‘Never Have I Ever’ Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on Filming the Emotional Series Finale and Whether She Was Team Paxton or Ben | instastori.com

SPOILER ALERT: This question and reply contains spoilers from nan bid finale of “Never Have I Ever” now streaming connected Netflix.

The elder play of Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever” is present and, pinch it, nan social, cultural, familial and intersexual acquisition of Devi Vishwakumar has reached its conclusion.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan stars arsenic nan quirky and eager first-generation Indian American precocious schooler, whose fiery temper has gotten her into immoderate basking h2o successful her relationships and into nan constituent position of a simmering teenage emotion triangle pinch studly swimmer Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) and her equally-nerdy nemesis Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison).

Season 4 of nan coming-of-age drama kicked disconnected pinch a bang — virtually — arsenic Devi and Ben person sex. But awkwardly losing their virginity is conscionable nan opening of a caller information of will-they aliases won’t-they drama.

Over nan people of nan “Never Have I Ever’s” last 10 episodes, Devi has a little fling pinch bad boy Ethan (Michael Cimino) and kisses Paxton (who returns to Sherman Oaks High arsenic nan adjunct aquatics coach aft floundering astatine Arizona State University), but location was nary escaping her romanticist destiny. Ben was nan 1 she really loved and he loved her correct back. (Cue nan romanticist popular anthem!)

In countless interviews — galore of which saw her seated betwixt Barnet and Lewison, for illustration this 1 pinch Variety — Ramakrishnan has played it politically, ne'er taking sides successful nan statement complete who should triumph Devi’s heart. (If this was Model U.N., Ramakrishnan would beryllium Switzerland.)

In fact, Ramakrishnan proudly declared herself “Team Devi” from nan start, telling Variety successful 2020 that earlier nan characteristic “loves immoderate man, she needs to emotion herself.”

Ramakrishnan explained: “She needs to study really to attack and judge her condolences for her father. Be kinder to her family and her friends and recognize she’s not nan nicest and she’s not really a goddamn delight for illustration she thinks she is. And besides clasp her culture.”

Well, by nan “Never Have I Ever” finale section — titled “…Said Goodbye,” and written by co-creators Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, pinch Fisher directing — Devi has accomplished conscionable that, getting a golden prima successful growth. (As good arsenic achieving her lifelong extremity of attending Princeton.)

Focused connected nan last days of summertime pursuing nan Sherman Oaks precocious schoolers’ graduation — including rites of transition for illustration realizing her besties Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) moving to different cities mightiness make it difficult to enactment successful touch, arsenic good arsenic freaking retired complete packing her full life into a suitcase and fighting pinch her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) — nan section is simply a 31-minute headdress and gown to Devi’s fantabulous evolution.

Plus it settles fans’ Team Paxton vs. Team Ben statement erstwhile and for all. And now that nan world knows that Ben and Devi are endgame, Ramakrishnan is coming cleanable astir who she wanted Devi to extremity up with.

“Yes, I americium Team Devi, but now I tin make a decision: I’m Team Paxton,” Ramakrishnan reveals. “Don’t enactment for illustration you didn’t cognize this, I told you aggregate times connected set,” she tells Barnet, who is sitting to her correct and (feigning?) surprise.

“Any mates tin return clip apart. That’s fine. It could still beryllium connected nan array later. Hear maine out,” Ramakrishnan says, speeding done her reasoning. “Yes, Devi idolized him since she was a kid and ever had a crush connected him, but successful play 2, she recognized that Paxton is not perfect, and has to woody pinch his ain things. He’s not conscionable a stud; he’s benignant of a dork arsenic well. They person that undeniable chemistry wherever they push each different successful much ways than 1 — for illustration yes, academically [for] Paxton, but arsenic a person, wherever Devi has to turn and beryllium personification who learns really to power her emotions successful a measurement that still values her emotions. And I deliberation that’s beautiful damn great.”

“So yes, I’m still Devi, but I tin now opportunity I americium Team Paxton,” she concludes, turning to Lewison connected her left. “Would you for illustration to brushwood disconnected your shoulders now for nan ending?”

Lewison takes nan bait. “The writers made nan champion decision, obviously,” he says, admitting. “I’m biased for sure. I’m ever gonna beryllium Team Ben, but evidently respect [to Maitreyi], she made a batch of awesome points and, hey, it’s a triangle and that’s why there’s different sides.”

When nan formed received nan scripts for nan last section while filming section 408, Lewison was “speechless” astatine uncovering retired that Ben and Devi were endgame.

“I publication it, and was like, ‘Oh my god, this is nan past clip that I’ll ever beryllium and publication a caller section of ‘Never Have I Ever,’ and that was for illustration a beautiful affectional moment,” he recalls. “Then I was frantically shooting retired texts — that’s who I americium — frantically asking for what everyone other thought. I conscionable thought it was astonishing and truthful brilliant. It was 1 of nan champion things I’ve ever publication ever successful my life.”

Ramakrishnan was first to study really this season’s storylines would develop. Fisher and Kaling gave her a heads up because accumulation films each nan scenes pinch Devi’s therapist, Dr. Ryan (Niecy Nash-Betts) successful 1 day.

“I had to person discourse for nan past Dr. Ryan segment erstwhile we were filming section 5, and I was very confused,” Ramakrishnan explains. “Lang and Mindy gave maine nan rundown of nan cardinal points of what was going to hap — taxable to alteration — but that was erstwhile I learned [how nan show would end].”

Even pinch nan forewarning, nan emotions complete finishing nan bid didn’t deed her until nan very past second.

“I cried connected my past scene,” Ramakrishnan says. “It wasn’t nan segment itself, but it was knowing this is nan past infinitesimal you will respire life successful to this character. It could’ve been Devi taking a dump and I would’ve cried. It genuinely could have.”

“That visual,” Barnet chimes in, shaking his caput astatine nan thought. “You’re welcome,” she replies.

(The existent segment featured Ramakrishnan’s Devi and Ben snuggled up successful her dorm room astatine Princeton, pinch tennis pro John McEnroe’s signature tart voiceover wrapping up nan Devi’s tale.)

“The segment didn’t matter, it was conscionable knowing each of this was done. Wow, sorry dark!” Ramakrishnan says, trailing disconnected to debar shedding different tear.

Saying goodbye to Devi marks nan extremity of an era. Ramakrishnan made her acting debut connected nan show, beating retired thousands for nan role arsenic a 17-year-old chartless from Mississauga, Canada aft answering Kaling’s societal media casting call. So, erstwhile Fisher called trim connected nan series’ last scene, it besides meant that nan young character is heading into nan unknown.

“For me, nan ending of nan show is erstwhile Devi is astatine nan altar praying and she is conscionable truthful grateful for her full life,” Ramakrishnan adds, pinch a glint of gratitude for her ain bully fortune. “Then we spot nan slice outs and life goes on.”