12 Best Moments From Never Have I Ever Season 3
Well folks, Devi is back and sparking drama once again. Season 3 of Netflix's "Never Have I Ever" has fans simultaneously frustrated with and proud of Devi and her ragtag group of friends. This season has a lot to cover after coming off of Season 2's bombshell ending where Devi and Paxton end up together and Ben is jealous, but he's still with Aneesa. However, it's impossible not to feel like you watched kind of a lot happen within just 10 episodes.
With Mindy Kaling as its co-creator and executive producer, it's no surprise that "Never Have I Ever" is an authentic coming-of-age story to help young people navigate growing pains. This season is the first time we really see Devi's focus shift from romantic love to self-love. We started to see Devi appreciate platonic friendship more in Season 2 as well, particularly in her relationship with Aneesa. Now, Devi is trying to make more mature decisions and realize that she's more than any grade, boyfriend, or label.
Devi undergoes a lot of great development this season, but so do all of the other characters. Their wonderful, eccentric personalities make for really memorable moments this season. However, there are certainly some moments that were more impactful, hilarious, or jaw-dropping than others. Here are the 12 best moments from Season 3 of "Never Have I Ever."
Devi and Paxton's sex scene
For two full seasons, Devi has wanted to have sex with Paxton. She dreamt of it, imagined what it'd be like, and did some interesting things to make it happen. Now, after Season 2 leaves off with Devi and Paxton together, Devi is feeling the pressure to "put out." Her fear is that Paxton won't want to be with someone who doesn't want to have sex, so she tries to push herself into it before she's truly ready. However, when the time comes, Paxton can tell Devi isn't into it, and tells her that they don't need to have sex in order to be a couple.
This scene is really important, particularly for the teenage audience this show targets. Young people find themselves in sexual situations that they aren't ready for on a routine basis. In an interview with NOW Magazine, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan talked about how important it was for this scene to play out the way it does and for Paxton not to shame Devi for not being ready. Ramakrishnan said, "It's a good example of what should happen in that situation. And [Paxton] didn't shame her for it after. It was a sweet, tender moment."
Trent's Adele locker
Trent really shows up this season. There are so many memorable Trent scenes and quotes that could have made it into this list, including his declaration of feelings for Eleanor, his stress about Paxton going to college out of state and not being his best friend anymore, or his relaxed paintball strategy while he's stoned. Benjamin Norris' acting is especially on point this season.
But one of Trent's funniest moments happens right off the bat in Episode 1. Trent has a lot of random interests, and aside from being Paxton's ditzy best friend, there's not a lot we know about him. However, in Episode 1, we find out that Trent has a real love for Adele when Paxton notices his locker covered in Adele photos. When Paxton asks him why he has so many Adele photos, Trent responds, "Because she's an icon with the voice of an angel, bro. You have a problem with that?" The way Trent talks about Adele with such aggression and passion is one of his funniest lines, but it's also a real blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.
Fabiola and Aneesa's kiss
An unexpectedly great moment comes from Fabiola and Aneesa in Episode 2. Fans have loved watching Fabiola come to terms with her sexuality and develop the confidence to have a relationship with Eve. However, at the beginning of the season, Eve tells Fabiola she's moving to South Korea. This forces them to have a long-distance relationship, which quickly results in a break-up. On the other hand, Aneesa is tired of playing second fiddle to Devi in Ben's eyes, so she decides to end things with him, too. Shortly after, she goes into the bathroom and finds Fabiola, who says exactly the right thing at the right time. Aneesa is overwhelmed with emotions and excitement, and kisses Fabiola, who kisses right back.
The scene is tender, loving, and filled with the excitement of discovering your sexuality. However excited Aneesa and Fabiola feel in the moment is paralleled by the audience's excited feelings. However, the scene had divided fans. According to an article from Pink News, on the one hand, people were excited to see a queer Muslim woman on a major TV show. On the other hand, fans are frustrated that this relationship doesn't really develop, and it feels like the show discarded a queer relationship with little care. One viewer summed up their feelings in a Tweet, saying, "kinda mad abt how they just threw addison in there after aneesa and fabiola got together bc i was rlly excited at getting sapphic muslim rep."
Mohan's Valentine's Day flashback
The death of Devi's father, Mohan, is a major driving point for "Never Have I Ever," as Devi and her mother have to work to get through the trauma. Through his periodic appearances in flashbacks, the audience grows to care about Mohan as a real person and not merely the object of Devi's grief. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout the series that have been really heartwarming and funny, but one of the best comes from Season 3, Episode 3.
Nalini always considered Valentine's Day a stupid holiday and completely forgets about it until her friend Rhyah mentions it. In a flashback, she remembers one year when Mohan got Nalini a bobblehead of himself so she could, in his words, "knock me around when I'm being hard-headed." Nalini is so sweet and in love with Mohan in this scene that it makes the audience want to pretend Mohan didn't die. Nalini and Mohan were opposites in a lot of ways, but they were always making each other better. Nalini made Mohan more serious about life, and Mohan made sure Nalini didn't always take everything so seriously.
Ben admitting his broken heart
Fans are torn between Team Ben or Team Paxton, and even though both positions have merit, this season makes a strong case for Team Ben. In Season 2, Ben dates Aneesa, and the audience grew to love her. Due to this situation, it became hard to root for Ben and Devi because Ben made Aneesa happy. But this season, now that Aneesa is over Ben due to his obvious feelings for Devi, Team Ben believers can proudly unite again, especially in light of Ben's confession at Trent's birthday party.
After Fabiola and Ben get really drunk, they go back and forth on why they can't just be friends. Fabiola tells Ben she doesn't necessarily dislike him; she just doesn't like how he treated her friends in the past. He apologizes for his treatment of Aneesa, but when Fabiola points out how mean he was to Devi, Ben retorts by saying, "Yeah, well, she broke my heart." Fabiola is shocked to find out how deep Ben was cut by Devi's choice of Paxton. Whether you are team Ben or team Paxton, you have to admit it takes a lot for Ben to be vulnerable. Paxton received a lot of love growing up from his parents, whereas Ben was raised more by his maids and nannies than anyone else. It's hard for him to express his feelings, and at this point in the series, this is the closest we get to Ben's true feelings for Devi.
The Ed Sheeran effect
In Season 3, Episode 5, Devi tries to get her mojo back after Des ghosts her. She heads to one of the most sexually active events a high schooler can attend: a drama club party. She's quickly thwarted by the fact that most of the attendees are either women or gay men, or one really awkward nerdy guy. However, things begin to look up for Devi when Alejandro the nerdy boy picks up his guitar and sings for the crowd.
Suddenly, as narrator John McEnroe tells the audience, Devi experiences what is called "The Ed Sheeran effect." As McEnroe says, "It is the moment when an unremarkable dork is given a guitar and suddenly becomes the hottest man in the world." This is in reference to the fact that Ed Sheeran is just an average-looking nerd with no direct or obvious appeal, but when he sings and plays guitar, it's a whole new ballgame. As McEnroe says, there is no cure. The scene in and of itself is hilarious with its sharp observational humor and contains arguably some of McEnroe's best narration from the season, and maybe even from the whole show.
Ben bonding with his dad and the boys
Ben gets to be the focus of one episode every season, and this one has a lot of great moments. Ben's character development throughout this season in particular is really amazing to watch. Andy Samberg returns to tell the audience how hard Ben is pushing himself to get into an Ivy League school. He isn't eating, sleeping, or taking care of himself in any way. As a result, Ben has to go to the hospital to get an agonizing amount of backed-up poop removed from his bowels. Because his parents are out of town, Paxton ends up being the only adult who can wait for him while he has the surgery.
Paxton and Ben end up bonding, and Paxton helps Ben realize he just wants to enjoy being a high schooler and not work so brutally hard just to get into a fancy school. In return for Paxton's insight, Ben helps him with his college essay. After the two boys resolve their differences, Ben has a heart-to-heart chat with his father. It's nice to see the two of them on the same page, and for Ben to realize the pressure he's been putting on himself isn't necessary to win his father's love. The whole ending of the episode has a similar depth, with Paxton's guy friends accepting Ben into the social circle. Ben is finally able to experience healthy friendships, and it's really beautiful to watch his excitement.
Fabiola and Aneesa's breakup
After Addison is introduced, Fabiola shows much more interest in them than she does in Aneesa. Some time after their first kiss at the onset of Season 3, Aneesa quickly picks up on the changing circumstances, and offers Fabiola an out. The two talk about how their relationship was exciting at first, but once the dust settled it became less than romantic. She is very mature about wanting Fabiola to be happy with Addison, and Fabiola is honest about how because she believes Aneesa is the best person she knows, she really wanted them to fit. But Aneesa realizes she needs to take a break from bookworms and be with someone who won't be frustrated by her lack of enthusiasm for nerdish endeavors.
There are two silver linings here. First, the younger audience watching this show can see what a mature breakup looks like. It's refreshing to watch two young people respect each other and preserve their friendship while going through something that can hurt. The second silver lining is Addison. Because Aneesa and Fabiola are broken up, it paves the way for the audience to see a queer relationship with a nonbinary character. It's a positive addition no matter how you spin it.
Nalini roasting Rhyah
The addition of Rhyah and Des to this season of "Never Have I Ever" certainly shakes things up. Devi has a new love interest and Nalini has a new friend. Initially, Rhyah loves Devi, and Nalini thinks Devi is a great match for Des. Then she finds Devi crying after performing in the orchestra for the first time since her father died. Rhyah is initially sweet and helpful to Devi but ends up telling Des he needs to break up with her because she has too much emotional baggage.
Ben overhears this conversation and tells Devi, who doesn't believe it happened until Des starts to take a step back from their relationship. The truth comes out, and Nalini automatically takes up for Devi. She tells Rhyah that Devi doesn't have problems; she has persevered through the unimaginable, and that the death of her husband or father would have broken Rhyah in an instant. She ends her friendship with Rhyah, not only because of Devi, but because Rhyah thinks of Nalini as a project and not a friend. It's important for Devi to see her mom stick up for her, especially because of how often Devi and Nalini butt heads.
Eleanor and Trent's sex scene
Though Trent is arguably the funniest character this season, Eleanor and Trent together are even funnier. Eleanor is so flamboyant and dramatic that even though she has a lot of great moments on her own this season, her sex scene with Trent takes the cake. When Eleanor's friends are surprised to learn that she hasn't had sex with Trent yet, she explains that she wants the moment to be perfect and romantic. Specifically, she wants "to be standing on a windswept moor, wearing a bodice, when suddenly a caped nobleman appears, and we make love against the bricks of an old abbey." That doesn't seem very realistic, does it?
Trent realizes he wasn't being a great boyfriend to Eleanor or friend to Paxton, so he tries to figure out what he can do to make it up to them. After patching things up with Paxton, he heads to Eleanor. She's in the drama department getting her costume fitting done when Trent enters and tells Eleanor how sorry he is and what a jerk he has been. He also tells her that he can say goodbye to Paxton and let him go to college in Arizona because he has everything he needs with Eleanor by his side. She's wearing her bodice; Trent is wearing a cape and certainly acting noble, and he presses her up against the bricks for the performance's set. Eleanor is entirely swept up in the romance, making for a perfectly quirky moment.
Devi and Nalini turn down boarding school
The season finale has a lot of intense and heartwarming moments. While the entire season feels like a rollercoaster, quite a lot happens in the short span of Episode 10, even compared to the rest of the especially eventful season. In the final episode, Devi gets into the Shrubland School, a prestigious institution in Colorado that would secure her an Ivy League spot. Devi is pretty against going at first, but after she and Nalini visit the school, Devi ends up loving it. The plan is set for her to go, and though she's sad to leave Eleanor and Fabiola, she gets even sadder when Ben admits that he doesn't want her to go.
Ultimately, Devi chooses not to go, partially because of Nalini. Devi and Nalini have had their struggles and arguments over the years, but they've also been through something so intense and heartbreaking that they really need each other. Devi decides she doesn't want to go to the school because she wants one more year with her mom before she graduates and leaves home. This scene is so emotional and relatable for anyone who struggles with breaking down emotional barriers with their parents. It's great to watch Nalini and Devi's relationship evolve throughout the show, and they seem to be in a really healthy place now.
One free boink
Team Ben girls unite! There's finally more content to obsess over until next season. The second Ben and Aneesa break up, and even before that, there are some obvious flirty vibes coming from Ben toward Devi. However, we don't see how Devil feels until the season finale, and how she feels is super into Ben. She realizes this when Ben tells Devi that he doesn't want her to go to the Shrubland School. She gets butterflies in her stomach — exactly what she doesn't get when she hears Paxton's speech. Earlier in the season, Ben gives Devi a coupon for "one free boink," just in case Devi hasn't had sex with anyone and needs someone to do the deed with. This comes in handy when Devi realizes her feelings, heads over to Ben's house, and gives him the coupon — a jaw-dropping, scream-out-loud moment for the audience.
Though there's a lot of excitement around Team Ben now, nothing is for sure. Devi and the gang are all still developing, and their interests are ever-changing, which means there's no telling who Devi will end up with. Mindy Kaling revealed that even though she prioritizes Devi's feelings, she can never truly be Team Devi because she is from the '90s and feels like women should always end up with the perfect person. She also admitted to being Team Paxton, so we'll see what this means for Team Ben.