TV Review: Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever Is TOO FUNNY!
First, let me SHOUT OUT and APPLAUD Netflix for giving the world a set of heroines that are super smart, genuinely good, and of color. Ashley Garcia, Lara Jean, and a plethora of characters from On My Block to She’s Gotta Have or Chambers, It has shows that represent Latinx, Blacks, Asians, Arabs, Native Americans and every “color” or culture for its strength and intelligence. Never Have I Ever follows suit with such a fresh humor, I simply HAD to binge.
The show follows Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, and MY GOD she is fantastic. She is so vulnerable and strong, all at once, and brings nuance to “the good girl.” I am talking about the teenage girl that does her homework! She WANTS to get straight A’s, dominate at after-school clubs, and lose her virginity to a hot jock. I AM TALKING ABOUT THAT GIRL! When you are a smart, teenaged girl there is still a stigma of “uncoolness” or “undesirable,” which Devi, consistently, faces. For some reason, being bright in mind, as a woman, makes the world think you don’t want love nor should you get some LOVIN! Ramakrishnan captures the humanity of being a good person that is still growing, despite tragedies and teenaged hormones.
Never Have I Ever | Official Trailer | Netflix
It’s been awhile since I was a high school sophomore but watching Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s performance, along with Lee Rodriguez’s Fabiola, Jaren Lewison’s Ben, and Ramona Young’s Eleanor brought back all the feels of being ….. “a nerd.” From the theater geek who sang songs in the halls (Eleanor) to the girl who was good at the sciences and loved the idea of Lab (Fabiola), these young ladies are bursting with thoughts and personalities in a time of life when the “cool thing” is to act like you are not special and ambitious. Thus, I was enveloped and immersed into their lives as each of them tries to figure out if they have a little “wild” in them; starting with Devi’s determination to have Paxton (Darren Barnett) swipe her V Card.
This show has all the hallmarks of being a 21st century teen; to the point that I burst into laughter. From the “sexy” tik-tok dances we doe with friends and then check every five minutes for who likes it to going to parties and tasting alcohol and swearing you are a REBEL, this show embodies the silliness and wonder of being 15, especially after a tragedy. Kids DO suffer and go through “adult issues,” and, again, Ramakrishnan’s acting, is able to breed compassion and understand in audiences that even the smartest teenager cannot wrap her mind around life’s meanness. Thus, in essence, if Euphoria dramatizes that hardship of being young, Never Have I Ever humanizes it, but they both make me OBSESSED with them, especially because the latter has the narration of John McEnroe. YES! JOHN MCENROE is NARRATING a teenaged girl’s life as written by Mindy Kaling. If that does not sound funny to you, then quarantine life has hit you hard! Never Have I Ever comes out April 27.
