Never Have I Ever Season 4: A Wholesome, but Predictable Finale

SPOILER ALERT

Never Have I Ever released Season 4 just yesterday on Thursday, June 8, and yes, I finished binge watching it within the first few hours of its release. And, I can proudly say that Never Have I Ever Season 4 was a beautiful ending to this show, showcasing the characters’ growth and wrapping up loose ends.

The Story
The season begins with Devi and Ben right after she cashes in her “one free boink” with Ben. Ben awkwardly suggests for Devi to leave (which in my opinion, was a horrible horrible move), and after a little bit of anxious thinking over the whole ordeal, they end up spending the entire summer apart. 

Throughout the season, tensions between Devi and Ben run high, especially after Devi yells at Ben’s new girlfriend in front of everyone in the hallway, but the two soon bring it back together towards the end of the season. 

Paxton’s storyline also gets put together as Gigi Hadid provides narration on an episode specifically dedicated to wrapping up his career and love interests. Fab and Eleanor also get an ending to their career and love interests, and it was nice to see everyone at Sherman Oaks High finally find their place. Meanwhile, within the family, Pati gets a new boyfriend, Len, who Kamala investigates for most of the season as she is suspicious of his intentions. Nalini also gets her second chance at love with Ben’s girlfriend’s father- what a connection.

What I Loved

The production of the storyline was absolutely brilliant this season. Sure, it had it’s dry spots, but what made this season really shine were those bittersweet moments where the writers included throwbacks and connections to prior seasons. Of course, not to forget, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s stellar acting of the annoying, yet endearing teenager Devi, and her chemistry with Jared Lewison, who portrayed Ben. The dance scene with Devi and Kamala was absolutely wonderful- Devi’s confidence really came through compared to the first Ganesh Puja scene we saw earlier in the show.

I also enjoyed Devi’s character development in this season. Yes, I am always going to be annoyed by Devi and her stupid antics, but she grew a LOT from her emotional trauma, and it was so incredible to see all of the stages of that growth throughout the show. Her therapy scenes mirror what a lot of teenagers’ look like, and I appreciated that they brought mental health and trauma into play in the show in the first place. Though Devi isn’t the perfect person, this season really endorses the fact that she’s just human (and a teenager) so her flaws may shine bright, but her growth shines much brighter.

What I Hated

Mindy Kaling’s presentation of South Indian culture admittedly isn’t my favorite. As many critics and fans have said, her main leads in most of her productions are self-deprecating and don’t show much sign of knowledge of their actual culture. Though I did appreciate this season in which Devi appreciated her roots more, I do think that this aspect of it could be brought out a bit more.

The middle of this season did seem a little dry and dragged out, especially considering that it was very predictable each step of the way. There was absolutely no way that Devi wouldn’t get into Princeton or another equally as high college, and Ben was the only option that made sense, considering Paxton became a staff member at the school. Ethan just seemed like a distraction, and though it got a little steamy there for two episodes, their short lived romance simply just made the show more boring in those parts. 

But, I also recognize that Devi is still a teenager, even in this season, so doing dumb shit can be excused I guess.

Season Highlights

Overall Rating: 8.75/10

Cutest Throwback Moment: When Devi & Ben decide to ride off on a scooter together and a scene of Nalini taking off her mangalsutra flashes by tying back into her relationship with Mohan and how they used to ride his motorcycle.

Favorite couple storyline: Ben and Devi. Paxton fans might be mad, but the last episode with them getting together, the trope from enemies to lovers, just all perfection.

Most Annoying Devi Moment: … So many. But, we still love Devi. My worst Devi moment is awarded to when she yelled at Ben’s new girlfriend in front of everyone. Second place is definitely Fab and Devi’s thing about Princeton.

Saddest Moment: Devi & Mohan talking to each other in the last episode and him helping her pack and then Nalini’s conversation with Devi after this.

Where It Falls Short: Kamala’s storyline barely develops as she follows Pati’s new boyfriend around.

What I Craved More Of: Pati, Kamala, & Nalu- we needed more on the ladies in the family!

Have you watched the series finale of Never Have I Ever?