Netflix 'Never Have I Ever' review
***SPOILER ALERT***
Mindy Kaling’s new hit show dropped at the end of April, providing us with a hilarious, bingeworthy season about a first-generation teenage Indian girl navigating her way through high school.
The show’s protagonist, Devi, is played by newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. She decided to try out for the role after Mindy posted an open casting call on her Twitter and Instagram. The character of Devi perfectly encapsulates the thoughts and feelings of every Asian teenager growing up in the west. She’s an academically high-achieving teen, who wants to fit in so desperately but also battles with internalized embarrassment of her culture.
Image: Netflix
After having recently lost her father, Devi has to navigate sophomore year of high school, going to therapy, attempting to lose her virginity whilst living with her strict mother and her angelic cousin Kamala, who is working to complete her PhD in the US. Kamala is not only a beautiful and intelligent woman, but she’s also the perfect daughter in the eyes of Asian parents – she’s traditional and respects her family, which is juxtaposed on screen with Devi who curses at her mother out of frustration. Every South Asian girl knows a “Kamala” who they are probably compared to all the time, which makes Devi’s character so relatable to those who question the role of women in Asian culture.
Although the show is based on a South Indian Tamil-Hindu family, which it depicts beautifully, it’s so much more than just a show “just for South Asian kids”. The show explores themes such as sexuality, death, depression and family trauma, whilst using a culturally diverse cast. The main love interests of Devi and Kamala are Paxton (Darren Barnet) and Steve (Eddie Liu) who are Japanese-American and American-Chinese respectively. These two characters don’t conform to the stereotype that millennials are so used to seeing, whereby Asians are only seen as nerdy, unattractive and ‘geeky’. Never Have I Ever shows us that Asians can be the stars of the show, and they can look extremely sexy while doing so.
Paxton Yoshida- Hall (Darren Barnet. Image: Netflix
Steve (Eddie Liu) Image: Netflix
The voice of reason within the show is provided to us by Devi’s therapist, Dr. Jamie, who helps Devi to realise that she needs to grieve the loss of her father instead of chasing boys. Although this sounds quite depressing, it’s these interactions which provide us with laugh-out-loud moments with an abundance of witty comebacks from Devi.
Image: Netflix
We’ll avoid spoiling the ending, but let’s just say it’s an emotional rollercoaster which will have you both crying and laughing, and of course begging for a second season!
Never Had I Ever is available on Netflix now.
Words by Ayisha Paw
