Following up the first season of a hit TV show can be a tall ask. How do you deliver on what made the series so distinctive, emotional, and laugh-out-loud funny in the first place without retreading old narrative ground? The good news is that for Never Have I Ever, which premieres its second season this week on Netflix, there's no such thing as the term "sophomore slump." In fact, the show immediately returns to what fans have been clamoring for since Season 2 was first confirmed — high school hijinks, romantic drama, some serious love triangle action, and a thoughtful exploration of grief that mostly takes place in the background before coming to a head in a very genuine way.
Season 2 picks up almost instantly where the first season left off, with Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) realizing that she has not just one potential new boyfriend before her, but two — and all of the challenges that come from trying to choose between her academic rival and rich nerd Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison) and popular guy and longtime crush Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet). But Devi's love life isn't the only plot that takes focus this season; she's also got to deal with a potential frenemy in the new girl at school, Aneesa (Megan Suri), who might be strong competition for one of her beau's affections.
New relationship drama also abounds for Devi's best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), the latter of whom wrestles with her identity both in having newly come out to her friends and family and trying to find where she fits in within the queer community as a baby lesbian. Devi's mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) also realizes she might have more than simply professional regard for fellow dermatologist Dr. Chris Jackson (Common), while Devi's cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani), in seeking her Ph.D., struggles to assert herself in the face of being overlooked and ignored by her colleagues.
Ultimately, a show is only as strong as its lead, and once again, Ramakrishnan proves why she's the one to build an entire series around, not only in Devi's most ridiculous and chaotic moments (the show literally describes some of her wildest antics as "pulling a Devi") but in the scenes that call on her to be quiet, vulnerable, and having to come to grips with the real emotions that drive her to make some confusing and (in true teen fashion) dramatic decisions. While the season itself doesn't necessarily let its main protagonist off the hook, however, it does shine an important light on the grief that Devi is still wrestling with after the unexpected death of her father (Heroes' Sendhil Ramamurthy). Even though it was a loss that technically took place before the show even began, Season 2 teases out signals that Devi is still very much not okay, and subtly reminds us that some of her most baffling — and in one particular instance, damaging — actions are all rooted in that personal trauma. When Devi finally breaks down, it's the culmination of something that has been taking place in the background of her entire character arc, mostly unseen by the show's omniscient narrator, former professional tennis player John McEnroe, and maybe even denied by Devi herself until that moment.
Of course, Devi isn't the only character who gets their time to shine in Season 2 — cousin Kamala's narrative journey is also a standout, presenting the very real difficulties often faced by women in STEM, and it's certainly no coincidence that, being surrounded by overconfident white men in her field, she has trouble getting anyone to take her seriously or actually respecting her for her work. It's storylines like this one, as well as the unexpected and delightful addition of another Vishwakumar family member who moves in with Devi and her mom, that tilts the second season away from being just another teen comedy series and establishes it as more of a show that revolves around a family — and the different experiences of the Indian women who represent nearly every generation around the dinner table.
The good news is that Never Have I Ever's second season is just about as excellent as the first in every way. It expertly walks that tightrope of being earnest without becoming treacly, and its emotions hit just as hard as its humor. The only downside? Try to keep yourself from watching it all in one sitting, if you can.
Grade: A-
Season 2 of Never Have I Ever is streaming now on Netflix.
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By: Carly Lane
Title: Never Have I Ever Season 2 Review: Love Triangles and High School Drama Endure
Sourced From: collider.com/never-have-i-ever-season-2-review/
Published Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2021 16:00:00 GMT
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