*Disclaimer: Before I start let me just make it clear that this is in no way meant to discriminate or make anyone feel uncomfortable or disrespected.*
Never have I ever is a new Netflix comedy - drama series that premiered on the platform on april 27th. Created by the well known Indian -American comedian Mindy Kaling, this new series offers the audience a fresh take on a typical adolescent drama with the slight twist being, it’s all from a indian - american teenagers point of view.
With all the talk around Hollywood about inclusivity and diversity, this show comes as no surprise, as an effort to see more women in leading roles and specifically those who come from different cultural backgrounds, but it seems to me that by trying to do this, the creators only seem to resonate the cliché itself even deeper. Now, don’t get me wrong, the show is great, fairly entertaining and well produced, and it goes to prove that old cliches don’t die quick in Hollywood and how effective they are on old and new audiences alike. But the cliché is there, that is no deny. This is the typical story about a teenage girl trying to fit in, struggling to be categorized as “normal” and be part of the cool kids group at school, not to mention the ever present topic of virginity and sex amongst teenagers, but again this is only proof that no matter how played out this all is, it still brings a great amount of viewers to the front.
The show it self is great, well produced and quite entertaining, the cast is quite unique and filled with fresh new faces that will most like become familiar and beloved in the near future.
The whole premise of the show is to follow the life and happenings of the main character “Devi” as she goes through high school and her attempts to check a few things off her bucket list. She is smart, witty, practical, unforgiving and won’t take no for an answer until she gets what she wants, kind of girl, she has a sardonic sense of humor and is very outspoken. Being the nerd of the class is just one her many accomplishments, she is one of the top students of her class, amongst her friends and partners in crime, an asian -american girl and a girl from hispanic descent and her rival and sworn enemy “Ben Gross”, with whom they dispute the tittle of the class best student on and off.
As the show advances we get a glimpse of Devi’s life story, she has faced some adversities that have complicated her life as a teenager and therefore made her even more eager on her pursuit of popularity and a sense of a normal life. With her being of Indian descent, which only adds to the complications and a few setbacks on her pursuits as she struggles to find balance between her culture and her life in a typical American high school, not to mention her very traditional mother, who tries to set those traditions upon her. A few other characters appear on the show, most important one being Devi’s love interest, “Paxton Hall - Yoshida”, AKA, the class hottie. From the beginning we see Devi’s interest towards him and things move at a rapid pace and then not so much when Devi’s own insecurities come to play.
With only 10 short but consistent episodes, Never have I ever is a must watch show if you have a Netflix subscription, it is funny, witty and very entertaining (teenage drama never disappoints), you will find yourself glued to the screen and clicking for the following episodes.
My only “complaints” about the show are, first of all the whole cliché thing, I don’t know how this is different just by having a different “multi” cultural cast and introducing a few cultural references here and there, I mean, sure, I wasn’t expecting a whole exposé on Indi culture, but maybe I was expecting that a little, and I crave the day when those few cultural references will be a full shows theme and aesthetic as opposed to the hyper imposed diversion of “inclusivity” and “diversity” claim that it is today.
Second complaint would have to be the narrator, I don’t who that person is or why they felt like the show needed him but that was not the right call, it is completely unnecessary and feels quite forced to try and fit the show into a specific comedy format, if the show really needed a narrator (which I don’t think it did), then it should have been the voice of the very girl who’s story is being told, that just didn’t make any sense to me at all.
And finally, the show it too quick passed, a little more of the background story would have been nice, some things are fast forwarded too soon leaving no room for a smooth transition and some details get lost between the blurred lines, not to mention certain topics are grasped quite quickly and lightly to leave room for the comedy (I asume), which in some cases just leaves gaps and make the story telling feel incomplete.
Anyway, if you are looking for something to watch, give this one a try. Here’s a trailer so you have a visual aid:
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