#Nirmila Vishwakumar

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey *Never Have I Ever*

I watched the final season quickly and then put off writing anything about the season for months. The show is still one of the most delightful ones I have watched in recent years. I enjoyed the final season.  Sure there were some indefensible things like hiring Jeff Garlin as Devi’s grandmother, Nirmala’s new love. But it most treated the characters well and gave them the send offs that they deserved.

I am happy for Devi and Ben even though I didn’t really cheer for them. Early in the season when Ben offered “we should stay apart” explanations, I agreed with them. But also that was what they had to work on separately while the season went on. They’re not over all their issues. That’d be impossible. I’m glad that by the end they are at different schools. They needed get out of direct competition with each other.

In someways, getting together with Ben was a bonus to her actual main journey, getting into Princeton. The late season plot where she was wait listed at Princeton and rejected from all the other Ivies was painful, but not surprising. She had a suspension on her record and a lot of other disciplinary issues. Also during the first season she was told writing about her late father would make her stand out among applicants. Eventually an extra credit personal essay is needed to get into Princeton, and of course she writes about how her father’s love of life affected her. It’s sweet, but it also highlighted how little her father was mentioned this season in relation to earlier ones.

As to the rest of the show…

I’m okay with Paxton’s crisis leading him to drop out of college and return to the high school school as an assistant swim coach. sure, it was a bit of a regression.  But he had gone from being all about pursuing swimming full time to all about making up for lost academic progress when he couldn’t swim. Then he finds himself with no set goals, no swimming and an undistinguished stranger to everyone he meets. I get why that would send him reeling until he retouches familiar and realizes that he wants to be a teacher. Essentially something most of the characters go through this season. And I just like Paxton. Probably the character I would like to hang out with most in real life. I even kind of liked that the plot for him finding direction involved Eric wanting to be on the swim team. I a greed with Paxton saying “why can’t you focus on things you’re good at like robotics and tuba?” (paraphrase) and have to admit the story would not work with a character already familiar to the audience to whom he could say that. I generally think a little Eric goes a long way,  it I’m glad there was someone who we knew elsewhere for this plot.

I loved the Fabiola plot, but was not a fan of Eleanor’s.  I’m glad we got to see both of their mothers one more time. Fabiola story with her getting into Princeton early admission while Devi was deferred felt right for both of their characters. Fab’s passion has always been robotics, which allowed Devi to be the all purpose academic and ignore how her intelligent friend could be competition too. After all, Fabiola has less of a history riddled with disciplinary citations and her singular passion makes her stand out. The way the conflict was resolved was fine. I’ll miss this trio of girl friends. 

I guess I didn’t like the Eleanor plot as much because it felt inert. She quit auditioning for conservatories after one audition didn’t get the reaction someone else got, and then decide to skip a head to the constant auditioning for but parts of being an actor.  Then while reconciling with Trent they decide to make their own films on the cheep. I like Eleanor, and I like her relationship with Trent, but I wish they had a plot I liked.

However I did enjoy Trent’s scenes with Ben. Sure, Ben was stupid for listening Trent without some fact checking, but in other ways he needed a guy like him to just spill things out to. 

There was barely any Aneesa this season.  I only remembered to miss her after her brief appearances. That could have been better. 

I also wish Kamala’s plot where she obsessed over suspicions about Nirmala’s boyfriend to avoid mixed feelings about a job offer could be better developed. Too much of suspicion over Len, not enough about this job opportunity that would require moving cross country.  It led to some cute role reversal scenes with Devi, which I appreciate. But who wants to see a woman worry that much about her grandma’s boyfriend? Kamala boyfriend, Manish,  being off screen for most of the season probably didn’t as it limited who she could talk with. (The actor, Utkarsh Ambudkar a was busy starring in Ghosts, which I’ll write about some time in the future. )

Finally, I want to write about the surprise cast connection to Crazy Ex Girlfriend as Pete Gardner appeared in two episodes of the final season. Gardner played Daryl Whitefeather on CEG, and on NHIE he played swim coach Nobel, who was also a mentor to Paxton. The actor looks almost exactly the same, but the rolls are so different. It was a joy to see him and it made me sad. While there was a lot of writing about NHIE as a follow up to The Mindy Project, (some of which is unfairly dismissive) it was also a spiritual follow up to CEG. Like CEG, (more than TMP), it cared about Devi’s mental traumas, where her lashing out came from and if she could grow in ways that still feel too rare. 

[corduevasmila]

Things I must see in season 4 of NHIE

• Ben and Devi have at least a few kissing scenes bc we were robbed…..

• Ben and Devi have their little fling if everything wasn’t awkward

• banter during the montage bc I need it 😂 (the mindy project has ruined my life I love my sassy arguing nerds)

• Paxton falling in love with someone who isn’t immediately interested in him

• Trent and Ben becoming friends and doing art together

• more Kamala and Devi scenes

• aneesa and Margot bc they would be hot af and bc I said so

• Fabiola getting an actual storyline

• Eleanor and her mom get closure

• Margot and Ben friendship (my boy needs more friends)

• Ben and Devi New York content and they share a special moment together

• the valedictorian debate bc I know there’s going to be one and the tension is going to be chefs kiss

• BANTER!!!

• Paxton and Devi FaceTime calls and they give each other advice about their current relationships (besties only the chapter is closed)

• Ben trying to one up Ethan

• more TRENT AND PAXTON

• BEN AND DEVI PROM CONTENT

• the difficult Ben and Devi talks about their feelings

• ofc the Ben and Devi love confession

• Ben and principal Grubbs

• Ben and Nalini

• Devi and Nalini

• Devi and Mr.K

• Ben having dinner with the Vishwakumar’s again

• more nirmila

• idk just more Ben and Devi pls I need it