Never Have I Ever season 3 revolves around Devi’s roller-coaster life through high school and everyone else’s lives within her orbit. The episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Story
After the events of the Winter Dance, Devi and Paxton are now a couple drawing the attention of everyone else at school. Devi, however, isn’t used to this kind of attention and it drives her crazy.
She is constantly second-guessing herself and being paranoid to the point that Paxton breaks up with her and she is once again nursing the wounds due to her own mistake.
She gets over him with the help of Des, another Indian boy who walks into her life and seems perfect for her although that doesn’t last too long either.
Throughout all this, Ben and Devi engage in witty banter and have a “will they-won’t they” vibe to them that finally materializes in the end.
Kamala has moved on from her fiance and the thought of marriage and she wants to take things slow with Devi’s teacher, Manish. Meanwhile, Devi’s friends have relationship troubles of their own to contend with.
Performances
The majority of teen characters in Never Have I Ever light up the screen with their eccentricities and these are brought to life by the actors playing them.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan once again excels as Devi, the immature teen girl who mostly cares about boys and her reputation but slowly learns what’s important in life.
Darren Barnet’s ‘Paxton’ shows a lot of maturity and growth during this season while Jaren Lewison as Ben is charming as ever.
Poorna Jagannathan captures what it’s like to be an overbearing Indian mother that is a blend of traditional culture and modern western values, creating something truly intriguing.
The supporting cast of the series all play their parts spectacularly in a series that certainly benefits from them.
Positives
The underlying message of Never Have I Ever is always something meaningful and deep and season 3 is no different. Devi plays the protagonist that many people can relate to and even if their experiences may not be the same, the lessons do carry.
The writing is on point. The humour hits perfectly and some of the jokes can really catch you off guard and have you laughing your heart out.
Kamala’s story of slowly learning about living an independent life without giving in to the traditional and societal pressures is a wonderful arc to watch. It is inspirational to see that there is a way to move forward without outright rebellion.
‘Never Have I Ever’ moves at a brisk and comfortable pace that makes it a very easy and pleasant watch. The episodes never feel like a drag.
The soundtrack of the series is fun and peppy and is only used to drive home a certain tone, which is executed brilliantly.
Negatives
Despite the mature themes, some moments are only appealing to the younger age group. The romantic merry-go-round and the adolescent decision-making are ridiculous and frustrating to watch at times.
The over-sexualization of teenagers is always a slippery slope that is questionable to depict even if the youth of today is maturing at the very same pace that is shown on screen.
Verdict
Never Have I Ever season 3 is a fine addition to the series that progresses the story in a satisfactory direction and gets there with the utmost credibility. The teen aspect can be occasionally bothersome but not enough to take away from enjoying the season as a whole.
Never Have I Ever season 3
Director: Maggie Carey, Smriti Mundhra, Kabir Akhtar, Kim Nguyen, Eirca Oyama, Lang Fisher
Date Created: 2022-08-12 12:30
3.5
Also Read: Never Have I Ever season 3 ending explained: Does Devi end up with Ben or Paxton?