![]() ![]() If you’re not sold yet – and frankly, that description wouldn’t do it – “Never Have I Ever” has an irreverent streak that works very much in its favor. He’s basically her version of Jordan Catalano for those old enough to remember “My So-Called Life,” which you should quickly find and watch if you don’t. Plus, there’s a dreamy boy (Darren Barnet) – whose washboard abs compensate for any deficiency in communication skills – with whom Devi is pretty much obsessed. That leaves her going through high-school dilemmas – among them potentially losing her virginity – while constantly sparring with her concerned mom (Poorna Jagannathan), and grappling with shifting dynamics regarding the friends (Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez) she’s come to rely upon over the years. Sweet, funny and occasionally flat-out weird, it’s the latest show that brings an independent-film sensibility to the half-hour comedy format.Ĭreated by Mindy Kaling, the semi-autobiographical series focuses on a first-generation Indian-American, Devi, still reeling from the abrupt death of her father (“Heroes’” Sendhil Ramamurthy, seen in flashbacks). And if you don't mind a few squeamish moments, it's one you could certainly watch with your own teenager.Īnd it might even serve as a reminder that they're just smaller, unfinished people, too.Overcoming the saturation of coming-of-age titles, “Never Have I Ever” adds fresh wrinkles to an old formula, thanks in part to a breakout turn by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a high-school sophomore adjusting to a life turned upside down. None of the 10 episodes is longer than 30 minutes. Never Have I Ever is definitely worth a watch. McEnroe maybe isn't the best narrator out there, but it's worth the slightly awkward recitation to hear him slip in slang that nearly made me grab my kid for translation purposes.Īnd, like he promised, it did all make sense later. ![]() The one-liners are exactly what you'd expect from a project led by the creative likes of Kaling and Fisher, who worked together on The Mindy Kaling Project. (The heart, not the wallet.) It's funny AF, as the kids would say, but not crass in a Superbad sort of way. (On the other hand these shows aren't going to pay for themselves.)Īnd at the end of the day - and at the end of the series - it's sweet. Or maybe even more grating? All the product placements. My kid could use a writer's room.) The drinking is maybe a little too casual - but then again maybe it isn't - and is the one concern I'd have in watching this with my own teenage daughter. (Maybe a little more coherent, actually, which is not a bad thing at all. The sex talk isn't too graphic (and there's no nudity - these are supposed to be underage kids, after all) and even the language avoids any real F-bombs but otherwise is remarkably consistent with how you'd hear teenagers talk today. But it mostly avoids the usual tropes and instead attacks them head on. Never touches on all the usual high school-age pressure points. ![]() The series is all about Devi (that's pronounced "Davey," by the way) and her relationship with Ben, and her near-obsession with high school hunk (and brilliantly named) Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet), but it has nice arcs with Fabiola and Eleanor and Devi's older cousin, Kamala (Richa Moorjani), who's hot and brilliant and trying to avoid being married off to someone she hasn't even met yet. pissed off everyone I know." It's a take on the game, and makes more sense once you have that context. The stories are fast and set up nicely at the front of each episode, culminating in the title reveal for Episodes 2-10. Not his wife, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), and certainly not Devi, who continues to see Mohan in spirit.Ĭomplicate that by the culture shock and the complexities of an immigrant family, and there's a lot going on here. But nobody's really gotten over Mohan's untimely heart attack in the middle of Devi's orchestra performance. and it's not really explored too much more than that, and for the sake of a little physical comedy. Her father died a little less than a year ago, and she took it so hard she lost the use of her legs for a few months. Source: Netflix Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her father, Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy), in "Never Have I Ever." (Image credit: Netflix)ĭevi's home life is harder. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |