'Never Have I Ever' Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Finally Chose A Side In The Ben-Paxton Debate
She’s not just on Team Devi anymore!
Never Have I Ever star Maitreyi Ramakrishnanhas finally revealed whether or not she's team Paxton or team Ben.
The lead Canadian actress has stayed tight-lipped throughout the series run on which of Devi Vishwakumar's love interests she prefers, but she's finally breaking her silence.
Never Have I Everfollows Devi's high school experience in the wake of her dad's death as she deals with grief, friendship, boys and planning for her dream school Princeton all while making some mistakes along the way.
In an interview with Narcity Canada, Ramakrishnan finally revealed which leading man she prefers for Devi – Paxton Hall-Yoshida, played by Darren Barnet or Ben Gross, played by Jaren Lewison, and the answer may surprise you.
*Season four spoilers ahead*
In a tweet, Ramakrishnan said she was ready to reveal her preference to interviewers in the final season, and Narcity just had to ask.
\u201cI hope interviewers ask me if im team ben or team paxton now since it\u2019s final season and I said I\u2019d reveal in the end sooo\ud83d\udc40\u201d— Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (@Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) 1683311283
"I hope interviewers ask me if I'm team ben or team paxton now since it's final season and I said I'd reveal in the end sooo," she wrote.
Season four starts off with a bang as Devi and Ben have awkward pillow talk after losing their virginity to each other, and thanks to the bad communication that follows, they end up not talking over the summer and moving on to other romantic partners.
Ben and Devi laying in bed together.Courtesy of Netflix
Ben gets together with Margot Ramos, played by Victoria Moroles, and after licking her emotional wounds, Devi moves on with the school's new hot pocket bad boy Ethan Morales, played by Michael Cimino.
But surprise, surprise, the enemies turned lovers end up finding their way back to each other in the series finale, leaving team Ben fans happy.
On the other hand, team Paxton got one kiss in a gym closet this season that felt like "closure" and a friendship loosely wrapped throughout the season's plot.
But despite the series ending with Devi and Ben snuggling in a university dorm, Ramakrishnan told Narcity she's actually team Paxton.
"I am team Devi because I do support my girl. But I, of course, have opinions. I am a hopeless romantic. So I am team Paxton," she told Narcity. "I think their romances are the best. I think their scenes are just amazing. Like in how it's filmed, it's so just like gooey, you know, and it's just romantic."
Ramakrishnan says she thinks the characters both bring out "great things in each other," and while she doesn't understand why they didn't work out in the series, she doesn't think the door to their relationship is shut forever.
"The doors not closed. The story continues. Never know what can happen. So there you go. Team Paxton, loud and clear."
Jaren Lewison weighs in on whether or not Devi & Ben Will last throughout university
Lewison joked that it's "brutal" to hear that Ramakrishnan isn't team Ben, but even he seems to have doubts about whether or not Devi and Ben's relationship will survive throughout university with Ben at Columbia and Devi at Princeton.
Ben and Devi at graduation.Lara Solanki | Netflix
"Statistically, the odds are against them, but that doesn't mean it's impossible," he told Narcity.
"I think that it's hard because distance is really difficult. They're in the same time zone. But college is a very formative time in people's lives. You learn a lot about yourself, you learn about your needs, you learn about what you need from a partner, you learn about how to be a good partner, and I don't know what they'll find at school."
Lewison says both Devi and Ben are in "big places" with smart, driven and creative people, so they may find new love connections and, who knows, maybe find their way back to each other in the future.
If they do break up in university, Lewison isn't Devi's only romantic lead hoping for a reunion down the line.
Darren Barnet on Paxton and Devi leaving things off as friends in season four
In the series finale, at her grandmother's wedding, Devi tells Paxton, "You were a really nice boyfriend... but honestly, you're an even better friend."
Devi and Paxton at Nirmala's wedding.Jessica Brooks | Netflix
Ouch – that one's got to hurt Paxton shippers.
The series leaves Paxton headed back to ASU to become a teacher (after dropping out earlier in the season and returning to high school as an assistant swim coach) and dating a young teacher at Sherman Oaks, Lindsay Thompson, played by Genneya Walton.
Even though Devi and Paxton part as friends, Barnet thinks their relationship will be more long-lasting than if they actually ended up together in the series.
"I feel like that friendship was even more meaningful and impactful and probably long-lasting, especially at that age in high school," Barnet told Narcity.
"That friendship is wonderful because it's pure. They've been through a lot, and they understand the love they have for one another because I think it is love."
Barnet also says he doesn't know if the book is really closed on those two love birds.
"Let's get some fan fiction writers out there to write some endings."
How are fans reacting to season four endgame?
Fans of Never Have I Ever have been waiting on the edge of their seats the past three seasons to see which love interest Devi would end the series with, and some people are happier than others.
\u201cnever have i ever is over. i got my endgame. devi\u2019s story ended exactly how i wanted it to. i can\u2019t believe this.\u201d— maddie NHIE SPOILERS (@maddie NHIE SPOILERS) 1686224858
"never have i ever is over. i got my endgame. devi’s story ended exactly how i wanted it to. i can’t believe this," tweeted out a fan.
Another fan commented on the growth and progression of Devi and Ben's relationship in season four.
"if ben and devi worked before they def work a MILLION times better after this season. just the fact they allowed us to see scenes where ben and devi mutually comfort and just understand each other??? this really was the perfect season for them #NeverHaveIEver" reads the tweet.
\u201cif ben and devi worked before they def work a MILLION times better after this season. just the fact they allowed us to see scenes where ben and devi mutually comfort and just understand each other??? this really was the perfect season for them #NeverHaveIEver\u201d— katie watched never have i ever s4 \u26a0\ufe0f (@katie watched never have i ever s4 \u26a0\ufe0f) 1686232309
But team Paxton fans weren't as thrilled with the ending.
"it's very obvious that paxton still has feelings for devi, look at the way he hugged her, the way he looks at her, the way he kissed her. netflix i hate you!!! they were everything i will never get over them," reads a tweet.
\u201cit's very obvious that paxton still has feelings for devi, look at the way he hugged her, the way he looks at her, the way he kissed her. netflix i hate you!!! \n they were everything\ni will never get over them \ud83d\ude2d \n#NeverHaveIEver #NeverHaveIEverS4\u201d— annacstxx (@annacstxx) 1686229563
Some fans also brought up Mindy Kaling's record of having her brown female protagonists end up with white male characters – which she's been criticized for in the past with projects like The Mindy Project and The Sex Lives of College Girls.
\u201cSECURED MY ENDGAME MINDY KALING IS SO PREDICTABLE ITS CRAZY\u201d— myla (@myla) 1686242547
"SECURED MY ENDGAME MINDY KALING IS SO PREDICTABLE ITS CRAZY," tweeted out one fan, alluding to the fact that Ben is her white love interest while Paxton is a person of colour.
\u201cFinding out Mindy Kaling\u2019s female lead ends up with another white boy who negs her \u201d— i just be wandering (@i just be wandering) 1686227229
"Finding out Mindy Kaling’s female lead ends up with another white boy who negs her," reads a tweet with a comedian gif of Camila Mendes saying, "shocking."
Despite who Devi ended up with, some fans are really just team Devi.
\u201ci will always maintain that the best part of never have i ever was the exploration of grief and how devi grew as an individual over the years. she\u2019s done so much for messy brown girls everywhere and she will remain loved\u201d— \u200e\u064b (@\u200e\u064b) 1686162536
"i will always maintain that the best part of never have i ever was the exploration of grief and how devi grew as an individual over the years. she’s done so much for messy brown girls everywhere and she will remain loved," reads a tweet.
Never Have I Ever is streaming on Netflix, where you can catch the series' final season for yourself.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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