Never Have I Ever season 3 review: A penultimate season racing to the end

Looking back, high school actually flew by, no matter how long and hard it seemed at the time.And the new season, for better or worse Never Have I Ever The third graders also decided to speed run.

The Netflix series returns to the life of high school student Devi Vishwakumar (Maitrey Ramakrishnan).After her father’s death, Devi spent her freshman year as a social pariah, her first two her seasons in Never Have I Ever During her sophomore year, she focused on gaining some social standing, continuing to excel academically, and balancing her strict mother’s expectations. With a fun and eclectic cast to round out Devi, Never Have I Ever It managed to balance over-the-top hijinks with genuine heart, and really nailed the big emotions of being a teenager.

This new season has some of that, but the creators seem determined to move everything along quickly in order to get all the characters they want for season 4 and 4th grade. A lot of what makes the show special is lost in the final race.

[Ed. note: This review contains some setup spoilers for Never Have I Ever season 3.]

Season 3 kicks off with Devi and superstar Paxton (Darren Barnet) officially debuting as a couple. Much to the shock and disbelief of the rest of the school, they can’t believe a geek like Devi is dating a hot jock. Devi finally realizes her dream of having an affair with the hottest guy in school, but she’s still so fixated on what other people think of her that she eventually doubts Paxton’s feelings. Meanwhile, her friends are grappling with their own relationship issues. Troupe member Eleanor (Ramona Young) isn’t even sure if Paxton’s slacker friend Trent (Benjamin Norris) has a crush on her. And Devi’s college rival Ben (Jaren Lewis) continues to sour his relationship with athlete Aneetha (Megan Suri). At her home, Devi’s cousin Kamala (Richa Mujani) deals with her disappointment after her grandmother turns down a marriage proposal.

All of this sounds like enough setup and plot to fuel an entire season, but the show resolves all of these separate plot points very quickly — which is also quickly resolved It just introduces a completely new problem. Never Have I Ever It’s a comedy made up of half-hour episodes, so expect some episode separation. It’s not the “he’s one problem per episode” situation comedy formula, but compared to past seasons, there aren’t as many throughlines this time around.

Image: Netflix

Part of the reason is that the cast is so large. The show not only explores the lives of Devi and her friends, but also dives into the journey of Ben, Paxton, Kamala and Devi’s mothers. It’s pretty much in line with the previous season, where the complex relationships helped flesh out the character arcs. When one of them hits a big story moment, it can be built for an episode or two before being hastily tied up and put away so someone else can take the spotlight.

It’s especially frustrating because these characters are still compelling and their storylines are still engaging — and the previous two seasons didn’t give enough time to conceive all the characters’ stories. This time around, though, the frenzied pacing leaves less room for those arcs. Her first two seasons of the show take place during the first half of her sophomore year at Devi. But this season, we’re skipping a few episodes to shake Devi and her friends into the third grade and hunt them down so they can wrap up the school year and get everything in order for the show’s final season. Instead of the steady pace of the first two seasons, season three feels like someone just fast-forwarded and forgot to let go.

There may be some meta-commentary out there about how school days pass quickly, but it’s not intentional. This makes sense, as the focus should always return to the core cast of characters. This is another big reason why this season feels lacking. After that, she basically just disappears for the second half of the season, with Aneesa’s romantic issues becoming a key plot point before she never shows up again. Devi and Ben in particular don’t have as many scenes as they used to. And given that the first two seasons really built him up as a romantic interest and dived into their wonderfully compelling rivalry-turned-friendship, the show’s whole angle seems particularly sidelined. I feel

Photo: Lara Solanki/Netflix

That’s not to say Ben is completely left out of the show. He has his fair share and develops as a character. They all do, really. As with any coming-of-age story, the central characters mature and learn a little more about themselves and the world around them. And there are moments towards the end when their journey certainly feels established and complete. Debi is the main character, so her growth from someone who is selfish, insecure, and impulsive to someone who can sit back and handle the big changes in her life is satisfying. She was put in a situation where she would have acted hastily and with sarcasm — but what she has gone through has allowed her to approach them more maturely and with reason (she is still Devi, so she’s still making) A few An impulsive decision, but a little more justified this time).

By the end of this season, everything is set for the fourth and final one. However, instead of a well-paved road, season 3 felt like a jerky shortcut, offering younger and immature versions of the characters first introduced in season 1. , connects to the slightly older and slightly more mature version needed for a satisfying finale. characters will fully enjoy 4th grade.

10 episodes Never Have I Ever Season 3 premieres on Netflix on August 12th.