Top 10 Best Never Have I Ever Moments

Like Devi, it would be easy for us to be completely sidetracked by Paxton’s admittedly
impressive physical appearance. Early on, though, we start to see that he might be more than his perfect abs. While freaking out over the reality of hooking up with Paxton, Devi hits it off with his little sister Rebecca. However, Paxton’s reaction to finding the two of them is a definite switch from his usual chill self. Once he cools down he realizes he overreacted. He even comes by Devi’s house in person to explain himself. Seeing his love for Rebecca definitely gives dimension to this heartthrob. And Devi’s admiration for his sister seems to make Paxton think twice about Devi in return.

Coming out is a big moment in a person’s life. Initially Fabiola can only work up the courage to confide in her robot, Gears. It’s an important step though, and eventually she’s able to tell Eleanor as well. Her friend is instantly supportive, and it’s a huge breakthrough moment for Fabiola. Even so, she struggles with the idea of telling her parents. Though her family is loving, Fabiola worries that the truth of her sexuality will be a disappointment to her mother. Mrs. Torres is a little shocked when the big moment comes. She rallies though, and she’s quick to give Fabiola all the reassurance she needs. It’s heartwarming to see Fabiola realize how the people in her life accept her for herself without question.

Despite all of Devi’s antics, the real story of this show is about how she navigates her grief following the sudden death of her father. In Season Two she frequently finds comfort in relistening to the last voice mail message he ever sent to her. However, disaster strikes when she drops her phone in a hot tub. Devi is devastated, worrying that she has lost her last tangible connection to her father. That’s when her mother breaks out the camcorder. Mohan is preserved in an old home movie, just as Devi remembers him. More importantly, so is the message she most needs to hear from her Dad.

Devi has done some bad things when her emotions get the best of her, but by far the worst was accidentally outing Aneesa’s struggles with an eating disorder, causing her to want to transfer schools. Desperate to prove how sorry she is, Devi mounts an apology campaign that only serves to further embarrass her friend. That’s when she finally realizes it’s not the size of the apology, it’s the sincerity that matters. Devi lays out all her insecurities for Aneesa and their classmates, taking full responsibility for her behavior. As a bonus, she even enlists her mother to convince Aneesa’s parents to let her stay at Sherman Oaks. Devi is definitely at her best when she’s using all her talents for the right reason.

Like all the characters on this show, there is far more to Devi’s arch-nemesis Ben than meets the eye. The academic superstar is a deeply lonely person, who feels unseen even by those who should be closest to him. When he has a breakdown in Dr. Vishwakumar’s office she invites him home to join the family for dinner. And when he has a chance to rat out Devi’s behavior at the Model UN conference he surprises her instead. The two rivals let their guards down with each other. Both find themselves sharing their vulnerabilities for the first time. It’s an unexpectedly sweet bonding moment between the two. It’s also an indication that they might have a connection that goes beyond their competitive streaks.

When Paxton’s collegiate swimming career is no longer a sure thing, he learns that he might have to start putting the same effort into school that he did in the water. Encouraged by Devi, Paxton signs up for an extra credit history project. While researching for it he learns that his grandfather had been confined at the Manzanar Internment Camp during World War II, a fact that no one in his family had ever spoken about. For the first time ever, Paxton throws himself completely into his school work. He even manages to convince his grandfather to be interviewed for the class presentation. There’s a lot of development happening for Paxton here, and it’s giving us all the feels.

Kamala is thrilled to start a lab rotation with one of her heroes. And somewhat less so to discover that she’ll be reporting to Evan, a passive-aggressive sexist who buries her with scut work. At first she tries to fit in, taking an interest in his hobbies and trying to socialize with her co-workers off the clock. She’s justifiably furious when she discovers that after all that effort she’s been denied credit on a major academic paper. Having reached the end of her rope, Kamala simply amends the paper to include her name, and when confronted by Evan, she refuses to keep playing nice. Following Devi’s example, Kamala stands up for herself and makes it clear that she is someone to take seriously.

Fab thought everything would be, well fab, once she got over the bump that was coming out. Turns out not so much. Fabiola feels torn between the person she’s always been, and the cool persona she worries she has to adopt in order to keep up with her girlfriend Eve. Trying to please everyone, she only makes herself miserable. Luckily she’s got good friends to remind her of what’s important. With that little encouragement, Fabiola reclaims her nerdy identity proudly. She makes it clear to Eve that she likes who she is and doesn’t want to change. And wouldn’t you know it? Eve doesn’t want her to either.

Given everything they’ve been through, it makes sense that Paxton might have some conflicted feelings about Devi. Attraction doesn’t always make sense though, and it’s clear that Paxton is very strongly attracted to her. So it takes all of us aback when he says their relationship has to be secret or nonexistent. However, after Devi has a little space to think about this, she realizes she deserves more. She has the strength and the self-worth to ask for the relationship she wants, and to walk away from Paxton when he says he can’t give her that. This moment of maturity in turn allows Paxton to realize how much he values Devi. The public commitment is great, but even better is Devi’s self respect.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Kamala’s Culture Shock
To Be Fair, Kamala, It Doesn’t Make Sense to Us Either

Devi Normalizes Female Facial Hair
Extra Points For Getting in a Sweet Burn

John McEnroe In the Flesh!
After Narrating The Whole Season He Shows Up to Help Devi in Person

The Drs. Vishwakumar and Jackson Cash in on that Chemistry
We Love a Romance Plot For Nalani Just as Much as We Love a Rivals to Lovers Arc

Eleanor Bonds With Sharon
Whatever the Lesson, It’s Great to See Eleanor Learning to Appreciate Her Step Mother

In flashbacks we see that Devi and her mother Nalani never got on perfectly. The loss on Mohan only puts extra strain on their relationship, and everything culminates in a painful, ugly fight. However, as Devi finally begins to fully confront her grief over her father she is filled with regret about her words to her mother. After racing to the beach where Mohan’s ashes will be spread, Devi makes an emotional apology, and Nalani breaks down expressing her own feelings to her daughter. Having repaired their bond, the two are finally able to say goodbye to Mohan. We get the sense that however trying their relationship with each other might be, the love between them will never again be in doubt.