5 life lessons we learnt from ‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 4

This weekend we watched one of our favourite on-screen characters, Devi Vishwakumar at the centre of drama and confusion (as always) in the fourth (and final) season of Never Have I Ever. This season, too, we hoped Devi to be happy, pick the right boy, do the right rights, and above all, be at peace with herself and the person she’s going to become. And she does it all, well, almost all. Devi has evolved—she isn’t repeating her mistakes; she is making new ones now but that’s only part of the learning and growing up process. Throughout the fourth season, she learns many life lessons and here are some which we loved and truly resonated with. Are you taking notes? 

Friendships can be fixed 

In all the seasons before this, Devi needed no reason to pick a fight with someone courtesy of the heavy baggage of unresolved trauma that she lugged around. This time around, we see her take ownership and responsibility for her actions as she realises the importance of relationships and the bond she shares with those around her. She reconciles with Margot, Ben’s girlfriend, to set her father up with her mother, Nalini because she wants her mother to be happy. Devi is put to the test when things go wrong between her best friends, Eleanor and Fabiola, and at the end of the show, everyone’s as happy as they dreamt to be. More on that later... 

 

Sisters before misters and besties before testes

Teenage years are all about exploring feelings of 'love' and being in a state of constant confusion about who you like or have feelings for. Devi, too, was in a similar space, and her love life has been a rollercoaster ride. She and Eleanor fall for the same guy—the newest bad boy in town, Ethan, but when Eleanor realises Devi is fully into him, she takes a back seat to work on her acting career. Similarly, there’s also a scene where Margot and Devi realise that their friendship matters more than the boy (Ben) that they are/were once involved with. It is this sisterhood that we are rooting for and want to see more of.  

Your dream can be someone else's dream too

The one constant in Devi's life, since she was a child, has been her dream to study at Princeton, and she’ll do anything to ensure no one stands in between the two. But, life happens. Devi's best friend Fabiola (who had applied without mentioning it to Devi) gets through Princeton and she doesn't. Devi takes the news as heartbreak and betrayal, but she soon understands that two people can want the same thing and there is no reason to feel bad about it. 

 

It’s okay if life turns out differently than what you had planned; perseverance is key 

They say it’s good to get a glimpse of your dreams before they materialise, and Devi and Ben get exactly that. They spend time in their future universities, only to find out it’s nothing like they had imagined. But Devi is determined, and during her field visit to the university, she resolves that it’s okay to fail rather than not trying at all. Similarly, when Paxton spends time at his new school, he understands his good looks don’t matter outside in the big world and if he wants more out of life, he needs to work for it.  

Efforts are always rewarded, sooner or later

Devi doesn't get through any of the colleges she applies to. But she proves she is a go-getter when she deals with her feelings around failing and understands things won’t just be handed to her on a plate and she needs to let go of her sense of entitlement. She writes a remarkable application letter to Princeton and shines through, leaving us feeling proud and emotional. On the other hand, Paxton learns the value of effort when he coaches Jack to be a good swimmer. The feeling of accomplishment on Paxton’s face and Devi's determination shows us what growth is all about.