Never Have I Ever . . . Loved A Show More
The second season of Never Have I Ever dropped July 15 on Netflix and I may or may not have stayed up until 3 AM binging it… Unsurprisingly, I laughed, I cried, and I loved it just as much as the first season.
From Netflix’s Never Have I Ever
When I discovered this show a few months ago, I was so awe-struck by how empathetic and funny it was. Not only does Never Have I Ever make you smile, laugh, and cry, but it’s the perfect example of how to write an inclusive, clever show that accurately reflects the struggles of teenagers. I was so happy a show like this could exist for teens today, and very jealous that I didn’t have a show like this when I was in high school. It was so refreshing to watch a show about teenagers that didn’t star thirty-seven-year-olds with forty-nine packs who solve murders in between steamy hookups and not going to class. That doesn’t reflect my high school experience and I don’t think it reflects anyone else’s… at least I would hope not. Yeah, that might be cool for like a day, but that shit would get old quickly.
If you’re unfamiliar, Never Have I Ever is a Netflix original series created by Mindy Kaling and is loosely based on her own childhood. The show follows Devi, a first-generation Indian American teenage girl navigating boy drama and friend drama, all while coping with the sudden loss of her father. It strikes the perfect balance of hilarity and sincerity and is narrated by the unlikeliest of people: American tennis player and infamous hot head, John McEnroe. While you wouldn’t expect a tennis player whom I'd assume most teenage girls have never heard of to narrate the life of one, McEnroe’s telling of Devi’s story works beautifully in the world Mindy has built.
It’s filled with heart, a diverse cast, and multi-dimensional female characters that each get their moment to shine. If you haven’t seen the first season, don’t walk, run. Okay fine. You can jog but watch it ASAP.
Okay, great, welcome back! I hope you had a nice run, or jog. Wasn’t it amazing?
You watched it! So now you know how cleverly the show deals with a myriad of problems. Everything ranging from trying to act cool at a high school party, to discovering your sexual identity. This season continues to unpack difficult issues like mental health, cultural identity, sexual orientation, sexism in the workplace, grief, eating disorders, and abusive relationships. But the way these topics were thoughtfully woven throughout the arc of this season is nothing short of genius writing. Here are a few of my favorite things about season 2 of Never Have I Ever:
1.Romance Through the Female Gaze
Any show about teens is going to involve romance, that’s a given. Sure, I may have been out of high school for a good five years now, but I, like a lot of people, am a sucker for young love. Would I have had a crush on Paxton if he went to my high school? Duh! The way Devi’s love triangle is written really made me feel like I was sixteen again. Only I wish I had the perspective Devi has when it came to figuring out what I wanted in a romantic partner.
Devi finds herself with two boyfriends this season, which despite being very stressful to watch is refreshing to see. Her cousin Kamala also starts to question her relationship with her boyfriend after he gives her some questionable advice on how she should deal with being undermined by her male supervisor at work. Through all of the ups and downs, both women are given agency to do whatever they want in their relationships.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman in a movie or TV show be the one who’s seeing two people at once without being depicted as a bitch. Did I love that Devi cheated on Paxton and Ben? Of course not! But that’s not the point. We as an audience get to see her weigh each of these relationships. We get to see what she values in each relationship. We get to see her learn and grow from the mistakes she makes in each relationship. Similarly, Kamala realizes her relationship is not serving her and when she doesn’t feel understood by her boyfriend, she leaves.
I can’t even count on one hand how many times I watched movies and TV shows about teens where the woman is just “lucky” the hot guy chose her when I was in high school. But this time around, the female protagonist gets to choose. Not only do they get to choose but we also get to see what happens when young women are in toxic relationships, like when Eleanor dates her controlling boyfriend. And we also get to see Fabiola navigate her first romantic relationship with her girlfriend as she struggles with her identity within the LGBTQ+ community. Whether their relationships ended or flourished, these women got to write their own love stories. Not only that but they realized their self-worth wasn’t defined by the success or failure of their relationships. These are the types of Rom-Com relationships young women deserve to see more often.
2. Paxton’s Episode
In season one, we’re introduced to Paxton as this two-dimensional, airheaded, athletic hot guy who never had to work for anything in his life, until our perspective of him flips itself on its head. We learn that he feels insecure about his intelligence and that he’s protective of his sister Rebecca, who has down syndrome. Similar to the episode about Ben Gross, narrated by Andy Sandberg, in season two we get to know Paxton a bit better in the episode, “... opened a textbook,” narrated by Gigi Hadid because like Paxton, Gigi has long been underestimated and only valued for her looks. We get to know the “hot guy” through the female gaze. Meaning we get to see him for more than his strength and athleticism. We get to see the world through his eyes and discover who he is beyond being a successful athlete. We see him cry and have anxiety, something men don’t do that often on screen.
3. Mental Health Awareness
It can be really difficult to talk openly about needing help, especially when you’re in high school. There’s so much uncertainty and stress about college, family problems, body dysmorphia, and figuring out who you are as a person. Growing into yourself is a heavy burden to carry alone, which is why I love how the show depicts Devi’s therapy sessions with Dr.Ryan, played by the iconic and multitalented Niecy Nash. While their back and forth makes for great comedy, some of Devi’s most sincere moments happen in Dr. Ryan’s office. Their dynamic can be really fun but ultimately, Devi’s therapy sessions are what help her become self-aware. Devi’s therapy sessions tend to revolve around how her grief has affected every aspect of her life. Sometimes it’s not talked about directly, but it’s in the subtext of whatever drama Devi is dealing with. Even though every teenager can’t relate to the loss of someone so prominent in their life, seeing Devi talk about what she’s going through normalizes prioritizing your mental health as a young person. I remember being in high school and hearing people say that young people are so dramatic and they have nothing to complain about, but if I had this show when I was sixteen, I wouldn’t have felt the shame and stigma that goes along with seeking help.
4. Aneesa
Aneesa’s a new and welcome addition to Never Have I Ever. She’s introduced as this super cool girl, who Devi refers to as “Devi 2.0,” until of course they hang out and inevitably become good friends and are able to bond over their strict moms and cultural identities. Her cool-girl persona falls away when everyone finds out she has an eating disorder, thanks to Devi. I’ve very rarely seen young women in film and TV realistically portray what having an eating disorder is like. Especially as a teen. It can be difficult enough being a teenage girl, let alone the isolation you can feel when you don’t think your body looks the way it should. Aneesa tells Devi she developed her eating disorder after she realized how her body looked compared to her friends, which is something young people have to deal with all the time. All of us are constantly bombarded with face-tuned Instagram pics of slim bodies that are impossible to achieve. There’s so much pressure to be thin in order to be valued by society that it can be too much to handle. But now, young people grappling with this can feel seen by Aneesa and her story.
In addition to Aneesa’s individual story, Devi and Aneesa’s friendship, despite a few minor bumps in the road, is a great example of how the female gaze shapes the perspective of this show. Sure— it would’ve been super easy to write Devi and Aneesa as sworn enemies, especially since Aneesa has eyes for Ben. We’ve seen that time and time again, it’s pretty exhausting how many times women are pitted against each other only for their conflict to be reduced to a “catfight.” But when women write about women, you get heartfelt, funny shows like Never Have I Ever. I loved seeing Devi eventually come around and make things right between them and I can’t wait to see more of that in the future. *Every other show, take notes*
You can watch (or re-watch) seasons one and two of Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
