Never Have I Ever season 4 review: Relatable narrative leads to a touching conclusion

Season 4 of Never Have I Ever follows Devi through her senior year of high school as she gets ready for college and the life ahead of her. The season is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

It’s Devi’s senior year of high school and her primary focus is making sure she gets into her dream college, Princeton. However, she also has to navigate her usual boy troubles as things between her and Ben get complicated.

Eleanor and Fabiola have their own goals for the school year and there is some friction between the trio when lines are crossed.

Paxton is getting used to college life but it isn’t how he dreamt and he goes through a bit of an identity crisis trying to find out what he wants from life.

Devi’s issues with another girl at school lead to Nalini finding someone to spend time and consider a future with, while Nirmala finds a partner of her own, although Kamala has her suspicions about this new man.

Devi goes through a turbulent final year in high school and is overwhelmed with all of the emotions that come with such an important phase of a young person’s life but with her loved ones’ support, she gets through just fine.

Performances

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is easy to root for and incredibly frustrating as Devi in equal measure and that is a testament to the brilliant crafting of her character and the efforts she’s put into the role. She shows maturity and growth but doesn’t lose her teenage impulsiveness.

The rest of the cast appears to have a more subdued input in this series to let Devi have all the shine but that doesn’t mean they do not impress in their own ways.

Jaren Lewison, Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez, and Darren Barnet all still play important roles in Devi’s journey while also having a varying focus on their own lives and they certainly lift their share of the weight.

Poorna Jagannathan could play Nalini in her sleep and still do a great job as the role comes naturally to her. Ranjita Chakravarty has also come a long way as Nirmala in this series while Richa Moorjani unfortunately takes a bit of a back seat this season.

Benjamin Norris really shines with brilliant comedic timing and is one of the surprise standouts of the season.

Positives

The main theme of the final season is moving forward and that means different things for different characters but it stays consistent throughout without faltering even a little. The directors have a clear vision for the story and execute it brilliantly.

Moving from high school to college is a stressful time for any youngster and different people go through different experiences. The show has depicted a number of those situations quite accurately and the audience is certain to find it relatable.

The writers have really put in a shift with some entertaining dialogues and splendid humor. Some nuggets of wisdom really sneak up on you and that accentuates their impact.

Devi’s entire roller coast when it comes to her college admissions is spot-on and wonderfully crafted. Coupled with Matreyi Ramakrishnan’s performance, it creates a truly emotional goodbye.

Negatives

Kamala had one of the most significant and progressive character arcs over the first three seasons of Never Have I Ever but she seems to have been relegated to the back for the final season which is a disappointment.

Staying with that point, the way Nirmala meets Len and marries him even though she was strongly against Manish because he wasn’t connected to Indian culture enough feels quite hypocritical.

Verdict

Never Have I Ever is a thoroughly enjoyable multi-cultural coming-of-age story with the usual drama and romance that usually accompanies high schoolers. There is also genuine character development as these children slowly become young adults who have to go out in the world and learn how it truly works

While some interesting characters get pushed to the background this season, the central focus remains strong and the series ends on a heartwarming and optimistic note.

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Also Read: Never Have I Ever season 4 summary and ending explained