Warning: This piece contains major spoilers for the final season of “Never Have I Ever.” If you haven’t watched yet, turn back now!
Season 4 of Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s Netflix comedy series “Never Have I Ever” brings the Sherman Oaks High adventures of Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), her besties Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) and their various romantic partners, to a close. And viewers finally learn which of Devi’s two beaus — Paxton (Darren Barnet) or Ben (Jaren Lewison) — she ends up with in the series finale.
In the end, Devi chooses her crush/nemesis Ben, and the two pursue a long-distance relationship while attending Princeton and Columbia, respectively. But the future remains open, as series narrator John McEnroe signs off the final episode by teasing “for now.”
TheWrap caught up with Barnet, Ramakrishnan and Lewison to make sense of the ending, reflect on their characters’ stories and envision where they see Paxton, Devi and Ben in ten years.
Does it make sense how the love triangle resolves at the end of this season?
Barnet: When has anything ever made sense? I think as well as you could have tied a bow on a love triangle. It’s very smooth and appropriate fade out, if you will, for for all of us.”
Ramakrishnan: I’d have to agree. Writers know best, but I think it’s very on brand for ‘Never Have I Ever’ to have that ending, especially with that lovely ‘for now.’ Because anything can happen. Anything can happen right after the show ends as the characters live on. So I think it definitely makes sense.
Lewison: I think it’s really cool the way that it ended. For all of the characters, watching them really find what they want to do, and get ready for that next chapter — because that’s really what senior year is all about — it’s about gearing up and ready for your next chapter. Whether that’s college, whether that’s trade School, whether that’s just a job straight out, whether that’s figuring it out, traveling, whatever it is, we have that represented and it’s authentic to all of those characters. It makes sense. They’re going to learn and grow and it’s an exciting next chapter for all of them.
What is the biggest lesson your characters learned this season?
Barnet: You’re better than what you thought you can be. So don’t stop chasing that because you just surprised yourself once, you can do it again.
Lewison: For Ben, it’s who you are deep inside is the person you should strive to be nice.
Ramakrishnan: The biggest lesson that [Devi] learned this season in particular was about gratitude and just being very grateful for everything around her, grateful for the life that she gets to live and grateful for the people who love her so much that she also loves. There’s just so many blessings in her life and instead of not focusing on them, she makes sure that she recognizes them because they’re true blessings.
Say Sherman Oaks High School has a ten-year reunion, where do you see your characters?
Ramakrishnan: Like Devi says, dating the next newest Spider-Man.
Lewison: I would want to see Ben be happy.
That’s his whole journey throughout the whole series as he’s trying to find what true happiness is for him and embracing who he is. Hopefully ten years down he’s found that.
Barnet: I think Paxton’s on a beach somewhere teaching people to kayak —
Ramakrishnan: He won’t show up?
Barnet: He’ll show up, but he’ll show up in like a Hawaiian shirt and some board shorts and come in on like a sea plane and land for some reason in the ocean.
Ramakrishnan: Sherman Oaks is not beside an ocean.
Barnet: Is Paxton the most practical person? No.
Lewison: How’re you gonna get a sea plane near Sherman Oaks High?
Barnet: That’s the question packs and we’ll figure that out, and Trent will probably be the pilot.
Watch the full interview, where Jaren dives deeper into each character’s fate, above. All episodes of “Never Have I Ever” Season 4 are now streaming on Netflix.
