S04.E10: ...said goodbye

[dubbel zout]

The last weekend of summer coincides with a festive occasion—and on the brink of their new lives, Devi, her family, and friends have lots to celebrate. 

Series finale.

[Aulty]

I am not sure this was the final season I wanted or expected. I'm getting a bit bored with teen shows culminating in a leaving for college scene with the whether or not they get into their school of choice being a defining storyline. Although I accept that this was a route outset from the start with this show.

Again with the back and forth with Devi and Ben. And even though Princeton and Columbia aren't that far from each other (per Google Maps, an hour apart is still a lot, even more on public transport), what are the odds of this relationship not losing steam considering they are not on the same campus and probably have demanding classes and schedules?

I think Paxton got a fair deal. Some of the Patti stuff (she is a millionaire?) was a bit left field. Not sure how happy I am for Eleanore.

[NeenerNeener]

OK, is this another tv show that misidentifies a lehenga as a sari? Those looked like 3 piece outfits that Devi and Kamala wore to Patti's wedding. 

[possibilities]

This was a feel good season, despite the bumps along the way. I realize it leaned far into a variety of tropes, but I think I'm willing to go with it because life is tough enough right now, I don't really want to steep myself in anything really tough on a fictional basis.

I find the whole "perfect college" thing to be incredibly misguided, but I did like that at least they showed how utterly absurd the system is, with the scarcity and pressure and endless bullshit it puts on applicants. 

 

[twoods]

The last two episodes really gutted me and the tears were flowing. Perfect ending to this great show.
I’m glad that Devi didn’t get into all the Ivy schools and showcased how dumb she was to not have some safety schools. I also loved the flashback to the teacher that told Devi to write about her father’s death in the admission essays and how she didn’t want to exploit her pain.
Also not going to lie that I loved that her and Ben were endgame since they made the most sense together, and how their first time was awful and not the usual TV “best virgin sex ever” trope. 

I was upset that they only showed Manish in that last clip, but figured the actor wasn’t available because of Ghosts. And I’m also happy that Pati and Nalini got their happy endings as well and Pati’s love interest wasn't exploiting her for money. 
 

The core of this show was also highlighted this last season with the girls’ friendship and Nalini and Devi’s relationship, as well as her father’s death. Those flashback scenes were brutal, as was when he was trying to help her pack for Princeton. Another big part of the show was seeing how much Devi had grown from the first season, and how we were introduced to an angry and heartbroken girl. Her sessions with her therapist were definitely a highlight.

Edited June 9, 2023 by twoods

[shapeshifter]

This might be the best written series finale of several I've seen in recent weeks, but I do wish that Len, in addition to sincerely declaring his wanting only the best for Nirmala, had also added that they had a pre-nup. 

It was a 3½ Kleenex finale to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's 4 Kleenex finale, but there were fewer loose ends, which I prefer.

I do not see Devi and Ben as living happily ever after, but they are typical of a lot of young couples I see these days.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi) dolled up for prom made me think she could be the next Bridgerton lead, which is not too far off the mark, because her Wikipedia page says:

Quote

Upcoming work
Ramakrishnan will star in the upcoming Netflix romantic comedy film The Netherfield Girls, a contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, which will mark her film acting debut.[43]

 

[NeenerNeener]

On 6/8/2023 at 3:10 PM, Aulty said:

I think Paxton got a fair deal.

The actor is definitely starting to show his age, and was more believable this season as a member of the high school faculty than as a high school senior last season. He sure is pretty, though.

[possibilities]

My one real complaint is that I think it's remarkably wrong that they totally marginalized the relationship between the only two non-cis/hetero characters. We hardly saw Eve at all, and they focused a lot on the romance between Ben and Devi, and Eleanor and Trent, but almost nothing at all was developed about Fabiola and Eve. We even spent time on the romances of Mom and Grandma, but totally cut out Fabiola and Eve from that focus. Why was everybody else's relationship taken seriously, treated as interesting, and fully focused on?

 

Also, didn't the guy who played Len kicked off another show for being a horrific harasser? 

[shapeshifter]

16 hours ago, possibilities said:

Also, didn't the guy who played Len kicked off another show for being a horrific harasser? 

[shapeshifter does her google foo]
Yes. this article quotes him as being initially defensive and unrepentant and then later announcing a bipolar diagnosis:
decider.com/2023/06/08/never-have-i-ever-jeff-garlin-len-season-4-the-goldbergs

But I don't find an interview with Mindy Kaling on the subject as of yet.

 

 

16 hours ago, possibilities said:

My one real complaint is that I think it's remarkably wrong that they totally marginalized the relationship between the only two non-cis/hetero characters. We hardly saw Eve at all

At least they didn't disappear Eve Addison, and Eve Addison was there at the wedding/graduation party.
But, yeah, it does seem like we're missing a bit about what becomes of Eve and Fabiola when Fab goes off to college.
Maybe they decided not to do it at all if they couldn't devote enough time to it, and Fabiola's choices about her professional future were more important that her love life? IDK. 

Edited June 10, 2023 by shapeshifter
I'm bad with names. Ask my kids

[possibilities]

They had time to show both romantic and career with every other character, so I'm not accepting the idea that Fabiola's the only one who they couldn't find a way to do that with.

[twoods]

It seemed like it was done purposely since Fabiola and Addison didn’t have any drama, and they wanted to focus more on Fabiola’s school journey since they already covered her love life in the first three seasons:

https://www.distractify.com/p/never-have-i-ever-fabiola-addison-relationship

[possibilities]

Sure, like the other kids didn't have a lot of coverage for their romantic drama in the earlier seasons. Fabiola and her girlfriend could have been written to have drama if they weren't afraid to showcase a relationship between a lesbian and a nonbinary partner  and drama was what was needed to justify screen time.

[dubbel zout]

21 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I do wish that Len, in addition to sincerely declaring his wanting only the best for Nirmala, had also added that they had a pre-nup. 

Same! Pati's got to be in extremely good shape if she bought Apple when it was still 25¢ a share.

What I liked about the ending:

• Nalini and Andres continuing their relationship

• Kamala moving to Baltimore with Manish and probably killing it in the lab

• Fab realizing that Howard was the better fit for her, even if it meant turning down a spot at—gasp!—an Ivy.

• Paxton finding his path. Sometimes a gap year helps you figure out what you want to do in college.

What I DETESTED about the ending:

Devi and Ben together. I was SO disappointed. And furious, really. Why couldn't we see Devi (and Ben, for that matter) laughing and talking to a bunch of college friends at their respective schools? Yes, I know the show wanted a romcom-type ending, and yes, I know that some high school relationships do survive college (don't @ me). But why can't that have been given some sort of twist? Like Ben and Devi make a point of meeting up any sports even that Princeton and Columbia both compete in. And their friendship deepens, but they realize as a couple, they're better off apart. It's just so BORING that they're a couple. They're 18!

Now, Eleanor and Trent being a couple and working together on her movies makes sense to me. so it's not as if I'm completely anti–high school relationships lasting after high school. I just think that Ben and Devi can find suitable partners at university. And maybe even better partners. Imagine that!

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Same! Pati's got to be in extremely good shape if she bought Apple when it was still 25¢ a share.

What I liked about the ending:

• Nalini and Andres continuing their relationship

• Kamala moving to Baltimore with Manish and probably killing it in the lab

• Fab realizing that Howard was the better fit for her, even if it meant turning down a spot at—gasp!—an Ivy.

• Paxton finding his path. Sometimes a gap year helps you figure out what you want to do in college.

What I DETESTED about the ending:

Devi and Ben together. I was SO disappointed. And furious, really. Why couldn't we see Devi (and Ben, for that matter) laughing and talking to a bunch of college friends at their respective schools? Yes, I know the show wanted a romcom-type ending, and yes, I know that some high school relationships do survive college (don't @ me). But why can't that have been given some sort of twist? Like Ben and Devi make a point of meeting up any sports even that Princeton and Columbia both compete in. And their friendship deepens, but they realize as a couple, they're better off apart. It's just so BORING that they're a couple. They're 18!

Now, Eleanor and Trent being a couple and working together on her movies makes sense to me. so it's not as if I'm completely anti–high school relationships lasting after high school. I just think that Ben and Devi can find suitable partners at university. And maybe even better partners. Imagine that!

ITA with all of the above, so I'm going to add my own footnote (to be read by John McEnroe) that explains that Devi and Ben broke up after the first semester, but the relationship helped both of them adjust to being so far from home.
Or something like that.

Edited June 10, 2023 by shapeshifter

[possibilities]

I actually find Eleanor and Trent to be a terrible combo. He's not her equal. He's mentally a child.

[dubbel zout]

26 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I actually find Eleanor and Trent to be a terrible combo. He's not her equal. He's mentally a child.

In some ways, he definitely is, but he's also pretty intuitive. He was the one who told Ben to go to Devi and tell her how he feels, And he urged Eleanor consider directing, which wasn't something she'd thought about seriously. He's also a really good, supportive friend.

36 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm going to add my own footnote (to be read by John McEnroe) that explains that Devi and Ben broke up after the first semester, but the relationship helped both of them adjust to being so far from home.
Or something like that.

Oooh, I like this. (Especially hearing it in McEnroe's voice, hee.) And in that context, Ben and Devi as a couple makes sense. They are on the other coast, after all. Even if you've always wanted to be there, that's a long way away from familiarity.

[twoods]

Ben clearly said that he wanted to try dating Devi and seeing how they would work in a relationship. They’ve had feelings for each other for three years and never got a chance to be in a relationship, so I like how open ended their ending was. They didn’t get married or engaged. They were only an hour from each other on the east coast, so why not see how they’d mesh with their similar personalities?
They had one another’s backs through all the ups and downs in high school (Ben urging Devi to go to her dad’s spreading of ashes ceremony, him comforting her when he found out she didn’t get into any colleges, Devi convincing Ben to be himself to the Columbia rep). They both have the same passion when it comes to school.

[Irlandesa]

I enjoyed this season again even though some of the time jumps felt a bit jarring. 

I wonder if McEnroe's "that's it from me....for now" means Kaling would like to revisit Devi in the future. 

I don't think any of the couples shown in the end are guaranteed to be together in the future.  I think the couples the most likely to have a future are Pati and Len (because they're married) and Kamala and Maneesh because he moved across the country with her and specifically for her.  So I don't see any of the couples, especially the young ones, as together forever people but it's nice that they're happy at this point in time.

On 6/9/2023 at 12:45 PM, shapeshifter said:

I do wish that Len, in addition to sincerely declaring his wanting only the best for Nirmala, had also added that they had a pre-nup. 

Pati might be too traditional for a prenup but she probably doesn't need a prenup to keep her Apple money. 

[Artsda]

I enjoyed the ending montage, seeing everyone in their new lives. 

Devi ending up with Ben to try a relationship and being so close to each other. Both getting their schools, Paxton going back to school with his growth. 

All the endings I think were fitting. 

Seeing Manish was great. Realized really missed him in the stories this season he was missing in the Len plot. I'm guessing Utkarsh Ambudkar was busy with Ghosts. 

 

[memememe76]

Had the actor playing Manish been more available, the series would have ended with the wedding of him and Kamala. I LOVE Nirmala but would have loved a season full of clashes between Nirmala and Manish’s family. 
 

For me, the show’s true legacy is the family of four strong funny women of different generations. There was a balance amongst them that made watching them so appealing.

I find the teens fun and engaging, but Devi loomed so large that not enough time we’re given to them. Especially Eleanor and Fabiola. Fabiola’s storyline this season was especially trite. I was confused by Eleanor’s future. Did she go to film school or is she just shooting her own movies? I actually think Trent could do well behind the scenes, like stunts, grips, etc.
 

And the less said about Ben being endgame, the better.

Would Paxton go back to Arizona so easily? Never been in that situations before. 

Right from the start, I was wondering that not one of those schools would be won over by a girl of Indian immigrants whose dad died while she was doing a recital, causing her to become paralyzed, but still getting incredible grades and cleaning towels for the swim team. I know she writes that she didn’t want to exploit her situation, but this is Devi. Don’t buy it. 

[Irlandesa]

6 minutes ago, memememe76 said:

Would Paxton go back to Arizona so easily? Never been in that situations before.

It sounds like he withdrew on his own accord and not because of any academic issues.  Most schools I've worked at would welcome him back as long as not too much time has passed. 

I'm disappointed we didn't see his sister this season.  She normally would have been the voice of reason his mom ended up being.

[TiredMe]

I wanted it to end with Devi realizing she was off to college and being single was the way to go. Oh well

[Paloma]

I just read the comment by @shapeshifter in the New Jersey episode thread and wanted to comment here since it was about Nalini's apology for letting Devi control the admissions process. I'm sure that some parents do let high school seniors make all the decisions about where to apply and don't nag (er, follow up with) their kids about filling out the applications, writing the essays, etc. But those parents would definitely not include mothers like Nalini, who are focused on their kids being well behaved and successful and tend to be controlling of their kids' lives. I was very much like Nalini and had a similar conflicted relationship with my daughter, and--like Devi--my daughter was convinced that only one very competitive school was for her and was highly motivated to get into that school. However, I was afraid that the odds were against her getting into Juilliard, so I insisted that she apply to at least 3 other schools with good dance programs. To put it mildly, there was a lot of tension in our house during the college admissions process, as I (and to some extent my husband) felt it was our responsibility as parents to make sure she was doing the applications to the other schools. 

 

[twoods]

Nalini did tell Devi to apply to other safety schools, but Devi threw a fit so Nalini backed off. I’m sure it was more than one conversation and she constantly nagged her about it, but she did her due diligence as a mother to try to convince her to apply to other schools besides Ivy. 

[dubbel zout]

The college counselor at high school told her to apply to safety schools. I doubt anyone could have persuaded Devi to think about what would happen if she didn't get into Princeton. I get why she was finally accepted, but in some ways, I wish the show had let that dream shatter and we had to see Devi figure out another place. Oh, well.

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, twoods said:

Nalini did tell Devi to apply to other safety schools, but Devi threw a fit so Nalini backed off. I’m sure it was more than one conversation and she constantly nagged her about it, but she did her due diligence as a mother to try to convince her to apply to other schools besides Ivy. 

I forgot that Nalini told her to apply to safety schools (though I don't remember her using the word "safety"--just that she should apply to other schools in case Princeton didn't come through). And I agree that Nalini probably nagged, but the way the apology was worded in this episode made it sound like she was hands-off in the process, and that was unrealistic.

24 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

The college counselor at high school told her to apply to safety schools. I doubt anyone could have persuaded Devi to think about what would happen if she didn't get into Princeton. I get why she was finally accepted, but in some ways, I wish the show had let that dream shatter and we had to see Devi figure out another place.

I do remember the counselor telling her to apply to safety schools, and you're right that nothing would have changed Devi's single-minded ambition. I'm not sure that she would have been eventually accepted if the person from the college fair hadn't been sympathetic to her. And I'm not sure that the essay was the determining factor for her being taken off the waitlist. Equally likely is that many high-achieving students applied to multiple Ivies, like she did, and got accepted to more than one; then they decided to go to one of the others, thus opening up spaces from the waitlist. My daughter was applying to college in 1999-2000, and it was common practice for students to apply to multiple colleges with the Common App. Students in honors programs like AP and IB often applied to multiple Ivies, and at least some of them in my daughter's class got accepted to 2 or even 3 Ivies plus other selective schools. All of this is probably still true for high school seniors.

I too would have liked to see Devi's college dream shatter so that she could explore other options, including a gap year. Although I loved the characters on this show and wanted them to have happy endings, there are various ways to have happy endings that are not necessarily everything coming together in fairy-tale fashion at one time. 

[shapeshifter]

I just tracked down what Nalini said to Devi, and it's actually in the penultimate episode, 4.9 ". . . gone to prom":

• I let you take charge of your own college process because for some strange reason I thought you'd be sensible. What were you thinking only applying to Ivies?

about which I agree and also assert:

6 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Narratively it is a weak, throwaway line, seemingly written by an exposition fairy. But it is also the exact mistake my parents made with me, and I regret having similarly done with my kids.🤷🏻‍♀️

So, to clarify, while I agree with all the comments that Devi's mom, counselors, and other adults in her orbit all failed her, my experiences as a teen, a single parent of teens, and in my job of in loco parentis, I have observed that such failures are still very common IRL, even when the adults have the best of intentions and make heroic efforts to steer the young scholars towards success. Sometimes other responsibilities in the mentors' lives pile up. Sometimes the 17-year-old makes it literally impossible for the parent figures in their life to know that the teen is about to make a really wrong turn (Devi's lies are typical).

After Devi screwed up her chances, she was assured by more than one adult that her life was still going to be great. And apparently it is. But, IRL, that is not always the case in such situations. Definitely there are some opportunities and doors that are closed. But I imagine Mindy Kaling thinks this is the best parting message for the show — and it probably is.

But I was okay with Devi getting into Princeton by way of her essay about her father, because such personal essays do make a huge difference [any parents of college-bound kids, take note!]. 

However, given the show's reminder of why Devi was set on Princeton in the first place (because as a little girl she wanted to go to "Princess College") there is no reason to think it's the best place for her (in contrast to Fabiola's decision-making process and her ultimate choice). 
But Fabiola's true love and mastery of a discipline like robotics is more the exception than the rule with regards to US students, who typically change their college majors more than once.

Maybe Devi will be able to transfer to UCLA or Stanford her sophomore year, but those top-tier schools would have been easier for her to get into straight from high school. So maybe Devi will transfer to another UC school. 

Regardless, assuming Devi is aiming for and will reach graduate school, what will determine her acceptance into such programs will depend upon how well she does academically (including utilizing internship and other opportunities) in her undergraduate program.
And graduate programs tend to prefer to recruit from outside their own institution anyway,
— as my youngest daughter and I heard at a University of Chicago talk for prospective undergraduates, after which she decided *not* to go there on a scholarship. 😑
— but she did apply herself in college and eventually got a masters degree from Carnegie Mellon
— which sounds great, and has been lucrative, but I'm not sure if she wouldn't have been more fulfilled in her career had she gone to UC for undergraduate and then, IDK, Harvard for post-grad.

Edited June 12, 2023 by shapeshifter

[peachmangosteen]

Loved the final season. I wish they would have done a joint Eleanor/Fabiola narrated episode over another Paxton one but other than that I really have nothing to complain about.

Actually, I do have one more complaint lol: I could have done with way less Margot. Just seemed like some of the time spent on her should have went to one of the main characters. I didn't even remember her lol.

[twoods]

11 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

The college counselor at high school told her to apply to safety schools. I doubt anyone could have persuaded Devi to think about what would happen if she didn't get into Princeton. I get why she was finally accepted, but in some ways, I wish the show had let that dream shatter and we had to see Devi figure out another place. Oh, well.

Shoot, you’re right that it was the counselor, but I could have sworn that Nalini told her to apply to other schools besides Princeton, then dropped the ball by not following up. I don’t know if it’s a first generation American thing since my parents also pushed me to get good grades, but were pretty hands off during college apps since they didn’t know the process and trusted that I knew what I was doing. Luckily I applied to zero Ivy schools since the California UC schools were good enough, and applied to multiple safety schools. The high school counselors at my school were useless.

[Irlandesa]

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

After Devi screwed up her chances, she was assured by more than one adult that her life was still going to be great. And apparently it is. But, IRL, that is not always the case in such situations. Definitely there are some opportunities and doors that are closed.

She would have been fine.  She's a motivated, intelligent student with great grades and a competitive drive.  Her mother is a doctor so she's upper-middle class.  Not getting into any Ivy is/would be a great lesson for her, but it wouldn't have come close to screwing up her future.  There would still be time for her to decide if she wanted to go to a local school for her first year or travel abroad/do volunteer work to improve her chances for applying the next year. 

I'm not sure why she'd transfer now that she's in the school she wanted.  And she shouldn't think of grad school until she knows what she wants to do.

1 hour ago, twoods said:

Luckily I applied to zero Ivy schools since the California UC schools were good enough, and applied to multiple safety schools.

Ha. I applied to my well-regarded state school, and that was it.  I never even considered applying at a safety school.  I guess I thought I'd just figure something out if I got rejected.  Luckily, I did not.  But I went to school when you kind of knew the baselines to get in.  If you were a state resident, had the right GPA and test scores, it was almost an automatic acceptance.

[possibilities]

Her mom did tell her to apply to other schools. There was a whole story where she told Devi that she had had to start over in her career when they moved to the USA, even though she was the top intern in her class, and she believes in Devi but knows that sometimes things don't work out the way you want, no matter how hard you try or how good of a job you do.

Her mistake was not following up and making sure Devi did what she was told, but they needed that for the rest of the plot about Devi coming to understand that if she didn't get into Princeton she'd be okay, and that she can't be shitty to Fabiola and should clbratee hr friend's successes, plus they wanted to show Ben comforting her when he found out she didn't get into any Ivies.

[dubbel zout]

10 hours ago, twoods said:

The high school counselors at my school were useless.

Ditto. My experience was the same as @Irlandesa's, yet I still had to make an appointment and talk about it. What a waste of time. Then she forgot to forward my transcripts. It was so exasperating. 

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

Her mistake was not following up and making sure Devi did what she was told

But Devi refused to apply anywhere else, so what was Nalini supposed to do? She couldn't apply to other schools for Devi. Nalini wasn't going to stand over Devi's shoulder and force her to fill out other applications, which is probably what it would have taken, and who needs that nonsense?

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 6/8/2023 at 9:45 PM, NeenerNeener said:

OK, is this another tv show that misidentifies a lehenga as a sari? Those looked like 3 piece outfits that Devi and Kamala wore to Patti's wedding. 

No. Devi was wearing a sari. She had a waist chain to keep the part that was draped over her shoulder in place so it wouldn’t slip down/off her shoulder.

Kamala was wearing a lehenga. They come in different styles. Some have a long kurti and some have the short cholis /blouses that Kamala was wearing. And you can wear the dupatta in several ways as well.

[mansonlamps]

On 6/9/2023 at 3:15 PM, NeenerNeener said:

The actor is definitely starting to show his age, and was more believable this season as a member of the high school faculty than as a high school senior last season. He sure is pretty, though.

Is he though? I mean he's cute enough, but the way they made him out to be spectacularly better looking than the other guys didn't ring true to me. Now Mohan, THAT I get🙂

[peachmangosteen]

Yea, I still think Paxton was miscast. He doesn't scream teen heartthrob in the way he was presented and he has always looked so much older than Devi (and Ben).

[Guest]

I thought that was a really strong finale at the end of a very uneven final season. There were so many plots that I wish they would have gotten rid of in order spend more time of the plot of the last two episodes. Everything with Ethan and Margot ended up being mostly irrelevant and took up way too much screen time. There was so much they could have given that time to, like Fabiola. So much of the season felt like it was treading water.

Devi wrote in her essay that she was advised to write about her dad and she didn’t want to. That’s a great plot and it would have been nice if they had actually incorporated that into the plot. Nearly everything that happened when Devi didn’t get in anywhere could have been moved to when she was deferred for early decision. 

I think it would have worked a lot better narratively if they hadn’t decided to tear down Devi so much at the beginning of the season. Season 3 ended with her in a really good place and they should have continued that for the beginning of this season. Let her be happy and show real growth. Then she could have backslid while dealing with her expectations crumbling around her. 

[shapeshifter]

23 minutes ago, Dani said:

think it would have worked a lot better narratively if they hadn’t decided to tear down Devi so much at the beginning of the season. Season 3 ended with her in a really good place and they should have continued that for the beginning of this season. Let her be happy and show real growth. Then she could have backslid while dealing with her expectations crumbling around her. 

I’m just glad Devi worked out most of her self-sabotaging impulses in high school rather than in college. We caught a glimpse of how that can go badly with Paxton.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I loved the dancing at Pati's wedding, and I was hoping for more classic Bollywood wedding songs, like they had in the first season-not wedding, but a couple of classic Asha Bhosle songs they used.

But I hated, hated, hated that Devi and Ben got together at the end. I just don't see what she sees/saw in him. Plus the fact that he constantly called her "David" which is pretty fucking insulting. I don't care if he considers that a nick name or "term of endearment" for her.

And I wish we could have gotten more of Manish and Mohan, but I understand their other commitments didn't allow for that.

And I guess Len, blanking on actor's name, but I know I can't stand him, was mainly inoffensive here.

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But I hated, hated, hated that Devi and Ben got together at the end.

In my own, internal epilogue, when Devi and Ben first spend a college break apart (because one or the other is doing an internship or taking advantage of some other career-enhancing opportunity) they also decide to take a relationship break, after which they are only social media "friends" for the rest of their lives.

Then maybe 20 years later their kids meet in college and find true love.

[ProudMary]

On 6/15/2023 at 11:00 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

But I hated, hated, hated that Devi and Ben got together at the end. I just don't see what she sees/saw in him. Plus the fact that he constantly called her "David" which is pretty fucking insulting. I don't care if he considers that a nick name or "term of endearment" for her.

I couldn't agree more. When Devi apologized to Ben for calling him mean, I wanted to throw something at the screen. He was mean to her. Often! I saw no reason why she ever would have been attracted to him. The only area where they were similar was intellectually, and even there, Devi was ahead of him. Ben had to work harder to get those grades. It came a lot easier for Devi. 

We can all see that Ben's behavior is a product of his parents' near total abandonment of him. I think Devi also realizes this, but just because she knows why he's messed up emotionally, doesn't mean she has to be accepting of it and certainly not attracted to it.

I definitely shipped Devi and Paxton. While he was nowhere near Devi intellectually, Paxton came from a loving, nurturing family the same as  Devi did. He had a good heart and treated her well because of their influence, especially that of his smart, awesome sister. I missed her very much this season. While I never expected Paxton to be Devi's "forever", I hate that we were left with even the slightest indication that she and Ben might be. 🤮 

I would rather have seen a flash forward of Devi thriving at Princeton with a bunch of good friends, than cuddled up with Ben in her dorm room. 🙄 It pretty much ruined an otherwise good series finale for me.

[festivus]

This show just gets me with the family moments. Always so well done. I'm really gonna miss it, I loved Devi and all her craziness. I see good things for the actress, she could just break my heart with the scenes about her dad.

I also enjoyed the friendship of the girls and agree with you guys that this season needed more Fab. I missed Manish too, I just love him as Jay on Ghosts. 

As to the Ben thing, I don't really care one way or the other. I would have preferred them staying friends but the ending didn't bother me. As was said up thread, I picture McEnroe talking about their breakup in the near future. And speaking of McEnroe, anybody that's read my posts at all knows that I enjoyed the hell out of him and I think it was brilliant getting him to narrate Devi's thoughts. He killed it on the very last line too.

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, festivus said:

And speaking of McEnroe, anybody that's read my posts at all knows that I enjoyed the hell out of him and I think it was brilliant getting him to narrate Devi's thoughts. He killed it on the very last line too.

Yes, McEnroe's last voice over line does pretty much cover what I was thinking:

• [McENROE]: And after four rocky years of high school, Devi finally had both the boy and the college of her dreams. There would be other dreams, of course, like becoming the first Supreme Court Justice who's also a hip-hop artist, but in this moment, our little hothead from the Valley was pretty happy. So this is John McEnroe live from Princeton, New Jersey, signing off. For now.

I would have appreciated McEnroe a lot more if I’d been aware of his existence when he was known for having Devi-like public tantrums, but I was not, and watching clips now doesn’t do it for me (youtu.be/dB3sb6G65jc?t=15), but I can theoretically appreciate the casting choice. 
Wait.
Now I see that McEnroe was much more famous for parodies of his tantrums (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe#In_popular_culture). Given Mindy Kaling’s comedy background, that makes more sense. But I’m not familiar with those either.  
However, I do find his personal life to be surprisingly fascinating: wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe#Personal_life

Edited June 17, 2023 by shapeshifter

[dubbel zout]

Oof, now I feel old, as I watched McEnroe have his meltdowns in real time, and wow, they were so embarrassing. Even the crowd at the US Open would start hissing and booing when he started up.

That said, he was an inspired choice for narrator. The show would have been so much less without that touch.

[shapeshifter]

27 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Oof, now I feel old, as I watched McEnroe have his meltdowns in real time, and wow, they were so embarrassing. Even the crowd at the US Open would start hissing and booing when he started up.

That said, he was an inspired choice for narrator. The show would have been so much less without that touch.

I’m 6 years older than McEnroe, if that makes you feel any better. 🙃

[Scarlett45]

On 6/12/2023 at 4:27 PM, peachmangosteen said:

Actually, I do have one more complaint lol: I could have done with way less Margot. Just seemed like some of the time spent on her should have went to one of the main characters. I didn't even remember her lol.

Yes I would’ve loved more Aneesa and less Margot. 

[peachmangosteen]

Just now, Scarlett45 said:

Yes I would’ve loved more Aneesa and less Margot. 

YES! We saw Aneesa like 2 times. I was disappointed by that. I also wish we had seen Paxton's sister.

[Scarlett45]

I really enjoyed this series but this season wasn’t the strongest. The pacing was off, I wish we could’ve had Devi freak out about being waitlisted at Princeton in episode 7. As far as her ending up with Ben, it’s a teen comedy so I’m not mad at it, but I didn’t love him for her. He was such a douche. 

15 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, McEnroe's last voice over line does pretty much cover what I was thinking:

• [McENROE]: And after four rocky years of high school, Devi finally had both the boy and the college of her dreams. There would be other dreams, of course, like becoming the first Supreme Court Justice who's also a hip-hop artist, but in this moment, our little hothead from the Valley was pretty happy. So this is John McEnroe live from Princeton, New Jersey, signing off. For now.

I would have appreciated McEnroe a lot more if I’d been aware of his existence when he was known for having Devi-like public tantrums, but I was not, and watching clips now doesn’t do it for me (youtu.be/dB3sb6G65jc?t=15), but I can theoretically appreciate the casting choice. 
Wait.
Now I see that McEnroe was much more famous for parodies of his tantrums (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe#In_popular_culture). Given Mindy Kaling’s comedy background, that makes more sense. But I’m not familiar with those either.  
However, I do find his personal life to be surprisingly fascinating: wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEnroe#Personal_life

I love your idea. 

 

On 6/14/2023 at 11:29 PM, Dani said:

Devi wrote in her essay that she was advised to write about her dad and she didn’t want to. That’s a great plot and it would have been nice if they had actually incorporated that into the plot. Nearly everything that happened when Devi didn’t get in anywhere could have been moved to when she was deferred for early decision.

Yes and I understood Devi not wanting to write about her Dad. When I was applying to colleges 20yrs ago, everyone wanted me to write my essays about being a caregiver for my sister with a severe mental disability (cognitive age about 18-2yrs old, we are 27months a part) and my grandfather- I DID NOT want to do that. College was a time for me to get AWAY from my caregiving duties so I wrote my essay about my devotion theatre. 

 

On 6/14/2023 at 4:27 PM, peachmangosteen said:

Yea, I still think Paxton was miscast. He doesn't scream teen heartthrob in the way he was presented and he has always looked so much older than Devi (and Ben).

I think that Michael Cimino -who played the “bad boy” this season could’ve been a good Paxton. He’s very good looking but still very youthful and innocent looking. He can play a high schooler with ease and would’ve looked like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan‘a peer. 

[shapeshifter]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:27 PM, peachmangosteen said:

Yea, I still think Paxton was miscast. He doesn't scream teen heartthrob in the way he was presented and he has always looked so much older than Devi (and Ben).

6 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I think that Michael Cimino (who played the “bad boy” this season could’ve been a good Paxton. He’s very good looking but still very youthful and innocent looking. He can play a high schooler with ease and would’ve looked like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan‘a peer. 

FWIW, right now, the ages of the actors playing Devi and her love interests are:

• Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Devi) - 21
• Michael Cimino (Ethan the Bad Boy) - 23
• Darren Barnet (Paxton) - 32
• Jaren Lewison (Ben Gross) - 22

Does anyone recall reading that Paxton was originally supposed to be just a one-season love interest, kind of like Ethan?

 

[peachmangosteen]

13 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I think that Michael Cimino -who played the “bad boy” this season could’ve been a good Paxton. He’s very good looking but still very youthful and innocent looking. He can play a high schooler with ease and would’ve looked like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan‘a peer. 

I was thinking the same thing while watching him this season. I like Darren Barnet but he just didn't make sense in that role imo.

[Paloma]

On 6/17/2023 at 5:32 AM, shapeshifter said:

I would have appreciated McEnroe a lot more if I’d been aware of his existence when he was known for having Devi-like public tantrums

I'm about a decade older than McEnroe and was very aware of his tantrums during his career, so I really appreciated his being Devi's narrator. But I didn't really follow his life after his divorce from Tatum O'Neal, so I read your link to the article on his personal life with great interest. He's a much more complex guy than I thought!