The question on everyone’s mind as “Never Have I Ever” returns for its second season on Thursday is whether Devi will choose Ben or Paxton as her high-school beau (though if you’ve seen the trailer, her answer is “why not both?”).
But as anyone whose seen any high school movie ever knows: Trying to date two people at the same time rarely works out for all parties.
So TheWrap spoke with Jaren Lewison, who plays Ben Gross on the Netflix comedy, to make his case for why Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) should ultimately be Team Ben.
“Firstly, of course, I have respect for Team Paxton. And if people do choose Team Paxton, I mean, come on, I get it. But I think for me playing Ben, knowing his character, I can speak to the genuine connection that him and Devi have. I think that they have the ability to really understand each other’s deep emotions,” Lewison said. “It starts in season one with [Ben] understanding kind of how Devi is grieving and understanding her family dynamic.
“And then also I think that Devi, in turn, comes to recognize how caring and kind and genuine Ben could be under that loud, brash persona,” Lewison continued. “I think that they really do have a strong foundation of friendship, and their banter is something that I think really kind of carries friendships, especially relationships, a long way. Because when you can have fun with your partner, I think that is kind of what makes a relationship run the longest. So I do think that in the long run Ben is the right guy.”
Unfortunately for Ben, since Devi’s mom wants to move the family back to India maybe she won’t have to make a choice after all.
Here’s the official description for the new season: In Season 2 of the coming-of-age comedy “Never Have I Ever,” Indian American teenager Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) continues to deal with the everyday pressures of high school and drama at home, while also navigating new romantic relationships.
“Never Have I Ever” returns for Season 2 on Thursday, July 15 on Netflix