On Aug. 12, the third season of “Never Have I Ever” returned to Netflix with 10 episodes averaging 30 minutes each, the perfect length for binge-watching. As we know from past seasons, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) has always wanted to become popular and date the hottest guy in school. And at the beginning of Season 3, Devi has finally achieved that goal, but unfortunately, all the attention quickly goes to her head and her insecurities bubble up. Devi, being the self-sabotaging queen she is, wastes no time ruining her romantic relationship with the guy of her dreams. As sad as it seems at first, her heartbreak actually allows her to focus on herself for once, which is refreshing to see. However, the most refreshing thing of all is that every character — yes, even Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison) — experiences growth of some sort.
Devi
After two seasons of rooting for Devi, fans finally get to see her dating the guy of her dreams, Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet); however, she, of course, finds a way to self-sabotage the relationship. Her jealousy and insecurities prompt Paxton to tell her that she needs to love herself before they can be in a real relationship. Determined to convince Paxton that she is over him and not upset that he has a new girlfriend, she attempts to make him jealous by going to a party and dancing with her new friend, Des (Anirudh Pisharody), whom she ends up falling for instead. Her relationship with Des is the healthiest one that she’s ever been in, and her mom even approves. However, Des’ mom thinks that Devi has too many issues, and she tells him to break up with her.
Even though Devi finds herself single at the end of the season, her relationship with her mom is as strong as ever thanks to the constant support she provides. She realizes that what matters most is living in the present and appreciating what’s right in front of you.
Paxton
Paxton is tired of being seen as just a pretty face, so he spends the school year working hard to get into college. Unlike in past seasons when he would run to Devi for academic help, Paxton actually takes his future into his own hands in Season 3. In addition to studying and getting his grades up, he writes a college essay that helps him explore his identity and realize that he’s more than his looks. At the end of this season, Paxton is selected to give a speech at his graduation ceremony, but instead of doing something funny or flexing his abs as everyone expects him to do, he gives a heart-warming speech about defying others’ expectations and not letting a label define you.
Eleanor and Trent
As unexpected as Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) and Trent’s (Benjamin Norris) relationship is this season, it is actually pretty wholesome. Since Trent is Paxton’s best friend, Eleanor hangs out with them most of the time, and she fits right in. Eleanor convinces Trent to support Paxton’s decision to go to college in Arizona and reminds him that he’ll still have her. We didn’t get to see nearly enough of their relationship this season, but since Trent failed his senior year, we’ll see more of them together in Season 4 of “Never Have I Ever.”
Fabiola
After Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) and Eve Hjelm’s (Christina Kartchner) long-distance relationship doesn’t work out, Fabiola feels heartbroken. However, her relationship with Aneesa Qureshi (Megan Suri), as short-lived as it is, seems to help her get over it. Later in the season, she starts dating Des’ friend, Addison, whom she seemed to fall for at first sight. Unfortunately, the two have little to no screen time together, but fans are hoping to see more of their relationship in the fourth season.
Aneesa
After her boyfriend, Ben, continues to act condescending toward her and barely give her any attention, Aneesa realizes her self-worth and breaks up with him. She dates Fabiola for a while but eventually realizes they are better off as friends, and she ultimately decides that she’s done dating bookworms and would rather go for a jock. Fans are rooting for Aneesa’s happiness and hoping that she will soon find herself in a healthy relationship.
Ben
If there’s anyone who’s had character development this season, it’s Ben. He has proven time and time again how much of a jerk he is, which is solidified this season by the way he treats Aneesa while they are dating. After their breakup, he admits that he acted condescending toward Aneesa and her friends and apologizes. In addition to realizing what a horrible person he’s been, after experiencing stress-induced constipation and landing himself in the hospital, he comes to terms with the fact that he’s been overworking himself. Tired of being a try-hard and finally hearing his dad tell him he’s proud of him no matter what, Ben drops a couple of classes and spends the rest of the school year enjoying his youth.
The fourth and final season of “Never Have I Ever” has been confirmed to premiere in 2023, and there’s no telling what drama will accompany Demi’s final year of high school.
