School woes, getting into top universities, crushing on the hunky popular guys... at first glance this sounds like your typical American coming-of-age TV show. But Never Have I Ever turns out to be more than that.
Told from a refreshing angle of a first generation Indian-American teen in America, Devi struggles with a classic high school problem: getting through it. She hatches an elaborate plan with her friends to become popular and finally get the attention of the hot jock she has been crushing on (while also obsessing in getting into an Ivy League school).
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
The surfacing plot may feel light and fun for the viewers at first. But the show surprises you with its heavy emotional core. While the culture, storylines, and characters are colourful, it's not afraid to be relevant either. The show tackles major issues like emotional trauma, loss of a loved one, and unwanted arranged marriages.
Known by many for her role as Kelly Kapoor from hit 2005 NBC show The Office, where she was also a writer for, Mindy Kaling's newest Netflix project is her first attempt at the beloved genre. Kaling's reflection on her teenage life resulted in a very authentic and unadulterated series, especially for immigrant families in America.
Never Have I Ever is a good combination of humour and drama told with a lot of heart (and some witty narrations from Andy Samberg and John McEnroe). With just 10 episodes under its belt for its first season (and just recently renewed for a second), it's no doubt an easy binge during quarantine.
Catch up on the first season of Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
