Are you all caught up on your favourite TV shows? Can’t find anything new and refreshing to watch during this quarantine period? Are you sick of the same old plot twists and characters?
If you answered ‘yes’ to at least one of those questions, then you should most definitely pull up Netflix and binge watch Never Have I Ever. I admit, I did the same and when I finally resurfaced, 10 episodes later, I was slightly disoriented (binge watching, gosh, it really messes with you), but also high on life! I wanted to do things, go places (I couldn’t – social distancing is still going full-force here), create, read, and write!
Never Have I Ever is a teen comedy that premiered on Netflix on April 27th 2020. We follow the story of an Indian-American sophomore, Devi Vishwakumar, an overachiever with a goal to achieve popularity in the new school year after the disaster of her freshman year. Devi is prepared to do whatever it takes to climb the social ladder with her friends – and maybe even catch the eye of the school ‘hottie’, Paxton.
And if my very flowery descriptions have not yet convinced you to watch Never Have I Ever right away, here are seven reasons why you need to watch this epic show!
1. Diverse Cast of Characters
Most of the Hollywood TV shows and movies are still predominately white even though the industry is making slow strides in the way of diversity. But Never Have I Ever is a beautifully diverse TV show in every sense of the word! We have great representation in terms of race, sexual orientation, religion, and more. My point being we need more shows like this one!
2. Deals With A Lot of Important Issues
Every new episode of Never Have I Ever highlights new questions and issues (in our society) in a very poignant yet funny way! From prejudices, stereotypes, and questions about sexual orientation, to loss, grief, and the darkness that emanates from that, this show tackles them head-on. Several of these issues are discussed through the mistakes our heroes make, be it because they are hot-headed, were raised with certain beliefs, or are missing a certain warmth in their lives. These characters are in no way perfect, but they learn and grow from their mistakes (‘perfectly flawed’ sounds about right).
3. Devi Vishwakumar
Yes, one of the main reasons to binge this show is its main protagonist, Devi. Now I don’t say this lightly, but she is the type of bold character we don’t see often in movies and TV shows. She is honest and blunt, daring to a fault, and gets sh** done. There is no elaborate daydreaming when it comes to Devi – she will seize her opportunities even if it means putting herself out there and facing possible rejection. Devi is a breath of fresh air and you will fall for her by the end of season one despite the mistakes she makes – she owns up to them in the end and you can’t help but root for her!
4. Mindy Kaling is the Co-Creator of the Show
Never Have I Ever is the brain child of none other than Mindy Kaling, one of the most well-known and successful actresses, comedians, and writers! Kaling is an American actress with Indian roots, best known for her work on the sitcom The Office, which she was a part of as not only an actress, but also a writer, producer, and director! Her career went only uphill from there – she created a famous comedy series, The Mindy Project, starred in several movies, and later, in 2018, created a sitcom, Champions. Never Have I Ever is her latest project, which she co-created with Lang Fisher. You can also check out her two memoirs, filled to the brim with her wit and hilarious anecdotes, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me?
5. Wonderful Side Characters
Every show becomes better with a fabulous cast of supporting characters, and Never Have I Ever really knocks it out of the park with this one! The show focuses largely on Devi – but also on her friends and potential love-interests! On one hand, we have Devi’s best friends, Fabiola Torres and Eleanor Wong, both geeks in their own right and so relatable and funny! While Fab’s main interest is robotics, Eleanor’s love lies in theatre, but they are both so much more than those interests! As Fabiola starts questioning her sexuality, Eleanor is dealing with the issue of her absent mother, and both plotlines add greatly to the show in general!
And of course we can’t forget about Devi’s ‘l’objet d’amour«’ Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the most popular guy in school, and her sworn nemesis, Ben Gross. Paxton first appears as your regular ‘popular asshole of a jock’ stereotype but we soon learn that there’s so much more to him than that. And Ben Gross, Devi’s competitive – and honestly kinda mean – rival, also gets under your skin, especially in the episode told from his point of view that sheds light not only on his life but also on his relationship with Devi (plus this episode is narrated by the one and only, Andy Samberg, a.k.a Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Jake Peralta).
6. The Representation of Indian Culture
Our main character is an Indian-American, so, her story offers a great insight on what this entails. From the prejudices Devi and her family have to deal with, to embracing their culture and thriving, Never Have I Ever introduces it to us all quite well! The show is in many ways semi-autobiographical, taken from Kaling’s own experiences, and adds a humorous spin on certain stereotypes about the Indian culture while dispelling the rest. We learn quite a lot about some aspects of the culture, and one of the episodes also focuses on Ganesh Puja, an important holiday in the Hindu religion.
7. Unexpected Twists
I’ll admit, I usually expect the most expected when watching TV shows nowadays. We’ve already seen so many stories unfold, and it’s sometimes hard to imagine something very new coming along! But Never Have I Ever serves so many curveballs that it’s often hard to keep up with all the twists! I was sure I knew how this show would end about ten times while watching it, and I only got about 10% of it right, which is something I naturally loved! Devi is a character that goes after the unexpected, the improbable, and that made this show that much more special!
So, buckle up for some cute love stories, epic friendships, and just the right amount of teenage angst, and enjoy this witty and heartfelt TV show! And here’s to hoping we get some season two news ASAP! Happy bingeing!
