Sometimes when I watch Never Have I Ever, I am thinking that everyone in this show is extremely judgemental. But then I remember that is basically everyone in life and I don’t know why I am shocked.
Shit happens and people have opinions. Hell, I have opinions and as I sit here and write this, I am definitely like, fuck I am about to be really judgey. There is a lot of things that happened in this episode, and some – I am loving. Some, I am like WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
It’s happening because it’s life and everything is always changing. Everything is always happening and there is no way to stop it.
Devi and Des seem to be working out, even though they are hiding everything from their mothers. Devi likes him and I have to say that there is no part of me that isn’t all for this.
Do I think that it’s forever? No. But I do think that rebound relationships are a part of life and I do think that it’s a right of passage. Yes, you can judge me for that, but I am not going to think badly of Devi for moving on.
And moving forward.
Yet, before we dive deep (and by deep we all know I am gonna be sarcastic) let me just say this – endgame is still Devi and Ben. That’s a hill that I will die on.
THE DEBATE
Des and Devi are both on the debate team, which if we’re being honest, we would consider totally geeky in high school, but being older, we’re kicking ourselves for not participating. We could have learned some amazing life skills.
Des tries to be really kind to Devi, comparing his school to theirs. Devi has some really big issues with this, and quite frankly who knew that she had that much school spirit? Not me.
Devi is pissed that he’s not taking the debate seriously, but Des, I have to admit is such a smooth talker, I think she forgets that her team really isn’t that good. Or maybe it’s that her team doesn’t have the same resources.
That is the sad fact.
But Devi doesn’t want to admit that. Hell, it just makes her upset and she tries to rally the debate team. She wants to beat Des and his team, but all of them know that they will get beat. They all act like it is acceptable, but Devi isn’t having that. She’s convinced that she’s going to find a way to beat them.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that she will. Though they are up against each other at the end, Devi is racking her brain for a way to win. Luckily there is a fire alarm (and i use luck very loosely, cause it’s not really lucky) and they are all forced out of the school.
Des’s school has paralegals and Jeopardy beating computers. Standing outside and talking to everyone, she realizes that the way to win, is to cheat. It’s to get rid of their research. She knows that it is wrong to cheat, but she wants to win.
Even if winning means that she has to throw away her their research, she’s okay with it. She’s okay with it until Manesh figures out that she threw away the research. In order to be fair he changes the view that they would be taking, giving Des’s team the research that he still has.
Yet, Devi ends up winning. She ends up winning and getting caught, making Manesh having to drive her home to her Mom and tell everything that happened. He knows that he doesn’t want to do that because Pati hates him.
He doesn’t want to make things worse for Kamala. He likes her and wants to be with her, but knowing that her family hates him is something that he is scared of. That fear isn’t a bad thing. Fear is a reminder that he cares and he doesn’t want to loose her.
CLEANING UP STORAGE
Rhyah is helping Nalini, Pati and Kamala clean up all of the things that Pati brought over from India. Lets just say that she’s a packrat. She saved everything and even some of the weirdest shit. Sporks and AOL Dial Up CD’s. I truly didn’t even know those were around anymore.
Pati doesn’t want to part with anything. She’s got an attachment to everything. Nalini sends Kamala inside with Pati so that they can go through things. While I was dreading this for a hot second, I realized quickly that it was a good time for them to relate.
And they did. Pati was able to explain that she wants to make sure that Kamala doesn’t struggle like she did. She wants better for her granddaughter. She wants her to never have to struggle, but to live her best life. Seeing her explain how she is feeling and what she is thinking to Kamala, brought them closer.
There is a night of change coming, because as Manesh knocks on the door with Devi, telling the family what she had done. He goes to leave, letting them know he’s not going to tell the school, but he thought they could handle in house. The look in Pati’s eyes, the way that things change and the way she see Manesh, my heart melted.
She calls him family and asks him to come inside. You can see in his eyes, this is everything to him.
And we love it.
Devi gets grounded, because of course. She’s sent to her room to not talk to anyone, but Des sneaks upstairs. She tells him that she cheated, and that she got rid of the binder. He isn’t even mad about it, he tells her that he’s glad that she did it.
Ugh, I like them together, but I am still convinced that he’s a rebound. So I refuse to get attached.
PAXTON
Let us not forget Paxton.
Paxton is going through it. His relationship is so superficial that he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s grown beyond the just having sex with girls stage. He wants to go out, to be challenged, to do things that educate him.
Pheobe though, she doesn’t have plans and for Paxton, he seems kind of frustrated that she has no direction. He seems kind of as though he misses Devi or at least the way that she challenged him to be a better person.
But Pheobe, well she is, not interested in it. She’s interested in Paxton’s body and the rest, she doesn’t care about.
Paxton has grown and it’s really kind of beautiful to see. I think that we all hit that stage in life and to have him follow it and keep wanting to grow is beautiful.
ELEANOR AND TRENT
This whole time, Eleanor is excited because an agent reached out to her, loving her spot in the blinds commercials. She has to self tape, and had asked her friends, but they were all at debate.
And so who is there for her? Trent. The two are completely different, but they find a way to make it work. They both thrive off the drama and they both thrive off of the chaos.
And if that’s what makes you happy, who are we to judge their kink?
Eleanor and Trent force each other to be better people, effortlessly. They teach each other how to look at things different ways, which makes them both grow. Granted, Trents way is way out there and is the reason that the fire started, but also what it did is bring other people together.
Everything happens for a reason.
FABIOLA AND ANEESA
Fabiola and Aneesa announce that they are together and everyone is happy for them. I do love these moments and them finding their way, but also getting this support from their friends is great for them.
But they are overthinking and learning how to navigate their relationship. Fabiola and Aneesa – I am hoping that they don’t overthink everything and let what will be, be.
Because they are finding their way.
I can’t wait to see how these two progress, because like Devi and Ben are end game, so are they to me.
Lets hope that we get to learn more about them and see them push each other.
Never Have I Ever is streaming now on Netflix.
