Hey Hope!
Happy summer! I can’t believe our first year at college is already done, even if it did have a less than normal ending. For this week’s post, I want to talk to you about the show Never Have I Ever on Netflix. Did I binge watch this show in one day? Yes. Do I regret it?
Absolutely not.
This new Netflix “dramedy,” created by the fabulous Mindy Kaling, follows Devi Vishwakumar, a high school sophomore trying to break the “good girl” stereotype with her two best friends, Fabiola and Eleanor. The trio are all straight A students who feel they have missed out on some of the stereotypically big milestones they think high school is all about: boyfriends, parties, and becoming popular. Devi, the leader of the pack and slight control freak with a few anger issues, decides to take matters into her own hands to strategically move her friend group up on the social ladder. Along the way, Netflix drops the audience smack dab into a classic love triangle. Devi has the decision between Paxton, the most popular guy in school, and Ben, the guy who has been her class rival, competing for first in the class for years.
I know love triangles are a really old plot device and one could argue a waste of time, but I can’t help but love this trope. Sue me! Though it sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out of sheer frustration, a love triangle really completes a romance arc for me. Is it really an on screen romance if the love is never tested by an equally (if not more so) attractive person? I don’t think so. While I’m all for seeing both sides of this particular love triangle with Paxton and Ben, in my opinion, team Ben is the place to be. And actually Hope, last week I found out that you know someone who knows Jaren Lewison, the actor who plays Ben! I know we face-timed about that but I needed another excuse to bring it up. So basically, Jaren and I are best friends already so I have to be on his side. Just kidding. Unless…
Anyways, I digress.
As for the characters, this show incorporates a lot of representation for minority groups that don’t typically get a lot of spotlight, and I love that about this show. The main character, Devi, is a Tamil Indian American whose family moved to the United States after 9/11. Devi is struggling with her father’s recent passing and coping with feelings of grief and anger as well as trying to be a good friend. Her best friends, Fabiola and Eleanor, provide lots of comedy relief, but they aren’t only one dimensional as many best friend tropes can be sometimes. Both girls get the chance to develop deeply individual characters that set them apart in the show, and they both get the chance to shine while dealing with their own self discovery adventures.
Another thing I appreciate about this show is that it doesn’t shy away from heavy topics. Sexual orientation, racism, and loss are all prevalent themes in this show, as well as finding a sense of belonging in one’s culture while being a first generation American, which isn’t represented enough on television. As the audience gets deeper into the show and the storyline, we get to see some of the racially insensitive comments Devi must deal with very frequently as well as just straight up racist behavior due to lack of knowledge. If I’m being honest, this show made me realize how much I don’t know about Indian culture or other cultures in general. This is one of the reasons I think shows that represent a wider variety of people are so important today.
Primarily, I think representation in the media should be an outlet for everyone to find a bit of themselves and their story within fiction, which is something I know I personally take for granted all the time. However, not everyone has that luxury, and I think it is time for that to change. Secondly, I think wider representation means more ability to understand and connect with people who are different than us. Even though I have almost none of the same background or upbringing as Devi, I still felt like I could see parts of myself in her. This is why TV shows like Never Have I Ever deserve way more recognition and spotlight, as a way for everyone to feel a bit more connected no matter our differences. If something as simple as a television show could help us all to be a little more respectful, a little kinder, and a little more understanding of other people, shouldn’t we all want to see a wider representation of others?
HP, I seriously hope that wasn’t preachy and/or cheesy, but it felt a little that way. Sorry about that, I couldn’t help myself. But seriously, this show is a good one, and I think everyone should give it a chance. I'm not going to lie, this show made me cry crazy amounts. The raw emotions of grief and jealousy and envy and love that are jam packed into this show makes this something truly special to witness.
-maddie
Comments