by Selene Ashewood ’22

The Netflix show “Never Have I Ever” that came out just last week is the coming of age comedy teenagers need to feel more normal in these unusual times. The show follows Devi Vishwakumar, an Indian American who recently lost her dad to a heart attack. After his passing, her legs unexplainably stopped working for three months. Her friends consist of a tech-nerd who builds robots, and a theater fanatic who has abandonment issues stemming from her Mom. Despite all that, the show is actually quite relatable, because Devi is walking into sophomore year attempting to repress her past, and just be a normal, popular girl. 

All ten episodes tell unique stories but never steer too far from reality outside the usual coincides that move the plot along. Some of these stories include: Paxton being protective of his disabled sister; Fabiola struggling with her sexuality; Eleanor untangling why her mother left; and cousin Kamala trying to avoid an arranged marriage. All of those situations are relatable to some specific group of people, but the  main character Devi is dealing with grief, and spends it in the stage of denial. There are constant scenes with her therapist where Devi just wants to talk about boys and social webs and brush off all feelings about her father. Devi doesn’t choose to be in tune with her Indian culture, possibly because her Dad loved living in America. She learns to appreciate where her parents came from and to stop stomping on the traditions that came with them. 

All of that may seem bleak but the show most definitely doubles as a comedy. It’s quite an accurate painting of a modern high school but with hilarious student interaction. The script is also stuffed with pop culture references that don’t seem out of touch or stale. 

“Never Have I Ever” is a quick little binge show that leaves a big impact. By the end, there are no real villains. The story wrapped up nicely, and it’s up in the air whether there will be more seasons to come. 

Grade: A-