Never Have I Ever Season 4 Review: Some emotional drives in this otherwise predictable finale

The gang of Sherman Oaks High School is back for one last time with Devi Vishwakumar at the centre of it, as always. The latest season of Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever has enough room for drama, a bit of surprises, some disappointing predictions coming true, but mostly driven by its emotional content that leaves you with a mixed bag of sentiments. The show which started out as a coming-of-age drama, carefully treads on themes of self-love and appreciation, breaking self-imposed boundaries, and taking the route that the heart wants.

The final season seems to be dedicated to the leading women of the show, and it is nice to see them take control and choose the right options that matter most to their hearts vis-à-vis society. As much as Devi is learning to navigate between her dream to go to Princeton and maintain a romantic life, there is also her grandmother and mother Nalini, who shed their years of solitude for a blossoming tomorrow. Their story arcs are heartwarming and invariably dabble on the topic of expectations, society, and women’s age, and it is a nice takeaway from the series. 

Creators: Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher

Streamer: Netflix

Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, John McEnroe, Ramona Young, Lee Rodriguez, and others

But coming back to Devi, who is of course in her final senior year and looking forward to getting an early ticket to her dream college Princeton University (there is a cute flashback on choosing this college), she still has a middling love life. She has a brief, sweet, yet unwarranted distraction through Ethan. Although the intervention seems enjoyable for the time it lasts, there isn’t any purpose to serve other than once again taking the expected route. There are absolutely no surprises about the destination that Devi has in store. With zero efforts taken to address this, season 4 only tries to create drama by eliminating the possibilities one by one, to finally make the last one standing as the destined option. Through this, if there is one character that gets a completely fleshed-out writing, it would be Paxton, Devi’s first crush and former Sherman Oaks student, who now has joined the swim coach department. Like season three, the writers delectably avoid stereotyping him, as Paxton is shown to be evolving naturally over time, and finding his true calling.  Once the MVP of the school, there is nuance in how the character understands the realities of the outside world and becomes a well-rounded character. Just like Devi, Paxton also goes through this cycle of finding his true passion, albeit with certain missteps. The completion of the arcs is missing for several characters, and it acts as a downer since this is the last season, and the sense of incompleteness will remain. We don’t see Paxton’s family or his sister Rebecca. We don't know Aneesa (the once rival of Devi and fellow Asian student at Sherman Oaks) is doing, and neither do we know much about Kamala’s life, except that she is actively involved in her grandmother’s life. Margot, Ben’s new girlfriend, is an interesting addition to the varied range of personalities in Never Have I Ever, but there is no rounding off the character and her purpose is a conflict that makes up for just another easy guessing game about the arc.

The final season rides high on emotional value and the camaraderie that Devi shares with her friends Fabiola and Eleanor, the misgivings and doubts. Devi’s equation with the guys she has dated, from Ben to Ethan and Paxton shapes up her life, but seldom do they stand out, given we are very clear where it is leading. The finale is expected even before you start the series, but what comes as a surprise is an Indian wedding and the ritual that completes it, the dance showdown. Connecting to the roots of the south Indian subcontinent, the tunes of Saami Saami and En Jeevan give a fulfilling ending salvaging this otherwise predictable series with its expected but effective climax.

It is no spoiler to say that Never Have I Ever ends on a happy note, and we see glimpses of a few peripheral characters. Did I enjoy watching it, yes, but am I soul satisfied with it, that’s up for debate.