Never Have I Ever is More Than A Teen Love Triangle

Never Have I Ever finally revealed how Devi’s story would end. Devi was still grieving her father’s unexpected death when she was introduced in season one. But, as season four brings the series to a close, Devi has grown, and her character development is on full display as the show reaches its final episodes.

Devi is not a perfect person. She is a messy teenager. She makes mistakes just like anyone else. Part of season four shows how she is growing to understand her missteps of the past and grow from them. One of season four’s most prominent themes is preparing for the future and how that preparation can look different to various people.

Devi is coming into who she wants to be as an adult as Never Have I Ever expands on Devi’s dream to attend Princeton University. However, preventing it from being a stereotypically easy acceptance forces Devi to confront something she had been against for so long, being honest about who she is and how her hopes and dreams are connected to her late father and how he helped shape her.

It also focuses on Devi’s relationships with her family, with a particular highlight of the dynamic between Devi and her mother. Devi and Nalini’s relationship has always been one of the center points of the show. Still, Nalini showing romantic interest in another man also indicates the growth Devi has gone through.

Rather than grow angry, depressed, or panicking about Nalini’s potential to find love with another man, Devi wants to help her mother find happiness. It adds another layer to the complex relationship they have been trying to navigate since Devi’s father’s death.

But, Never Have I Ever does not forget about Fabiola, Eleanor, Ben, and Paxton. Fabiola’s dream to pursue a career in robotics is one of the plot lines that force Devi to reflect on who she is and how she responds to her friends.

Eleanor’s wish to become an actress has her graduate from high school early to have more time to audition and get a jump start on her career. But she also gets an unexpected wake-up call that encourages her to take on an unexpected direction but is still one that highlights her love of storytelling and creativity.

Ben, similar to Devi, spends most of the season concerned about his future at Columbia University. He faces panic, worries about meeting a Columbia representative at a college fair, and unease if he will fit in after spending an afternoon with already enrolled students.

Paxton, however, has one of the stand-out storylines of the season. Paxton has already experienced senior year, but his early days at Arizona State University have not encouraged his interest in continuing his education.

Used to feeling on top of the world, Paxton does not know how to handle being disregarded and not considered popular amongst his peers. Desperate to get that feeling back, Paxton returns to his high school to take on the assistant swim coach position, be closer to his friends, and regain his sense of popularity.

Paxton’s uncertainty about his future is an exciting way to take on an often tricky college plot. Never Have I Ever tackles Paxton’s identity crisis with the respect and relatability it deserves. Sometimes, finding the right path is harder for some than others. In Paxton’s case, it takes returning to the past to understand his future.

Through all of this, Devi’s love triangle does remain in the subplot, but it does so in a way that never feels too forced. Paxton’s return to high school is not keeping him as a main love interest. Instead, the fourth season offers the duo closure on a relationship that never figured out how to work.

They care about each other, but their friendship becomes the more important thing between them. Never Have I Ever’s ability to allow both of them to be happy with this conclusion enables the show to conclude without feeling like Devi must choose between two guys.

Although the love triangle remained in the background, it was never the season’s central plot. Ben and Paxton never told Devi that she needed to pick between them, nor did the show pressure Devi into choosing a guy or determining that she should choose herself and be single.

Never Have I Ever allowed Devi to have it all. She was gifted with self-growth that allowed her to feel happy with herself while showing that she could want a healthy romantic relationship. Wanting to be with someone does not strip Devi of her individuality and sense of self-love.

Devi’s reunion with Ben and their mutual decision to pursue a romantic relationship does not feel forced; instead, each of their journeys, while leading them back to each other, has also offered them an adventure of self-love and self-discovery.

Overall, season four keeps the heart and soul of each previous season while giving many of its main characters relatable storylines as they prepare for the next phase of their lives and what it means for their relationships.