#nhie s4 spec

[bewilderedbuck]

having devi vs. david thoughts about season 4; particularly which one we will hear first and why - this is just spec, ofc, but i can't stop thinking about it, so...

i think we're going to get a "devi" before we get a "david" this season, and i think it's going to be spoken directly to devi - as opposed to most times when ben refers to her as "devi" only when he's around other people. right now i'm just looking at 2 particular scenes in the trailer that i think the first "devi" could be from:

immediately post-boink. i don't have a screenshot for this one, bc they didn't give us ben's reaction to devi immediately bolting (which i'm thankful for, bc i really want to wait to see his reaction!) but i can see him saying "devi, wait" or something along those lines. i'm not totally sold on this one, honestly, but the thought's there.

the other scenario - and the most believable to me, from what we've seen so far - is immediately after devi sees margot kiss ben and confronts him. we can see they have a bit of a....i wouldn't call it a fight, but fight-adjacent, and from the looks of the trailer it doesn't seem like it gets too heated, but....

ben looks hurt and confused which - is so good (obv not for him but like - i live for the drama, whatever, it's just good entertainment). i don't know exactly how this would go, but i know how i want it to go: after ben tells her he thought it was a one time thing, devi tries defending herself, and he says "devi, you left," to parallel this fucking amazing scene from 2x04:

(cue everybody moved on i stayed there dust collected- yeah it's been almost 2 years and i still haven't gotten over this scene. jaren lewison the actor that you are.)

i could be completely off-base here. the first "devi" could be neither of those of course, and hell we might even get a "david" first instead. and while 3 seasons isnt enough to establish a pattern just yet, i'm hoping that after 4 seasons we can. see below:

season 1, we get a "david" first:

season 2, it's a "devi":

season 3, we're back to "david":

i'm hoping they continue the back-and-forth trend of this first devi vs david in the final season - idk! i like patterns! i like repetition! and like, his choice of which one to refer to her by first each season shows the status of their relationship:

season 1, "david," that playground nickname that's used to antagonize her (even if it doesn't work), showing their immature animosity for each other

season 2, "devi" to show her he's serious, he wants her to be his girlfriend, he doesn't want to hurt her, or annoy her, or make her feel less-than anymore - he's all in!!!!!!

season 3, "david," now evolved from an immature nickname almost into a term of endearment, a mark of friendship.

i just think a "devi" in the beginning of season 4 would be a great way to show the status of their relationship with each other; he can't use "david" because "david" has turned fond. so using "devi" would feel like - like a level of separation between them, if that makes sense? to make this whole interaction between them less...familiar. less safe, i guess. to show her he's hurt and confused, confused as to why she left and confused as to why she's the angry one when she made him feel like it was a one-time thing - using her name and his tone of voice to convey, "you walked out on me, you ghosted me, you made me feel like it wasn't special, like what we had wasn't special." i want devi to see the consequences of her leaving in his eyes and hear it in his voice - he's not angry like he was in season 2, hell, maybe he's not even totally heartbroken over this, but he's still hurt, you know?

(and again like i've said before - i'm not totally, solely blaming devi for what happened here - we still don't have enough facts, so as far as i'm concerned right now, the miscommunication [and like, total lack of] is both of their faults in my eyes, at least until s4 paints the whole story for us.)

#this feels like it makes no sense to me but i just cannot stop Thinking about that possible parallel ok it would just be. so fucking good #devi vs david #ben gross #devi vishwakumar #benvi #nhie #never have i ever #nhie s4 spec #s.txt

[mellarkably]

I am surprisingly okay with their first boink being awkward because is so relatable . tv and movies sell the first time as such a magical experience but most of the time it’s not. It’s awkward and clumsy, sometimes u think u aren’t compatible. specially because Ben has not have sex either. It’s new for the both of them. Devi not being able to handle a conversation about it and running away? relatable and so Devi. Ben thinking it was just a one thing situation? Sadly it tracks w him.

She needs to deal w the fact that having sex means communication she can’t just run away. it requieres a different level of honesty and vulnerability.

And it will tie with them having sex again the night of prom (the bed parallel was done on propose to symbolize that) but this time it will be after some good needed talk and it will be between two people that hopefully have matured a lot in the school year so i won’t be surprised if they paralleled the aftermath of the act but instated of the awkwardness from 401 there’s just giddiness and cute things.

yes anon, me too. them both being virgins until now, and young teens, all naturally culminate into an awkward first time. especially since devi has spent all these years having this fantastical idea of sex, when it isn't that! and that's the point.

that post sex clarity really hits them hard because devi isn't just running away, she's BOLTING. her behavior shows that although she's learning to live in the present, she doesn't know how to approach the consequent future. ben, being ghosted by devi for long, and also feeling like she'll never want to be with him for a good chunk of his high school life, chooses to be with margot to save himself the hurt. they are both choosing the safer way out because they don't know how to face their feelings, which are much bigger than themselves.

i also wonder if there's something we're missing here. ben looks petrified while devi looks, lost, almost? perhaps there is a reason for their awkwardness beyond having sex with your childhood rival. maybe something else happened.

love, love, love the tie back to prom night. currently where we left them at 310/401, ben and devi both need to undergo lots of growth before engaging in a relationship. and the huge puzzle piece of their relationship that's missing is that big damn conversation, the confession.

devi wanting to originally choose ben. eleanor telling ben that information. it never went anywhere!

devi not having stomach knots with paxton, yet finding them with ben. that also hasn't been a topic of conversation yet. she didn't arrive at his house just to have sex. she went because she has feelings for him, and wouldn't trust anybody else with her first time, but he never got to hear that.

both of them not having confirmation that the other likes them back is what leads to their falling out in the beginning of the season. the scene after prom, if paralleling their first boink, has the potential to be the moment where both ben and devi finally communicate about all their misunderstandings. even better! have them discuss it before in the middle of the season, so that this scene in 409 can go much smoother. so that if or when she has sex with ben for the second time, she realizes that this is how its supposed to be. where you have assurance the other person loves you. where you're allowed to enjoy it rather than focus on what happens after.

where for once, after they strip themselves of all pretense, devi doesn't run and ben doesn't rebound.

#anon asks #nhie asks #nhie #never have i ever #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #ben x devi #benvi #bevi #nhie s4 spec #bro sorry to anon i did not mean to ramble on and on and on about them #i just know where i would take them with this season like everything is set but idk if it'll be what i get yknow

[bewilderedbuck]

literally the only two endings that would make any narrative sense for nhie is devi ending up with ben or devi ending up by herself. i'm not even speaking as a benvi shipper here. if you actually pay attention the show and catch onto the clues, those are the only possible endings that would wrap up her story in a satisfying way. especially after the events of 3x10.

#saw a review where someone said they hope she gets a 4th love interest in season 4 who ends up being her endgame and i'm like??? #how the fuck does that make any sense #they have been setting up benvi since 1x01 #and if benvi ISN'T endgame then she'll end up by herself #3x10 made it clear she has no romantic feelins for paxton anymore lol #d*xtons do not yell at me in my inbox i will delete every rude anon i do not care #nhie #never have i ever #devi vishwakumar #nhie s4 spec

[bewilderedbuck]

Okay! So I was rewatching nhie season 3 for the billionth time and I noticed that when John McEnroe says, “she would find love again all she had to do was look to the future” then it focuses on her and Ben! And end he says, “or maybe the past” it focuses on Paxton. Insinuating that Ben is her future (like they have a future) and Paxton is her past.

YES this is what i'm thinking as well. even though ben is also technically part of her past, the framing and narration here has to be intentional:

she looks directly at ben when mcenroe says "She just had to look to the future."

and then looks directly at paxton when mcenroe says, "Or maybe to the past."

i can see this being interpreted as "she can make a choice between a possible future with ben, or rekindling the past with pax," but i don't think that's it. at all. bear with me for possibly reaching, because i, of course, will make everything about benvi as much as i possibly can, but i interpret it this way: she has to look towards the past, not relive it, because she has to look back on what her relationship with paxton taught her, over anything else: she has to love herself first. because her relationship with herself is the most important relationship she can ever have. and she looks to the future, to ben, because she is unafraid to be herself with him, wholly and unapologetically. he has never made her feel less, never made her feel insecure (and yes, i know paxton didn't really do these things while they were dating, but those feelings creeped up on her as a byproduct of being paxton h-y's girlfriend, because of his social status vs. hers). her and ben are equals, and they always have been. and yes, in an interview lang said that devi also sees herself and paxton as equals after the events of 3x10, but as soon as she saw him as an equal, she realized those romantic feelings were not there anymore. no stomach knots from paxton. only from ben.

#tl;dr: devi is in love with ben lol #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #devi x ben #ben x devi #never have i ever #nhie #nhie s3 #nhie spoilers #nhie s4 spec #sort of #asks #kay <3

[bewilderedbuck]

But I feel like we'll be getting so much emotional, soft and intimate Benvi this season and I can't wait. I think Devi's reluctance to fully enter into a relationship with Ben is partially because she doesn't feel good enough, she's hurt him in the past, and she's afraid to let herself get so close to someone only to lose them like what happened with her father. I can't wait to see her realize all of this and I'm pretty sure Dr. Ryan knows she is just using everyone else as a distraction from Ben. Side note but I think Treleanor will break up and I'm so not ready for that even though it makes sense for their characters

YESSS to your first point!!! i really want, to encompass all three, that delicate emotional intimacy that the two of them so obviously crave. especially as these characters are starting to grow into young adults and mature, i definitely see this season being on the track for at least two deep, emotional conversations between ben and devi. personally, i'm hoping for three, and i want them to feel realistic - yes devi has been in therapy for the past 3-4 years but i don't want therapy speak coming out of her mouth or ben's - i don't think that would feel very in-character for them, you know?

i do agree, dr. ryan is going to be, once again, instrumental in helping devi realize she needs to get her head out of her ass and go after what she wants (because we already know she does want). and i'm hoping that eleanor and fab take part in that too; we've got that scene fron 2x10 with eleanor and ben ("she wanted to choose you.") and that other scene from 3x04 with fab and ben ("yeah, well, she broke my heart.") so they've both got this peek at a heartbroken ben, the two people closest to devi have seen how this boy hurts for her, because of her, and now they've got their hands full with devi who's hurting for him (and like this can probably be argued, but that still of ben and devi in her bed when shes wearing her prom dress? that's more than just "i'm sad i didn't go to prom" and you cannot convince me otherwise). i don't think they're going to push ben and devi together by any means - both of them need to find their way back to each other - but i definitely think they're going to play a part in helping. (and honestly, i hope paxton does too - i can see him being on ben's side, in his corner.)

and i KNOW this post is already getting long but like before i forget because i so desperately want to touch on this: on the note of that emotional intimacy i mentioned above...there's just something so terrifying about being that vulnerable, you know? and i know i already sort of touched on this before but like, if we go back to what kamala said in 3x01, "when you sleep with someone, you're the most vulnerable you'll ever be. and if you rush into that, you could get really hurt." and i'm thinking, what if devi internalizes this afterwards? what if she thinks back on those words, thinks that she just rushed into that with ben? because they weren't together. they didn't discuss what it meant for either of them. they didn't talk, they just did it. obviously, from our perspective, this seems anything but rushed, because they've been doing this push-and-pull for the past three seasons. but devi, having her reputation as impulsive and destructive, could easily file this away as something else she followed through without thinking it over. so, she thinks she rushed. so, she's scared she's going to get hurt. or that ben will get hurt, maybe. or that both of them will. and so she runs, and he stays, and both of them ghost, until they're both breaking at the seams and they know this is their last chance to get it right. and yes, it hurts. it hurt in the beginning and the middle and it hurts when they're finally coming back together but god is it worth it. and it isn't rushed - it's just this beautiful progression, this journey with mountains and valleys that they've both endured and come out all the better for it.

on a slightly lighter note yeah i also think treleanor is going to break up 😭😭 HOWEVER i think it's going to be mutual, with no hard feelings, and a hope to meet again in the future 💕

#hi sorry i went off again <3 because once i start talking about nhie i cannot stop <3 #ik this post is mostly spec + me talking abt fear of intimacy that may not even actually be CANON but. its making me crazy thinking abt it #long post #benvi #nhie #never have i ever #nhie s4 spec #asks #grace tag #mutuals

[bewilderedbuck]

someone help Ben and Devi why can't they communicate for shit 'I thought it was a one time thing' like so typical JESUS just hash it out and get married already

LITERALLY i just need someone to lock these 2 in a room until they talk about their fucking feelings!!!!!

i will say it feels SOOOO in-character for devi to let herself be vulnerable with ben and then immediately panic and (even accidentally) sabotage what they could have. we see it in 1x05 when she nukes him and in season 2 when she cheats on him . season 3 has been the most emotionally mature devi's been, and her relationships show this; after the breakup with paxton, she doesn't really have any conflicts other than the whole des + rhyah situation, which she wasn't even at fault for!! but then in the s3 finale she lets herself be vulnerable again, lets herself go after ben because she knows she wants him, and. well. i think that must have been pretty damn scary for her in retrospect. so she flees! she effectively nukes what could have been yet again, this time not out of anger but out of fear, and likely ghosts him for the remainder of the summer (assuming based on the trailer - im guessing they havent spoken since The Boinkening, so the 1st day of senior year is the first time she sees him since then) so of course ben thinks it was a one-time thing; she bounced as fast as she could after they *ahem* finished, he hasn't heard from her in months despite living in the same city, and, well, yeah, hes in love with her, but as far as he can tell, she doesn't feel the same. so he goes after the pretty girl that does want him, and devi retaliates by going after the pretty guy that wants her, and, well, i'm betting they dont get their shit together until after ben gets suckerpunched in new york lmfao.

i'm SOOOO ready for like....petty pining from both sides up until they finally do talk shit out!!! theyre going to be even more insufferable now that they're not totally oblivious & its going to be SOOOOO good

#as always i am SO SORRY for like. going off in a way that wasnt even relevant to your ask skdjasd #i had to force myself to shut the fuck up bc i jsut kept TYPING what is wrong w me #nhie s4 spec #nhie #benvi #asks #grace tag #mutuals

[bewilderedbuck]

Do you think Ben and Devi aren't going to be on speaking terms at the very beginning of the season, right after the "boink"? Or is the fallout going to be later on?

i think, most likely, there's going to be a couple fallouts this season, but the major one will be ben and devi being the king and queen of miscommunication post-boink.

as far as we know, ben has no idea devi is staying in sherman oaks. in his eyes, redeeming the boink voucher may very well be her trying to lose her virginity before she goes to shrubland; i can see ben ghosting her because of that (and then being like "oh shit" when she shows up on the first day of senior year lol)

but i can also see devi ghosting ben because she becomes scared of her own feelings. yes, she has grown. yes, she knows what she wants now and goes after it, but there is no doubt in my mind that her feelings for ben are so intense that it would scare her a little. so, she distances herself. tells herself it doesn't mean what she thought it did. that they're still just friends.

i just hope they get their shit together fast but as i said they are the king and queen of miscommunication so who tf knows lol

#not to plug my own fic but like....i wrote a 5.5k oneshot where the first scenario happens (aside from the 1st day of sr year thing) #if you wanna read it my ao3 is boterhammen 👀 #benvi #ben gross #devi vishwakumar #never have i ever #nhie #nhie s4 spec #asks #anonymous

[bewilderedbuck]

s4 david/devi will make me crazy. also please share all the thoughts about them xoxo

pretending this ask isnt 6 days old (and the other ones i need to answer aren't like......weeks and weeks old bc ive been Slacking) but i've already touched on the first "devi" i think we're going to get here and god you know what im thinking about now??? the first david. because they've shown us since season 1 that ben doesn't ever return to david unless he's trying to like, reconcile?? with devi i guess.

like take this moment from 1x06:

this is post-nuking and he just!!! doesn't know what he did wrong!!!! and he wants things to go back to how they were before she nuked him!!! so he slips the david in there to try to go back to what they were just on the precipice of in 1x05.

and then in 2x05:

the first david of season 2!!!!! god i just. i have so many conflicting emotions about season 2 but this moment. this is one of those things that i didn't notice on my first watch, or even my second rewatch - because "david" just flows so naturally here. but then i started my little cataloging series and i just. the significance of the first david coming in at a moment where they're just starting to go back to - not normal, because they never really had a normal, i don't think, but going back to something other than pained looks and petty remarks in front of classmates and spitting "so no, we're not friends." and like - they still aren't friends here, not really, but it's a step - one that ben makes, bravely.

and of course we don't really get that in season 3, because they're only very briefly on bad terms due to the whole des situation, but like.....idk, i know this isn't enough for a pattern just yet, but it's so intentional, and so i'm thinking we'll get something similar in season 4 - i don't have enough information to exactly narrow down how the first "david" is going to go, but episode 5 is always always always benvi heavy (heist, relay, coffee house) so i have no doubt that 4x05 is going to be much the same. if the first "david" isn't at the end of 4x05, then it will be at the beginning of 4x06 - if i'm wrong i'll eat my words i guess but like. based on past seasons it just makes sense!!!!

also like (this isn't directed at u grace lol this is. general.) if ur still reading this and u HAVEN'T read all my other devi vs david posts where i catalog (and go crazy over) every single instance ben uses one or the other you can find them all here !!!

#i hope my reputation in the nhie fandom is just 'that one bitch who won't shut the fuck up about devi vs david' #benvi #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #nhie #devi vs david #nhie s4 spec #asks #grace tag #mutuals

[bewilderedbuck]

idk if you've done this yet but hopes and dreams for Benvi in s4? which scenes do you want/think will happen?

oooh okay so i have so many hopes and dreams for them lol.

first of all, after they FINALLY reconcile after boinkgate, i want a cute lil moment of ben sketching devi for his art class. i just think it would be adorable. this is probably the smallest thing i want; idc if they're even dating yet when this happens. i just want it. need it.

as for bigger hopes, i really want them to like....actually talk about their feelings. they're both getting better about expressing what they want, and i think it's really important that they sit down and have a real talk. it doesn't have to be perfect; i think it'd be even better if there's some awkward moments here and there or one (or both) of them trying (unsuccessfully) to make a lighthearted joke to lighten the mood a little; it would be way more realistic i think.

i really, really, really want devi to confess to ben first. i want her to tell him, with no expectation for him to give her an answer, that she loves him. that she's in love with him. not even because she wants him to say it back, but just because she wants him to know that it's him, and that it's been him. and while i hope with everything in me this happens within the first half of the season, i don't think it will. i can see it happening during their new york trip, with ben and devi going to visit columbia together and her telling him then. my guess is they'll probably end up being interrupted (much like the dance scene in 2x10 and the hallway scene in 3x10) and ben won't get a chance to respond yet. but when he does? it'll be beautiful.

i also want ben to comfort devi after she finds out she doesn't get into princeton. because i just know she's going to be a bit of a mess afterwards, and i don't think she'd go to fab or el for comfort on that (since fab gets accepted instead, i think there might be a little bit of a fallout there). i want her to go up to him crying and her to just say, "I didn't get in." and he just knows. pulls her in close, wraps his arms around her, her tears staining his shirt but he doesn't even care about that because she's hurting. because princeton had been her dream for so long, and it's gone. (even though if i remember correctly based on the leaks she just doesn't get in for early decision so there's still a chance she might get in? idk how these things work i didn't go to college lol) (also there's something there about her letting go of her dreams - both paxton and princeton - that i might get into after s4 comes out, who knows, we'll see what happens)

i want them to go to prom together. or even if they don't go together together, i want them to end up dancing together. they didn't get to in 2x10, and i just think it would be! so sweet! i can def see them going together with their group of friends (fab and addison together, and eleanor and trent) and then the couples pair off when a slow song starts. ben and devi just awkwardly look at each other for a moment, and then ben gets a hit of courage, bows just a little, and reaches out a hand and says something dorky like, "May I have this dance?" devi just rolls her eyes at him but takes his hand anyways.

another small thing i want is the whole "david means beloved" thing. no real reason. i just think it'd be cute. as well as devi calling ben out for the "unfuckable nerds" comment because i think that'd be fucking hilarious.

#i know s4 is already all filmed but someone let me write my own version instead please lol #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #nhie #nhie s4 spec #asks #grace <3 #long post

[bewilderedbuck]

I neeedddddd to know your predictions based off the trailer (of Benvi in particular, I really do care about other things in the show but I love them the most)

ooooh okay so.....not all of these predictions are actually serious some of them i just think would be FUN but i dont think they'll actually implement lmao. also....as usual i dont know when to shut the fuck up and stop typing SO. predictions under the cut!!

my prediction for benvi is: devi ghosts ben post-boinkening (basically confirmed; the trailer insinuates that they havent spoken since); ben goes after margot because she likes him (and we all saw how well it went the last time ben started dating someone else bc devi wasn't an option), it implodes, devi retaliates by dating ethan because he's hot or whatever the fuck (and honestly good for her im sure he's a tool but like.....rebound arm candy isnt necessarily a bad thing.....except in this case it is bc that is Also going to implode.) i think it would be HILARIOUS if margot and ethan ended up going out lmfao but. i doubt it. after both their rebounds fail (ben's i want to say around episode 2 bc i dont think they'll drag it out super long, and devi's probably episode 5?) they're still.....skirting around each other, in a will they/won't they kind of situation. i can see fab & eleanor trying to talk some sense into devi but devi just not listening bc she's stubborn as hell and of course she knows there's something there with ben but they've done this back-and-forth dance for so long that she's still nervous about taking that full leap.

and well. then she ends up getting like...accosted in new york (which im guessing the trailer may have been a bit misleading about that exact scenario because, ya know, it's a trailer) and ben tries to play knight in shining armor and well. we all saw what happened lmfao. cue devi icing ben's face n devi being like "why did you do that?" and ben just says "for you" or smthn cheesy as hell. this is probs around like? episode 7 i'd like to think? and they probably at least partially get their shit together but like. lbr it's ben and devi. so it can't be 100% smooth sailing. like you said im excpecing a tatbilb sort of thing - they agree to date & then break up before going to college. (we all know devi gets denied for early decision from princeton - this could play into her actually going to a school in new york - something prestigious, ofc, she graduates as valedictorian).

based on the trailer....im honestly torn on whether ben goes to prom or not! i know you said smthn about him perhaps going home and changing, but part of me also thinks - what if he didnt go at all? what if he stays home, because he knows this is gonna be one of his last good memories with devi and he just cant do it? i know we havent seen a lot of bts for season 4, but we have seen bts of maitreyi + lee + ramona in their prom dresses, and i dont recall jaren being there at all or wearing a suit (the only suit bts ive seen is of him in 2x10). so......maybe he doesnt go, but he comes to her after. idk exactly how that will play out but thats what im hoping for!!!

and of course, they end up going to the same school - thats been something ive been sure of since, well, forever lmao. i'm 100000% convinced that the last shot of the show is going to be devi coming up to ben in the library of their college or vice versa and if im wrong i will eat my mf words

as for other predictions....

i'm with you on thinking it might not be kamala's wedding anymore, but i'm still not sure who's wedding it would be - perhaps another family member? a family friend? who knows.

i think treleanor is going to break up, which is TRAGIC because they r everything to me <3 but i feel like they're the kind of couple to come back to each other after years apart so im holding out hope for them 🤞 in treleanor we trust u know !!!!

paxton's.....there. idk. he's there. devi probably like. goes after him or whatever in the midst of the ben/margot/ethan bullshit bc she doesnt want to be alone and shes like oh i finally like myself maybe i can have this since i can't have what i really want but ya know power dynamics due to him being sherman oaks staff or whatever so. im HOPING as the party with the upper hand in that scenario he turns her down or whatever. maybe she even waits until after this to go after ethan - make both ben and paxton jealous, kill two birds with one stone

i have no idea what else im hoping for and this is straight up a Wall of text aksjdss;d im SO SORRY u know how i get !!!!!

#to the other asks i promise i will get to u soon <3 im still at work n honestly probably shouldnt have even answered this jsut yet... #but oh well!!!! #nhie s4 spec #nhie #asks #grace tag #mutuals

[bewilderedbuck]

the most unrealistic part of nhie to me is how no one would want to date ben or have his fair share of popularity because jaren is a very fit and good looking guy this paired with him being smart, that’s it high school guy material lmao high school always has that one smart guy everyone is attracted to and i love how they are just now allowing jaren to wear tight shirts that show off his body and arms. and, no one would actually find devi unattractive because maitreyi is so beautiful so it doesn’t feel real.

but yeah i get this is a romcom style show that thrives with the idea of tropes but like it’s pretty unrealistic hdushdudgw

totally get where you're coming from !! however i do also want to note that reputation and what groups you run with also has a looooot to do with how people perceive you in high school. and from what we can tell, both ben and devi (and, by extension, fabiola and eleanor) don't really "fit in" with the main crowd. even when ben's with shira, he seems uncomfortable and out of his element, an outsider that was let in on extenuating circumstances (his parents' money giving him that in that he wouldn't have usually had due to his personality).

that being said i'm really glad that like, s3 onwards has shown that ben and devi (and well, all of the characters, really) are growing out of these awkward adolescent versions of themselves and starting to grow into the young adults they want to be. there's less focus on the fact that they're dorks and nerds or whatever you want to call them, and more focus on what makes them them, the things they like and the things they want and the dreams they have. it feels like such a natural progression - the show starting off with devi struggling with her own sense of self after her father's death and trying to change herself so a boy will like her, vs now as she lets herself be herself and surrounds herself with the people who love her for she is. ben working himself sick to meet up to his self-imposed expectations so he doesn't disappoint his dad, vs now letting himself breathe and have hobbies instead of flooding every waking minute with school work. it's so well done, and i'm so excited to see how that progresses into the final season.

#sorry i went on a largely irrelevant tangent again lmao #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #never have i ever #nhie #nhie s4 spec #<- not rlly but like i wanna throw it in that tag anyways #also i could have talked abt el and fab's progressions too but this was getting long #but if u wanna read about that pls shoot me an ask for it!!!! #asks #anonymous

[bewilderedbuck]

I see a lot of talk about how Ben and Devi might break up at the end of season 4 because they are both going to college but remain friends, which I wouldn't hate but also... I feel like it just... wouldn't work?? Maybe it's just me but I feel like their connection is so strong they couldn't possibly be friends and still date other people because it would be WEIRD for those other people to see how much chemistry they have. If I were dating someone with that connection, I would be SO jealous

honestly again i do think two endings are realistic: benvi endgame, obviously, with the buildup they’ve been giving us for the last 3 seasons. it’s the ending i expect most. those two were literally made for each other, you cannot tell me otherwise.

but i also see the possibility of nhie ending cxg-style with devi on her own. since her chasing romantic love has been such a big part of her adolescence, i feel like her ending up happy by herself would be really impactful. but i think that’s the least likely scenario out of the two.

i think if ben and devi were to break up it is possible for them to stay friends — i mean, look at benvi besties era! literally their friendship was so fucking amazing. and no matter what, if they don’t end up together, i think they’ll always want to be in each other’s lives because they are so important to each other, but i also do agree that like, if i was dating someone and they had the type of chemistry with one of their friends that ben and devi have, i would be jealous af lmao.

but for real i definitely think we’re in it for a benvi endgame. and if not an actual benvi endgame, then devi by herself with a hint at future benvi.

#devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #never have i ever #nhie #nhie s3 #nhie s4 spec #<- new tag bc i need to keep my blog organized lol #nhie spoilers #not rlly but i tag to be safe #asks #grace <3

[bewilderedbuck]

#oooh is that top screenshot the scene that was in the s4 script leak

i’m sorry, s4 script leak?? i’m so ootl spence 😭

okay so. nhie season 4 spoilers under the cut

so in the first s4 promo, they apparently...were using a real script lmao. pictured below:

it says "...just as she's about to [blank]... MARGOT leans over to him and gives Ben a kiss" [blank] Devi's jaw drops Mc Enroe: what the actual F? Ben was with Margot? [blank] is not like me and Bjorn at all.... this guy. Then Ben then noticed Devi, and chased after her saying Ben: "Devi, wait" Devi: What the hell? You're with Margot? Ben: [Flustered] I... yes... I am."

(may or may not have copied that from the blog of someone i have a mutual block with bc i was too lazy to type it whoops)

#asks #talia tag #mutuals #nhie s4 spec #(except its. not rlly speculation lol) #nhie s4 spoilers

[bewilderedbuck]

It meta is perfect because I have seen a lot of people say it makes not sense for them to not talk about it but it does! One of the biggest issues with Devi is that she finds it hard to open herself up emotionally especially since her fathers death and she has been trying to control everything about her life since then even her romantic and sexual life so her feelings for Ben were unexpected. Her feelings for Ben are dare I say bigger than her feelings for Paxton ever were and I think there’s reluctance in being in a relationship with him because of those reasons connected to Mohan. I don’t think Devi knows how to handle how Ben makes her feel and how the reason she went to him to be her first time is because she knows she’s safe with him. He knows her better than anyone else. And that is scary because she can’t pretend with him because he will know.

So yes, it makes sense that she just had a moment that connected her emotionally and intimately with someone and she’s terrified. And Devis been fantasizing about her first time her entire life and she had this sexy idea of it but it resembles more what Kamala told her. She needs to be ready to handle that level of emotional connection so she runs away from it. She now hyper focus on college as a distraction.

And Ben… it’s very natural for him to interpret that moment as a one time thing especially after everything that has happened w Devi. She ran out of there, didn’t contact him, and I think he does not want to feel hopeful about them again He doesn’t know l Devi likes him back, he doesn’t know she got butterflies with him, he doesn’t know he was the person she trusted the most to have her first time with. It’s normal for him to interpret that as nothing at all and go with Margot because it’s easier so he won’t get his heart broken again.

Devi and Ben need to grow a lot emotionally to be able to be together, there’s a lot of baggage they need to unpack before a proper confession.

i'm guessing this is in regards to this ask i answered (also sorry this is a few days late!!!) but yes thank you!!!!

that conversation with kamala i feel like can easily sum up what happened with ben and devi - as opposed to her relationship with paxton, she actually was ready with ben, she was excited for it - and then. well. ben and devi are king and queen of miscommunication (or lack thereof) so of course they both get hurt!!! and it's simultaneously neither of their faults and both of their faults - of course devi ghosts ben afterwards, he didn't try to stop her leaving, the coupon was very clearly one free boink, she's scared! and what was ben supposed to think? as far as we know, he's not aware that she's staying in sherman oaks yet, and she all but ran out of there.

but like i said: it is both of their faults, too. neither one reached out afterwards, they didn't talk, neither of them dared express that this meant more than a one night stand or a last-ditch attempt at losing their virginities. (which like. virginity isnt even a real fucking thing but thats a conversation for another time) and of course my perspective on this is likely to change at least a bit after seeing s4, because i'm solely working off of what we were given in the teaser and the trailer, but like. idk man they're both at fault and they're also both not. they're teenagers - this kind of shit is expected of them, you know?

but i'm so excited to see how they continue to grow and mature and, like you said, emotionally unpack before finally laying it all out there. i can't wait to see when they finally realize how much they mean to each other, you know? when they both finally accept that they are wanted by each other, not just physically, but romantically, too. they've been building up to this for so long and god it is going to be so worth the payoff

#also if ur wondering if i'm rereading any of these answers before posting them: no im not. #im just typing with little to no direction and then hitting post #im SORRY ive had 400mg of caffeine brain is going brrrr. #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #nhie #nhie s4 spec #asks #anonymous

[mellarkably]

I 100% agree with ur predictions. It’s what I am leaning more towards too. The only thing still unclear to me is the Ben promo pic looking at Devi in her locker, would go ahead and assume it’s after NYC when they’re finally besties again. The pic of them studying or some sorts is still unclear to me which episode but will go ahead and say around 406. And that random clip of Devi in a bed (? with a metallic outfit on it must be from the NYC episode. There’s a lot of things I’m still confused about but I agree with ur theories and how everything gets a conclusion.

I think that Devi/Paxton scene is the only one explicitly romantic they’ll get because it will serve as a conclusion for their arc. The writers high key closed their arc well on Season 3 and the only reason Paxton is a coach is to keep Darren in the finale season. That’s very clear. But their arc was pretty much completed.

Devi and Ben for sure will have sex again after prom on Devi’s room but this time it won’t be like 401 because they are clear on it and Devi isn’t doing it out of rush but there’s a lot of love and softness in it. We might even see the after match of them being calm and not longer the awkwardness after their first time.

I even thought about how in that Jaren and Maitreyi celebration video for their last scene. Mait is wearing the corsage but not her updo hairstyle from prom so it must be another attempt at prom. A clever person said that it looks like it could be her graduation dress since Devi is wearing her hair down similarly to that video but the outfit is covered by the red graduation gown so this could be the same episode of their graduation (Devi gets to be valedictorian) and Ben prepares a “retry” of prom for her.

*I might go further and say the library scene is a flash toward scene to college.

hello anon! glad to hear you agree with my predictions.

the promo pic i think you're talking about (inserted below) is actually from 406! so yes, it's after the club fight in 405, which im still assuming is nyc since the settings for every scene in this episode seems different than the show's usual sets. he seems very fond of her here and i assume they're engaging in their routine locker banter. its what gave me the impression that they patch things up after the club incident.

as for the pic of them studying which i am also putting below (correct me if its not the one you're talking about) its from 409. the same episode as prom. im assuming its before because i don't really see them placing prom at the beginning of an episode, but it could be possible that it's the morning after he climbs into her window and whatever happens after.

devi in this outfit still has me confused. she looks amazing, but it's clear its in some effort to seduce a guy, im assuming. i do agree with you about it being in nyc, although im not sure. my guess? she's decorated ethan's hotel room to have sex with him. its giving the same vibes as devi trying to have sex with des. again, don't know what and why or how this fits into the main plot, but i guess we'll see. it doesn't help that i can't seem to figure out which episode this is in.

you're much more hopeful than me to believe the supply closet scene is their only romantic scene. considering she's already romantically involved with ethan in the first half of the season, id say that makes sense considering the time we have left to develop ben and devi. but this show always throws me off-guard so fingers crossed its true! really did feel like they closed off their arc in s3 but i guess some closure is allowed, still it just feels like dragging atp.

agree on prom! if not sex, some form of intimacy has to happen. whether its a really honest pillow talk, or a full on romantic scene, we'll have to wait till june to see.

you're very right about her hair! although it could be just the actress letting her hair down after filming. about the dress, it seems to be a part of an american eagle campaign which she was a part of, so i don't know if its as much a graduation dress as just a part of maitreyi's wardrobe. i could be wrong though and regardless, am holding out hope for a prom redo of sorts.

the library scene could very much be a flash forward! i actually think that makes the most sense. considering the timeline.

#anon asks #nhie asks #nhie #never have i ever #nhie s4 spec #devi vishwakumar #ben gross #benvi #bevi #ben x devi #this season is driving me nuts #and its not even out yet

[bewilderedbuck]

Nalini being a Ben Gross fan genuinely warms my heart. I need to see her reaction to them together in s4.

YES i need it so bad. i think she'll probably, once again, be a bit apprehensive of her dating at all, but i think she'll warm up to it. it's all but confirmed she likes ben (LISTEN she added milk to his food to accommodate his white boy taste buds; she wouldn't do that if she didn't like him lol) and she knows he's serious about his studies (even if he's not as stressed about them as before). she's still really pleasant to him even after malibu and she's not that way with paxton!

it'll probably go similar to how her approving of des went, i think. but even better than that did, because ben truly likes (read: loves) devi just as she is. and that's all nalini wants for devi. for someone to love her just as she is.

#i'm emo thinking abt this now lol #also thinking about how if nalini hadn't invited ben over for dinner that night ben and devi likely wouldn't have bonded the way they did #we truly have her to thank for that #nhie #nhie s4 spec #sort of #asks #grace <3