Never Have I Ever

Bibliographic Information:  

• Title: Never Have I Ever  
• Creator: Mindy Kaling  
• Company Publisher: Netflix   
• Copyright Date: 2020 

Genre: Teen, comedy, drama  

Awards or Honors: None 

Watch Level: TV-14  

Plot Summary: The pilot episode starts with Devi, a 15-year-old girl from Sherman Oaks, asking Hindu Gods for help on her first day of sophomore year. She wants to be popular, be invited to parties, and get a boyfriend, preferably Paxton Yoshida-Hall. Tennis player John McEnroe narrates the series. Her father died the previous year, and she loses the use of her legs for a temporary period, causing her not to have much social status outside of her two friends, Fabiola and Eleanor. Devi has a difficult relationship with her mother, and they struggle to get along. Devi’s cousin Kamala lives with Devi and her mom while she was finishing up her degree. She is expected to end up in an arranged marriage, though she has her doubt. After she discovers her friends lied to her about having a boyfriend, she goes into a rage and throws her Geometry book out the window. She talks to her therapist, and she realizes she needs to focus more on herself rather than focus on what others think of her.   

Creator Background: Mindy Kaling is the creator of Never Have I Ever, based on her experiences growing up. She grew up in the Boston area and went to college at Dartmouth University. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants who met in Nigeria while they were working. She has two kids and now lives in Los Angeles (Bauer, 2020).   

Before working on Never Have I Ever, she created the Mindy Kaling project, a show about an obstetrician-gynecologist looking for love. She was a main character on The Office and later became a producer and writer on the show. She has written a play with her friend about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. She co-created and starred in the television series Champions (Bauer, 2020).   

Critical Evaluation: The film’s setting is in the San Fernando Valley, but the suburban filming sites could be anywhere in wealthier parts of California and the United States. The viewer does not see much of the outside world. It is implied and shows the school and area are wealthy, and the students don’t have to deal with issues other kids do. The film stars young actors like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, and Poorna Jagannathan. Most of the main actors are younger, and there is some diversity in the cast. The series has unique aspects, like John McEnroe narrating and flashbacks with Davi’s father. The plot is funny and includes perspectives and stories of different Asian American groups. Each episode is only 30 minutes but includes lots of plot twists and details. The show can be both wholesome and intense within an episode. Some show themes include mental health, peer pressure, creating your identity, dealing with trauma, and growing up.   

Creative Use Library Program: This tv show would be part of our teenage film festival on the weekend. The program would have various places set up around the library to watch teen films and tv series they are interested in. The film night would be for teens, and Never Have I Ever would be one show available to watch. Teens would vote beforehand on what shows they would want to watch. Snacks would be provided.   

Book Talk: For 15-year-old high schooler Davi, last year was rough. Her father died, her social life was average at best, and she is best known as the girl who was paralyzed for a few months and used a wheelchair. But this year is going to be different. All she must do is get a hot boyfriend, improve her social life, and everything will be alright. Despite her best efforts, things never seem to work out. As she deals with the unresolved trauma of her father’s death, she navigates high school stresses and who she wants to be going forward.   

Potential Challenge Issues: Potential challenge issues might include kissing and language scenes, but there are no higher-risk challenge issues like suicide or abortion. I would defend the tv series as an appropriate coming of age story that accurately represents teenagers’ lives. It addresses issues like racism, gender norms, peer pressure, high school, and other topics that matter to kids. It does not demonize topics or issues and instead provides a comedic light to serious issues.   

Reason for Inclusion: This show provides insight into teenage American life. It also gives girls of color the chance to see themselves and their issues represented. The show featured a diverse cast and addressed modern issues without stereotyping or simplifying the cast. It was also a tv show lots of people were talking about. It got good reviews and was recommended to me as a potential show for teens. I watched part of the show and thought it was good and addressed teenage issues that teens might want to watch.   

Bauer, P. (2020). Mindy Kaling. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mindy-Kaling 

Never Have I Ever. (2020). Netflix. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://www.netflix.com/search?q=never%20&jbv=80179190