A happy Devi is something that none of us are used to, but it’s a good look on her. Devi being happy is something that she seems to fight at every turn, but hey, she may be on the road to finding something in herself and that isn’t a bad thing.
One thing that Devi is frustrated about is her relationship with Des. The two are in a full fledged relationship, but they can’t seem to get any alone time. Their mothers are always hovering. They are always there and they are always ready to come down on them for everything.
So parents can’t know that they are dating, which if Devi has learned anything, that will never work. She can’t keep anything from her family – they always find out. But that won’t stop Devi.
She’s going to go for what she wants, even if that means lying and manipulating to get her way.
HORMONES
Devi may not be ready to have sex, but she definitely wants to be getting her make out on with Des. But how is she supposed to do that when the Moms and the family are always there?
Well, as usual, life seems to find a way to give Devi and option. Not necessarily one that she should take, but that won’t stop her. Mrs. Paloma is giving away tickets to Shen Yun and she sees this as a way to get her family out of the house. Nalini, Pati, Kalama, and Rhyah can all go and this will leave Devi the chance to hang out with her friends, but more importantly have time with Des.
Game night seems like a good excuse, right? Only Devi and her friends don’t know that it’s supposed to be an excuse, not an actual night. However, when you are just starting to do things that are not on the up and up, you don’t know what you’re doing.
Though I really love that Devi is finally starting to act like a teenager, I also feel for her that she’s in this position. We have all been there, the need and want to lie because we are focused on a goal of what we want and are trying to figure out how to get there.
Nalini knows that Devi has a crush on Des, but she doesn’t know the extent of their relationship. So, what’s a game night? It’s harmless right?
These are teenagers. Nothing is harmless.
DES AND HIS FRIENDS
Fabiola, Aneesa, and Eleanor all show up a Devi’s for game night. Each one of them is excited for some reason, thought I will say game nights are mostly fun. Aneesa and Fabiola are trying to connect, but they are way off. They have been since they became a couple.
And Aneesa sees it when Des and his friends arrive, because Fabiola instantly connects with Addison. The sparks between them are electric, nothing like the sparks between Aneesa and Fabiola.
But Des’s friend – Parker, doesn’t have a connection with anyone. Parker is going through it, his parents getting divorced. He’s worried about alcohol and pills, and really isn’t into this game night thing. He wants alcohol, so Devi puts Eleanor on that.
After all, Trent will always come through for Eleanor. Well, when he can.
PAXTON IS ALWAYS THERE
But things take a turn, and Trent’s fake ID gets confiscated. Des and his friends are about to leave, when Trent and Paxton show up. Of course Paxton was there and was able to jump in with his fake ID.
Paxton showing up wasn’t something that Devi expected, but they could be friends and she was thankful for it. Parker was ready to leave and yet, I wish she would have let him.
This season we’ve seen a little bit of Devi’s memories of her Dad, but not as many. Yet, I don’t think that is a bad thing, because it shows moving forward. Yet, when she hears a commotion, and finds Parker smacking a box with a tennis racket that her Dad gave her, she looses it.
That racket is important to her. Her Dad got it, because it was John McEnroe’s racket and he was his favorite. Like anything from her Dad, it holds a special place for her and seeing someone disrespect that wasn’t something she could deal with, emotionally.
And in all fairness, I don’t think anyone would have been able to. Loosing a parent is hard. It’s something that sticks with you and takes a lot of time to move forward from, and even then it’s not always moving forward, it’s existing in the middle of it.
Devi runs to her room in tears, and you would think that Des would be the one to follow her. Only he isn’t.
Paxton is the one that shows up to comfort her and remind her that she’s cared for. He and Devi bring out something in each other that others don’t. I appreciate that we get to see this, in the moments that they are together and the moments that they aren’t.
Des of course mistakes Devi and Paxton together for something else, when he walks in on Paxton wiping away her mascara. One can’t really blame him, but also he should trust Devi.
Everyone heads out, but before Fabiola and Aneesa do they agree to just be friends. Their first kiss was intense and spontaneous, but now everything felt awkward.
I love the way that these two are there for each other and are honest. Aneesa and Fabiola are the type of friends that we should all be too each other – honest.
GUILT
The hardest part of moving forward is the guilt that you feel for moving forward. It’s the guilt that you feel for not feeling guilty or forgetting that you aren’t supposed to be happy. Because how are you supposed to feel happy or joy or survive without that person there?
And that’s something that Devi is dealing with. Her therapist reminds her that her father would want her to move forward. He would want her to live.
There will be moments that she believes this and moments that she doesn’t in her life where she doesn’t. But, I for one hope she finds a way to know that she’s doing okay, by doing the best that she can.
Devi is trying the best that she can by trying to fix things with Des. She heads over to talk to him.
I want to like Des, but I also think that he’s a player. I think that he says what he needs to say in order to get what he wants from girls. I also want to believe that he’s not, because I don’t want Devi to get hurt.
However, that all may not matter when they start making out and his Mom – who was supposed to be gone, enters the room. She catches them – Devi with her shirt open.
Nalini ain’t gonna like this.
OTHER THOUGHTS
Ben taking art and being challenged, I love. I think it’s super important for him. Also meeting a new girl – love that too. He needs to expand his thought process and his circles.
Never Have I Ever is streaming now on Netflix.
