to your friend party and now you are all wet because there's a girl that thought pushing you into the pool is funny. What could be more worse than that.

You lay in the bath tub thinking for 10 reason to tell your mom why did you sneaked out and all wet "AHH I DON'T KNOW" you ruffled your hair. Suddenly the bathroom door opened "Hey.." you startled and realized that voice is Ran's, one of the most popular boys in your school also aka your crush, he sit next to you during history period "Geez you scared me- Ooh it's yyo you- ahahh hey"

'why are you stuttering' you thought to yourself "May i come in?" "Uhh yea yea sure-"

"So.. it's pretty rough just now" closing the door behind him, heading his way to you "Yea someone think it's funny to got me all wet" rolling your eyes "Why didn't you snap at them back?" he ask still standing infront of you "First of all pretty boy i'm not like you, if I push them back I might need to prepare for a funeral-"

He chuckle "but isn't it fun and amusing if you push them back" you glare at him "Didn't you listened to what I just said" "Yea I did, I'm just telling you it will be fun if yo-"

"Yeah yeah" you turn your head to the other side feeling upset that Ran is just trying to make fun of you "y/n? heyyy" "just leave me alone"

Ran just sigh, he take your hand and caress it. Luckily you're not looking at him because you are blushing right now. "Can I sit inside with you?" you just hummed as a respond

He didn't let go of your hand when he get inside into the bath tub "y/n you have a pretty hand" he complimented you "thanks" you softly smile at him "it will be more pretty with this-" he slide a ring to your finger

You are in shock right now "wha- why?" he just smile and show you his finger "now we're matching" you just look at him don't know what to say "hey? do you not like it?" he ask you still having the pretty smile on his face "no it just- you're not playing with me right?"

"what do you mean?" he tilt his head confused "I mean like you're not going to ask me to pay you right?" he laugh "f-for what? I bought this for you so we can be matching" he smirk

You sigh in relieft "Thank God" "so? do you like it?" you just nod your head "good then-"

You keep looking at the ring on your finger while talking with Ran "Me and Rindou live separately from our parents"

You just nod, still looking at your finger "hey y/n" "yea-" before you can finish your word you felt a soft dry lips on your lips a hand on your face

Ran let you go after a second "y- you just kissed me?!" Ran just smile at you more like a smirk "that was my first kiss! mom's gonna kill me she's really going to kill me" you whine

Ran just laugh "stop laughing" you hit his chest "okay okay- sorry"

----

bonus

you guys make out until you hear you phone ring, you answer it without looking at the caller id "hello" taking a breath from your make out session just now "WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S 11 PM ALREADY"

"M-mom yeah you know-" "Y/N YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF YOUR EXPLANATION" you hang up the call and look at Ran awkwardly "Your mom is scary" "Yeah she's really strict" Ran giggle "i can tell- come on i give you a ride"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're my girlfriend right"

You kiss him on the mouth and whisper "yes, you're my boyfriend"

Haitani Rindou

You are in a car, sitting on the passenger seat. Beside you is Rindou, he's giving you a ride to your house. You guys just went out a date. You can say your first date went smoothly. Good for you.

"y/n you sure you don't want to eat anymore?" rindou ask, turning his head to you with a curiosity look "uhh yeah, why do you ask?" you innocently ask "nothing you didn't eat a lot when we're eating just now"

you just chuckle and scratch your nape "it just i'm too shy to eat- infront of you" you whispered the last word but Rindou heard it but he just decide to shrugg it off.

after 10 minutes driving Rindou suddenly stop his car. you startled and confused because Rindou didn't bring you to your house instead to the beach "why are we here?" your turn to Rindou side, asking "We still have time don't want to waste it" you just nod awkwardly

"but-" "hmm?" raising his eyebrows looking at you "why the beach?" you smile "the sunset of course" you put your mouth in a duck face and just nod and turning your head to the window beside you

you didn't realized Rindou take a picture of you doing that face, he just chuckle looking at the picture he took just now "what's funny?" you ask still having that face "nothing you're cute" he pinch your cheeks. you're face is now red "look who's blushing" rindou smirk "stop it" you glare at him, rindou just laugh at your face

Rindou have been laughing for 5 minutes, he keep teasing you. You're pouting and sulking and then you realized the sunset "heyy rindou the sunset" you pull his hand to grab his attention while pointing at the sun

"Let's go outside" Rindou said before opening his door and went outside. He's standing not far from the car "y/n come" "wait i'm trying to find my phone" you shouted loud enough for him to hear you "just use my phone" he shouted back, waving his phone at you

"fine" you went out the car and ran to Rindou. Standing next to him "the sunset is beautiful" you blurted out "Yea-" he turn his head to you quickly "are you letting me go?" "hah?"

(for people that don't know what it means 'the sunset is beautiful isn't it?' it's 'i love you but i'm letting you go' you can google it for more explaination)

Rindou just shook his head. "Can we take a picture?" you smile at him excitedly "sure" he take out his phone and click the camera button. you put on a peace sign for the picture, Rindou put his hand on your shoulder and pull your closer. you smile for the picture and then you realized rindou didn't look at the camera but he's looking at you.

"Rindou you didn't look at the camera" you whine at him "so what? i look in love with you in this picture"

After Rindou said that you didn't waste any time and just crash your lips on his. Rindou is a bit surprised by your action cause just now you're blushing because he complimented you and you saying that you're embarassed to eat in front of him now you are kissing him.

'this girl is different' (in a good way) he thought to himself. you still kissing him, your hands on his chest. Rindou smirk before kissing you back. He pull your face closer, hands on your neck and the other hand on your waist. You guys keep kissing, hungry for each other, Rindou slide his tounge into your mouth. You are startled but you just keep going, Rindou smirk between the kiss.

After about 5 minutes kissing, you pull out to catch your breath. who knows on your first date you will have so much confident to do the first move. "So bold" you look up to Rindou to see him smirking, you roll your eyes. you raised your hand to hit him but before you can do that he pull you, your face hit his rough chest.

He slide his hand on your waist to your hips "hug me y/n" you wrap you hand on Rindou's body. You guys stay like that for 10 minutes enjoying each other company.

"Rindou be my boyfriend" you shyly asked "I am your boyfriend" he kiss your temple. Rindou can feel your lips smiling on his chest he decide to tease you "smiling huh?" you bite his chest "Ouw- okay sorry"

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I WAS GOING TO WRITE MITSUYA TOO 😭 BUT IM TOO LAZY AND MY MIND WENT BLANK also I hope you enjoy this and sorry for any spelling error