The debut of Never Have I Ever introduced Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a social outcast looking to transform her life during sophomore year of high school. This isn't an ordinary coming-of-age comedy; it's inspired by Mindy Kaling's upbringing as a first-generation Indian American. Kaling co-wrote the Netflix series alongside Lang Fisher (The Mindy Project) and many of the details featured in the show are loosely based on her life.
Season 1 presents Devi as a bright-eyed teen with typical aspirations of growing her social circles and enhancing her love life. Aside from the normal trials and tribulations, Devi is dealing with the recent death of her father Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy), which also causes her to suffer from a health problem. Devi, her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), and cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) are trying to find a new normal, but the young teen becomes fascinated with the school heartthrob, Paxton (Darren Barnet). While trying to transform her image, Devi dives in too deep and hurts several of her loved ones in the process as she loses sight of who she truly is.
Never Have I Ever brilliantly presents a teen struggling with fitting in while also trying to appease to her family's cultural beliefs. There's an ample amount of humor, but an underlying level of emotional distress from most of the main characters. While the season 1 finale ties up many loose ends, the plot sets up an interesting future for the most prominent characters.
Devi Comes To Terms With Mohan's Death
It's hard enough being in high school, but Devi is thrown another curveball after the death of her father, Mohan. The trauma that she endures directly causes her to become temporarily paralyzed, adding to her already complicated reputation. At the start of Never Have I Ever, Devi regains her ability to walk just before her sophomore year. She also has new goals in attaining a hot boyfriend and growing her social status. In reality, Devi uses these aspirations as a way to distract from the loss of her dad, which she has yet to face head-on.
Devi's therapist, Dr. Ryan (Niecy Nash), is the first person to realize that the teen's extreme interest in Paxton is a way to avoid dealing with her recent trauma. Her mother, Nalini, doesn't push Devi into unearthing her feelings. As time goes on, Devi's grief takes control, but it transforms into anger pointed at Nalini. She finally admits in the season 1 finale that she's not ready to say goodbye to her dad. Devi's friends encourage her to go to Malibu so that she can spread Mohan's ashes with her family.
Devi makes it to the beach in time to give her father a final farewell while also patching things up with her mother. Now that she comes to terms with her father's death, she can stop using other aspects of her life as a deflection from her real struggles. Devi spent a lot of time lying to those closest to her, but now that she's being true to herself, she can be more open about what she's dealing with. This won't just help her social life, but it will also greatly help Devi's relationship with her mother as they rebuild the family dynamic just as Mohan would have wanted.
Nalini & Kamala Accept New Challenges
Nalini and Kamala are the two closest family members that Devi has left. Like her, they are also dealing with new challenges. Nalini, of course, is now a widow and the sole parent of a moody teenager. She never fully connected to Devi in the way that Mohan did, and her relationship with her daughter fractured before the death of her husband. Nalini does her best to keep a sense of normalcy, but in doing so, she too doesn't let herself fully grieve. After seeing Dr. Ryan, Nalini reveals that she refuses to let Devi show that she too is struggling. Moving the family to India probably isn't what Mohan would have wanted, and Nalini accepts that staying in California is a challenge she must face.
Kamala, Devi's older cousin, moves in after the death of Mohan. She's studying biology at Caltech, but like Devi, she keeps a lot of secrets. Kamala's parents are trying to arrange a marriage for her, but she already has a boyfriend named Steve. Though she breaks up with him, Kamala is reluctant to marry someone she doesn't even know. Instead, Kamala goes against her culture and decides to take things slow with the man her parents set her up with so they can see if something evolves organically.
Ben & Devi Share A Kiss
From the very first episode of Never Have I Ever, Ben (Jaren Lewison) is established as Devi's nemesis. They are academic rivals and take digs at one another's social statuses. At first, Ben is cruel toward Devi and her friendship circle, but that turns out to be a front, hiding his real perception of his classmate. Ben envies the fact that Devi has friends and family who actually care for her. Over the course of season 1, Ben opens up about his loneliness and confides in Devi. The pair become closer to the point that Devi moves into Ben's house after having a major fight with her mother.
Ben tries to kiss Devi at his birthday party but brushes it off as being drunk. He clearly has feelings for her, which is why he goes out of his way to enlist Devi's friends to convince her to attend the spreading of Mohan's ashes. Not only does he drive Devi to the beach, but he also stays behind to make sure she's okay. Devi realizes that Ben is the only one who has been there for her so she kisses him. He might not be Paxton, but Devi and Ben have a unique connection and potential as a couple if they embrace those feelings.
Paxton Realizes He Has Feelings For Devi
Devi is a bit headstrong when it comes to connecting with Paxton, but as time goes on, he realizes that she's special. He doesn't clear the air when rumors spread about their relationship since he's aware that reputation means a lot to her. Even though they become friends, Paxton worries that he's being used to up her social status. The pair end up bonding and even kiss, but Paxton stops himself from truly opening himself up.
It was his sister Rebecca that convinces Paxton that he prioritizes his reputation rather than building genuine connections with people. After talking with his sister, Paxton calls Devi and even shows up at her house while she's in Malibu saying goodbye to her dad. While he's looking for her to presumably share that he has feelings, Devi is kissing Ben. It's likely that some kind of love triangle will emerge since both boys see how special Devi is and they won't give up easily in winning her affection.
Eleanor & Fabiola Find Fresh Perspectives
When Devi starts obsessing over Paxton and building her reputation, her best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) are initially on board. That is until Devi constantly lies to them or hides the truth while downplaying their own current struggles. Eleanor finds out that her mother, who left years ago to be an actress, is secretly working in town as a waitress. Fabiola, meanwhile, is struggling with coming out to her family as gay.
After revealing their frustrations with Devi's recent behavior, the trio has a chance to reunite. Devi helps Eleanor realize that she can't give up acting just because her mother shares similar dreams and left her behind once again. Fabiola opens up about her sexuality and is accepted by her friends and family, giving her the opportunity to be herself. These realizations for both Eleanor and Fabiola will allow then to feel more comfortable in their own skin going forward in Never Have I Ever.