The much anticipated third instalment of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever has finally arrived, though it seems that it hasn’t succeeded in pleasing everyone.
Birthed from the mind of friends-to-lovers expert Mindy Kaling, season three of Never Have I Ever sees American teen Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) deal with the everyday pressures of being a teenager while also navigating new romantic relationships. While this season checks many of the teen drama boxes (high school drama, moments of intense cringe, episodes exploring love and heartbreak), there is undoubtedly something missing from this beloved teen drama.
Season three opens with a confident Devi finally publicly dating her long-time school crush, Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnett). It seems like nothing can stand in the way of her happiness this season – but how long can teenage bliss really last? This season sees the introduction of a handful of new characters, including nutritionist Rhyah (Sarayu Rao) and her son Des (Anirudh Pisharody), a teenager from a local private school and a possible new love interest for Devi. Whilst the show is well versed in introducing new characters to throw a spanner in the group dynamics, I can’t help but wonder whether more could be drawn from focusing on the existing characters instead of attempting to add new dynamics into the mix.
The new additions have left this season feeling almost like a collection of disjointed sequences as opposed to a cohesive season, with many of the plot lines feeling somewhat rushed and inorganic. It seems as though the show has fallen into the trap of introducing new characters in an attempt to reinvigorate each season, forgetting that audiences are invested in the relationships that have already been established. Many of the new relationships feel like afterthoughts, and it seems that viewers are not wholly convinced that they were all that necessary.
What was so compelling about the show in its inception was its focus on the mental health struggles of a South Asian teenage girl. The emotional depth at the heart of this story is what pulled fans into Devi’s world, so it’s disappointing to see that there isn’t as much of a focus on Devi’s inner world this season. Where previous seasons focused much more closely on the intricacies of Devi’s mental health and how that has impacted her relationships, this season instead focuses on scattered individual storylines that only vaguely interact with one another. Not much time is spent exploring Devi’s mental health this season, and it feels strange to watch this show that was, at least at one point, so focused on how that affected the bond between her friends now veering down a slightly more detached path.
The show works best when it does focus on these close dynamics, and much of the season still makes for an enjoyable watch. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan remains as charming as ever, continuing to forge a place for her character in the hall of fame of generation-defining teen characters on TV. Devi progresses from overdramatic teen to anxious young adult, all the while remaining true to her chaotic personality, thus offering an imperfect yet lovable character for young viewers to relate to. But it is Ramakrishnan’s on screen chemistry with Poorna Jagannathan, who plays her mother Nalini, that reminds us just why she is the perfect choice for this role. The tender moments between mother and daughter, though few and far between, encapsulate the heart at the core of this series.
Though Never Have I Ever may have become slightly predictable in its season finales, it remains committed to nurturing much of the excitement and warmth of its original season.
The third season of Never Have I Ever is available now on Netflix.
Words by Nadira Begum
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.