Spoilers are ahead for the fourth and final season of Never Have I Ever. If you haven’t watched the series on the 2023 TV schedule yet, you can stream every episode with a Netflix subscription.
Love triangles and YA content go hand in hand, and when Netflix premiered Mindy Kaling’s high school comedy they knew exactly what they were doing as they set up the Paxton-Devi-Ben love triangle. Over the course of four seasons, we saw Devi pine for Paxton, essentially duel with Ben, date both boys at the same time, date Paxon and then call in her “one free boink” at the end of NHIE Season 3 with Ben. In short, we’ve been on a journey with these three, and in Season 4 of Never Have I Ever this tumultuous and hilarious love story came to a close, and I’m pleased to report they wrapped up everything up in a perfect way.
With Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, Jaren Lewison as Ben and Darren Barnet as Paxton, the three created a hilarious and heartfelt love story as our main gal worked her way through the homework and hormones of high school. With Season 4, we officially found out that our homegirl ended up with her academic rival turned boyf Ben Gross, and I couldn’t be happier about it, but there is more to this story than just #TeamBen for life.
We’re All About Team Devi, First And Foremost
While I’ve been a #TeamBen gal since Season 1, I’ve also always been a big advocate for Devi becoming the best version of herself she can be, whether that involves a man or not, it doesn’t really matter. Luckily, the show has had a similar Team Devi mentality. While Paxton and Ben have always been important parts of the story, the top priority was Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s character’s personal growth into a strong, independent woman.
The lead of the Never Have I Ever cast had a similar mentality when it came to the Paxton/Ben debate surrounding Devi as Ramakrishnan told the New York Times her feelings on the love triangle, saying:
It could have gone into a Team Ben or Team Paxton win at the end, and I’d be pretty indifferent. I think it’s pretty awesome that she’s grown up so much. I’m just Team Devi; I really am. I’m about her independence, her making mistakes, just learning what she likes. I will die on this hill. I think people think I’m lying, but I genuinely am all about letting a woman be a woman.
Even though I, like most viewers of this show, was hyper-fixated on the relationships in Never Have I Ever, Devi’s growth over the course of four seasons has been inspiring to watch, especially when she got that Princeton acceptance letter. She’s fallen on her face, gotten back up, crashed again, been really dumb and has proven over and over that she’s a pretty fantastic, driven and independent woman.
While she don’t need no man, she does end up with one. However, it’s due to the fact that the series ends with her really accepting and loving who she is first.
They Wrapped Up Devi And Paxton’s Story Perfectly
Many love triangles end with the third party being thrown to the wayside. However, the Never Have I Ever triangle went in the exact opposite direction and gave Paxton and Devi a satisfying ending, that I think even Team Paxton people would be pleased with.
After they broke things off romantically they started to form this really sweet friendship, and they both helped each other grow as individuals immensely. This became abundantly clear in Episode 7 of Season 4, when they shared a sweet scene after getting accidentally locked in the swim team’s supply closet. Devi told Paxton that “she bangs,” admitting she had sex with Ben and revealing that she was grateful for what he told her when they broke up, saying:
You told me that we couldn’t be together until I liked myself.
The moment with ends with Devi saying they were equals, and Paxton saying she’s too good for him. They share a final kiss, but it doesn’t feel like they’ll be together after, it feels like a nice moment of closure between the two of them. While they weren’t endgame, Paxton and Devi really helped each other grow as individuals, and ended on really great terms, making the end of the Paxton-Devi-Ben love triangle incredibly satisfying.
Devi And Ben Ended Up Together, And It Was So Fitting
Even Paxton Hall-Yoshida knew Devi and Ben were endgame! After the moment between Devi and Paxton, they had a run-in with Ben and the jock even admitted that there were “vibes” between the two. Boy, do I agree!
They made us wait for this. Devi and Ben were a slow burn, especially in Season 4. Even after Episode 9 and that sweet prom moment they didn’t get together. Then there’s a three-month time jump before the finale showing that the two also didn’t spend the summer with each other because Ben was in New York. So, after seasons of pining, bad timing and sweet moments, there was one big grand gesture from Ben, and it was amazing.
Seeing them go from nemesis-to-friends-to-couple-to-exes-to-friends-to-lovers was twisty, hilarious such a fun journey. So, in the final episode when they were finally able to meet each other where they were at (after Ben flew across the country for Devi) was not only moving but true to character. My heart was beating especially fast when the two officially confessed their love for each other as they said:
Ben: Actually…I think I love you Devi…I love you.
Devi: I love you too, Ben.
And then they scooter off into the night, and “boink.” It was a beautifully awkward and loving moment between these two characters who had spent the whole season, and series really, realizing their feelings for each other. Then they decided to give it the old college try, and I loved it. It was a fitting, honest, silly and heartfelt ending…especially for those of us who have been #TeamBen since day one.
One of the reasons I think Devi and Ben ending up together worked so well has to do with the fact that the series acknowledged that they’re still teens, and they logically dealt with having a partner from high school when you go to college.
Could Devi and Ben break up? Yeah. But, in the end, they both got exactly what they wanted, Princeton and Columbia, respectively. Plus, they didn’t choose their futures based on each other, they did what they wanted to first. The fact that they could be a couple and give it a try came second, which I think is vital to why this worked so well.
By having a fairytale ending with reasonable expectations, Never Have I Ever was able to create a realistic and fun final chapter for Devi. It also made it so Ben and Paxton also got fulfilling endings that go way past their love interest, which was fantastic. Overall, this ending was one that empowered all three characters, but most importantly Devi showed her growth as an individual with the man just being an added bonus.
