#ben's reaction to fabiola coming out

[catty-words]

I am interested in how the Boink voucher is going to go. Will they have sex? Will they not have sex? We know Ben will be dating Margot in the first episodes and Devi has a thing with that new guy (hopefully we don’t have to see either of them for too long) but something must have happened that generates some level of miscommunication between them.

I am sure Devi finds out Margot and Ben are dating on their first day of senior year. which makes me wonder, what happened during the summer? it became awkward? they didn’t talk? I hardly doubt this because they’ve been involved in very awkward situations and they didn’t stop talking to each other and Ben has been the type to talk about things. Did they make some sort of a pact? (it’s very Devi and Ben could just go along with it). Did she not communicate that she’s not going to Shudland and Ben is surprised to see her back to school?

I’m positive the scene with Devi walking all smiles is the first episode and that’s when she sees Ben kissing Margot. It seems like she comes from a good place and given the leaked script she wasn’t expecting Ben to date anyone. I also think the new guy thing won’t be like a Des situation. IF Devi did had sex with Ben, maybe she’s playing the field with her new found confidence (and Ben is with Margot so that’s also Devi just being Devi out of spite).

Mit said on a interview for the Nintendo red carpet that it starts right where we left off and with drama, that usually the drama starts by the middle but the stakes are high since the very start so I’m sure the new season opens with the boink scene and something happens that shapes the miscommunication arc.

What would you hope happens? Do you want Devi and Ben to lose their virginity? I think it would be interesting to see because it ads a layer to their interactions because now it’s just not about the mutual pinning but they knowing what is like to be with the other in that way. And it would be interesting to see Fabiola and Eleanor’s reactions to learning this info.

i'm gonna be honest with you, chief. i find trying to predict What Will Happen Next a deeply unpleasant way to engage with a television show. like, long-established and nothing to do with your ask, i'm not trying to guilt you for sending it, i love you for wanting to discuss this show with me. i've just found, after a decade and some change kicking around in fandoms, that this particular activity is not my style. and in the case of nhie specifically, being too concerned with the promos and building up expectations actively undermined my ability to accept season two for what it was.

so, the short answer is: i'm excited to see how it all plays out, but i'm not hoping for anything in particular. i want my heart open to loving however the writers decided to conclude this series that's now hardwired into my dna.

the longer answer, because i don't wish to leave you hanging, is that i did actually watch this teaser, and i'm of the opinion that the ben becoming 'a stud over the summer' vibes are contingent on the kid having sex for the first time and deciding he's hot shit about it. also, when i was watching 3.10 for the first time, one of my immediate thoughts after it finished was about how ben doesn't know devi's not actually going to shrubland, so i believe at least a little of their conflict will be born of that, if not something else that happened between them over the summer. that's as far as i'm willing to go with conjecture.

[goodgrammaritan]

Never Have I Ever Season 4

SPOILERS

Season 4 was lazy. It ended in almost exactly the same place as season 3.

Paxton? At college and a bit more motivated.

Aneesa? Forgotten and shoved to the side

Kamala? Happy romantically and career-wise.

Eleanor? Acting and in love with Trent.

Fabiola? Killing it at robotics and happy with Addison.

Devi and Nalini? Understanding of one another.

Devi and Ben? Top two academically, and finally together.

Instead of manufacturing drama and awkwardness and miscommunication, I would have much rather seen:

Devi and Ben stumbling through a healthy relationship, finding what works, what they want goal-wise and sex-wise. I mean, "Or perhaps, we could be side-to-side to be more egalitarian?" That was such a good line. How much better would it have been if she'd said it to Ben? And then he worries he's not empowering her if he's on top or whatever. Or they find out they like to insult each other during, or they like role-play.

And how about Nalini and Devi talk about serious relationships, and sex, and how Nalini wants Devi to be safe, and how she thinks Devi's not mature enough for sex, or something. Not the same "you were irresponsible and I'm judging you" and "you don't believe in me" kind of stuff. After season 3 when Nalini stood up for Devi when she threw coffee in Des's face and said how Devi was more mature and stronger than Des and his mom...it was just disappointing.

How about having Ben bond with Nalini, Nirmala and Kamala? Nirmala immediately likes him because he studies up on Indian culture and is smart, and if they *have* to keep the "is Len cheating?" storyline, have Kamala and Ben team up investigating? Those would have been good hijinks. And Nalini and Ben already have a foundation.

And Kamala. She had nothing to do. Barely a career, and Manish was in literally 30 seconds of the entire season.

And Paxton coming back as a teacher...just dumb. I liked him not being popular at college and struggling, but the season would have been fine without him. All he did plot-wise was tell Devi to be happy for Fabiola, but that role/conversation could've easily been given to Kamala or Eleanor or even Ben, though Ben's initial reaction would've been outrage on Devi's behalf, but he'd come around. I mean, he and Fabiola had a good bonding moment at that party in season 3.

Just...it was lazy

It still made me laugh, and it made me cry a couple times, but the emotional arcs were rushed and repetitive. The cast was killing it despite the weaker material and it's because of them that I was engaged emotionally, not because of the writing.

[heycoyotegirl]

@ibrushmyteeth-donttellanyone I (a Benvi) am actually really interested in what you mean by this. Could you elaborate? I'm curious I promise I'm not looking for trouble!

Yeah, no worries! I love talking meta :)

So I've realized that Devi and Paxton were actually on parallel arcs for the entire series, but I'll focus on the college/career aspect of the show, since that's what I was talking about in the original post.

Every major character other than Devi and Paxton knows what they want to do in the future. They either have a specific career in mind, or a field that they're interested in. Fab has robotics, and Eleanor wants to be an actress (and later, director). Ben plans to go to Columbia and then be a lawyer like his dad. Even Trent has an (admittedly bad) plan to make a career out of reacting to reaction videos. ((Aneesa's an outlier here, but she was barely in season 4 at all (and was only introduced in s2), so she doesn't really count for this discussion.))

Even when there are bumps on the road—like Ben sending himself to the hospital in s3 or having a bad visit to Columbia in s4 or Eleanor being rejected by Julliard—the end goal doesn't change. Ben is still admitted to Columbia and then Devi gives him a pep talk that convinces him that he can fit in there (and, if you take the alternate ending into account, ends up becoming a lawyer). Eleanor decides to pursue directing so that she can cast herself.

But unlike everyone else, Devi and Paxton don't have plans for after college.

In season 2, Paxton tells his parents that he wants an education and a career. But he doesn't actually say (or know) what career. And in season 4, Devi literally admits that she's worried about the future because she's never thought about what comes after getting into Princeton, but that plot line is never meaningfully explored.

For both of them, the goal was getting into college. Full stop. No idea what comes next.

Obviously the fixation on just-getting-into-college comes from different places (Devi clinging to her memories of her dad and unable to think of anything other than getting into Princeton vs Paxton who had his plan to go to college on a swimming scholarship ripped away and then had to fight to even have a chance of being admitted), but it gives us the same result: Characters who are uniquely aimless compared to everyone else.

Even their struggles with getting into college are similar. Fabiola and Ben both get into colleges right away, and then any conflict that arises is whether the school they're thinking of going to is a good fit. But Paxton and Devi both have a "maybe I'm not good enough for college" arc. Paxton's conversation with Ojichan where he asks if he's too stupid to get into college parallels Devi's conversation with Dr. Ryan after she's deferred by Princeton.

(sorry, my daxton bias is gonna show for this paragraph) This is also why I think the post-prom scene would've been stronger with Paxton. It was sweet with Ben talking about how hard she's worked and how she would regret not writing the supplemental essay, but he can't actually relate to that experience. He hasn't lived it (and, in fact, his arc was the opposite: learning to work less rather than pushing himself). But Paxton has. He spent an entire season realizing that other people's opinions don't matter; all that matters is that he puts in the effort and believes in himself.

Devi and Paxton both have a series long arc of figuring out who they are and fighting to escape from the boxes that other people put them in (which I will probably make a post about in the future). And season 4 gave us the conclusion to that arc for Paxton: He's returning to college to become a teacher.

But the insane part—the part that makes me froth at the mouth and rave and believe that something went seriously wrong in the writers' room this season—is that we never get a conclusion to that arc for Devi, our main character.

She gets the dream college and the boy, but narratively, she still has no future! In real life, yes, it's totally normal to go to college not knowing what you want to do (though, often if people don't even have a specific area of interest, they take a gap year), but it doesn't make any sense for this character in this show.

The logical conclusion to Devi's story is her finding a passion to pursue, which would've shown her growth and how much she's healed; she's now able to think about her future, rather than centering her entire life around this goal she made with her dad.

currently going feral over the way paxton's arc (wrt figuring out life after high school) is a mirror of devi's, while ben's is more similar to her friends/the supporting characters

[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.

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey: *The Sex Lives of College Girls*/*Never Have I Ever*

I have always been intrigued by Mindy Kaling, even as her work out put has been inconsistent. I liked and even loved good chunks of The Mindy Project, but it could be wildly uneven, from the development of who would be in the ensemble to how much it satirized the romantic comedy versus playing it as one. I was disappointed that her next sitcom, Champions, only had one season. I was mostly frustrated with her film, Late Night, (though by now that’s far enough in the past that I don’t retain strong feelings). Which I guess is one of the reasons that I didn’t get around to her current shows, Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls until recently. It’s also why I am still surprised by how much I like both of them. I agree with this Slate article that posits that Kaling’s sensibilities work better for young adult/coming of age stories than adult romantic comedies, and I am really happy with the results. 

I watched The Sex Lives of College Girls first and it is a fascinating show. The four main characters, suite mates Bela, Kimberly, Whitney and Leighton are all well drawn. I believe in their culture clashes, I like how financially sensitive the show is, and all the ways in which they are in the midst of difficult transition. Kimberly’s downward spiral was the most prolonged and painful story, and didn’t really have the types of highs that the other’s did to balance it out. I found myself the least sympathetic to her, while having to admit her story was otherwise well written and played. Whitney’s affair with the assistant coach was rough, and the most problematic, and I hope that there isn’t much left next season. I did, however enjoy her bonding with the soccer team, the budding age appropriate romance with Canaan, and her relationship with her mother. I loved comedy nerd Bela, her boundless enthusiasm even in the face of sexism, racism and harassment. Her willingness to start from the ground up when the comedy magazine she wanted to work for proved hopelessly corrupt was a joy to watch. I think I ultimately felt most for Leighton and her discomfort with labels. Sure she’s awful and spoiled and expects corruption to be everywhere and work for her, but I get not wanting to make an aspect of your personality the focus of your life even as there are plenty of societal reasons why it also seems like a necessary moral stance. I’m excited for the second season.

Even being really impressed by The Sex Lives of College Girls did not prepare me for how delightful I find Never Have I Ever. I even love the much criticized John McEnroe narration. When he compared the lead character Devi dating two guys to when he one championships in singles and doubles at the same tournament I flipped. I love how relatable he finds most of her outbursts. Devi is such a joy. She’s bold and has an interesting mix of confidence and insecurities. Sure she’s self absorbed, but no more than is normal for a teen. (I also think trying to shame teens for their perceived self absorption possibly does more harm than good. At least it did for me.) The ways in which she plays off of all the people in her life are all uniquely interesting. And what an ensemble! I especially love her mother Nalini and cousin Kamala. Her best friends, Eleanor and Fabiola are on their own teenage odysseys and  I love that for them. I even like the love interests Devi. I generally like the scenes between Devi and Paxton better than the ones between her and Ben.  Ben is the more developed character, but just seems like it’s easier to enjoy spending time with Paxton. I did read a lot of people’s reactions to the triangle. I think there are a lot of well written metas out there. I’m not going to engage. I just love the opportunity to see teens burn their lives down and rebuild while being funny. 

[shreyugh]

My ops on never have I ever

I have kind of a lot

*Also none of these gifs are mine, credit to all the creators *

Spoilers

Devi- I really liked her, the way they portrayed her was very realistic as I found that I could relate to her a lot. Her feelings about being Indian rang v true and I could see myself in her. Sure at times she was really annoying but she’s 16, like what do you expect. However saying that, she wasn’t a good friend, she wasn’t there for Eleanor when she needed to be and that kinda irked me.

Fabiola- love her, I loved her friendship with Eleanor is seemed so genuine. Also clocked that she was a lesbian within the first 5 min that I saw her. I also loved the reactions everyone had to her coming out because it wasn’t like the biggest deal that she was lesbian. I really liked her story.

Eleanor- I felt so sorry for her when the whole thing with her mum happened. And it was shit that when she needed her friend the most she wasn’t there. Also loved her but I wished that she was developed a little more because her development was just her mum leaving ya know?

Kamala- a queeeeennnn. I loved her sm, she was my favourite character. I loved that her thing was wanting to study and not wanting to get married. Also I was really interested in her at some points more than Devi (don’t come for me). I also really liked how they portrayed arranged marriages in the show. They showed it as nothing bad and I really appreciated it.

Ben- smol bby. I really liked him. He was just treated so shitly throughout the whole show and he finally got the gal and that made me so happy for him. I liked the one episode on him it really gave us a view into his life and his family and made the audience feel for him.

Paxton- a right fittie, he was good at some points and not so great at other points. He was always there for Devi like after the parties, he took her home and make sure she was ok. So it means that he did care for her but he also felt kinda off at some points. It was like her turned up when he wanted to and fucked off when he wanted to. But it was quite realistic in the way that girls fall for the popular guy and then don’t realise that they can do better saying that I think an episode with his pov would be nice like we had one of Ben.

Devi’s mum- I liked her a lot, I liked to kinda see her internal struggle of not knowing how to raise her daughter after her husband died and seeing Devi and her mum reunite was really nice to watch and made me a bit emotional. I’m excited to see how Devi and her mum’s relationship progresses in the next season.

overall- i really enjoyed this show. Sure, its cringe but its less cringe after ep 5 and more bearable to watch. I liked the representation that Indians got although I’m not Indian-American, I’m Indian-British so i could relate to a lot of the aspects about the show. I also enjoyed the diverse main cast without it feeling pushy or in your face. I’m neither team Ben or team Paxton, I really liked Devi and Ben they’re really cute but I wouldn’t be opposed to Devi and Paxton. However if they make Devi and Paxton a thing they better not do anything horrible to Ben because I will riot.  Loved the narration by John McEnroe, all in all looking forward to the next season.

Das all, adios 

[catty-words]

[catty-words]

Why Not Just Anyone Will Get Their Own Narration

Or, the narration meta no one asked for.

Never Have I Ever shifting the POV to Ben Gross for an episode was a pleasant surprise for most viewers—certainly was for me!—and, as a result, I’ve seen/heard the other cast members get asked who would narrate their own POV episode. And as much as I love the speculation, I’ve noticed a pattern in the narration that makes me a) think not just anyone will get a breakout POV and b) appreciate the way Ben getting his own is, not forecasted, exactly, but highlights an internal consistency in the universe that I really enjoy.

To start, let’s take a look at how McEnroe discusses Kamala—the best example of what I mean from the first episode.

Intro: That’s Devi’s cousin Kamala. She moved in after Mohan’s passing to complete her PhD at CalTech. Devi is not a fan.

Later in the Ep: Kamala was expected to have an arranged marriage after she finished her studies abroad, but she felt less than enthusiastic about that idea.

The intro is similar to what most characters get in the first episode—a brief rundown of why they’re in Devi’s orbit and a hint at their main personality traits. And, in addition to this intro being framed in how Kamala relates back to Devi, we get the bit of insight that Devi doesn’t like her. It’s all very much grounded in Devi’s head.

McEnroe popping in during the Vishwakumar family dinner, on the other hand, deviates from Devi’s perspective. Even though Kamala is clearly sarcastic about finding the potential-husband news exciting, it’s also clear that Devi is too self-involved to pick up on this. Instead of frowning sympathetically at Kamala’s clear frustration, Devi excuses herself from the table because Kamala “[doing] nothing and [getting] a full husband in the mail” niggles at her insecurity about being undesirable.

Contrast that with the Ben-centric narration from the episode.

This disgusted reaction, belongs to Ben Gross, Devi’s nemesis. … Ben Gross’s father, Howard, whom he idolized, was a top entertainment attorney in Beverly Hills. This allowed Ben Gross to dine out for years on the fact that Blake Griffin was at his Bar Mitzvah. And he and Devi have been vying for the number one spot in the class every year since first grade.

We learn of his relationship with Devi, but we don’t actually get additional insight to his thoughts and feelings. The fact that his dad’s a lawyer and that Blake Griffin was at his Bar Mitzvah are both bits of common knowledge around the school. If anything, the slightly mocking tone in which this information is delivered makes this bit of narration even more grounded in Devi’s POV rather than Ben’s.

Kamala goes on to get a couple more moments of character-building in the narration that go beyond what Devi notices about her cousin. 1.04 is a prime example (As the aunties praised her, Kamala had a sinking feeling. She didn’t want to get married, but she put on a happy face, like I did at the trophy ceremony when I lost the French Open to Ivan Lendl in 1984).

McEnroe also gives us insight to Fabiola’s inner life—insights that Devi couldn’t be said to know because, even though she concedes that it makes a lot of sense in 1.07, Devi’s clearly finds Fabiola’s coming out to be a revelation.

1.03: As a scientist, Fabiola was used to a clear-cut, data-driven life. Which is why she was struggling with these new, complicated emotions.

1.05: We’re gonna jump ship and check in on Fabiola, who has much more interesting things going on. Fabiola had told no one she was gay, except her robot, Gears Brosnan. She knew the next logical step was to come out to some humans, specifically her family.

McEnroe even makes it explicit that we’re leaving focus on Devi to tune into Fabiola’s life in the episode-five narration.

The narration over scenes involving Ben in these episodes, on the other hand, goes like this.

1.03: What made Devi most sad wasn’t seeing Paxton all over the hottest girl in her grade. It was that she let herself believe she actually had a shot with him. … Drunk and rude, Devi was indulging in what I would call self-destructive behavior.

1.05: Years ago, Devi and Ben split all extracurriculars down the middle, except for sports, which required too much locker room nudity for either of them. // Devi was panicking. How did Ben find out about her lie? Simple. Her friends told him.

In 1.03, even though Ben is present, the narration over the scene is all about Devi. If anything, Ben interjects into/interrupts the discussion of Devi’s mental state, and she promptly ignores him in favor of being “self-destructive.”

And even though we get the insight that Ben isn’t comfortable with locker room nudity, it’s—again—something Devi obviously knows/intuited because of the pact.

The second bit of narration I included from 1.05 tells us something Devi doesn’t know—that it was her friends who told Ben about her lie—but rather than being a special insight to Ben’s POV, it’s simply expository. An in-case-you-forgot bit of narration.

The only other bit of narration involving Ben after 1.06 comes in the final episode of the season, where McEnroe sets up another in-case-you-forgot exposition flashback, which makes me curious to know how McEnroe-provided narration involving Ben might evolve for season two.

Eleanor and Nalini land somewhere in an ambiguous middle in terms of McEnroe knowing their inner thoughts and feelings.

For Eleanor, the only bit we have to go off of comes in the second episode.

Devi strode off, confident her friends had believed this bullshit story. Fabiola and Eleanor were confident their friend had become completely unhinged.

This line obviously steps outside Devi’s POV, but it’s also not solely Eleanor’s moment. Everything else that would be—involving her mother—is the same expository, facts-Devi-would-know style of narration. Therefore, I think Eleanor’s still totally in the running for her own POV episode.

As for Nalini, we get these moments in 1.04.

Nalini was a little on edge. This was the first puja they had gone to since Mohan’s untimely death and Devi’s paralysis.

The day had been a long one for Nalini, and she needed a win, even if it was a small one.

They’re grounded in the isolation Nalini feels and one of the major conflicts of the season is that Devi doesn’t have access to the fact that Nalini’s struggling as much as she is. So, we can probably call this a step outside Devi’s POV. It’s simply not as dramatic a break as for Kamala or Fabiola.

Of course, for episode ten to have the emotional impact it does, it makes sense we wouldn’t spend the season discussing Nalini’s heartbreak. It has to be more subtly communicated to the audience via Poorna Jagannathan’s acting and the flashbacks we’re given. Therefore, I think it’s unlikely that Nalini would get her own episode, but definitely not out of the question.

And, finally, there’s Paxton. As the object of Devi’s desire, so much of the narration revolves around Paxton—far too much for me to compile here or discuss individually, since I’m looking to wrap up this meta in, like, a hundred words.

So, here are the bits I’ve pulled out.

1.02: Whoa, Paxton speaks Japanese? Guess his last name makes more sense now.

1.09: Even though Nalini was talking out her frustration more than anything else, Paxton was stung by these little digs at his intelligence.

In 1.02, our narrator is actively surprised by new information, which makes a pretty solid case for the fact that McEnroe doesn’t have access to Paxton’s inner-life. And that makes sense because, when I call him the object of Devi’s desire, I’m putting a lot of emphasis on object. Devi doesn’t fully let herself acknowledge that Paxton’s more than a fantasy, so of course McEnroe—the voice inside her head—wouldn’t be super concerned with his personhood, either.

The line from 1.09 seems to throw a bit of a wrench into the works, since Paxton being insecure about his intelligence has every appearance of being a special insight. And I’m not going to go all the way and say that’s not the case, but I will bring up Devi’s line from 1.05: “Paxton’s not dumb, okay? He’s just…consistently bad at school!”

Obviously, Devi’s at least semi-aware that intelligence is Something to Paxton. On the other hand, she’s saying the line to fend off criticism from Ben, so it could just as easily be posturing as protectiveness over Paxton’s insecurity rather than actual knowledge the insecurity exists.

In summation, I still think Paxton’s the most likely candidate for a breakout POV episode in season two—boy desperately needs some interiority, so this is certainly high on my s2 wish list—with Eleanor a close second and Nalini a potential third. I think it’s unlikely that the show will (or would even consider) writing one for every character, though.