Netflix series returned for its sophomore season and it was packed with love triangles, new friendships, continued therapy sessions for Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and new characters who upended the Vishwakumar women’s lives. Season 2 ended in a way that set up a potential third season for the show, while also providing some much needed closure for several characters.
Shortly after the events of season 1 finale, Devi realized she didn’t want to break the hearts of Paxton and Ben, so she decided to date both of them at the same time. Of course, this decision came back to haunt her as they both found out she was cheating and broke up with her. As Devi dealt with the repercussions of the fallout, she also had to contend with her family, friends, and Aneesa, a new girl at school whom Devi initially believed was her nemesis.
The Netflix comedy ended season 2 in a way that finally wrapped up one part of Devi’s love triangle with Paxton and Ben, while also opening the door to a few more storylines. It wasn’t all about the love triangle, however, as Devi explored more of her grief following her father's death and other characters flourished in their own stories. Here’s how season 2 ended and what could happen for every character in the future.
Nalini Has Not Moved On After Mohan
Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) was intensely attracted to Dr. Chris Jackson (Common) and the two started dating briefly after several competitive exchanges and misunderstandings. Nalini dating a year after Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy) died didn’t sit too well with Devi, who felt it was a betrayal to her father. As it turned out, Nalini wasn’t quite ready to take that leap with Chris yet, either. Despite some time having ed since Mohan’s death, Nalini found she wasn’t prepared to jump back into the dating pool so soon. She was still grieving her late husband and, though Chris was someone she really liked and had a connection with, Nalini couldn’t commit to the relationship just yet. Perhaps it was out of guilt, sorrow, not being emotionally available (or a combination of all three), but Nalini was honest with Chris about her feelings. That said, it’s doubtful the doctor will disappear from Nalini’s life altogether. He is, after all, working in the same building as her and they’ll probably bump into each other more often than not. It’s possible Never Have I Ever season 3 will explore their relationship further before getting to a place where Nalini feels comfortable moving on.
Why Kamala Isn’t Ready To Marry Prashanth
Kamala was having a tough time at work; her medical research was being used without her getting credit for it and on top of that she had to deal with an obviously sexist boss. Throughout her clearly upsetting experience, Kamala’s boyfriend Prashanth was not the most ive and he didn’t react in the way she’d hoped he would when she finally stood up for herself at work. So when Kamala learned Prashanth would be formally proposing marriage, she fled dinner with his parents to go hang out with Devi’s teacher, Mr. Kulkarni, and his colleagues. Kamala was nervous about the engagement because she was no longer sure about Prashanth, especially not after the way he acted throughout her ordeal and how dismissive he was. With Kamala running away from marrying Prashanth, it’s doubtful they will still be together in season 3 of Never Have I Ever. Kamala will probably realize she deserves someone who will her decisions instead of expecting her to act in a certain way to avoid conflict. Plus, it’s rather obvious Mr. Kulkarni is interested in Kamala so season 3 could see a new romance blossom between them.
Eleanor & Fabiola Learn To Accept Themselves
As Eleanor and Fabiola entered into their respective romantic relationships, they had to come to with who they were as individuals and why they were behaving in specific ways. For Eleanor, her relationship with Malcolm was toxic — he was self-obsessed and emotionally abusive. When she realized she was clinging to him because these were the very traits her mother had, Eleanor was able to respond in a more healthy way, toward herself and her friends. More importantly, Eleanor realized she was still coming to with her mother’s abandonment and this development allowed her to be more patient and open with her father and stepmom, both of whom were actually there for her. In Never Have I Ever season 3, Eleanor will hopefully work through more of her issues with her mom and it’s possible that will lead to better relationships, with her friends and a potential future boyfriend alike.
As for Fabiola, she was trying to please Eve and her friends, who didn’t think Fabiola was cool. The pressure of fitting into a box and the toll of running for prom queens meant Fabiola was ditching her robotics team constantly and straying farther away from who she was as a person. However, Fabiola ultimately realized she didn’t have to sacrifice her own interests and personality to be loved by Eve; she could be exactly who she’s always been and still maintain a relationship. In fact, loving robotics so much is one of the things Eve liked about Fabiola. She also didn’t have to obsess over pop culture or pretend to understand it. Looking ahead, Fabiola seems more well-adjusted and comfortable with who she is after season 2, which means her relationship with Eve will only get stronger in Never Have I Ever season 3. Perhaps Fabiola will next have to tackle the art of balance — making time for her relationship, her ions, and her friends and family. How she’ll fare remains to be seen, but Fabiola has already made a lot of progress.
Aneesa Makes Peace With Devi’s Actions (& School Decision)
Aneesa was a new student in Never Have I Ever season 3, initially acting as a foil to Devi’s life. While the two became friends, Devi blurting out that Aneesa was probably anorexic (something that turned out to be true) sent the rumor mill at school buzzing, inadvertently drawing attention to Aneesa and her personal life. Devi tried to pin the blame on others, but she eventually owned up to what she did. But Devi’s actions really hurt Aneesa, who wanted to start fresh at Sherman Oaks High. It took some time and several tries, but Aneesa forgave Devi after she sincerely apologized. The good news is Nalini also convinced Aneesa’s mother to stick around, which means Aneesa will be back if Never Have I Ever is renewed for a third season. Aneesa and Ben Gross are officially a couple, which initially made things awkward for Devi. But Aneesa is happy — she’s got friends, a boyfriend, and is settling in at school. No doubt this happiness will come with its own obstacles in season 3. It’s possible Ben, who still likes Devi, will break up with Aneesa. Conversely, Aneesa could find out about his feelings for her friend. Either way, there will likely be some drama for Aneesa down the road that could continue to affecting her friendships.
Ben Still Has Feelings For Devi (While Dating Aneesa)
Ben was angry with Devi for cheating on him in season 2 of Never Have I Ever. He also believed she was always going to choose Paxton over him. But despite his frustration with Devi and his decision to date Aneesa, it’s obvious Ben still harbored feelings for Devi. He was still jealous when he saw Devi dancing with Paxton at prom. He’s even more conflicted after chatting with Eleanor and learning Devi did actually have feelings for him, too. If the love triangle wasn’t complicated enough, Ben’s feelings for Devi will surely complicate matters further in season 3 of Never Have I Ever. This is especially true now considering Ben is dating Aneesa, who is friends with Devi and knows the latter was acting out of jealousy before. It’s likely Ben will have very complicated feelings in season 3 because he seems to genuinely care about Aneesa and probably wouldn’t want to break up with her on the off chance Devi will leave Paxton for him. To that end, there will surely be more relationship drama ahead next season now that certain pairings have been established.
Why Devi & Paxton Make Their Relationship Official
Paxton was still warring with his reputation while simultaneously coming to with his feelings for Devi in Never Have I Ever season 2. Meanwhile, after tutoring Paxton Hall-Yoshida so he could get into college, Devi felt she’d done her due diligence as a friend and to make up for her cheating on him, so when Paxton rekindled their romance, Devi had one stipulation — she wouldn’t date him in secret. Because no matter what Devi had done to hurt him before, she didn’t think she should be punished forever and if Paxton still wanted to date her anyway, he should do so knowing she wouldn’t expect to be hidden just to appease his cool guy reputation.
When he showed up for prom and slow danced with her in front of everyone, while also calling her his girlfriend, Devi was keen to go forward with their relationship. Unlike the ending of season 1, Never Have I Ever season 2 culminated in Devi actually choosing Paxton over Ben. Considering Ben didn’t seem happy about their coupling, it’s likely season 3 will continue tackling the love triangle aspect. However, it’s possible the series will explore Devi and Paxton as an actual couple first; now that there are seemingly no obstacles to them getting together, Never Have I Ever would do well to delve into how they both develop as a couple moving forward.
Devi Finally Faces Her Grief & Behavior
One of the best things Never Have I Ever has done is develop its lead character. In season 2, Devi is still dealing with the grief and trauma over watching her father die in front of her. While Devi tried to avoid her feelings of grief by focusing on losing her virginity in season 1, the Netflix series’ sophomore season saw her leaning into why she’s been acting out. After hearing people call her crazy, Devi began to wonder whether she was, only for her therapist to assure her that the intensity of grief and trauma are the reasons behind some of her behavior — actions that have harmed other people or come off as being too extreme and irrational. Even her temporary paralysis, something that was played for laughs and went generally unexplained in season 1, finally gets the attention and reasoning it deserves in Never Have I Ever season 2. With the acknowledgement of her feelings, and of Devi finally addressing them head on, it’s possible season 3 will see the teenager in a better place emotionally and mentally. This understanding means she will hopefully have healthier relationships with her friends, family, and Paxton.