From the very first episode of Never Have I Ever, Devi has stated that she wants to lose her virginity as soon as possible. Though her heart wasn’t always 100 percent behind the endeavor — as it was in the season three premiere — she enters the season finale with a determination not to be one of those “dusty” virgins who go to college immaculate.
The theme arises after two significant developments have taken place. First, Devi is selected to attend a prestigious – albeit hippie-esque – program for seniors in Colorado. Admission paves the way to the Ivy League and increases their chances of getting into Princeton. But she has to miss her senior year at Sherman Oaks with her friends, and she’s convinced the new school’s highly academically motivated students will be too busy studying to have sex.
Second: Devi learns that she is now the only member of her close friends who has not had sex. (Fabiola admits that she and Addison got a little hot and heavy after watching The Mandalorian.) This seems to strengthen Devi’s decision to stay home, and while Nalini isn’t privy to her daughter’s exact reasons, she’s supportive the decision.
But Kamala takes her aunt aside and strongly advocates giving Devi a little nudge to get her out of her comfort zone and into an environment that will surely benefit her in the long run. So, Nalini forces Devi to accompany her on a campus visit…which, along with advice from Dr. Ryan, keeping yourself open to new experiences changed everything. Devi decides that she will indeed attend the special program, and Eleanor and Fab are happy for her but sad for her.
Then it’s time for graduation! Trent tells Eleanor that he won’t graduate because he failed too many classes, but she is so happy to find out he will be there in her senior year. Paxton is chosen to be the student speaker, and he spends his speech extolling the values of hard work and indirectly crediting Devi as someone who helped him get serious about his studies so he could get into college. And while she’s very happy to get such public props, as McEnroe notes, Paxton’s speech doesn’t give her the stomach cramps you might think. But after that, when Ben finds out Devi is going to Colorado and tells her he will “miss her a lot”? This gives her some confusing feelings in her stomach.
She later thanks Paxton for getting her over her father’s death “by being a dream,” and then makes an important decision: she’s not ready to leave Nalini just yet, after all. So she goes home and cries as she tells her mother, “I need another year with you.” Nalini is overjoyed at the news.
Devi then makes his way to Ben’s house, hands him the one free boink card he gave her in a previous episode, and he pulls her towards him while closing the door behind them.
Now it’s your turn. How did you like the finale? Rate it – and the season as a whole – via the polls below, then hit the comments!