Netflix is back with another hot season ofNever Have I Ever!The coming-of-age comedy-drama, created byMindy Kalingand Lang Fisher, has been well acclaimed since its first season, which premiered in 2020. The show follows Indian-American LA girl Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her journey through high school. She has a tight-knit girl group, a supportive family, and a few love interests, all of which continue to remain at the heart of the series.
The previous season sparked a fan response that felt reminiscent oftheTwilightphenomenon: Team Ben or Team Paxton? While both teen boys are viable love interests for the leading lady, the division among the show’s viewers (and Devi’s friends) rings loud and clear. Ben (Jaren Lewison) is the epitome of the enemies to lovers trope—as he’s first introduced as Devi’s jerky academic rival—whereas Paxton (Darren Barnet), the school’s dreamiest guy, appeals to the “jock and nerd” shippers. Season two began with Devi controversially dating both boys, and concluded with her choosing Paxton. In its final scenes, Ben seemingly confirms that he still has feelings for Devi and spends his school dancing brooding, despite having already moved on to another girl.
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The new season finds Devi finally dating her dream guy, but it’s not allsunshine and roses. She becomes caught up in the school gossip and grows insecure about the public perception of their relationship, sparking intimacy issues between the two. However, Paxton is committed, during his journey throughout the previous two seasons, he has ditched his “too cool for school” attitude and learned to show appreciation for being present and enjoying those around him. While Devi is stuck in her head, Paxton is busy trying to make the most of their time together. In the truestNever Have I Everfashion, the boy-crazed girl can’t help but fall victim to self-sabotage, which never fails to be both entertaining and heartbreaking.
Devi isn’t the only one having romantic troubles. Her best friend Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) bids farewell to her lukewarm relationship with Eve and finds herself in an arc that trades the stereotypical lesbian trauma storyline for unashamed lust anda whole lotof kissing, and Eleanor (Ramona Young) learns to loosen up with her new beau-slash-school-stoner Trent (Benjamin Norris). This season is for the shippers, the lesbians, and the girl’s girls! Without losing its footing or taking itself too seriously, it intertwines stories of teenage horniness (there’s an actual “plowed by Paxton” shirt involved) and female empowerment with Kaling’s signature humor and earnestness. Still, like most of the best series, eventually all the fun—and this season has a lot of it—has to come to an end.
Never Have I Everhas always honoredthe ebb and flow of grief, something which many folks who have suffered a great loss know all too well. The first season was responsible for laying the groundwork and establishing the way Devi was emotionally and physically affected by the sporadic loss of her dad. In seasons two and three, her grief is able to play an ever-present, yet more subtle, role in her life. But when it rains, it pours, and not just for Devi, but also her mom.
The Vishwakumar matriarch, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), is battling a newfound loneliness that’s sparked when her niece, Kamala Nandiwada (Richa Moorjani), decides to seek independence. Nalini realizes that she’s lacking in the friend department and takes the initiative to put herself out there, much like her arc in season two. She ends up befriending a walking red flag who has an attractive and smart son that’s, coincidentally, the same age as Devi. As teased in the new season’s trailer, Devi meets him and falls head over heels, throwing another romantic prospective into the ring and complicating the relationship between Nalini and her new friend.
Packed with storylines that will make its viewers scream, laugh, and cry, and unabashedly so, season three has proven that the show creators respect its viewers and its subjects.Never Have I Everlaughswithits fans and complicated characters, notatthem. The script is sharp and intertwines popular culture references seamlessly through its character’s dialogue, referencingTed LassoandDune, while also making silly comparisons between losing one’s virginity and the trajectory of the Vietnam War.
Despite its passionate shipping war, the show refuses to villainize its characters and instead showcases their complexities and gives way to an exciting bromance. Ben finds himself on the losing end of romance and continues to devote himself to his academics, which proves to be detrimental to his health, and Paxton is struggling with his senior year, or more so, what comes after his senior year. The two channel a new level of vulnerability in their individual storylines and eventually set aside their differences to lend each other a hand.
Now when it comes to main takeaways, there are many: Most things don’t go as planned, and there’s always room for more compassion, friendship, and humanity, but also, sometimes you just gotta get ugly. This new season is a terrific addition to the fan-favorite series, and continues to be laugh-out-loud funny and so very human. The closing scene, while predictable, will leave jaws on the floor and viewers begging Netflix for more.
Never Have I EverSeason 3 premieres August 12 on Netflix.
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