By Tia Welsh
Intro: Never Have I Ever Review
Where to Stream It? Netflix
Starring: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Ramona Young and Lee Rodriguez, Megan Suri.
Created By: Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
After twelve long months of waiting (*yawns*) the hit teen dramedy is back on our screens with even sassier one liners, hotter teenage romances, and outrageous character reveals.
Narrated by American tennis legend, John McEnroe, we pick up where we left off after last season’s #micdrop moment.
Spill the tea.
It’s 2022 and we hit the school corridors of Sherman Oaks running. Our Indian American girl, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), is finally riding the wave of high school life.
Not only is she dating the prettiest and most popular boy in school, but she’s no longer the “invisible” crazy Devi version we saw in Season 1. With her two best friends, Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) caught in the heat of their own romantic relationships, it’s a spicy time for the teenage trio.
Meanwhile, her cousin Pamela (Richa Moorjani) is fighting for her grandma’s approval after calling it quits on an arranged marriage.
As for Dr. Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan)? She's making new friends with nutritionist Rhya (Sarayu Blue) that brings even spicier drama. And Ben (Jaren Lewison)? He’s still healing from last season’s heartbreak, whilst trying to hit it big time with the Ivy League Colleges.
You can’t choose your family, but you can choose who to date.
Throughout the series there’s an overhanging tension on who to date and who to avoid. Who’s eligible and who’s just not hitting the mark.
Love interests in the Vishwakumer household are disposable (as we’ve seen in earlier seasons) but that doesn’t stop Pamela from pursuing her love interest…. or Devi from having a little, er, fun.
The feud between grandma and granddaughter is laugh-out-loud hilarious, with English teacher Mr. Kulkarni (Utkarsh Ambudkar) finally gaining her respect. Dating is not limited ‘romantically.’
Dr. Nalini hits it off with nutritionist Rhya in a seemingly “compatible friendship match,” except when Devi and Rhya’s children start dating. Though there have been many disagreements, it proves that family will always be there for support, it just takes time.
Are we grown-ups yet?
It feels like yesterday when our heroines were wading through high school as baby freshmen. Now they’re here, fresh-faced and ready to get it ON with boyfriends, girlfriends, and college applications. #hellyes
But wait…what’s the rush to grow up so quickly? Can’t they just ‘enjoy’ the moment? But who I am to speak? Sadly, I was the female version of Ben in high school, though I did not have to ‘fart’ my way out of stress and burnout.
At the start, Devi is very immature with her new relationship. She chooses to ignore the advice of her therapist, instead letting other people’s opinions of her control her relationship. But let’s be honest – when your romantic life is tossed into the school spotlight thanks to one iconic romcom confession (S2 spoiler alert!), you’re going to be on edge 24/7.
Also, being surrounded by jealous white b*tches never helps. But we see the experience gives Devi the kick up the backside she needs to learn and grow, not only personally but romantically. All that glitters is not gold, as we see unfold mid-season. Sometimes love starts with you.
I was equally both surprised and excited to see how far Kaling’s characters had come over the last two seasons. While they still possess the same manic and perhaps eccentric sexual and romantic fantasies, their attitude has gone up a notch on the maturity scale (Devi’s mad traits are changing).
The grief threaded throughout the series since S1, softens the truth to why the Vishwakumars may be so headstrong and sharp tongued.
Final Verdict: Never Have I Ever Review
It was enlightening to see our characters tested as they embark on their real relationships romances. But as we watch onscreen, these are not the “bed of roses we see on Instagram.
Kaling threw in the big guns into the pot – long distance, break-ups, school rumours, trolling and first-time sex, hand in hand with the final countdown to senior year. A fiery mix that cooked up wonderful character arcs, as seen through Darren Barnet’s blowout performance as Paxton Yoshida.
As a Chinese-born girl who grew up in a “white community,” it’s refreshing to see a female character of colour on our screens. In many ways Devi Vishwakumar and I are the same, but also very different.
Sometimes I see parts of my sixteen year-old self play out in front of the camera. Isn’t that what makes coming-of-age TV series invigorating? Being able to relate to and laugh at the raw shenanigans and silly moments of high school.
The series is the warm hug we need that has definitely “grown up.”
Tia Welsh
Tia is a writer with a flair for script and words in general, based in the Isle of Man, British Isles. She studied Creative Writing at York St John University in the UK, and has written for radio, social media, and other various website platforms. Her writing has won a few local poetry and short story competitions, and she has also created a radio podcast ‘A Mark on the Page.’ She loves Studio Ghibli, Disney, and anything magical and is currently writing three TV series.
