i really appreciate the way episode 2.02 takes this moment

and turns it on its head by having paxton gravitate toward the wine tasting station while ben plays flip cup in the garage.

our gals are treating both ben and paxton like two-dimensional caricatures of themselves, like predictable archetypes, but they’re both more complicated than that. and i just love the way this subtle detail precipitates the whole scheme blowing up in devi’s face.

What I really liked about the development of Daxton this season is that Devi wasn’t interested in Paxton. She was busy with Ben and Aneesa and she didn’t think she had a chance with Paxton.

She was just unapologetically herself the entire time she was with him and he still fell for her. She wasn’t faking anything to impress him or tricking him into thinking she was something other than who she actually was. There was no scheming or trying to push anything. She just was her bright, smart, and beautiful self and Paxton was like, yea I need that in my life.

Yes!!

I appreciate that they kept character growth very organic throughout the season too, including Paxton. He didnt suddenly become an uncharacteristic version of himself to seem like a better option to her. She initially thought of him as *something* unattainable. The journey of her seeing him as an actual person outside of vanity was just as important as him falling for her while she was being her whole nerd self.

Its clear that Ben and Devi are still endgame but they’re teens like.. let her have all the boyfriends if thats what she wants.