Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever is a delightful coming-of-age comedy-drama series from the creative minds of Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, which premiered on Netflix in 2020. Framed as a modern-day John Hughes production, but with a refreshing, culturally diverse perspective, the series episodically navigates through the ups and downs, the laughs and tears, and the friendships and romances of teen life.

The show revolves around the often hilarious and occasionally heart-wrenching experiences of a 15-year-old Indian American teenager, Devi Vishwakumar, who is brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. Devi is a high-school sophomore living in the multicultural San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. She grapples with typical teenage woes, including school pressures, raging hormones, budding romances, diverse friendships, and fierce rivalries. But her story is more complicated than most, underscored by her enticing ambition to achieve popularity and her struggle with her identity, caught between her South Asian heritage and her American upbringing.

Devi is also dealing with personal grief following an unexpected tragedy the previous year, and her unique triad of relationships with her image-conscious best friends - intellectual Eleanor (Ramona Young) and business-minded Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) - her high-achieving, traditionalist mom Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), and the affable school-heartthrob Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) further complicate her sophomore year.

Significantly adding to the unique flavor of the series is tennis legend and social activist, John McEnroe, who lends his voice as our surprising but intriguing narrator. Over the episodes, McEnroe's omniscient narration guides the viewers through Devi's erratic emotional landscape with a mix of wry humor and sincere empathy.

The show’s strength lies in its genuine portrayal of a teenager’s life, laced with wit, comedy and vulnerability. It adeptly captures the universal angst of adolescence while paying particular attention to the added complexities that first-generation immigrant children face. For Devi, and others like her, the struggle to find their place, torn between the expectations of their traditionalist parents and cultural heritage and the pressures of fitting into the ever-evolving melting pot of American teenage culture, becomes a narrative pulsating under the overarching storyline of teenage quandaries.

All characters in the show feel dimensional, perfectly flawed, and endearing. Each dealing with personal growth and revelations, navigating their relationship with their heritage, understanding their sexual orientation, tussling with their cultural expectations, and more. Additionally, the show doesn’t shy away from addressing issues like mental health, grief, and single parenthood, imbuing it with layers of emotional depth matched with light-hearted humor.

Set against the vibrant southern California backdrop, the show never misses a beat in presenting a colorful fusion of cultures, emotions, sarcasm, and teenage dreams. The show’s snappy dialogue, whip-smart writing, and the protagonist's quirkiness make the tale engaging, relatable, and enjoyable.

Never Have I Ever shines brighter due to its ensemble cast. Led by charismatic Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, all actors deliver exceptional performances. Ramakrishnan brilliantly captures the essence of Devi, beautiful in her confusion and relatable in her frustration. The dynamics between Devi, Eleanor, and Fabiola create an enduring and memorable friendship trio, and Devi's headstrong defiance of her mother Nalini leads to some of the show's most poignant moments.

In essence, Never Have I Ever is about exploring who you are and where you belong, while also dealing with the part of life that is shared universally: high school, growing up, and the inherent confusions that come with both.

For all its high school drama, fervid romance, witty one-liners, family dynamics, and moments of reflection, Never Have I Ever is a heartening swim across the turbulent sea of adolescence, echoing the experiences of young adults everywhere, and particularly resonates with people navigating dual cultural identities. It’s a warm, open-hearted series, masquerading as a teen comedy while craftily delving into diverse issues of identity, grief, and self-acceptance.