The third and penultimate season of Netflix’s coming of age high school romantic comedy, Never Have I Ever, was released earlier this month and, like its forerunners, this season promises a hearty helping of boy drama, love squares, and wholesome friendships. As the show builds to its conclusion in season 3, Devi, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, experiences the highs and lows of high school as she navigates teenage relationships, wrestles with her academic dreams and makes some truly terrible but ultimately hilarious bad decisions.
Despite her fiery temperament and notorious poor decision making, Devi remains a strikingly endearing, likeable and relatable character in this season. The chemistry between Ramakrishnan and the rest of the cast really forms the glue that pulls this show together and makes it so bingeable. From awkward school valentines day traditions to girls getting both slut shamed and teased for being virgins, Never Have I Ever immaculately caricatures some very relatable teenage moments whilst subtly addressing more serious themes. Season 3 sees a deep dive into Ben, the school know it all, and his mental health as stress and academic pressures begin to take a toll on him, albeit through him being hospitalised after failing to poo for 16 days.
Tricky choices
As Devi finally fulfils her dreams of being in a relationship, first with Paxton and then with new character, Des, she quickly learns having a boyfriend won’t solve all her problems, no matter what the Olivia Rodrigo album may say. Her uncertainty over losing her virginity is reflected in her older sister Kamala’s doubts about marriage and lead to a beautiful moment between the sisters as Devi learns to live on her own timeline. The introduction of Des, Devi’s mum’s friends’ son, and Devi’s new love interest adds a fresh edge to her boy drama. In season 3 she must choose between Paxton, who represents her desire to be popular, Ben who reflects her intellectualism, and Des who at first appears to be popular, smart, and gain her family’s approval.
As ever, the fashion in this show has to her spoken about. From Eleanor’s crochet outfits layered with statement jewellery, to Devi’s colourful and trendy y2k style, I have been curating a new fashion Pinterest board since finishing season 3. Also shoutout to Darren Barnet who plays Paxton in the series for being 31 yet still managing to effortlessly pass as an 18-year-old.
Mindy Kaling, the writer of the show, has announced that Never Have I Ever will return for its final season next year. Following the suspenseful ending to season 3, I am excitedly awaiting the final season, though I am hoping the popularity, virginity and love square focused plot gets shaken up a bit alongside some new themes in season 4.