Never Have I Ever…seen so much representation and diversity in one TV show! On April 27th, 2020, a new Netflix original called “Never Have I Ever,” came out. Around that time, we were at the beginning of quarantine, finding new things to do with our time. So when this show came out, I was definitely curious. When I first watched the trailer, I saw this girl praying to a shrine of Gods and Goddesses right before her first day of school. Obviously, this show was written about me. Okay, no it wasn’t, but it was something I could definitely relate to. The show, which is created by Mindy Kaling, follows a young, first-generation, Indian-American girl named Devi Vishwakumar, who’s trying to figure out high school, as well as who she is. This was a really good show, and there are so many reasons why I really liked this show.
One thing I noticed from this show is the representation of Devi’s friend group. It’s a group of women of color and for me, it was so refreshing to see that! I loved the support that they had for one another and their dynamic. I also think, especially now, that it’s important to represent diversity within friend groups in movies and tv shows.
Another thing that I loved about this show was that it is SO relatable. I feel like this is a show that a lot of first-generation Indian-Americans, like myself, can relate to. Although “Never Have I Ever,” wasn’t based on Mindy Kaling’s life, there were a lot of experiences that she pulled from her life into this show, and they were definitely things that I truly understood. One of them was a scene where Devi was going to a friend’s house and her mom told her to bring a box of chocolates for their parents. This resonated with me so much! Even as a 22-year-old, every time I go to someone’s house, I can’t leave my own house without something in my hand to give to people. It might be such a small thing, but it’s also something that has been embedded in me throughout my childhood.
One thing that resonated with me the most was an episode in the show where Devi didn’t really feel connected to her culture. Throughout my entire life, I’ve always struggled with my culture and identity, and although it is something I’m still working on, being able to see that on TV, felt really great.
We are currently in 2020, and although we absolutely have a long way to go when it comes to representation and diversity, seeing Netflix shows like this assures me that we’re going in the right direction. Overall, this is a great show and one that I would highly recommend that everyone check out.