Spoiler Warning: Never Have I Ever Seasons 1-2
Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever is returning with season 3 on August 12, 2022, bringing Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) back to Netflix soon. The Indian-American teen was continuing to work through the loss of her father, deciding which guy to be with, and trying to be a good friend to her best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) when we last saw her. Of course, those things are never easy. Last season saw Devi handle the mess she made when she tried to date Paxton (Darren Barnet) and Ben (Jaren Lewison) at the same time and her jealousy of the new Indian-American student Aneesa (Megan Suri).
Never Have I Ever was renewed for a fourth and final season before the trailer for the new season has dropped. There have been several exciting announcements in a row for fans, with the confirmation of another season, a release date, season stills, and a new cast member. While viewers are still waiting for a trailer to pour over and determine what will happen to their favorite characters, let's discuss what we hope to see when Devi and her friends return.
A Romance Between Eleanor and Trent
One of Devi's best friends has had a love life almost as tumultuous as Devi's. While audiences see Eleanor take the spotlight and deal with the return of her mother, they also see how her love life progresses. During the first season, she dates Oliver Martinez (Martin Martinez). While the two are together for most of season 1, things end between them when Eleanor meets Malcolm Stone (Tyler Alvarez) in season 2. He is back from his stint starting on a Disney Channel show, and she becomes pretty smitten. While they get together, he is controlling and doesn't really let Eleanor think for herself, trying to force her to give up her friends and things that make her happy.
With Malcolm out of the way by the end of the season, Eleanor's heart is free and open to finding new love in the most unexpected places. Trent (Benjamin Norris), one of Paxton's best friends, asks her to dance at the school dance. He tells her how great she was in the school play, and even though he calls her "Erica," the performer is intrigued and goes off to dance with him. A still from the new season shows the two talking at school, but it's unclear from Eleanor's facial expression what the nature of the conversation is.
It would be great to see a romantic relationship play out between them in season 3. Trent hasn't really been romantically connected with anyone previously in a significant way, and Eleanor hasn't been happy in her previous relationships. While their personalities could be like trying to mix oil and water, the support they could provide each other would be beneficial to their characters' journeys.
In her relationship with Malcolm, she was never "the star." He was incredibly self-absorbed and didn't support her work in the school play. Trent is thought of as a dumb skater guy by most of the school. He will clearly support Eleanor in her personal pursuits, and she could probably encourage him to pursue his own interests and gain a more nuanced reputation. Both could create really healthy opportunities for each other, and it would be nice to see that explored in the upcoming season.
Kamala Finding Her Place
Devi's cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) has had a bit of a rough go of things, especially in the previous season. In the first season, she was secretly dating her boyfriend Steve (Eddie Liu) because she didn't want Devi's mother to know, mostly because Kamala would probably have an arranged marriage. The pressure of this took its toll on her relationship, causing her and Steve to part ways.
In the second season, Kamala's arranged marriage seems to be in full swing, with her suitor Prashant bringing his family to meet her and her family hosting a large dinner for everyone. It seems like the perfect moment for Prashant to propose and make the marriage an actuality, which scares her. Earlier in the season, she appeared to hit it off with Devi's English teacher Mr. Kulkarni (Utkarsh Ambudkar), and she uses his invitation to join him and the other chaperones at the school dance as a way to escape during the family dinner, extinguishing any chance of a proposal at dinner since she isn't there.
So far, audiences have seen Kamala take on horrible lab bosses, attempt to cosplay, and challenge what she's been raised to do. Season 3 should see Kamala continue on that journey and finally make a decision on what she wants in life. She's in the middle of her doctoral degree, but she has been very unsure about where she wants her romantic life to lead. The scientist should finally find the in-between that lets her stay true to her values but not dismiss her culture.
We Need to See More Nirmala
Devi's paternal grandmother, Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty), is amazing, and we need more of her in season 3. She gives great advice, has wonderful facial expressions, and is the kind of grandma everyone wants to have. She comforts Devi, stares down Ben, and ensures Devi remains connected both to her culture and her deceased father. Her grandmother provides a wonderful connection to Indian culture, different from what Devi's parents can because they've lived in the United States for a large portion of their lives, and adds an important new perspective to the show.
Of course, this doesn't even touch on what we want to see happen for Devi as a person. While we count down the days until Never Have I Ever is back, don't forget to hug your grandmother and do your homework.