Some shows develop in such a way that while watching them, we feel like we’ve also grown with them. Never Have I Ever, Netflix’s original teenage drama is one such show. Young Devi loses her father right in front of her eyes, and since then, she’s struggling with how she should deal with the pain and grief. While doing so, she messes things up and makes up for them constantly. But if you really think about it, the show might be more than just about Devi and her craziness.

Throughout the three seasons, we have seen Devi evolving into a more mature and reasonable girl; everyone around her does the same. Let’s explore more about the growth of each character from Never Have I Ever.

Never Have I Ever is more than just a teenage drama

While Devi, Fabiola, Eleanor, Ben, Trenz, and Paxton have their own issues to deal with, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), Devi’s mother, also softened towards the end of the season. While she’s mourning her beloved husband, she finds companionship in the form of a friend outside her house. She also fights her loneliness in a foreign country while connecting with people more by opening herself up.

Devi’s cousin, Kamala, finds her true interest and passion. While upsetting her grandmother by not marrying the Indian boy Prashant, she stands up for what she desires and wants to figure herself out the way she wants to. Also, her grandmother doesn’t approve of her relationship with Manish. But eventually, they all get along.

Devi’s grandmother also mourns her son’s death and acts maturely while doing so. She even stands up for Nalini when Devi accuses her of forgetting about Mohan’s (Devi’s father) death. While we have a lot of fun watching their family gatherings and Navaratri celebration fiasco, we can see everyone in the show ultimately finds their selves and tries to accept them.

The best example of self-searching is Paxton Hall-Yoshida. The hot and popular kid in the school gives the best graduation speech while getting into a reputed college and Ben played a part in that as well. Despite being opposite to each other and, at times, enemies, they find common ground and become friends.

The most unexpected transformation we can see is in Trenz and Eleanor’s. Surprisingly, these two get into a relationship and help each other find themselves. Meanwhile, the friendship between Paxton and Trenz also gets stronger.

And, of course, Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). We get to see an extreme change in Devi from season one. “Ooh, wait a minute. Did we discover that being in a romantic relationship doesn’t necessarily solve all of our problems?” says Dr. Ryan, Devi’s therapist. And we get to see Devi finally realizing this and accepting this. It feels good to her to be smart and a nerd after a considerable amount of time. And everyone seems happy in the end.

Of course, Mindy Kaling represents the Asian culture most authentically while proving that accepting who you are is the key to being happy. Therefore, it may feel like we’re crazy and we’re making a lot of mistakes. But that’s just how you grow and become an adult. So, it is more than just a teenage drama it is a journey about growth and self-actualizing.

What do you think about it? Add to the themes as per your interpretation in the comments below.