#they are always like Ben is so rude!!! so is Devi

[wheelercurse]

why is twt full of d*xtons????

[heycoyotegirl]

@fishyyyyy99 Starting a new post cause I didn't want the old one to get super long :P

I don't even know if the other sub ships Daxton, so much as they simply hate Ben. I'd even be okay with the hate if there wasn't so much censorship there. And the sub that I posted on definitely has a Benvi bias with a few Ben super fans (who didn't even really ship Benvi in the past) who post a huge amount about Ben. They don't hate Paxton, but they treat him like he's this boring, uninteresting character which I completely disagree with.

Yeah, I get deleting comments if they're unnecessarily rude/clearly trolls/arguing in bad faith, but it'd be nice if there was a reason given, so it doesn't seem like people's comments are being deleted just because they have opposing views. I did see a couple people hating on Paxton in a post on the Ben stan subreddit, but that could've just been an outlier. I admittedly haven't spent a lot of time on there because I a) don't use reddit that often in general and b) found the fixation on Jaren Lewison kinda weird and off-putting. Either way, Paxton is definitely an interesting character if you're willing to look past the fact that he's more introverted/reserved than Ben and Devi.

While it's fun to read the analyses of Ben on the Ben stan subreddit, it does not scratch my itch to read detailed analyses of other characters so I'm glad I found you.

Aw thanks!! Sorry I’m not faster at replying lol

Thank you for acknowledging that a good love triangle has two viable romantic options. Benvi was always more enjoyable to me because of the existence of Daxton. Ben is fun to watch when he does all that pining. As for why I prefer Benvi to Daxton, before I even knew that Benvi was going to be a ship, I wanted them to be a ship because I love enemies to lovers. And I always loved their friendship. But especially in season 3, Ben and Devi started reminding me of my best friend and myself (whom I'd definitely be very attracted to, if I were attracted to girls).

That’s fair! And you’re definitely right about Ben being at his best when he’s pining.

I normally enjoy enemies to lovers, but Ben and Devi don’t totally hit the beats I tend to want with that trope. And since it’s not my absolute favorite trope (that’d be fake dating), I was more looking at which guy’s personality/vibes seemed to mesh better with Devi’s, and imo, that was Paxton.

Also I felt like what Ben really needed was stable friendships (and therapy), rather than a romantic relationship. To me, Benvi felt like they were at their healthiest and most mutually beneficial when they were just friends. Whenever they were together—or trying to get together—it just seemed to create problems and conflict.

(I’m happy to elaborate on any of this; I just didn’t want to be anti Benvi unprompted lol)

Ben and Devi seemed to really enjoy each other's company in a way that they never enjoyed anyone else's (I know that not everyone may agree with this)

Yeah, my knee-jerk reaction is to disagree lol, but do you have examples/scenes that give you that impression? Ironically, I was grieving for a good chunk of last year (not a parent; don’t worry), which made my already not-great memory even worse, so my recollection for season 3 is spotty.

and they just retreat into their own world which really reminds me of how I am with my best friend even though we don't have a banter-y dynamic like Benvi. That really, really sealed the deal for me. To me, season 3 Benvi is basically just best friends to lovers and I really want my boyfriend to be my best friend too.

Huh, I’ve never thought about this before, but I wonder if the reason Benvi’s banter doesn’t always land for me is because I have a banter-y relationship with my friends (and my academic rivals back when I was in high school), so I’m more picky about how banter is written.

Now that you mention it, I agree that Lindsey's interest in Paxton was not well-developed, but I assumed it had to do with what he did for Eric.

Yeah, I figured it was because he helped Eric, but I still didn’t believe it. Like, she’s at least 22* and meets Paxton when he’s 18**, which is the same age that some of her students will be by the end of the year, since she’s teaching a senior class. And she literally calls him out for his immaturity and then less than six months later starts dating him??

She’s wanted to be a high school teacher since she was in high school, so it feels kinda creepy/like a lack of boundaries that she’d be willing to date someone who, only a year ago, was a student at the school where she’s teaching. Especially since it’s not like Paxton knew that college wasn’t for him and confidently entered the workforce. He’s abandoning his goals and floundering around trying to figure out his life. Even when he goes back to college, he’s still in that weird, not-quite-an-adult period, where he’s still figuring out how to be independent. Which is a hugely different stage of life than Lindsay, who’s a college graduate pursuing her career goals. (And that doesn't even get into the whole long distance thing)

I dated someone one (1) year younger than me when we were both in university, and I sometimes felt like he was annoyingly immature. If I wanted to be a teacher in a high school, I would have a hardline stance about only dating people closer to my age than students’ age. Also imagine if the genders were swapped and it was a guy who had graduated college who ended up with a teenage girl after influencing her life goals? People would have way more issues with the pair.

A mentor-mentee relationship would’ve made much more sense. And, honestly, Lindsay doesn’t have any narrative significance beyond “Paxton’s girlfriend” that couldn’t be filled by another character. Becca or Devi could’ve called him out for being immature and/or giving up on his goals. Devi’s tutoring and encouragement in season 2 could’ve inspired him to pursue a career in teaching. Or it could’ve been Mr. Shapiro who convinced him to become a teacher—Facing History was the first class that Paxton really pushed himself and succeeded in, after all.

Also, it just feels kind of gross to pair Paxton up with an older, much more mature woman, after all the weird sexualization and cougar attention throughout the show.

*I was curious, so I checked the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and she'd either need a baccalaureate (for a CL-505p Substitute Teaching Permit) or to still be enrolled in a four-year school, which we know she isn't, since she said she graduated. But with a permit, substitutes can only cover for a teacher for 60 cumulative days. And since she seems to be working there for pretty much the entire school year, she probably has full teaching credentials, which could add at least a year to her time at college.

**I did the math, and his birthday would be December or early/mid January

I will say that I was really annoyed that they made such a huge deal of her slow-mo entry because it felt to me like they were undermining his feelings for Devi. But I've since become okay with it because even Des had a slow-mo entry for Devi and we all know that that was NOT the superior relationship.

Honestly, the slow-mo entry thing seemed weird to me, too. I think it felt like a Devi-specific quirk, 'cause she always cared about looks and popularity more than the other characters. It both felt ooc for Paxton and like they were doubling down on the physical attraction to make up for the fact that the emotional connection between them hadn't really been that well developed.

I was actually okay with Devi not actively pursuing anyone in season 4. I feel like she finally was okay with not being in a relationship and would have been happy even if Ben hadn't come and confessed his love to her. She knew what she wanted and had already asked him out, he was the one who had to work through his issues in season 4. She was even happier to be with Ben but would have been happy single too. And I liked that. It showed growth to me. However, I do wish that there had been a scene in which Paxton had actually expressed interest in pursuing a relationship with her (it's a pity the teacher thing prevented that), and she actually had to make a choice about whether she wanted to pursue that or not. I'd have felt the same way even if Daxton was endgame. I'd have wanted Ben to make his interest known and for Devi to actually have to either reject him or Paxton.

Oh, I didn’t mean that I wanted her to actively be chasing after a guy; you actually articulated my point better than I did: Her rejecting Paxton should’ve been solely her choice, rather than something influenced by the situation. Because as it stands, we don’t actually know if she would’ve rejected him in s4 if his job hadn’t been a factor. It takes away some of her agency to make decisions about her love life if one of her possible choices would get someone fired.

I think it probably would've made sense to have a scene where El and Fab ask if she's crushing on anyone after her breakup with Ethan and have her say that she's happy to focus on school/hang out with them and find some guy in college. (Or a scene with Dr. Ryan that conveyed the same message.) Devi spent the past three seasons chasing after guys, so it'd be nice to have it be in the text that she doesn't feel the need to do that anymore, rather than having it be subtext.

Like, I don’t have any issue with her pining after Ben, but there were times when she seemed more resigned to the fact that nothing would happen with him towards the end of season 4, rather than actually content and comfortable being single.

Also, I agree that Daxton wasn't well-represented platonically in season 4 either. They really did Daxton dirty.

Literally every scene with them could've been platonic (at least on Devi's side) as long as they kept the emotional depth of their friendship, and I would've been happier with the season. I feel like a lot of the relationships this season were either completely forgotten about or sidelined/shallower than past seasons, which was super disappointing.

[thefabulousfab-3]

In defense of Ben Gross,

Brace yourselves this is a long post and I typed this on my phone because my computer has decided it no longer wants to work for me. We are going to be looking at some of the events of season 2 through Ben’s perspective.

Ben Gross is a 16 year old boy who has been constantly abandoned and neglected by his parents. He craves connection and lasting relationships. When he opened himself up to Devi and told her he was all in. He meant every word of it. He was ready to be the best boyfriend and to never leave her. Unfortunately, he never got the chance.

At Devi’s party it is revealed that Devi is both dating Paxton and Ben. Paxton, understandably pissed, leaves. Devi follows him, leaving Ben alone once again. Now, we see in Paxton’s episode Ben watching Paxton and Devi be very chummy with each other. This is an extremely important moment. When this happens it solidifies Ben’s thinking in that Devi never really cared about him, she just wanted Paxton. Look at it through Ben’s perspective, first she ran after him and didn’t even bother to speak to him for a couple days after it happened. And now he sees her be all chummy with the guy she cheated on him with?? What’s he supposed to think? He assumes, that she is done with him and Paxton is the one she wants.

Then comes Aneesa, a super pretty, athletic, smart, and kind girl who starts to flirt with him. She pursues him and it’s a nice change. Here he is being presented with someone who actually wants him and genuinely cares about him. Keep in mind too that he assumes that Devi is still pursuing Paxton. So naturally he goes after Aneesa, he assumes they both have moved on. I really believe that he genuinely does like Aneesa. I initially thought he told Devi that he wanted to ask out Aneesa cause he was being a punk, but after a rewatch I realized that it was more of a friendship moment. Where he was disclosing something important to Devi on their path to being friends again. He is still absolutely oblivious to the fact that she actually likes him at this moment, not Paxton.

Then we have the events of the trial. In that moment you see Ben realize that maybe Aneesa isn’t the one for him, while smart she doesn’t really have the same academic vigilance as he does. Then you find out that the day before the dance Ben still hasn’t asked Aneesa and she asks him to the dance instead. I have a theory that Ben was planning on not asking her and maybe even planning on breaking up with her. Then the event in the bathroom where as the viewer can see that Devi and Ben still have feelings for each other, but Ben still sees Devi as pursing Paxton and being sad about him. So he does not see what we as the viewers see. He just sees it as Devi just being sad about Paxton, not Devi’s underlying conflicting feelings about Ben.

So flash forward to the dance, it lowkey seemed liked Ben was avoiding Aneesa? I’m not for sure about this one, it’s just my personal interpretation. Then Ben sees Devi with Paxton and that’s when all his suspensions get confirmed. He knew it, Devi always liked Paxton and was always going after him. In his moment Ben gets bombarded with, “of course she didn’t pick you, you were never as important to her as she was to you.No one is ever going to put you first”, thoughts. Which is what he voices out loud to Eleanor. That’s when he gets his rude awakening, that he was a blind idiot the whole time and that if he had only put aside his pride and listened to Devi instead of making assumptions, maybe they could have fixed it. @doryness made an amazing post about timing in regards to Ben and Devi. His face is filed with sadness, regret, and heartbreak. She did choose him, someone finally chose him and it was him who pushed her away because he refuse to believe it.

Tagging @the-paris-of-people cause she requested me to publish this rant.

[emmanelson]

It Started Out With a Kiss

i’d say I’m sorry for this filth but who are we kidding? more trash under the cut including speechless ben, possessive paxton and some very steamy, very public smut. also found on ao3 here.

request.

“I’m sure there’s a bed in the other room.”

Paxton’s allowed to be petty and a bit possessive as he latches onto his girlfriend’s waist and drags her behind the wall that separates them from the rest of the party and leads into the hallway. He catches Ben Gross’ eye over the duration of the evening one too many times now. The last fuck he gave flew out the window and now he dares the underclassman to pretend to stumble in their direction.

So when he hears Devi’s comment, in rather uneven breaths mind you, a laugh is bubbling against his throat. She would retract her statement the second he tells her they are at Trent’s house, and his friend probably masturbated in every single room of the house. It’s going to make his plan seem genius. His fingers skim the outline of her dress and he edges his tongue into her mouth, knowing exactly what buttons to press in order to get her in the mood. Which was more often than not because she thought about sex probably more than any girl he knew.

“No, I want you. Right here. Right now.” The firmness in his answer only weakens her resolve and soon heat is radiating off her body. Screw the party.

“Why here? We could just wait till we get back to your house?” His lips nibble on her ear and she’s struggling to find a reason to turn him down, his erection rubbing against her core.

“Guess you’re just that irresistible. It’s really your fault if you think about. If you didn’t show up looking so hot, I could concentrate on beer pong or whatever Trent and Marcus are currently trying to blow up in the backyard.”

It’s been months and she still can’t get used to the compliments coming from him. His breath is hot on her neck and just as his tongue brushes against her parted lips, she pulls back, gently lifting his head up to meet hers as she attempts to catch her breath.

“What brought this on?” She’s never seen Paxton this agitated by something, or someone before. Or this handsy.

At previous parties, he flirted sure, but in the past few gatherings they attended, they were practically attached at the hip. If Paxton didn’t have an arm slung over her shoulder or kept their fingers intertwined as Trent praised Eleanor’s latest performance, he was whispering in her ear or placing a hand on her hip. Even Zoe Maytag gave her props in the bathroom and admitted they only ever got to hand stuff and he wasn’t into PDA when he was ‘hanging out’ with her. Devi decided to save this information as future ammo if she needed it.

“I’m sorry but if I have to see Ben fucking Gross look at you with sad puppy dog eyes while blatantly ignoring his own girlfriend one more time, I might just snap. I might just fucking loose it and deck him.” The words are bitter, sharp coming off his tongue and it sends shivers down Devi’s spine. His gaze hardened, eyes getting darker, and her stomach flips, because for a moment he looks like he’s considering murder. And she would help him hide a body without hesitation. He drags his lips to bite down on her neck and she involuntarily throws her head back as her tries to suppress her moans.

“So what’s this going to prove?”

“Well what we obviously already know...That you can’t help jumping me even in public.” He chuckles into her hair as she rolls her eyes. And she thought she was competitive. Paxton and Ben took it to a whole other level. “But seriously, don’t tell me you didn’t notice the guy flaunting his relationship in front of you. It’s like he got some sick joy out of rubbing your nose in his happiness. This is a taste of his own medicine.”

“Who even says he’s going to notice or care?”

“I do. If he attempts to seek out where you went, which he obviously will, what he chooses to do after will either prove me right or you right. That he does care or doesn’t.”

Devi raised an eyebrow, throwing him an are-you-kidding-me glance before Paxton’s lips descended down on hers again. If he wasn’t kissing her lips, he was trailing his tongue down her neck, her shoulders, even her chest bone.

"Excuse me for caring. This whole longing, woe-is-me act was fine or whatever when you were both single. But he’s fucking with my girlfriend, my relationship and I’m not going to pretend to be okay with it.” Once again, his mouth was rough against her ear as leaned against her body and ground his hips against hers. While she wanted to be mad, she also found his protective nature incredibly hot and wasn’t about to say anything to end it anytime soon.

“He’s with Aneesa. I doubt he even thinks about me in that way anymore.” Devi’s voice attempts to reassure him as her fingers comb through his hair.

“I can’t say that I blame him.” His lips start trailing kisses from neck ear all the way to her cleavage, knuckles lightly kneading her breasts through the fabric of the dress. “I mean not only are you insanely hot but you’re also like the smartest person in the whole school. I just wish he wasn’t so obvious about it.”

“Is this you being jealous?” She has a smirk playing on her lips, eyes lit up in a teasing nature.

“I-”

“I just never thought I’d see the day where Paxton Hall-Yoshida got jealous. You’re usually so calm and level-headed.” Her voice falters as he starts stroking her breast, the nipple hardening under his touch.

“What can I say? When I opened my mind to studying, I learned stuff inside and outside of the classroom. For starters, noticing things more often. Noticing Ben for one, the rude comments one minute and longing stares the next.”

“Can we stop talking about him now?” Paxton had dropped to his knees in record time, lifting up her dress and practically diving underneath it, his laugh vibrating against her core.

“You aren’t wearing any underwear.”

“It’s laundry day, didn’t I mention that earlier?”

“Must have slipped my mind. Remind me to thank your mom later.” His joke only registered for a minute before he was seeking out her clit, swirling his tongue around it, repeatedly pushing against her until her legs are convulsing and she’s coming undone around his lips.

Ben’s silhouette hovers, quietly staring at the scene before him in agape. He only sees Devi granted, but it’s not just seeing his ex at a party outside of school, it’s seeing her flat against the wall, eyes closed, shallow breaths becoming audible every few seconds and seeing the way her body physically shook from whatever Paxton was doing to her. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on. And Ben wanted to call out to them, sneer that this was a public place, someone’s house and if they couldn’t keep their genitals to themselves then they should just leave, but he was momentarily frozen.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Devi’s body begin to come down from its high, Paxton rises and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. To Ben’s horror, it doesn’t end there.

Is she giggling? Paxton just shakes his head and captures his lips with hers again.

He turns his head and meets Ben’s eyes. Devi’s lips begin to attack his neck and he moans, all the while locked in a staring contest with the captain of who knows how many fucking clubs.

This time it’s Paxton wearing a rather smug smile, something that he’s seen on Ben one too many times in History class. Well, this was his History class. One area where he would always outsmart Ben and that in itself was enough to fill him with pride. Finally Devi detaches herself from her boyfriend and gently wipes her makeup remnants off his neck.

“I should probably go reapply my lipstick.” She’s still trying to steady her legs and with a wave of nausea coming over him, Ben is reminded of a conversation that took place months ago. ‘Well tomorrow I won’t be able to walk again because I’m about to go get railed.’ And that she did.

“You don’t have to you know. You look sexy like this.”

“You may think so, but my mom? Not so much Romeo.” Devi’s playfully shoving against his chest as she untangles herself from his arms, the fingers still interlocked until the distance makes it impossible and she’s heading further down the hall towards the bathroom.

“Dude are you just gonna stand there?” Paxton fixes Ben with a hard stare, equal parts creeped out and a little high off his assumption because his point was proven. It was a win-win situation. Satisfy his girlfriend and wipe the stupid smirk off Ben Gross’ face.

Finally Ben forces himself to look away and turns the corner in a hurry.

[seeyoumondaydevi]

The difference between Ben and Paxton is Ben was hurt that Devi a girl who he really liked and cared about cheated on him while Paxton was just embarrassed and humiliated (not hurt) that Devi a girl who just got him good grades cheated on him in public with someone with lower social status. He only showed up to the winter dance because Devi did all his homework at the end of the day it is Ben who actually cares about her. Genuinely disappointed how you kids would go behind someone who has abs no matter how toxic they are.

Apologizing in advance cause I might come off a little rude because I am so tired of this Paxton is toxic bs.. what are you even doing in a pro paxton blog? Also Anon you only see what you want to see and I'm the kid?

- I suck at wording my thoughts so if anyone could word this better PLEASE PLEASE DO <3

Ok, where did you get the idea that Paxton WASN'T HURT? (Most of my references will be from season 2 episode 3) [Hadid] Uh, yeah, he was like, "really hurt bruh" but it wasn't his arm. His narrator literally said this... and where did the "he wasn't hurt" come from? And if he wasn't hurt why would he compare himself to Ben? "What did Ben gross have that Paxton didn't?"

Later in that episode when he and Devi talk about the cheating situation, 'public humiliation' was never a part of their conversation. "You must think I'm such an idiot.. I liked you.. I thought we were... doesn't matter" He only brought up the part when he was publicly humiliated in the last episode.. when he was explaining why he couldn't be in a public relationship with her. He was embarrassed of HIMSELF. Not her. Let me remind you the whole school thinks they slept together because Paxton didn’t deny the rumours Devi started even though he was hurt and felt used. If he was embarrassed he could have just denied the rumours. He’s always been insecure of his intelligence, and Nalini yells at him and calls him an idiot.. people around him think he’s a dumb boy who can’t get into college and Devi also publicly cheats on him with SOMEONE SMARTER THAN HIM???   About him showing up at the dance only because “Devi did his homework”..  Yes he was very thrilled to know that his chances of getting into college wasn’t completely thrashed but his expressions changed when Ms.Warner said He and Devi made a good team. He realized he was an idiot to let go of Devi not only because she pushed him to do better but also because she was the only person who didn’t think he was some dumb boy (apart from his grandad). Also this probably means/ adds nothing but Paxton mentioned in ssn1 how he’s never missed dance/ prom since seventh grade but this year he didn’t even attend the dance because he was actually upset that Devi broke things off between them? Also he wouldn’t be searching for Devi at her party in ep 2 if he didn’t like her or enjoy her company.  I’m not even gonna bother talking about the “you like Paxton only because he has abs” part.. WAY over it. 

[hopefulobjectmiracle]

ships: benvi, daxton, fabiola x eve!

hello! sorry for taking so long to get to this hehe (also thanks for sending NHIE in! i very rarely get asks about other shows so this was a nice surprise 🥰) 

this is under the cut bc it got long!!

benvi - ship it :)

1. What made you ship it?

the beautiful progression from insults and banter to forming a tentative friendship when they realize that they actually enjoy each other’s company to a romantic relationship!! i’ve always been a sucker for enemies to lovers when it’s well executed, and benvi’s s1 arc is an absolutely perfect example of this trope being done right. 

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

they have the best chemistry, their banter is Superior, they’re secretly best friends despite pretending to hate each other, they embody the superior academic rivals to lovers trope (with the bonus fact that they’ve been rivals since childhood), nalini clearly loves ben as much as devi does, ben was able to get through to devi regarding her father’s ashes bc he knows her better than anyone, he drove her to malibu despite not having a license, and she inspired him to stand up to his family and tell them into spending more time other. in general, they push each other to be better and happier people and i love that for them.

also...not to project myself onto them or anything but they do remind me of my own relationship with someone i knew in high school. it’s just so much fun to see that dynamic reflected onscreen and it gives me so much nostalgia watching them do some of the exact same shit that i pulled back then 😂

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

my unpopular opinion is that i didn’t mind their s2 storyline. a lot of ben/benvi fans hated it, but for the most part i enjoyed s2. i just didn’t like ben’s relationship with aneesa, lol. it felt like every annoying aspect of a stereotypical high school couple all wrapped into one.

daxton - don't ship (at all)

1. Why don’t you ship it?

for starters, there’s the age gap between maitreyi and darren. and while that’s one of my biggest issues with the ship, i also have several other reasons to dislike them together: 

they fall under the tired and cliche trope of 'popular guy falls for the nerd'

paxton has never really seemed fully into her (i wrote this meta about how him going to the dance with her isn't the big romantic gesture that devi/the fandom thinks it is), and how he almost seems reluctant to be with her.

i also believe that there's always going to be this weird power imbalance between them, with both of them idolizing the other for reasons that aren't quite accurate. they don’t know each other well enough and have built up an image of the other in their mind. what happens when the image comes crashing down? 

i generally believe that devi deserves better than paxton bc he disrespected her and treated her pretty badly throughout the whole series, the most recent example being when he rejected her publicly and humiliated her.

ig i just don’t like their general dynamic and i find them to be pretty incompatible, even for a high school relationship. 

2. What would have made you like it?

oh idk maybe if paxton wasn't played by a fucking 30-year-old?? sorry ahah that sounds a bit rude, and i probably shouldn't blame darren barnet for it bc i don't know if he was aware that he was going to be staring opposite actual teenagers instead of the regular 25-year-olds playing teenagers, but still - the age gap between darren and maitreyi makes me so, so uncomfortable.

now, the age gap isn’t the only thing, though - i have several other reasons to dislike daxton, as listed above...buuut the age gap only makes all of the above worse. i might’ve been able to go easier on paxton or feel more invested in analyzing the ship if paxton’s actor was age appropriate, but bc of the age gap, i can barely watch intimate scenes between the two of them knowing that maitreyi was so young and darren was pushing 30. i just...ugh 🥴 

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

yeah, i like their friendship. and i enjoyed paxton as an individual in season 2. i guess i’m also okay with them having a short relationship in s3 if it means that devi gets more individual development out of it. 

fabiola x eve - don’t ship 

1. Why don’t you ship it?

they were so underdeveloped!! they spent the entire season on one silly storyline that could've been wrapped up in two or three eps and then called it representation. i don’t have anything truly against the ship but there’s also not much there to like. i also found eve’s friends really annoying and hated how they pressured fabiola to confirm to their tastes.

2. What would have made you like it?

if they’d gotten more screentime and if eve’s actress was a little less wooden. that’s basically it.

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

i did like their final scene where they were crowned the queens of the dance and fabiola admits that she loves eve. it was also nice to see that eve didn’t want fabiola to fit in with her friends and that she accepted her gf’s interests.

[paxtonhallyoshi-damn]

okay, i have to get this off my chest about NHIE.

so, we all know that Devi was always insecure about her appearance. when she was half-jokingly wishing for her arm hair to thin out, there was a huge insecurity behind that. (i know, because i have the same problem with body hair. it’s not fun)

Ben was constantly picking out Devi’s flaws. like, team Ben lost me at that rude comment about her “moustache”. i’ve always hated mine, but it took only ONE mean comment from some random boy when i was 15, to become so freaking insecure about it. now i always wax/pluck it, and if i don’t have the time to do that, i obsessively try to hide my face.

he called her an unfuckable nerd. like you would need to be fuckable at 15, seriously. she cried about “being ugly” to her dead dad after Ben called him that.

while PAXTON, he never ever said anything mean about her. he actually complimented her at Ganesh Puja, at the photoshoot and after, when he showed her the photos.

so what i’m saying is, Ben clearly had a crush on Devi long before he tried to kiss her at the party, but he was always mean to her, and not in that “oooh he is mean to you because he likes you” way (which would also be wrong, but that’s not what this post is about).

Paxton probably didn’t have a crush on her for a while, but even when he didn’t, he would always say nice things to her, complimented her. i don’t say it’s because of his sister, but Paxton definitely knows that words can be really hurtful and that those mean things stay with you for a long time, but he also knows that a few nice words can make your whole day.

[vennilavee]

my thoughts on never have i ever

ok this has been in my drafts a while bc ive just been thinking about it. 

everything wrong about never have i ever feels almost personal- a tamil lead, written by a tamil writer, with a few tamil members of the cast. there’s never been a tamil lead. at first, i DID genuinely enjoy it- it was cringe at times but i think that was the point of it. i felt like i was pushing aside the cringe because it was genuinely so cool to see some level of representation- it was nice to see elements of tamil thrown in there. tamil people are hardly represented or recognized to begin with.

BUT AT WHAT COST. 

HOWEVER i dont think its fair to expect a show to represent every single indian-american out there. each person’s experience is different. do i think this show could have done better on so many levels?? YES. but in general, i dont think it’s fair for a show, the only show to EVER have a PURPOSEFUL tamil lead, to have to carry the ENTIRE diaspora of indian-americans and represent the first generation struggle. a lot of the criticism was related to devi being so “boy crazy”- while that probably wasn’t the majority of south asians in high school, i feel like i cant fault her for that because it’s clear she hasnt processed her emotions over her father’s death. (which is a lot to unpack). also her therapist wtf? telling devi that she needs a new therapist IN THE MIDDLE OF A BREAKDOWN when everyone has essentially left her? makes sense. no it doesnt.

but then i started thinking. and reading other criticisms. about what was wrong. and what i think was wrong, was the treatment of ben by devi- a NAZI joke?? SERIOUSLY? how did the writers think that was okay? and then kamala suddenly being interested in an arranged marriage because the guy (i forgot his name but he played one of the interns on grey’s) was attractive? and then at ganesh puja, when the woman who married a muslim man and divorced him told kamala to just get an arranged marriage because it’s better that way. not to mention that this woman was ostracized by the whole community just for this. her regret is a message saying that your family always knows best when it comes to situations like this. both of these things therefore push the idea that you SHOULD stay in your own lane, and marry within your caste. AND it’s islamophobic at the same time?!? and at a time when muslims are being persecuted and killed not just in india too. it was SUCH a good opportunity for the show to challenge that awful way of thinking. not to mention the pro-modi comment made in the show. was that really necessary? not to mention- devi is paralyzed due to the death of her father and then shes able to walk again because she laid eyes on a white dude?!?! it served NO purpose, other than people making rude comments to her about it.

also why is this show kissing priyanka chopra’s ass. im not surprised. 

there were a million and one ways to write the identity crisis that so many first generation indian americans face in a more respectful way. i felt like the writers (mindy kaling included- im not sure HOW involved she was in this project. but it seemed like she was at the helm of it) cared more about being “relatable” and appealing to the male gaze without caring about how it came of. im disappointed with the impactful instances of these the casual islamophobia, casteism and ableism in this show. this show reinforces old, islamophobic, castist ways of thinking in an attempt to be relatable, fresh, and modern. in a time when storytelling is at its most powerful, the opportunity was squandered.

in conclusion, south asians deserve better storytelling.

[hitchell-mope]

Descendants crime au anyone. Ships involved are. Bal. Devie. Jaylos. Gilonnie. Huma. Chaudrey (and alight maljane)

So:

The Abbar crime family

Jay is in charge of his criminal empire. At his command are Carlos, Doug, Evie, Lonnie and Ben. ( Ben’s the governors son) forty other faceless drones 50% of the city’s police force is in his back pocket and connections all over the . Hardly dresses in suits. Prefers tank tops and gym wear. If he’s in a suit and a man bun it’s an execution day. A snitch or traitor is gonna get a mouthful of lead.

Ben uses his (relative) innocence to trick the marks into false sense of security. It’s only when he’s done with you that you realise your belongings are no longer on your person. He prefers dark haired woman with brilliantly bright eyes. As long as the men he targets are well built and kind to him. If they’re rude bastards they get stabbed without a second look

Evie prefers the long game. Gain their trust. Get them completely hung up on her. Let them propose. Steal the ring and anything else that takes her fancy. And laugh about in bed with Doug

Doug is the planner. When he gets going there’re nothing that goes wrong. His military precision is to be feared and respected. If not. Then you find out just how vicious this navy seals son can be

Carlos is jay’s special favourite and the teams hacker. They started this operation together. They’ll end it together. Carlos makes the gadgets. Jay is always spoiling him. Whatever Carlos wants Carlos gets. Be it a rare Peruvian diamond for their bedroom. Or the privilege of watching jay beat a man to death. Jay can and will do anything for his boy

Lonnie is jay’s bodyguard. Formidable hand to hand combatant. Weapons expert. Occasional honey trap. Mostly when Ben is unavailable and because Evie is unattracted to woman. No one can resist a badass in a skirt suit. But then she meets Gil on a job.

Mal is an inexperienced cat burgular. Combatant. Acrobat. Politicians daughter. Was one of bens targets. Her hairs just dark purple enough and her eyes are just the right shade of bright brown/green to catch his eye. It’s only when they woke up the next morning that they realised who each other was. Ben brought her back to the compound and jay let her join one one condition. She must get this one cop on their side that’s been resisting jay for months. The daughter of the chief of police. Jane Dubois

The Danes crimes family

Uma is the boss. What she says goes. Any dissension in the ranks is made a public spectacle and left to bleed out on the floor of the lobby in the hotel she owns. Uma controls 49% of the police force. Including bens father the governor. Is at constant loggerheads with Jay. Each trying to absorb the others sphere of control

Harry’s Uma’s boy. Nobody touches him without permission. Knife nut. Uses his looks to get what he wants from everyone but Uma. She says jump he says how high. More vicious then Carlos.

Audrey the explosives expert loves a good kaboom. The more violent the better. You’d never guess she’s a hyper violent psychopath from all the pastel pink clothing. Until she locks you in a room with a bomb of her own devising. The memory of their screams fuels her nightlife

Chad’s relatively new. Only joined Audrey asked. Plays to dumb act to the hilt. While he raves about whatever inane subject takes his fancy Audrey’s in the other room with her supplies getting ready to blow the building to kingdom come.

Gil’s nice enough. A little too innocent. But he’s a powerhouse on the frontline. Between his finely trained skills (and body) and the adorable face he can get anyone to do anything. Except Uma of course. She only has eyes for her kept man. Then he meets Lonnie. And they resolve to be together by any means necessary

Dizzy is the go-between. Both devie and gil coddle her. She has full access to Evie’s gun collection and Gil’s hair care products. Plays both sides like a fiddle and teaches Mal the ropes. Harry knows that’s she prefers jay’s side of the conflict and has made it his mission to expose her for the two timing rat he believes her to be

[derangedangel]

I am so disappointed with Devi going to Ben. I understand the idea that Paxton was this "unattainable dream" so maybe she didn't really want him for him but the thought of him. But she got to know him and actually like him for who he was. Granted, she had some insecurity issues which is why they broke up the second time. She really had to love herself more so she could be with Paxton and stop questioning how they looked to other people, and Paxton realized that. He was ALWAYS a good guy this season. He was kind. When Devi made him realize he was rude to his old hookup, he apologized. Aneesa didn't get an apology from Ben until months later, and even then he was still condescending to others. There was multiple times this season where he was a complete dick. Paxton was always kind and helpful. Even to his ex's ex when he needed to go to the hospital. Would Ben have done that? Doubtful.

[seeyoumondaydevi]

Paxton didn't have any right reason to be mad at Devi. He got so angry with Devi just for being nice to his sister. I feel like Ben is better for her. Even when Devi said "I wish the Nazi's would kill Ben" he was still there for her and comforted her. Paxton also has a reputation of sleeping with every girl so he should not be angry with Devi for the rumors. He also ignored her just because her mom called him stupid. Just stupid. Devi called Ben lot of other things but Ben was never rude to her. Paxton never liked Devi. Have you seen how he was with Zoe? He was never that way with Devi, Paxton likes Zoe not Devi.

I don't wanna sound rude but what are you doing in a Paxton supporting blog in the first place? But anyways, he didn't have any reason? Becca has downs syndrome and she has been bullied pretty bad even by people Paxton considered as friends. Paxton didn't know Devi. He knew her for probably 2 or 3 days? He didn't see Devi and Becca actually talk. When he walked in Becca and Devi were just standing together. We knew Devi was being nice.. Paxton didn't. He freaked out and avoided her but later he realized he was wrong. He went over to her house and apologized to her IN PERSON. He explained why he freaked out. "Paxton has a reputation of sleeping with every girl in school" how do you know? Have we even seen him kiss any other girl? Just because he's popular it doesn't automatically make him a player. Next, spreading rumours about sleeping with someone WHEN THEY DIDN'T is absolutely wrong. If the roles were reversed I can imagine how mad the fandom would be. He took her as a friend but she used him for popularity and he felt used and hurt.. he distanced himself. He didn't insult her.. nothing. He just distanced himself. But inspite of feeling used he admitted to those rumours so Devi didn't get bullied.

Devi's mom didn't just call him stupid. She insulted him. She called him a boy who ruins smart girls futures including Devi by getting them pregnant. I would be hurt as fuck if someone's mom insults me like that. He's 16 and imagine how he felt.. he knew Devi for a few weeks and developed feelings and just kissed her and Devi's mom jumps to things about him getting her pregnant?

Zoe was all over him and he wasn't the same way with Devi because Devi always got nervous and goofed up. Remember episode 2? He took her hand and ran it down his chest? She freaked. She always got nervous (like any teenager with a crush would) around him. So he respected her and didn't force himself on her or make it awkward. Besides HE kissed Devi not Zoe.

Ben was always nice to Devi? LMFAO what? Are we watching the same show? Ben got the whole school to call her a UN which she goes crying to her dead dad about. He always PROVOKED her. The whole Nazi thing wouldn't have happened if Ben didn't provoke her. He BULLIED HER. She later realized she was wrong and apologized to him.. Has Ben ever apologized? Devi cried saying she just wants to be a teenager who isn't called mean names.. but what was Ben doing? CALLING HER MEAN NAMES.