Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Never Have I Ever
- Episode 1: Pilot
- Episode 2: ...had sex with Paxton Hall-Yoshida
- Episode 3: ...gotten drunk with the popular kids
- Created for television by: Mindy Kaling & Lang Fisher
- Director: Mindy Kaling
- Starring: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani
- Pilot Release Date: April 27, 2020
- Distributed by: Netflix
- Running time: 30 minutes/episode
Genre [Format of the Title]:
-
Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+, Romance [Television show]
- subject tag: realistic dramedy; romcom
- subject tag: realistic dramedy; romcom
Awards or Honors:
- Winner of AAFCA Award, 2020 Best Young Adult
- Winner Reframe Stamp 2020 Top 100 Popular Television (2019-2020) Netflix Season 1
- Teenagers 14+ according to Common Sense Media rating.
Plot Summary:
When we meet Devi in episode one, we find her praying to the gods for a better first day of school and we find out that the year before, her father suffered a heart attack and died during her concert. She later gets confined to a wheelchair when her legs stopped functioning for some inexplicable reason. Fabiola Torres and Eleanor Wong are her best friends whom she coopts into her plan to make themselves cool their sophomore year by getting boyfriends. She has her sights set on Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the highschool’s hottie and by the end of episode 1, she musters enough courage to talk to Paxton.
When we meet Devi in episode one, we find her praying to the gods for a better first day of school and we find out that the year before, her father suffered a heart attack and died during her concert. She later gets confined to a wheelchair when her legs stopped functioning for some inexplicable reason. Fabiola Torres and Eleanor Wong are her best friends whom she coopts into her plan to make themselves cool their sophomore year by getting boyfriends. She has her sights set on Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the highschool’s hottie and by the end of episode 1, she musters enough courage to talk to Paxton.
Writer/Director Background:
Mindy Kaling was born in May 1974 in Cambridge, MA. She graduated from Dartmouth College and in 2013, she was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (IMDb, 2021). In 2005, she was the first female to join the writing staff of The Office. Kaling is a writer, director, and producer of the Mindy Project. She recently gave birth to her second child, a son named Spencer, who joins his older sister Katherine. Since 2005, she has been acting in various roles or writing and directing in various films and TV series.
Mindy Kaling was born in May 1974 in Cambridge, MA. She graduated from Dartmouth College and in 2013, she was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (IMDb, 2021). In 2005, she was the first female to join the writing staff of The Office. Kaling is a writer, director, and producer of the Mindy Project. She recently gave birth to her second child, a son named Spencer, who joins his older sister Katherine. Since 2005, she has been acting in various roles or writing and directing in various films and TV series.
Critical Evaluation:
Finally, I say! It seems strange to think that it is just now that we are getting critically acclaimed shows that have a non-white/black starring lead. Shows with any type of Asian lead are grossly missing in television. I for one have been wondering why shows like this took decades to go mainstream. It takes guts to produce a show that is authentically relevant, and culturally appropriate without sanitizing the show to the point of dullness.
Characters in this show are diverse and relatable. They deal with social, cultural, and emotional issues that are sometimes so heavy that the only way to handle it is through humor and this show has lots of it. While some parents might be scandalized that there is drinking, crude language, implication, talk, and what appears to be an obsession with sex, I found the way these issues were handled were refreshing and realistic.
Finally, I say! It seems strange to think that it is just now that we are getting critically acclaimed shows that have a non-white/black starring lead. Shows with any type of Asian lead are grossly missing in television. I for one have been wondering why shows like this took decades to go mainstream. It takes guts to produce a show that is authentically relevant, and culturally appropriate without sanitizing the show to the point of dullness.
Characters in this show are diverse and relatable. They deal with social, cultural, and emotional issues that are sometimes so heavy that the only way to handle it is through humor and this show has lots of it. While some parents might be scandalized that there is drinking, crude language, implication, talk, and what appears to be an obsession with sex, I found the way these issues were handled were refreshing and realistic.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Our library could collaborate with our Teen Health Center to host a "Healthy Relationship" roundtable where we address and discuss FAQ related to sex, gender, and relationship. So many of our teens are hungry for conversation that's open and honest and that provides accurate health and sex education information. What better warm up to the discussion than using the pilot episode?
Short TV Teaser:
One hot guy, one hot-headed girl, and never the twain shall meet until.... Find out what happens when Devi finds the guts to talk to Paxton and make a plan to meet him so she could finally lose her virginity to the hottest guy in school. Meanwhile, her best friends are having their own relationship woes and her Mom tries to keep everything as normal as possible at home but nothing will be the same or normal. Watch this show and you'll laugh and learn.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Some might consider this show risqué, even downright crude, because of the overt sexual dialogue. However, there is no actual sex happening even though there's a lot of talk about sex because Devi is determined to be cool and use Paxton to satiate her physical desires. There are several cringe-worthy, honest conversations happening in the office of her therapist so we are like voyeurs and spies listening in on their private conversation. But we need to hear these discussions and use what we learn to advocate for improved sex education in schools and also de-stigmatize the discussion around sex in general.
Reason for Inclusion:
I love seeing the diversity in characters that seems natural rather than forced and formulaic. I think many teens can see their own personal predicaments in the protagonist regardless of her cultural background and race. Every teen needs to watch this. The shared experiences of teens are the same across cultural divides.
Our library could collaborate with our Teen Health Center to host a "Healthy Relationship" roundtable where we address and discuss FAQ related to sex, gender, and relationship. So many of our teens are hungry for conversation that's open and honest and that provides accurate health and sex education information. What better warm up to the discussion than using the pilot episode?
Short TV Teaser:
One hot guy, one hot-headed girl, and never the twain shall meet until.... Find out what happens when Devi finds the guts to talk to Paxton and make a plan to meet him so she could finally lose her virginity to the hottest guy in school. Meanwhile, her best friends are having their own relationship woes and her Mom tries to keep everything as normal as possible at home but nothing will be the same or normal. Watch this show and you'll laugh and learn.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Some might consider this show risqué, even downright crude, because of the overt sexual dialogue. However, there is no actual sex happening even though there's a lot of talk about sex because Devi is determined to be cool and use Paxton to satiate her physical desires. There are several cringe-worthy, honest conversations happening in the office of her therapist so we are like voyeurs and spies listening in on their private conversation. But we need to hear these discussions and use what we learn to advocate for improved sex education in schools and also de-stigmatize the discussion around sex in general.
Reason for Inclusion:
I love seeing the diversity in characters that seems natural rather than forced and formulaic. I think many teens can see their own personal predicaments in the protagonist regardless of her cultural background and race. Every teen needs to watch this. The shared experiences of teens are the same across cultural divides.
Devi and Paxton share a moment
Official trailer for the show (Netflix, 2020).
REFERENCES
IMDb.com. (2021a). Mindy Kaling. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411676/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
IMDb.com. (2021b). Never Have I Ever. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10062292/awards?ref_=tt_awd
Kaling, M. (2021). [web log]. http://theconcernsofmindykaling.com/about-mindy/
Netflix. (2020, April 15). Never have I ever |Official trailer [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HyOCCCbxwMQ
IMDb.com. (2021b). Never Have I Ever. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10062292/awards?ref_=tt_awd
Kaling, M. (2021). [web log]. http://theconcernsofmindykaling.com/about-mindy/
Netflix. (2020, April 15). Never have I ever |Official trailer [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HyOCCCbxwMQ
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