Summary
Imagine a cooler version of you? That’s Devi’s perceived reality in episode 4, as the character has a new challenge on her hands.
This recap of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever season 2, episode 4, “… had an Indian frenemy,” does not contain spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
There’s been a lot of drama for Devi, but…little did we realize that her life was about to get way more complicated…
Devi has patched things up with Paxton, so she now needs to smooth things up with Ben, but that’s proving to be a test. And then it gets worse; there’s a new, cool transfer student who is also Indian — Aneesa. The teacher asks Aneesa to introduce herself, and the class is impressed. Devi is feeling a little inferior because she’s cool. It doesn’t help when Aneesa is referred to as “Devi 2.0”. Eleanor thinks she’s cool, which irritates Devi. Oh, dear!
Tour guide for Aneesa
And it doesn’t get better; Principal Grubbs asks Devi to show Aneesa around as her tour guide. She’s not happy about it. Aneesa is also a soccer player, so even the one cool teacher invites her to the team. And slowly but surely, Aneesa integrates into school with ease. At the end of the school day, Paxton tells Devi that Aneesa is “dope.” When Devi goes home, Nalini is happy with Aneesa joining the school and wants her to be friends with her as she thinks it will be good for her to have an Indian friend. She wants Aneesa to come over for dinner despite Devi’s protests.
Aneesa for dinner
Devi’s insecurities are surfacing loudly again in season 2.
Aneesa comes over for dinner with a gift, and her mother, Nalini, is pumped to have her around. She offers to help out with the mother-in-law. Eleanor then joins, and she’s the complete opposite friend. She just barges in. In the bedroom, Eleanor reveals how Devi had two boyfriends and made one of them get hit by a car. Malcolm texts Eleanor, and she’s excited despite having a boyfriend, and asks Aneesa for advice. Feeling like she needs to competitive, she tells both girls they should sneak out and meet Malcolm.
Late-night sneaking
So they meet Malcolm in the dead of night, and Ben is there, which is awkward. Ben tells Aneesa that she’s hanging out with Devi, a social grenade. In return, Aneesa disses Ben and has Devi’s back. The night gets “cooler” when Malcolm wants to go to a tattoo parlor. At the parlor, Devi gets a nose ring while Ben and Malcolm get a tattoo. Afterward, Eleanor agrees to break up with her boyfriend for Malcolm.
Listen to Streaming Dan’s review of Never Have I Ever season 2:
Fractured date, but Prashant gives advice to Kamala
While on a date with Prashant, Kamala gets a message from her boss Evan at the lab; she wants her to come in and redo samples. Kamala is annoyed and has to go in. Prashant joins her at the lab at 2 am and brings her food. Kamala is annoyed at her colleagues who go out while she has to work late. Prashant tells her to play the game and pretend to like their nerdy activities.
The next day Kamala discussed her findings with Evan, but he isn’t interested in talking. She brings up karaoke and says she’s a fan of similar music, and Evan suddenly wants to talk and agrees to invite her next time. Evan tells Kamala to take the day off as she’s worked so hard.
This is a story of a male-dominated workplace, and Kamala is suffering with it, enduring the obvious sexist behavior.
Fake tattoo
Ben reveals to Devi that he had a fake tattoo to make sure she went through with her nose ring. He’s making a point about commitment and lying. Devi tells Ben that he wins and apologizes. But Ben is still upset and states how Devi followed Paxton after the party — he doesn’t want to be friends.
Wow, Devi has really screwed up.
Aneesa covers for Devi in front of her mother
The next morning, Nalini notices the nose ring, and she’s furious. Aneesa says it’s her fault because she and Devi recognized how difficult it is for South Asian girls in a country that only celebrates western beauty. The nose ring is a powerful symbol of Indian feminity. She claims she stupidly suggested that they surprise Devi’s mother. This softens Nalini.
The ending of Never Have I Ever season 2, episode 4
Devi is warmed by Aneesa’s cover for the nose ring. Aneesa raises how she has Indian parents as well, and Devi realizes the similarities and having an Indian friend is awesome. She no longer feels threatened, but then she sees Ben and Aneesa having an over-friendly chat…she’s a frenemy now. Oh, dear!
