#also nalini mothered this season.

[dolokhoded]

last of my never have i ever posting for the night still processing s4 but are we not going to talk about how not only ben felt comfortable enough to just Fall Asleep in devi's bed but also somehow nalini didn't scream bloody murder when she found out.

[fishyyyyy99]

OK, I seriously can't believe someone actually thinks this about season 4 of Never Have I Ever:

"In 2023, the message of the show suddenly turned into *"racism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and class inequity doesn't exist anymore. Devi did a Bollywood dance, got into Princeton, and a racist white guy said he loves her at the last minute, so everything is going to be okay (for Gen Z)."*

This is the opposite of the premise that the show started with in 2020, which acknowledged the brutal unfairness in the world."

Firstly, it wasn't a Bollywood dance. They danced to the Tamil dubbed version of a song that is originally Telugu. Tamil cinema is known as Kollywood, and Telugu cinema is known as Tollywood. Maybe people who comment so much on racism should learn a little more about not clubbing all of Indian culture together. As a Telugu woman who lives in Tamil Nadu, I'd like to say that I was really happy with the dance number. I was especially happy because it wasn't a Bollywood dance (season 1 just used Hindi songs, and that really annoyed me because Devi is Tamil).

The show literally acknowledged that Devi ("our little hothead from the valley") was happy in that moment. There was no claim about everything being okay forever. It's just that she is better equipped to deal with problems now. She will continue to grow non-linearly, just like she did throughout the show.

Of course, the show became less about dealing with intense grief as it went on - time heals. But they did portray that grief still lingers, despite that.

Also, the portrayal of familial relationships was great - Devi talking about how it's cool to live with three generations of women in her house, Nalini having to deal with empty nest syndrome, Nalini talking about her own struggle with having to start over in the US after being a top resident in India (but of course, the last season does not acknowledge how brutally unfair the world is /s) and how she was just trying to protect Devi from being devastated, Devi setting her mother up (showing how much she had healed and grown since season 2), Kamala being too attached to her family to move away and Nalini telling her that change is good (and even Kamala's coping mechanism of becoming overprotective of Nirmala), Kamala and Devi's sweet moments, the family's acceptance and joyous celebration of Nirmala finding love again, Nirmala calling Nalini out for being mean to Devi, and of course, the heartwarming scene of Nalini helping Devi pack and telling her she's proud of her. Devi's final monologue focused primarily on how much she cares about her mother. Did all of that mean nothing to some people?

Never Have I Ever is not an unproblematic show. But I still can't believe it's being reduced to this. I. Seriously. Just. Can't. Devi was so much more comfortable in her skin than when the show started, and was no longer obsessed with external validation. Her relationship with Nalini had improved greatly. She embraced her culture so much more. She was okay with not getting into Princeton, and realised that she'd always be connected to her father no matter what. I don't mind that she didn't completely give up on her Princeton dream. I don't think she needed to, to show that she had healed. She was able to tell her dad's story in a way that felt true to herself, and did not feel exploitative (she reclaimed her power from a racist white guy). She was truly happy when she prayed to the gods before leaving to Princeton. She was surrounded by people who cared about her and loved her, as she said. And she was happily in the middle of a fun game of Never Have I Ever before Ben showed up. She had learned to love herself and her life. The show having a happy (for now) ending does not equal them saying that everything is going to be okay forever. The world is still brutally unfair. Devi is just a little better at dealing with it.

I don't know who needs to hear this but Never Have I Ever had a TEAM DEVI ending! Just because Devi was not single at the end of the show/ended up with someone you dislike, it doesn't mean that the ending wasn't a win for team Devi.

TEAM DEVI FOR THE WIN! AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOT.

I'll acknowledge that there were issues with the show throughout all four seasons. But I can't see such an empowering show being dismissed in such a ridiculous way.

[basiltonpitch]

Okay, re: your last post. I think what bugs me the most about people saying this season was “bad” or “not worth watching” simply because their ship didn’t get “endgame”. Is that it has never been what the show was about!! Like sure they use the “love triangle” for marketing but the true heart of the show is Nalini and Devi’s relationship. When I first started watching the show I was skeptical because all I had seen was the romantic aspect but the show drew me in with Devi’s relationship with her mom. (What can I say she is about girls with complicated relationships with their moms always get me). All the ever most rememberable scenes to me are ones that either feature Devi and Nalini or Devi and Dr. Ryan.

I forgot to mention this is my post yesterday but one of my favorite scene from season one is when Nalini goes and talks to Dr. Ryan. When she lets her know just how scared she is for Devi and how much she herself is struggling. That whole scene is so underrated.

Anyways, your last post was spot on and I wish more people appreciated the beauty that is the vishwakumar women’s relationships.

sorry i'm so late answering this but yes!!! this!!!! all of this!!!!! like...the romance has never been the central theme of nhie. devi's grief has. devi's relationship with nalini has. devi and nalini's combined grief, the way they heal together, the way they hurt together, the way they hurt each other because they're both in this immense pain....that's always been the cornerstone of the show. devi, then nalini. obviously i'm pleased with the endgame, more than pleased actually, but that was something i saw coming from a mile away. they made it obvious from the get-go and it just kept getting clearer and clearer each season. but devi and nalini? the ways they hurt each other and healed each other? none of that was predictable, and even if it was, it just...holds so much more emotional weight than any of the other relationships in the show. ben and devi saying "i love you" for the first time didn't make me sob my eyes out and clutch my chest and ache for my own mother.

but you know what did?

1x10: "i can't believe i said i wish you were dead. i didn't mean it." "no, no, don't apologize. sometimes i also wish i was the one who had died. i know you think that it was your father who was the only one who cared about you, but that's not true. i love you. you're my only child. you're my whole family."

2x09: "what if i forget what dad sounds like?" "you'll never forget that, kutti. your father will always be a part of you. but if you need a little help remembering, i might have something."

3x09 "what if, um...what if nobody ever loves me because i'm always too much?" "oh, devi. listen to me. you're never too much, and you're always enough. and one day, you will find someone who loves you exactly as you are, just like i do."

3x10 "i just... i need one more year with you. we don't know what's gonna happen. okay? look at dad. i just...i need more time with you. is that okay?" "yeah. it's okay, kanna."

4x10 i don't know how to pack." "well, let's just do it together then." "i don't think i can go tomorrow. you were right, i can't do anything without you." "yes, you can. you just don't have to do it right now."

there are definitely more that i'm missing but those...those are the scenes that wreck me. those are the scenes that have left me literally bawling and having to pause the show because i'm crying so hard that i can't see a damn thing. those scenes are the heart of the show. like, i'm sorry, but there are no dxtn scenes, no benvi scenes that come even close to those.

nalini and devi are at the heart of the show. they always have been. i just wish more people could see that.

[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!

[toongrrl-blog]

My Style Analysis: Devi, Kamala, and the Disastrous Dinner

Some spoilers ahead

Can anyone notice a similarity in their costumes? (Blame it on my many readings of Tom & Lorenzo's Mad Style, The Crown Style, Mrs America Style, etc.)

Both are wearing light cardigans over tank tops and patterned, floaty skirts. With rather domestic concerns (Devi is concerned about making sure her mother doesn't miss her chance with a romantic prospect despite her own conflict with that prospect's daughter while Kamala is concerned that their granny's new beau could be taking advantage of her wealth). Devi is caught between taking her cousin's usual role of serenity and her own conflict with Margot (note Margot's dress looks similar to Devi's skirt): she is all patterns and rich colors except for the tank top under her cardigan which ties her to Kamala.

Kamala is armored in neutral and pastel tones, managing to look more modest than even her grandmother and aunt, likely signaling she put her own romance and ambitions on the back burner for the sake of her grandmother (and her own failure to launch). The roses of her skirt may nod to her being surrounded by romantic and sexual tension around her, along with a clinging to what she is familiar with (the maternal and comforting roses of her family). This is contrasted with the busy prints of Devi's skirt and the argyle on her cardigan, who manages to show a bit more skin than her cousin while dealing with a prospective suitor whose appearance throws a wrench into her plans to help mend fences for her mother's happiness.

There is also a fair amount of cleavage showing with cardigans that aren't closed, likely signaling these two are young women who are exploring their sexuality and coming into their own while their widowed mother/aunt and grandmother step out of their traditional roles to find love after 40; this is pointed as Devi's suitor Ben confessed to friend Trent about his dream of Devi as both an intellectual equal (if not superior) and her physical appeal while Kamala is somewhat "off the market" due to her beau Manish being across the country. One can be cheeky and paraphrase my Mother as saying they both have Mommy bosoms (comforting place for a child to rest their head), hoping to pad any fall their maternal figures may end up having.

The Seasons look represented: Nalini in the Autumn of her life in dark tones that make her look commanding and comforting and practical in slacks, Kamala in the Summer of her life and in danger of fading into her clothing/comfort zone if she doesn't step up for her life, and Devi in the blooming Spring learning to slow down before launching herself and take a step back. This all in contrast to the pale tones worn by Nirmala who doesn't fade into them and reconciles the whites of her past mourning (white being a color of mourning in Indian culture) and the whites of her beau's culture (a bridal look), she is in the Winter of her life and is embracing it as a new stage in her life and a second youth.

As an aside....

I, as a child of the 90s and 00s, would not be remiss to miss that I love Richa and Maitreyi have real bodies that bloat and have curves. Since I was young, many peers freaked if our thigh gaps weren't wide enough or if we had something to pinch on our bodies or didn't have washboard abs, add super weight conscious and ignorant elders poking at us and media images of very thin and scary toned people and it's no wonder I was 30 when I learned it's often rare to be both busty and very thin, and that if you had a small waist with round hips, it's impossible to have a six-pack. Or that stomach padding is used to pad the reproductive organs and cis women carry more weight in our hips, thighs, and buttocks. Also a cruddy healthcare and education system.

[lifblogs]

Never Have I Ever is a really powerful show. I’m mentally ill with quite a few diagnoses, and in watching Devi I saw myself. At first I just enjoyed watching someone do what I always wanted to, what my head always screamed at me to do. To cuss that person out, to throw a textbook through a window. And I realized that in a way I have her pain too, and I have her highs.

(Believe it or not I also relate to the coyote bite.)

When I started watching this show I had already been through quite a lot. Even now as I type this I remember the miscarriage of my first child, and how I cried and cried when I saw that Nalini knew my pain. And now I see even more than that. I see that she had a really beautiful, wonderful child, that Devi came after the pain, because life really does just keep going, doesn’t it?

And I knew loss. I knew the loss of my nana, my favorite aunt, someone who was basically my second mother, my baby. I knew how hard it was to act normal after all that.

I related to Aneesa. I struggle with eating disorders, which I don’t make much of a secret because what is there to hide? It’s an illness. It’s okay.

And I remember sharing this show with my friend, and telling her how cool I thought Aneesa was, and how the main characters in this show are shown eating, and that they enjoy it, and…

I don’t truly know if she ever had the chance to watch it, and I’ll never know. I guess I’ll just be stuck here digging through memories that even now are fading to see if she mentioned it; I don’t think she did.

It’s coming up on a year since my friend was murdered by her husband. In a way I feel like I’m starting all over again, grasping at what is left of my life, and trying to pull it into pieces that make some sense. So I’m not quite standing beside Devi anymore. I feel all the way back at season one. But I loved watching Devi grow, and loved watching her be loved, even for traits that I despise in myself. So maybe I didn’t reach the finish line with her, but I know she’s there, and I know it’s okay to start again.

Devi, looks like I’m the one learning to stand this time, but I know you’ve got me.

[the-paris-of-people]

I posted 1,194 times in 2022

That's 337 more posts than 2021!

194 posts created (16%)

1,000 posts reblogged (84%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thefabulousfab-3

@basiltonpitch

@furoruisa

@the-paris-of-people

@livelovecaliforniadreams

I tagged 1,189 of my posts in 2022

#never have i ever - 559 posts

#benvi - 431 posts

#never have i ever spoilers - 157 posts

#ask - 84 posts

#answered - 83 posts

#stranger things - 53 posts

#anon - 32 posts

#abbott elementary - 32 posts

#stranger things spoilers - 29 posts

#stranger things 4 - 29 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#still i am annoyed bc we didn't need another love interest for this shit since devi has wanted ben since he kissed her at malibu but whatev

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The intellectual connection between Ben and Devi is amazing on first watch, but the emotional connection??? Unreal

131 notes - Posted August 7, 2022

#4

Never Have I Ever’s Jaren Lewison Reveals Another Star Was Supposed to Narrate Ben Before Andy Samberg

161 notes - Posted August 12, 2022

#3

OMG IM OBSESSED WITH THIS FABIOLA AND BEN CONVO AFTER HE PUKES

298 notes - Posted August 12, 2022

#2

One of my favorite things they did this season was having Devi fully get over Paxton before getting with Ben. It made that whole moment so much better!! She actively chose Ben!! It was perfect.

YES and also I love that they skipped months of her mourning instead of making rash decisions (which I thought she would do) and she had a whole process to get over Paxton. I still wish Ben and Devi could have dated in that longggggg time jump but I enjoyed it overall! I think it's really signifcant that over a year + Ben and Devi both grew individually and chose each other (Ben literally could NOT think of anything else but her)

435 notes - Posted August 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Nalini affectionately telling Ben he added milk to his food because she knows he can't handle much spice.... loving mother in law energy

954 notes - Posted August 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[elianastuckey]

Multimedia Journal Entry 1: Television

One of the most popular Netflix original series is Never Have I Ever. It tells the tale of Devi, a teenage Indian American who strives to fit in at her school. However, she needs to learn how to get past the previous year's traumatizing fallout. Along with the challenges her family, friends, social standing, and emotions present to her. The series has received praise for breaking Asian stereotypes and has been referred to as a significant moment for representing South Asians in Hollywood.

Devi displays a unique balance of her Indian and American identities while struggling to remember her therapy lessons and accidentally divulging secrets. Meanwhile, this season, Nalini's character develops further as she copes with the loss of her husband and tries to rebuild her life. Kamala feels restricted by her overly nerdy colleagues and her semi-arranged romantic relationship. Each character's story unfolds with depth and complexity. Like the Vishwakumar family, there are others who don't follow the usual path. Devi's friend, Eleanor Wong, the drama club queen of Chinese American descent, is struggling with the trauma of her mother leaving her to pursue an acting career. Her friends become worried when she starts dating an emotionally manipulative fellow actor.Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the school's popular jock who identifies as half-Japanese, spends most of the season trying to improve his grades and is anxious about how others perceive his intelligence. It's great to see the representation of religious diversity in the Asian American diaspora with Aneesa's addition to the show. This challenges assumptions about who is considered Asian American and Indian American. It also helps to break down stereotypes of Muslim American people, particularly Muslim American women. As a society, we need to continue to recognize and celebrate diversity in all forms. It's interesting to learn that Asian Americans are the most diverse in terms of religion in the United States, as well as the group with the broadest economic and education gaps. It shows that while we may share a common racial identity, many nuances and differences within our community should not be overlooked or ignored. I completely agree with your point about the importance of representation in media. It's great to see shows like Never Have I Ever breaking down stereotypes and allowing their characters to be fully human. Giving Asian Americans the opportunity to tell their own stories and be in control of their own narratives is essential for creating a more inclusive society. It's important that we continue to push for diverse representation in all forms of media to help break down harmful stereotypes and celebrate the nuances and differences within our communities.

Shivaram, Deepa. “‘Never Have I Ever’ Complicates Its Asian American Characters. That’s The Whole Point.” NPR, 16 July 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/07/16/1016968651/never-have-i-ever-complicates-its-asian-american-characters-thats-the-whole-point.

[akaraboonline]

Netflix's 'Never Have I Ever' announces final season release date

Never Have I Ever, the fantastic comedic series from Mindy Kaling, is coming back for its fourth and last season. We're keeping tabs on all the information you need to know about Never Have I Ever's last season, which is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in June 2023, including what to anticipate, cast news, a trailer, and release information.

The coming-of-age comedic series Never Have I Ever is a Netflix Original Comedy that was produced by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. The events from Kaling's own youth serve as a loose inspiration for the series. Since Netflix started disclosing its watching data on a weekly basis for the global top ten lists, the series has amassed over 338,000,000 million hours of watch time worldwide. When is Never Have I Ever season 4 coming to Netflix?

We now know that Never Have I Ever season 4 will be available on Netflix on June 8th, 2023, thanks to the publication of the announcement date trailer. What to expect from Never Have I Ever season 4? As Devi and Paxton begin their senior year of high school, the love triangle between Ben, Devi, and Paxton continues.

Devi definitely let Ben know how she felt about him by showing up at his place to redeem his "one free boink" coupon. However, despite Paxton's high school graduation and plans to attend a university in Arizona, there might be one more attempt to rekindle the romance with Devi. Thanks to Devi's educational program in California, Paxton and Ben almost completely lost Devi, but she decided to stay because she wasn't yet ready to leave home and say goodbye to her mother, Nalini. Ethan, a brand-new heartthrob at the school who is certain to attract the attention of all the girls, is also introduced. Devi has a lot of choices to make, including choosing which of the two boys she wants to date, the direction of her schooling, and her interactions with her family and friends. Who are the returning cast members of Never Have I Ever?

At the very least we can expect the following actors to reprise their roles in Never Have I Ever: - Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar - Poorna Jagannathan as Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar - Richa Moorjani as Kamala Nandiwadal - Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida - Jaren Lewison as Benjamin Gross - John McEnroe as himself - Ramona Young as Eleanor Wong - Lee Rodriguez as Fabiola Torres - Megan Suri as Aneesa Qureshi - Niecy Nash as Dr. Jamie Ryan - Benjamin Norris as Trent Harrison - Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohan Vishwakumar - Adam Shapiro as Mr. Shapiro Michael Cimino, the new heartthrob of Sherman Oaks High, has officially joined the Never Have I Ever season 4 cast as Ethan. Cimino gained notoriety for playing Victor Salazar in the well-liked Hulu original series Love, Victor.   Read the full article

[heycoyotegirl]

#i wish to hear more #like i still appreciate the identity crisis #finding who else you could be #but also paxton's struggles with his intelligence and academic competence #i resonated with that #darren said we don't appreciate his book smarts enough !! #we really don't pls (via @dottable)

I think giving Paxton an identity crisis was actually a great idea. Love that for him (in the sense that it's an interesting narrative and gives him opportunities for even more character growth). The writers just took the laziest route possible to get there because they wanted to drag him back to Sherman Oaks asap but didn't actually care enough to give him a well-thought-out character arc.

There are two times in season one where someone insults Paxton for no reason, and he just brushes it off. The first time is in episode three, when Nalini arrives at the hospital, calls him "Dr. Walking HPV Infection", and tells him to get the hell out.

She's rude for absolutely no reason. It’s not like Paxton shoved Devi in front of the coyote to be bitten; he was just the person who drove her to the hospital after the fact. But he doesn’t get upset; he just waves at Devi and leaves. The next episode takes place a week later, but he obviously hadn't changed how he interacted with Devi, otherwise the narration would’ve told us. And he doesn’t hesitate at all to talk to her when he sees her kicking her locker during Ganesh Puja.

The second is in episode five, and, iirc, is actually Paxton’s first conversation with Devi’s friends.

Paxton: I think your mom was our server at Casa Mexico last night. She was cool. Gave us extra chips. Eleanor: What? That's impossible. Paxton: No, for real. Eleanor: No. My mother's an actress on a cruise that's currently docked in the vibrant city of Cancún. Paxton: All right. Well, my mom knew her and talked to her and stuff, but maybe she was confused. Whatever. [ he starts to walk away ] Eleanor, raising her voice: You don't know what the hell you're talking about. [ stammers ] You can't just start a rumor about someone's mom like that. Clearly, you think all Asian women look alike. [ shouting ] You're a racist, Paxton Hall-Yoshida! Paxton: I'm part Japanese. [...] Paxton: Clearly, this is touchy for some reason that I don't care about. Honestly, I didn't really think I'd have to talk to you guys for this long. Let's go.

He was trying to be polite and friendly because he and Devi are friends now, but he doesn’t get upset when Eleanor yells at him; he just moves on.

Even when Paxton finds out that Devi lied about them having sex (which hits his issue about people not really being his friend), it doesn’t affect his self-esteem. He just cuts contact with her for a few days before asking for her help with Becca’s portfolio and reconciling with her again.

The first time we actually see him get insecure is after the conversation with Nalini when he tries to return Devi’s dress.

Nalini: [ sarcastically ] Thank you so much, Paxton, for clearing that up. So, not only did you disobey me by going to this party last night, you were so sober, you fell into the pool, and then did God knows what with this boy in his car. Paxton: All we did was kiss. Nalini: You what? McEnroe: Paxton, these are very unforced errors. Nalini: Oh, Devi, this is just terrific. Great decision making. Why don't you just let this idiot knock you up? Maybe Princeton will allow you to raise a little baby in your dorm room. Devi: He's not an idiot. Nalini: Oh, I'm sorry. Is he an honors student? I had no idea. My apologies, Paxton. McEnroe: Even though Nalini was talking out of frustration more than anything else, Paxton was stung by these little digs at his intelligence. Paxton: I'm gonna go.Nalini: Mmm. You must have a very busy day returning dresses to other smart girls whose futures you're trying to ruin.

After all of that, Paxton becomes defensive in a way that we haven’t seen from him before.

McEnroe: Devi had hoped that kissing Paxton wasn’t a one-time thing, but ever since he showed up at her house, he had been a little bit, how do you say... distant? Devi: Hey. I haven't seen you all week. Paxton: Yeah, I've been busy. Devi: Cool. So listen, I'm sorry my mom was so crazy to you the other day. Paxton: It's fine. I don't really care what your mom thinks.

“I don’t care what your mom thinks,” he says, while icing Devi out because of what her mom said. This is the first time we see his relationship with Devi be affected by a third party. It’s also the first time he doesn’t either address the issue directly or just immediately let it go.

Eleanor shouts that he’s a racist? Paxton points out that he’s half-Japanese before disengaging. Devi’s mom slutshames him in the hospital? That’s cool; he’ll just head out and talk to Devi later. Devi lies about them having sex and then tries to avoid taking responsibility? Nope, Paxton has enough self-respect that he doesn’t need fake friends who use him for popularity. But he’s also not so insecure or vindictive that he feels the need to tell people Devi lied.

Devi’s mom calls him an idiot? Catastrophic damage to his psyche.

(I also imagine that part of the reason why Paxton iced Devi out is because he thinks Devi might actually agree with her mom. Sure, she argued with her mom when he was there but was that just to save face? Paxton was already so invested that he'd told Becca about their kiss, whereas Devi was keeping it a secret from her family. Did she regret it? Is she embarrassed of him? Does she think that he’s an idiot who will ruin her future?)

In season 2, we get his parents doubting him, saying that college isn’t for everyone and that if he wants to go, he’ll have to work really hard (which, y’know, is a totally foreign concept for him, since it’s not like swimming is one of the most challenging sports or anything).

And while our unreliable narrators insist that Paxton is embarrassed of Devi during the period where they’re together but not public in s2, that’s not actually what’s happening. Sure, part of the issue is the fact that he knows people will judge him for getting back with the girl who cheated on him and ruined his swimming career (he’s still a teenager after all).

But the bigger issue is not just that she cheated, but that she cheated with Ben. Paxton doesn’t know their history; all he sees is them at each other's throats at school. He doesn’t know why Devi would genuinely like Ben. All Paxton knows is that while he and Devi were dating, she found him lacking and started seeing another guy, and the most obvious thing that Paxton doesn’t have but Ben does is intelligence. Paxton says it himself in season 3: He was jealous of Ben because Ben is smart like Devi is, and that’s a connection that Paxton could never have with her.

Even in s3, after he’s been doing better at school for about a year, Paxton is insecure about his intelligence. He’s grown enough to be able to admit that to Ben, but he still snaps when Ben directly insults his intelligence (Ben: Do you not know what an event is? // Paxton: What the fuck, man? I know what an event is.).

In the final episode of the season, he’s visibly annoyed when Shira & co try to say that he’s only known for being hot. And then he gives an entire speech about how he’s more than just the popular guy or the hot guy. He’s learned how to push himself and knows that he can succeed if he works hard.

I think it makes sense that Paxton would feel uncomfortable and not know what to do if he was suddenly unpopular, even if he was sick of being shoved into the “popular and hot” box at Sherman Oaks (though I’m not sure how believable it is that he actually wouldn’t do well socially at college), but I don’t think that—after two seasons of learning to push himself through tough situations—he’d give up after only two weeks.

Obviously it's easier to ignore people who don't like you when you have an established and supportive friend group, compared to when you're social isolated. But at the very least, he would've talked to Becca (who inexplicably vanished this season) or Devi before dropping out entirely. (Which I think is one of the other problems the writers ran into: It’s fundamentally impossible to write a Paxton who is not in love with Devi, unless you strip away a lot of his character development (which is what happened in season 4, for the sake of pairing Paxton off at the end)).

(And, as a side note: The show never actually resolves that plot point. Like, he ends up right back where he started, just with an interest in teaching and a lowkey weird long distance girlfriend (is she seriously not bothered by the fact that she's dating someone who's literally the same age as at least one of the students at the school??). But neither of those things actually addresses the issue of "I panic and bail if people don't like me." What's he gonna do if his roommate at the teaching school also sucks? Who knows!)

Paxton spends three years working on his insecurities about his intelligence. Three years growing and realizing that he wants to be more than just a popular guy. When he broke his arm in season 2, it only took half a montage for him to realize that spending all his time “partying” with Trent (aka goofing off, blowing things up, and playing video games, not going to constant ragers) wasn’t fulfilling and wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life.

And then all of that growth gets ripped away with two lackluster scenes.

The writers very easily could have given him a plot about finding himself that didn’t hinge on immediately giving up on college! Paxton explicitly says that he doesn’t know who he is in season 3. Ben scoffs and says that Paxton is the only person at the school who isn’t a nobody, but as Paxton points out, that’s surface stuff. They could've dug into that in season 4.

They could’ve given us another montage, shown us that he can’t find his niche anywhere, rather than just having a shitty roommate with awful friends. They could’ve brought his panic attacks up again!

He could’ve been miserable at ASU for a semester and then come back to Sherman Oaks for winter break right around the time when Devi found out her application was deferred (since he didn’t actually... do anything plot relevant until then anyway).

His identity crisis could’ve revolved around academics or his swimming career. He was insanely good, good enough to be courted by Stanford, a school with a 4% acceptance rate, while having grades so bad that he would only be able to get into a two-year or community college. Had he been planning to try for the Olympics? Is he able to get back into shape and start competing again?

Maybe he was planning to get back into swimming, but he realizes that he’ll never get back to where he was before the accident. Then his crisis could’ve been about the fact that he hadn’t actually thought about what he wants to do beyond “education and a career.” That also would’ve tied in very well with Devi suddenly having all her plans for the future ripped away when she finds out her application was deferred. (And as a bonus, maybe we could have explored what Devi wants to do after university, rather than getting a throw-away line in the last episode. Or she could’ve also had a bit of a crisis over realizing that she was so focused on getting into Princeton after her dad died, that she never even considered the future beyond that.)

As I’ve mulled it over, I’ve realized that the fact that there’s so little connection to his established characterization means that it doesn’t feel like Paxton anymore. They erased his emotional connection to Devi in their effort to remove him as a romantic possibility and made him almost completely irrelevant to Devi’s story this season.

The writers will throw us a bone every once in a while (like the closet scene and conversation in the finale), but for most of the season, Paxton could’ve been replaced with an entirely different character. Delete those two scenes I just mentioned, and you could plop Marcus into his role as assistant coach. Make a few more minor tweaks, and it could’ve been Blair coming back to work at her old high school after failing out of Princeton (which would’ve been fun because of how much it would terrify Devi to see).

Devi has a history of being emotionally vulnerable with him when she isn’t ready to open up to others yet. And he has a history of being insecure about his intelligence. It would’ve made way more sense for the two of them to have a conversation about her not getting into any of the colleges she applied for rather than having Ben, someone who agreed that regular admissions are for “gen pop,” be the one to assure her that it wasn't pathetic to be rejected or wait-listed by every school she applied to. (Not trying to discount their friendship; I don’t think Ben would be mean about it, but also as someone who was at the top of my class in high school, I don’t think I would have believed my academic rival comforting me if I had been in Devi’s place.)

And Devi was the one who encouraged Paxton to “swim to San Diego in school.” It would be a perfect parallel for him to return that advice.

The way that Paxton's characterization regressed to pre-season 2 and he just orbits the rest of the story, inexplicably no longer friends with anyone other than Trent and Devi (even though he was friends with the entire group at the end of season 3), makes it clear that the writers didn't know what to do with him. It's very obvious that they just brought him back to keep their Team Paxton viewers around and didn't put any thought into what actually made sense for his character.

ok I’ve figured out the problem with paxton’s characterization this season: they forgot about the internal reasoning for his insecurities

paxton’s actually historically been fine when people don’t like him. it’s when people don’t like him because of his (supposed) lack of intelligence that it becomes a capital p Problem, which is why the beginning of his arc in season 4 feels so contrived

[awsmnivi]

so i just watched nhie season 3 and everyone is engaged in ship wars which is understable but i wanted to theorize about this show's overall theme and end.

nhie is about devi's coming of age through her struggling between her dreams and reality .This theme is most importantly emphasized by her struggling about loss of her more loving father (dreams) and learning to live and love her more strict mother (reality). Because mohan is dead, she has made up a fantasy version of him her mind and not able to let go of that version of love and doesn't understand that her mother also loves her in her own way. she might be stricter but only because nalini also thinks devi doesn't like her as much as mohan ( really tragic scenario).

But this theme of dreams vs reality is also played through devi's love interests paxton ( dreams) and ben (reality). Throughout, the 3 seasons, it is shown that devi has made up a fantasy version of paxton who will solve all her problems magically ( like her father). Devi sees ben as someone who is always pushing her, hates her but he is the one who helps her because he is there.

So, there is so many parallels between nalini and ben, it's not at all accidental like:

[ i. both are hyper competitive go getters who needs to relax a little bit.

ii. both of them have abandonment issues which comes from their kinda narcissistic mothers.

iii. both of them think that devi hates them and but they always there when she needs them in reality.]

These parallels between ben and nalini's characters are projected in all seasons in different ways which will tell us more about future of season 4:

First season finale devi and nalini finally made up and admitted that they loved each other just like devi and ben realized they loved each other.

in second season devi is shown to be struggling with both ben's relationship with aneesa and nalini's relationship with Chris. In the end both ben and nalini help her to apologize to aneesa and thus strengthening their emotional bond.

In third season finale, Both ben and nalini helps her to get out of des situation and were emotionally there for her. So devi realises she needs more time with people who care and love her unconditionally (nalini and ben).

So what I think will happen in season 4? Season 4 will end up with devi leaving for college and leaving her hometown but devi and nalini's emotional bond will be stronger and secure because they will be family in all sense of words. This stronger bond between nalini and devi will parallel ben and devi's relationship. ben and devi will always be in each other's lives like a family, they will be friends for life. It might not be a benvi endgame but nhie's theme is recognizing family's love come in more ways than one and loving familial bonds are unbroken.

But you'll ask what will happen with paxton in season 4 because he is confirmed to be in season 4. I think devi will stop seeing him as an idealized fantasy, learn more about his insecurities, might see him struggling him in college and help him through it. I think this will mirror her experience with her father's memory, maybe she'll learn more about mohan's quirks, insecurities or faults which will help her to be more flexible in her life and not trying to be a perfectionist.

Again it can mean a daxton endgame but it might not be but paxton and devi will end series on a good note.

[rainparadefromhell]

My thoughts on season 3 of Never Have I Ever

SPOILERS AHEAD !

* author's note : it's long what can you do, i have an obsessive personality

• Things I disliked in no particular order

1. The pacing of this season.

The pacing of this season

The pacing-

I don't know what happened this season but it felt like someone pushed my head into a blender. Many things were so glossed over, I was actually baffled. People kept getting into relationships and breaking up like it was nothing and all sense of direction was lost. Everything felt like a fever dream. Ben and Aneesa break up. She cries one time, kisses Fabiola and now they are in a relationship only for that to not work out and Fabiola gets into another relationship (at this point i forgot Eve existed). No one reacts to anything, things just happen so there is no chance for the viewers to get attached to any new storylines/couples. Just borderline bad writing in terms of pacing.

2. What they've done to Aneesa's character

At the end of the show, the person I felt bad for the most was Aneesa. The writers just would not give her a chance. She wasn't a real character. She barely had any personality beyond being a plot device for multiple characters and getting into meaningless relationships every 5 minutes (the show does have a problem with doing this to all characters tbh). I wanted to know Aneesa better (I hoped for a pov episode) but all I've got was her getting left for another person in not one but TWO relationships? And they made her kinda not even care about it. It just wasn't realistic and I hated it.

3. Des.

Listen, I don't have anything against his character. Because his character doesn't exist. Des got, as well as all the new characters - Aneesa'd. His sole purpose was to give Devi an Indian boyfriend (which is fine). But he was just so.....unnecessary?? I'm sorry but while watching every scene him and Devi shared, I was begging for literally any other character to show up. Same with his two friends (extras) that had about two lines each. His and Devi's relationship, in my opinion would've been just fine as a fling not a real relationship. And it lasted SO. FUCKING. LONG. Why, just why were they wasting time (that could have been given to flesh out old characters) on something everyone and their mother KNEW wouldn't work out or have any meaningful addition to the show. Other things got sidelined, that's why I hated this storyline.

4. And save the worst for last. All of Devi's romantic relationships in s3

Oh God, here we go.

I understand that Devi is a teen girl that just wants to date boys, have fun, be in love. I really do. But as writers, it is the nhie showrunners' job to make this enjoyable for the viewers. And it worked, the past 2 seasons it really did. Team Paxton, team Ben, team Devi.... We've all had something to enjoy. So throwing in another boy - no, two actually (the guitar player she kissed isn't a big part of the show so I don't really care) made me so angry. They've disturbed a sort of a balance between silly/fun the show had with like 3 or 4 love interests all in your face at the same time so they all started to look kinda.... unimportant (except for Ben, but I am biased lol). It looked painfully unrealistic as well.

The show yet again suffered because of its format. you simply can't throw in a bunch of characters in a 30 minute, 10 episode long comedy show and just hope for the best. It felt messy, rushed and fleeting. Like there was no room to breathe, I felt so anxious watching the middle part of the show.

• Things I did like in no particular order

1. The adults' storylines

I found them much more tolerable and cohesive. I am a Nalini stan first and a human second. I just love her. I love watching Poorna be so brilliant in this role. I was thrilled they gave her a friend and quite sad that friend was taken away later on but oh well. Also, possibly my favorite moment in the show was this quote from Nalini : "You are never too much and always enough." This show was the first time I've truly seen my relationship with my own mother represented in a way that isn't black or white and just simple or complicated. For me this scene meant a lot - showing that no matter what may happen, Nalini will always love and support her daughter.

I also liked Kamala's storyline. Tbh I didn't like Prashant all that much. He felt like a more mature Paxton. I'm glad Kamala didn't rush into marriage, especially if it's something she does not want. I really liked the relationship between Kamala and Mr. Kulkarni, I just wish we saw more of them.

2. Trent and Eleanor ??

I totally predicted this!! I said they will be that odd couple that somehow works very well and I was right. They were really entertaining and I'm so glad we get to see more of them.

3. Trent and Paxton ??

I adored Paxton and Trent's friendship. You can tell they love each other in their weird ways. This totally made me like the characters more and I love love LOVE seeing healthy male friendships in media.

4. Paxton

And everybody gasped. (Hell, I gasped, too). Here it comes Paxton/Daxton stans....

I did really like Paxton this season. And he had his moments last season as well, I'll admit that. Is he my favorite character in the show? No. Do I still think he's kinda boring and overrated? Yes. But I did like him. My favorite Paxton moment this season was in the hospital with Ben (as well as his friendship with Ben as a whole). Not only was it very kind of him to stay with Ben and make him feel better, I also loved him admiting he doesn't really know who he is. How incredibly honest of him. I liked that he apologized to all the girls he hurt and that he was friends with Haley again. I also loved him telling Devi she can't love anyone until she loves herself (someone's been reading my posts 👀). He finally started to care about things (school) and even if his storyline is a simple one, it worked. I'm glad he grew as a person. For me, Paxton finally  became a full-fledged character with a unique storyline. It took only 3 seasons but we got there.

5. Benjamin Gross

I could write novels about Ben Gross. I could write about him until my hands hurt and then some more. He is easily one of my, if not my favorite fictional character of all time. He is one of the few characters that, in my opinion, isn't written in an episodic way. Jaren Lewison has this great ability to carry all of Ben's emotions in his pocket and whip out what he needs in a scene with such ease. The character doesn't forget his lessons, he remembers his past feelings and what they taught him which makes him develop and make progress so naturally within the show. Ben Gross isn't just a douche at the beginning of season 1 and a nice guy at the end of season 3. You can see all of his flaws as well as how caring and emotionally intelligent he is at the same time throughout the entire show. I'm so happy he learned to relax and not care as much about grades.

This kinda falls under Ben, but just 3x06 being the best episode (with the finale) for me. I don't know what kind of crack Mindy Kaling puts in the Ben episodes but she gets is right every damn time. Those 4 words being "I'm proud of you" from his dad made me so emotional. I wouldn't want them to be anything or for anyone else. Also I fucking loved Ben being into drawing?? We need more of that.

6. Devi Vishwakumar

My girl. I really liked Devi this season. I loved how they showed she's still grieving. Maitreyi's performance in the scene when Paxton tells her she doesn't love herself yet was so heartbreakingly beautiful. She knew he was right. Also can we talk about the best version of Devi aka post time jump Devi??? I love that girl! You can really tell she matured quite a bit. She's not as hot headed anymore. The only "bad" thing she did was throwing that book or whatever it was in the trash and honestly...? I didn't see how that was such a big deal at all. And the other team kinda cheated, too. Who cares? They're not in a courtroom. I really hope that in season 4 we see her growing even more.

7. The whole gang

One thing I also liked was that everyone was friends with everyone this season. We saw the Paxton-Trent-Eleanor group, Paxton and Ben's friendship, Paxton and Fabiola, Ben-Devi-Fabiola and so on.... I reallllly liked the different dynamics.

8. Ben & Devi

And finally - this is what (some of) you have been waiting for. As you can see the pacing and new characters really messed with how much I loved (or rather didn't) this season. But honestly, now that I had time to think about it, the character development and just the finale really saved the whole season for me. And yes, this includes Ben and Devi. This season we've seen Ben and Devi be mostly, friends. They didn't share many moments until the last few episodes which did frustrate me but that is exactly what made all of them feel so special later on. It was important for them to not spend as much time together then slowly be close friends for the finale we got. I really wasn't expecting it. For all my criticisms about the writing not being the best in some aspects of the show, the writers did such a good job with their storyline and it's safe to say that s3 is my favorite when it comes to them.

Last season we've only seen hints of them pining for each other. This season they were much more honest and comfortable with each other. I cannot stop thinking about how perfectly their little romance was sprinkled over the seasons, with season one's introduction and teasing of their feelings, season two's big conflict and hurt and finally season three's rekindling of feelings and big realizations. None of their storyline felt like sudden big explosions (like with Paxton), just a natural evolution of caring for each other. A sign that it wasn't just a crush (quick and overwhelming) but a first love kind of a situation. Realistic, messy, beautiful, simple. There isn't a doubt in my mind that these two will end up together in some way at the end of season 4. Truly one of my favorite on screen couples all thanks to the brilliant and talented Jaren and Maitreyi.

Overall, I still think the show's best season is season 1. It was almost perfectly set up. However, in terms of characters and our main couple, I have to say season 3 feels the most open, vulnerable and grown up. The last episode felt super special and teased season 4 in which we will see the gang prepare for college. I have huge expectations for season 4 and I really think it could be one of the best ones (best one?), but who knows...

Maybe I'm just a sucker for closures.

Also, I can't believe the finale??? Like they were evil evil for that one, not letting us see what happens! On the other hand I can't be mad bc as a writer that is such a me thing to do. Like, I can totally see myself be that much of an asshole and sadist so I kinda get it. Idk what I will do until s4.

[lovelymoira]

Paxton's character arc is what never have I ever is ALL about.

As a character, he felt so flat during season 1, but season 2 was really his time to shine.

Never have I ever is all about acceptance, more specifically, self-acceptance. And almost every character in the show has their own arc linking to self-acceptance; while Devi struggles with finding acceptance in not only her cultural identity, but, dealing with grief invoked struggles within her identity, Fabiola struggles with her identity through being queer, Eleanor literally just had a whole arc about finding out who she was and separating herself from her mother, and her boyfriend. Nalini feels lost after her husband's death and soon comes to accept her daughter, etc.

Paxton's arc fits the exact criteria. He was so lost with who he truly was, especially after he lost the one thing he was good at: swimming. He struggles to accept that he could do better in school, especially with his parent's lack of confidence in his abilities. He also definitely projects his own insecurities onto his own sister, especially the way he wants to give her the confidence that his own parents never had in him.

Enough about this though. Cultural identity. Though never have I ever hasn't touched too much upon cultural identity, it's already hinted that Devi may just explore this within season 4.

Paxton Hall Yoshida knew almost nothing about his family's history, and his way of being confident in himself truly didn't just come from him "going above and beyond on that extra credit assignment"; it, in fact, came from him confronting his identity of being half-Japanese. Talking about his identity had led him to achieve his goal of going above and beyond in school, AND, also culturally accepting himself. Especially the way Trent had been doing the whole "oh I didn't know you were Japanese bs" for a while. It just goes to show how out of touch Paxton was with his culture & history.

Love him sm. While I have my own personal thoughts about his romance with Devi, there's no denying he's well written, and that his arc may have hit close to home for a lot of people.

[tattleanna]

Personal review on NEVER HAVE I EVER SEASON 3

Season 3 is the best season, like I cried with the mother daughter scenes of Nalini and Devi since it was so sweet and I like seeing relationships like that strengthen and lets not forget about Bens POV cause that shit made me cry too like the constant pressure on you just to make your parents proud is tough and after the embarrassing stress caused constipation, Ben finally heard it himself that he made his dad proud and that just warms my heart so much. 

 At the end of season 2 I was not sure about Trent being with Eleanor considering Trent was portrayed as a popular douche of some sort but he grew on me and redeemed himself in my eyes and they are so cute i cannot tell you how much i love them. The way Eleanor supports Trent in everything even though it was clear he was never going take a job and work and how Trent is there and willing to be with Eleanor in every step in her career in future. I want them to be end game.  

Although what I didn't expect was Rhaya being this I don’t know “bitch” but honestly for me I saw that the events that happened at the end of episode 9 helped with the bond strengthening of Nalini and Devi in a way because although Devi had opened up to her mother about her heartbreak with Paxton, she also opened up to her about what happened to her during the concert. 

I loved all the Daxton moments as the season ended cause it showed that Devi moved on from her Highschool fantasy dream of having shemxy plowing with the Paxton Hall-Yoshida and started to treat him as a friend but my most loved Daxton moments was when Devi told Paxton that he had helped her through Mohan's death by being a dream to her. I feel like with that moment it shows that even if things didn’t turn out well for the both of them relationship wise, both made a huge impact on each others lives. 

Okay I got to say my gaydar went off on Fab and Aneesa ever since i started season 3 and I called it. even if it was only for a short  time Aneesa and Fab were cute not gonna lie. 

I can’t wait for season 4 though and i might be sad to considering that is the end of never Have I Ever but i still can’t wait for the final season and i also can’t wait for more character development in the series. 

Also BEVI I CALLED IT!! 

[mellarkably]

🚨 NHIE SPOILERS BELOW 🚨

first of all. that was a crazy ass season. so much happened and i can barely keep up or remember. so while this probably won't be a coherent or well worded recap, yhat defintely won't go over everything that i just watched for the past six hours, it'll just be my thoughts for now.

personally, i really liked the kamala plot and her struggle in the workplace. it was probably one of my favorite parts of the season. i'm not sure if kamala will be ditching prashant for mr. kulkarni but if she does i wouldn't be shocked. considering how prashant played into the whole workplace problem. also rip steve lol who remembers him. homie got done dirty.

now speaking of devi. there were many things she did this season that were not at all good or rational. however, i do like the fact that they delved more into her grief, and overall she actually seemed to develop over the season which made me happy. there are aspects of her grieving process that kinda felt unanswered, but hey, it is what it is. for what it's worth, im happy with the amount of growth she had over ten episodes. i actually felt like giving devi a hug so many times towards the end. and maitreyi killed it as always.

regarding the new kids! malcolm, well, i honestly kinda have intense apathy towards him as a character. he was cool at the start, a dick at the end—so yeah, i feel like he served his purpose overall. i felt extremely bad for oliver the entire time. and aneesa! she was the coolest addition they could honestly have had to the team. she's fun, charming, and fits in very well. i felt extreme sympathy for her ed and im glad they put a hotline at the end of those episodes. she's a great girl.

i'm very glad they gave paxton more of a well fleshed out personality this season. he seemed much more personable overall. although i felt like his episode at times fell a bit flat or felt too preachy regarding the whole hot people can be smart too concept, it was overall a fantastic episode and gigi hadid was a great choice as narrator. also loved the little switch to ben's pov when andy steps in. that was funny. i also liked the fact that they went into his ethnicity!

regarding his romantic feelings for devi though. i feel like i can't understand? like does he like her? does he not? is he embarassed of her? is he not? i failed to understand where he was most of the time. the mixed signals, like. paxton. i like you, but huh? well, to be fair, the romance in devi's life this season was pretty much a rollercoaster ride anyways so. i do love paxton's obijan though. great guy. we didn't get enough of rebecca though!

out of the two besties, i honestly liked fab's story a lot more. it felt relatable, that whole feeling of not being able to fit in as a new sapphic. and i adore fab and eve. i'm glad they didnt make their relationship too cookie cutter.

eleanor's subplot was alright. again, it was really hard to kinda, if i put this blatantly, give a fuck about malcolm and whatever their relationship was. (loved tyler alveraz's performance though) but i liked her talking with her stepmom sharon. i wish they spent more time on that rather than malcolm but again, they don't have much time to waste.

i loved nalini's subplots. all of them. she was honestly one of my fav characters this season, as well as devi's grandma. we got to delve into the indian culture more too, so that was very cool. her relationship with dr. jackson was also nice for the short time they had with each other. i didn't expect them to breakup, i kinda just expected devi to learn to be okay with her mother moving on, but then again, i also agree that it felt a little fast. i loved the flashbacks with mohan too.

i feel like i wanna save ben and benvi for last because i have too much to say. it was an absolute rollercoaster ride to be a team ben while watching this season. i'm a bit dissapointed that we didn't get any individual plot regarding him, stuff that didn't have to do with girls, but i get why. he got that in s1, and it was paxton's turn to shine.

regarding the whole ben and aneesa thing; honestly, i think they're cute. i love aneesa and i love ben. i just want him to be happy. but it's clear he still has feelings for devi and he doesn't really know what he wants, which sucks for everyone involved. i think that he just assumed that devi liked paxton more than him, that he was her second choice (which honestly, considering the things that transpired, it's not very hard to see why he though that, and he was clearly hurt with her clear choice of paxton over him on multiple occassions) but oh well.

i feel like ben was a catalyst for a lot of the things devi needed to do. like apologize to aneesa, for example. and in that way, they still work well. i loved their banter, whenever we got it. i have hope for them in season 3 (if it happens), considering the way they ended it, but eh. aneesa is also a great girl, so it sucks that this is the direction we're going. but yeah. i am a bit bitter with the dreadf lack of benvi i kinda got this season, but their conversations and the way he helped push her development did make me feel a little better.

as for what team i'm on or whatever, i don't feel like i'm avidly on any team tbh. i'm still lowkey rooting for ben and devi. the reason why i'm not completely getting behind daxton is because i didn't really like what paxton did in episode 10, with the whole not wanting them to be public thing. the entire season felt like he was sending mixed signals. not that i'm saying hes a shitty guy or anything, but yeah. and the reason i'm not completely team ben is because he seems to be teetering between aneesa and devi, so yes, again with the mixed signals. kind of. but the reason i'm still rooting for ben is because i really liked the way they pushed each other, or majorly, he pushed her development, with asking her to apologize, etc. and although him getting together with anessa was not a win for me, a benvi, to relish, i think it helped devi learn to act a little more mature and less territorial.

if i'm being completely honest, i think that devi needed to be single at the end of this season, at least for now. i read the synopsis of episode 10 and was kinda hoping that she'd make that choice, that she'd choose herself, because what she needs isn't a boyfriend. what she needs is just to recover. and i honestly still don't feel like she completely got over her dad's death.

OVERALL THOUGH. this was a much better season than the first one. i feel like they finally got into their groove in terms of acting and comedy. (also trent is the funniest >>>) although i felt like this season was kinda like the first one but on steroids, which at most times was very anxiety inducing to watch, i did like the episodes and i was heavily entertained. go watch it!

i also really need a season 3 so—

[montygreen]

Hiii there! Hope you don’t mind me coming at you for nhie talk but I just associate you with it so much!! I obviously binged my way through season 2 in one sitting and OMG I’m so satisfied!! My only complaint is that I really wished it was longer bc damn it all went by so quickly and I feel like we could get so much more of each storyline bc they were ALL SO GOOD!!! I’m really happy with the path they gave each character, it’s so hard for me to even choose a favorite arc. What are your thoughts on the season?

Don't apologize, I love discussing NHIE and I have so many thoughts!! This is gonna be so, so long, I'm sorry in advance, so I'm gonna toss the rest under the cut.

I do wish it was slightly longer, I watched the whole show Thursday and I feel like I tore through it, and yeah I would have totally wanted slightly more with each storyline, but alas that tends to be how I feel about 8-10 episode Netflix shows LOL

Personally, my favourite character arc was Kamala's. As a fellow woman in STEM, the scene where she stands up to her bosses in the lab and puts her name on the paper anyway and submits it was freaking aspirational, and the journey she went on with feeling undervalued for her contributions, especially as a woman of colour was really relatable. (Please let men be less dickish to me when I have to do lab work during the future of my educational career lol)

I also REALLY loved how much Paxton grew this season. Giving him a POV episode and giving him that amazing relationship with his grandfather, just humanized him so, so much. During season 1, I was just totally apathetic to Paxton as a character, since he really lacked a personality (I think this was intentional on the writer's part since he was really depicted as the object of Devi's affections and this perfect hot guy without flaws -- but I didn't make him compelling lol.) My point being, I actually quite like Paxton now, I still have my opinion on Devi and Paxton's relationship, but I'll get to those in a bit.

I also loved Nalini's arc a lot too. I was really worried the reason she wasn't going to move to India would be because she got a love interest in the States, but instead of the show didn't do that at all. I LOVED how she brought a bit of her home to her by having her mother-in-law move in, and I just love how now the Vishwakumar household is an even more multigenerational household!! Also, I just love Nirmala!!

Next, we shall discuss Aneesa, my love!! What a fantastic addition to the cast, I'm so happy to see another Indian teen girl character (my love for Devi is, of course, eternal) but it's cool how Devi and Aneesa both are very similar and very different. I also loved that they made Aneesa Muslim!! My dad's side of my family is Ismaili Muslim, (and therefore it is the religion I used to sort of practice) which is a subset of Indian Muslims, so it was amazing to see an Indian Muslim on screen. Aneesa's relationship with Ben was pretty adorable too, and though I'm team Ben and Devi forever, it was really great to see that episode where Devi had to deal with them dating and be mature about it, I think that showcased some important growth for her.

Devi in genera grew so, so much this season. I think she learned some incredibly important lessons about selfishness and it was good that she had to face all of the consequences for all of her actions. The two-timing decision was bad, but I couldn't even be mad at it, because it fit with Devi's absolute lack of emotional maturity at the beginning of the season, and from that and the consequences of that, I think she's really, really grown.

I loved Fabiola's storyline about forming her own identity as a queer person too, and she and Eve are >>>

Throughout all of this, I've barely touched on Devi's relationships with Paxton or Ben, I've realized.

I love Devi and Paxton as friends, the scene with them rapping to study in episode 3 was adorable, and I just want them to be homies lol. I loved their dynamic as tutor and tutee, but Devi was very right that she can't hold his hand forever (not a huge fan of the narrative framing what she said to him as a wrong, rather than how she said, literally the one thing she said this season where I was like.... wait, but she's right.) The reason I don't think their relationship works is because Devi really struggles to stand up to him. When she's with him, she really had blinders on regarding almost everything else. Like, it took Eleanor, Fab, Ben, and her dad visiting her in a dream to convince her to tell Paxton she wasn't happy being his secret girlfriend (because everyone could see it.) Whereas usually, Devi is perfectly capable of standing up for herself. Because Devi has this idolization of Paxton, there's this inherent imbalance in power in their relationship that just... doesn't work for me, romantically at least.

Also, I think there's something to be said about how when Devi changes for Paxton it's all superficial: it's about popularity and appearances and wanting to be cool, but when she changes for Ben, he pushes her to be more selfless and caring and overall just a better person.

Devi and Ben's scenes this season were all amazing. Either they were FILLED with so much fraught tension or they were just so freaking soft with each other, these idiots have 0 in between. It's very clear that Devi's two-timing hurt Ben so much more than it hurt Paxton (stealing this thought from when Bhargavi @parkersedith and I discussed the show, but ingeniously pointed out that when Paxton expresses hurt it's all about his image how she "made him look stupid" or but for Ben, it's real, deep, visceral hurt. She broke his heart and that's why it took him much longer to forgive her. Their scenes in the finale were so much. Like with the scene in the bathroom where he gives her a pep talk and tells her Paxton doesn't deserve her (and the implication of those words is so clearly that Ben believes he does deserve Devi), the little banter at the dance, and Eleanor being the romcom hero we need and telling Ben Devi wanted to pick him, so despite him being so hurt about not being her first choice (which you can see SO CLEARLY with "Devi, you followed him. At the party, you followed him, and you left me behind") the revelation that he actually was her first choice -- oh boy am I excited for season 3.

If you made it to the end of this ramble, congrats, it was a lot! I still have more thoughts, so message me if you want to discuss the show!!