‘Never Have I Ever’ Cast Tease Relationship Dynamics & Importance of Self-Love in Season 3

Never Have I Ever is back and better than ever in its third season on Netflix which continues the story of Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), her friends, and family in this coming-of-age comedy.

Life appears to be looking up for the teen who finds herself in a relationship with dream guy Paxton (Darren Barnet). But could Devi’s fears about measuring up keep her from enjoying the dream she’s managed to reach? “Even though she’s getting everything she has wanted from the beginning, I think she’s missing the things that she doesn’t realize she needs,” Ramakrishnan tells TV Insider.

“She’s getting what she wants, but not what she needs and a big part of that is self-respect and self-love,” the actress shares. While Devi will have to work on figuring out exactly what that self-love and self-respect looks like for her, Paxton is gearing up for his next chapter in life as graduation approaches.

“I think it’s been a lot of fun exploring that vulnerable side to him,” Barnet shares, referring to his character’s struggles with academia. “He was so sure of himself when swimming, it’s not the same academically, but he finds his way, again with the help of Devi.”

Just as Devi needs to work on herself, Paxton is beginning to realize “there are so many things about yourself that you may not figure out until you’re 40, you don’t have to just rely on [part of yourself],” Barnet says. And the growing pains continue to Jaren Lewison‘s Ben who is “learning that perfection is a bit impossible and that he can try his best, but he still needs to invest in relationships that he finds rewarding and special, while simultaneously pursuing his goals in a safe way,” Lewison teases.

“There are so many lessons to be learned and so much that you can take away from high school, that it’s not just Ben who’s learning things,” Lewison previews. “It’s everybody, it’s Devi, it’s Paxton, it’s Fabiola and Eleanor, and everyone in between.”

And while some things are changing for Devi and her go-to girls Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), Eleanor (Ramona Young), and Aneesa (Megan Suri), other aspects are staying the same. “Part of the friendship group and dynamic has always remained solid, in the sense that they’re super supportive,” Suri says. “Whether it’s letting Devi know what kind of underwear to wear to deflower, or something as deep as when there’s a breakup, I think that’s always been the core center of us girls.”

“They’re just great friends,” Rodriguez echoes about her character Fabiola who is dealing with her own relationship challenges in Season 3. Her costars Young says, “I love that the friendship between the girls, we constantly remind each other that we have value and that we deserve really good love.”

On the home front, Devi’s cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) is torn between her family and what she wants as she grapples with their expectations. “It’s between her and what her family at large and what the community expects of her,” Moorjani says of Kamala’s Season 3 storyline. “That’s something that I think so many young South Asian women and women, in general, can relate to and something I personally related to a lot before I got married.”

Devi’s mom Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) is working on building deeper connections with new friends and “including her daughter,” Jagannathan shares. “She’s breaking with tradition, with how she was parented to draw Devi closer to her by being there and standing up for her for the first time in a real way,” she teases.

Don’t miss Devi’s story continues, see how the drama unfolds when Never Have I Ever returns for Season 3.

Never Have I Ever, Season 3 Premiere, Friday, August 12, Netflix

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