The Netflix series returns to the Southern California life of brilliant high school student Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan).
After her father’s death, Devi spent freshman year as a social recluse, and the first two seasons of Never Have I Ever dedicated the storyline to her pursuit to gain acceptance socially during sophomore year, to continue surpassing in excellent at her studies, and balance her mother’s ( Poorna Jaganathan) confused desi strict expectations.
With a fun, varied cast, Never Have I Ever always accomplished harmonizing over-the-top shenanigans with sincere heart and soul and really focuses on a teenager’s life like no other show.
This new season does have some of that, but the creators seem determined to put everything on the fast track to get all the characters where they need to be for season 4 and senior year. As a result, a lot of what makes the show so special gets lost in the race toward the end.
Season 3 kicks off with Devi and hottie of the school, Paxton (Darren Barnet) making their official debut as a couple. This elicits outrage and incredulity in the rest of the school, when no one could believe that a nerd like Devi is with a hot jock.
While Devi lives her dream of being in a relationship with the hottest guy in school, she is still worried about what other people think about her. This makes her doubt Paxton’s feelings.
The story gives enough time to the universe around Devi to explore the relationship problems of her closest friends: robotics nerd Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), who tries to navigate a suddenly long-distance relationship when her partner Eve moves to another continent; theater kid Eleanor (Ramona Young) and her process of falling for Paxton’s super slacker friend isn’t even sure if Paxton’s slacker friend Trent (Benjamin Norris) is into her; and Devi’s academic rival Ben and frenemy (Jaren Lewison) keeps botching his relationship with athletic star Aneesa (Megan Suri). And then there is Devi’s cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) dealing with their grandmother’s disappointment after she turned down a marriage proposal to hot and perfect Prashant in favor of American Born Confused Desi, Manish ( Utkarsh Ambudkar), who has no inkling to his Indian roots and teaches English in Devi’s school. Very unsuitable match by Desi standards.
The show disposes all of these subplots rapidly and gets to undertake more complexities in Devi’s life.
Its interesting that Devi’s world is full of compelling characters with a character arc and engaging story. Yet, it feels like the story is stewarding us towards the last season really quick.
We missed Devi and Ben and their nerdy chats specifically and they did not have as many scenes as they had in earlier seasons considering we thought he was a compelling romantic interest.
The introduction of hot Indian guy, Des, who matches Devi’s smarts yet has no say when his mother demands is a fun track. Aniruddh Pisharody is eye candy.
Devi matures and overcomes a lot of her angst- her chats with her therapist are less loony.
She evolves from someone self-centered, unreliable, and irresponsible into someone who starts thinking more about what a priority to her as a person is.
This season stages the last season well. There were outrageously funny moments and there were emotional moments that could make you tear up but on the whole, a pacey, hook laden Season. We cannot wait for the finale and Devi’s senior year.
