Never Have I Ever 3 review: Devi, aka Maitreyi Ramakrishnan's teenage journey is more romantic than comedy

3.5/5

The Indian American teen Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) continues to struggle with the stresses of high school and domestic conflict in Season 3 of the coming-of-age comedy Never Have I Ever while also navigating new romantic relationships. Mindy Kaling is the executive producer of Never Have I Ever, while Lang Fisher is the co-creator, executive producer, showrunner, and writer. Howard Klein and David Miner of 3 Arts Entertainment served as executive producers for the Universal Television production of Never Have I Ever.

Devi's (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) high school experience is more of a romantic shenanigan that becomes overdosed after a while. This time, the romance is at its peak for the Indo-American teenage girl who doesn't just get stuck in a triangle, but a new angle gives a new shape to her life. This time, in quick succession, we see Devi and Paxton (Darren Barnet) make it official at Sherman Oaks High School, giving everyone a shock of their lives.

In the process, we see her just loving all the attention she is receiving and justifying it too hard to herself and the naysayers too. Like every teenager, Devi finds it important to seek validation from every person around her on how it's "normal" that she is dating the hottest boy in school.

This time around, comedy takes a backseat, making teenage drama ride shotgun with Devi. The series explores more about how Devi is still not okay post her father Mohan Vishwakumar's (Sendhil Ramamurthy) sudden death and the PTSD she went through soon after.

With romance being explored in its true sense, it's not just Devi who enjoys those moments. Her best friends, Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), also discover new relationships, which not only take them by surprise but the viewers too.

However, it's their romance that makes for an interesting arc this season. Devi, on the other hand, although she does nothing wrong this time (well, not entirely), falls into the victim and accuser category once again. But, instead of the constant bickering that we see with her mother, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), there's a sense of maturity that has come into their relationship.

Well, that decreases the fun quotient down a notch in this season, as Poorna gets the best dialogues, which are relatable to many of the Indian kids who are at loggerheads with their parents constantly. After a relationship failure in the second season, due to Devi's meddling, we see Nalini all alone once again. This time, we see her exploring a new friendship with a nutritionist named Rhyah (Sarayu Blue), and bam, she doesn't come alone. We also see Rhyah's son and an additional Indo-American character, Nirdesh aka Des (Anirudh Pisharody).

Although the new addition heats up the season, Devi is still trying to lose her virginity and has suspicions. From Paxton to Des to, of course, the constant Ben (Jaren Lewison), her high school life is nothing but a rollercoaster ride with troubles outside the premise.

The 10-episode series continues to run its course, leaving us a little excited as the episode ends. Mindy Kaling continues to do so, but without many of the conservative values that kept the show going for the first two seasons. The traditional aspects are fewer and the desi-ness too. We finally see Devi and her family adapting to American culture in every possible way, including Nalini.

However, the mental health of Devi is kept constant throughout the show, which brings more emotional depth to this season. The therapy sessions are fun with Niecy Nash as Dr. Jamie Ryan. But it brings the triggering moments, which are mostly related to Devi's dad's death.

Moreover, we also see how the mental health of their kids is shunned by many of the parents. Never Have I Ever touches upon that in the best possible way. And no, it's not about Nalini and Devi. They are too cool this season and adorable too.

A few episodes are just catalysts and are created to fill out the season. But, we have to give it to the makers as it gives a scope of different dynamics between different characters, who have only one common link: Devi. But their equation has nothing to do with her, and that works well in these episodes.

When it comes to performances, Maitreyi once again shoulders the show in the most amazing way, and she is just getting better and better. The actor is in an age-appropriate role and makes her character look convincing by striking the right chord with the range of emotions she brings in.

Even Poorna as Nalini and Richa Moorjani's characters just got more interesting. However, the latter seems to be in a limited screen space this time. The other supporting characters, namely Darren, Jaren, Anirudh, Sarayu, Ramona, and Lee, have their arcs, which makes this season quite entertaining as it needs to be.

With the final season on its way the next year, Devi's journey is about to end at Sherman Oaks, but the final adventure will leave you excited. Ms. Vishwakumar is not done yet, despite having had several opportunities to do so.

Never Have I Ever Season 3 can be called a teenage romantic drama with comedy sliding away seemingly. However, the move is commendable as teenagers go through several complications and Devi's baggage gets heavier and heavier with every progression.