Never Have I Ever
Production companies: Kaling International, Inc.,Original Langster, 3 Arts Entertainment, Universal Television.
Distributors: Netflix,
NBCUniversal.
Where to watch: Netflix. Subscription required.
First aired: 2020.
Seasons: 3 seasons out on Netflix now, renewed for a 4th and final season!
Genre: Comedy / Drama.
Rating: TV-14. Swearing, drugs, sex, and general delinquency.
Let's get one things straight, Devi Vishwakumar is NOT lame. Okay, so maybe that is the general consensus of her school NOW, but that's sorta understandable. After all, her dad did tragically (also embarrassingly?) die at a school function in front of God (s), future high school hotties, mean girls, and everyone. Not to mention that very-public-death was immediately followed by a freak paralysis situation that left Devi psychosomatically bound to a wheelchair her first years of school.... But whatever, Devi has her people. Her friend Eleanor Wong, thespian extraordinaire and official "getting some" expert of the group (she's had one boyfriend, okay, she's experienced), and Fabiola Torres, robotics genius and Queer qwen. Not to mention Devi has some big plans to get cool this year. Maybe she hasn't done the deed or gotten hammered or smoked some skunk yet, but if there is a will there is a way, right? Plus her long time crush//Certified Man Candy, Paxton Hall-Yoshida actually acknowledged her existence this year. Things are looking up. And sideways. Actually, Devi doesn't always know what direction she is going but she's going to get there using any means necessary.
In the first season of this smash hit we get to know Devi, a Tamil baddie-in-training, as she navigates grief, growing, and the scariest things of all--high school. This year she has some pretty loft goals: partying; losing her v-card; possibly
defeating her nemesis, professional-straight-white-boy Ben Gross (pictured below);
and last but not least, shedding all previously held ideas about herself to emerge as the powerful, sexy woman of color she knows she is on the inside. Her journey to becoming a well-rounded sexual savant is made complicated not only by her reputation as an "unbangable nerd",
but also by her complicated private life. Devi and her mom are still reeling from the tragic death of her father and her seemingly picture-perfect cousin's perfect façade is cracking. Will Devi be able to revamp her reputation? Will her family life crumble under increasing pressure? Tap into Never Have I Ever to find out!
Wait, what is Never Have I Ever referencing? Is that, like, a band?
Never Have I Ever is a game of questionable appropriateness played by young adults to get to know each other (and the things each other have done or not done). At the start of the game, each player has 5 to 10 chances to be called out for something they have done that their opponents have not done. The score is usually held by putting down a finger on your hand, but could be tracked with a piece of paper as well. The game is over once one player has all of their fingers down, or has been called out for at least five things they have done. It goes like this, the starting players states something they have not done, "Never have I ever kissed Travis". Then, all of the other players who, for the sake of this example have been passing Travis around like the common cold. have to put a finger down because they HAVE done what the first person HASN'T done. As you can imagine, this game separates the experienced from the inexperienced REAL QUICK.
So, what is the context of the game never have I ever in the show Never Have I Ever?
Trailer: Never has Devi ever....hold up. It actually would be a whole lot easier to list the things Devi HAS done (very few things) than what she hasn't done (pretty much everything). For instance, Devi hasn't quite freed herself of her V-Card yet but she absolutely has spent the last couple of years as a nerdy virgin! That has to count for something , right? Wrong. Well, at least wrong for Devi who wants nothing more than to become the vivacious, experienced, POWERFUL woman of color she knows she can be. Can she go from "unbangable nerd" to sexy siren this year? With Devi and her friends Eleanor and Fabiola, anything is possible.
Okay, now here is the actual trailer:
Created by: Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
Mindy Kaling is known far and wide as being one of the world's Most Hilarious Women. From her work on The Office to her own show, The Mindy Project, Kaling shines not only as an actress but as a writer too. Chances are if you you were watching TV anytime from the early 2000s or binging any TV online now you have heard and thoroughly enjoyed Kaling's work. As a woman of color of South Asian descent Kaling brings a unique and authentic perspective to all of her roles, both those she performs and those she writes. During the run of her self-titled show The Mindy Project, Kaling joined forces with another fabulous writer, Lang Fisher (Kaling, IMDB; Fisher, IMDB.) Fisher is known for her writing work on hit shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and 30 Rock (Fisher, IMDB). Together, Fisher and Kaling bring strong and authentic characters to live to explore what it means and looks like to grow up in America. Check out this Best of video for Mindy Kaling's character on The Office if you still need convincing.
Analysis: If you have siblings or kids or for some reason find yourself around children frequently you'll know how cringe inducing some teen TV can be. We've all seen an episode or two of a Disney show that was somehow more embarrassing than actually being a teenager. Never Have I Ever finds an elevated sweet spot where it can be an authentic portrayal of adolescents (which does entail quite a bit of cringe in and of itself) without being totally juvenile or infantilizing. The program is elevated passed the run-of-the-mill young adult programming because of three main factors 1)the writing which is trendy, timeless, and boldly honest, 2) the cast of largely unknown/up-and-coming actors 3) the production value.
First and foremost, this is a masterfully written story about diverse, multicultural people navigating some of the most confusing times of one's life. Dialogue is snappy, sometimes swear-ridden, and so totally "of the age". Despite the trendy lingo, the characters and conversations maintain relatability for viewers of all ages.
The second standout is this all star cast because WOW. I mean, where did they find these amazingly talented artists and how do we get them in more stuff immediately??? Miss Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who plays our lead character, Devi, brings the audience in with her relatability and then alienates us with the same feeling (Never Have I Ever, IMDB). Ramakrishnan, who was just a teenager herself, knows what it feels like to so desperately want to start navigating your own life while simultaneously being so tragically bad at doing so. The ensemble of friends also provide significant charm to the show.
The production for this show feels purposeful and inspired, a nice departure from YA media that is often fraught with b-roll footage and clunky set pieces. If you ever watched the iconic Hannah Montana show you'll know the contrast I'm trying to point out here. Half of the Hannah Montana is scene transitions with Miley Cyrus' repetitive "woah oh oh yeah" vocals slapped on top. In Never Have I Ever you get more substance than that. Screen time is story time, and there is rarely time wasted with filler-nonsense in this new Netflix classic.
In the Library: One of the main topics discussed in the show (heck, in life in general) is sex. That's right, y'all. S-E-X. In the young adult years a lot of life revolves around sex (having it, not having it, whichever) so why not talk about it in the young adult library! I would love to produce a sexual health program focused on physical and mental safety and well being. The program would not only discuss birth control, STD prevention, and consent, but also the emotional side of sexual interactions. In addition to the sexual health program, the library could display YA romance fiction and some non fiction options about sex.
I would love to simultaneously prompt young adult patrons to participate in an anonymous "never have I ever" board where they can get confessions off their chest and reflect on how that makes them feel. For example, some young adults might feel anxiety or shame due to lack of sexual experience while others might feel great pride for the same situation. These responses could be discussed in the sexual health program!
Potential Issues: I see no issue with talking about sex with teenagers because I, a former teenager myself, know that sex is a big part of that time in life--whether you are doing it or not. That being said I can absolutely foresee some more conservative community members not approving of discussion of sex/sexuality in the library. I am reluctant to suggest requiring guardian permission to attend the event(s) because often the families who refuse sexual education are the one's that end up needing it the most. It would take a brave library administration but in the face of controversy I would like to emphasize the constitutional right to information and importance of sexual health and safety.
Reason for Inclusion: First and foremost, I think it is so important to have diverse representation in media and this is a show written by BIPOC, starring BIPOC, for BIPOC (and everyone else too, duh). Not only is this cast diverse, but the show itself deals a with a lot of diverse issues. There are characters in the LGBTQ+ community, characters who practice Hinduism, characters who practice Judaism, characters who experience grief, and even (dundunduuuuuu *dramatic reverb*) theater kids! This show discusses relevant topics and uses the faces and stories of people we, historically and currently, do not hear enough about.
Sources:
Anon. [90semma]. (n.d). Never Have I Ever [Pinterest post]. Pinterest. Retrieved January 31st, 2023, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/444097213259343730/
Lang Fisher. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3265847/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3
Mindy Kaling. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411676/
Netflix. (April 15th, 2020). Never Have I Ever | Official Trailer | Netflix [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyOCCCbxwMQ
Never Have I Ever. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10062292/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Office. (August 5th, 2017). Best of Kelly Kapoor - The Office US [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSv64fV0LDk
#comedy #drama #griefandloss #LGBTQA #girlpower #streamingseries #strongfemaleleads #quirky #feelgood
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