Summary
Trauma takes center stage in the penultimate chapter as past issues surface for Devi, while the Winter Dance looms for everyone.
This recap of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever season 2, episode 9, “… stalked my own mother,” does not contain spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
While the deceased-father storyline hasn’t taken hold as much in season 2, it still lingers. And that represents realism; grief always lingers in some form or fashion. It’s unfortunate watching Devi experience this again. Devi is irked at seeing her mother flirt with Dr. Jackson. She asks her mother about her workday, prying for the truth as she suspects something has happened. Nalini avoids the barrage of questions and says she has work dinners to attend. She is weirded out by Devi’s extreme interest. At school, Devi wonders if her mother is over her father being gone. Eager to find out where her mother will be, she takes photos from her mother’s diary.
Eleanor is still not talking to her friends
As for Eleanor’s personal troubles, it comes back to bite her in the penultimate chapter.
Eleanor is still not speaking to Devi and Fabiola after accusing Malcolm of cheating. Fabiola tries to reason with her, but Malcolm intervenes and states that Eleanor doesn’t care about his safety in the relationship. Later on, Malcolm breaks up with Eleanor due to her toxic friends. She’s devastated. Sharon tells her the “sexiest” men are stable and that her father isn’t boring.
Spying on the date
And Devi’s suspicions turn to invade her mother’s privacy.
Devi spies on her mother’s date with Dr. Jackson; she brings her cousin Kamala with her, and they end up on the roof of Dr. Jackson’s house. Devi ends up breaking her phone in the outdoor hot tub, and she frets about losing her father’s voicemails, and then her mother and Dr. Jackson see her outside. Nalini says that the dinner is strictly professional, and it makes Devi feeling guilty. When Devi gets home, Nalini goes mental at her and calls her “crazy,” which brings back traumatic memories. Devi softly apologizes and heads upstairs. You have to feel for Devi here, especially because her mother lied.
Listen to Streaming Dan’s review of Never Have I Ever season 2:
Paxton’s project
At school the next day, Devi forgot to do a presentation due to the family drama. Paxton, who has worked hard studying, gets up to present. He brings in his grandfather to back up his history project about Camp Manzanar, a concentration camp in America during WW2 that incarcerated Japanese Americans. The teacher and the class are impressed. Devi is also impressed; Paxton has grown.
Am I crazy?
Devi is still upset and asks Dr. Ryan if she’s crazy. Dr. Ryan says she isn’t crazy, but she may be a little depressed. Devi asks how she paralyzed herself if she isn’t crazy. Dr. Ryan explains it happens after a traumatic event, which makes her human.
Catching her mother
Nalini speaks to Dr. Jackson, and she is mortified about their bad date. She tells him she doesn’t think it will work out, mostly due to her daughter, but also because it’s too soon. Dr. Jackson is understanding, and they have a parting kiss. Nalini looks regretful that she’s letting him go. As she leaves the office, Devi is stood outside, and she heard the entire conversation and said, “what the actual fuck.” When Devi gets home, she accuses her mother of not caring about her father’s death. The grandma softly slaps her and says Nalini can do what she wants without her judgment. But you have to feel for Devi here; it’s brought everything back about her father. Mind you; she was snogging Ben soon after blowing away her father’s ashes.
Hooking up with Paxton
Paxton sneaks into Devi’s room in the middle of the night to spend time with her. He thanks her for the help. He’s soaking wet from the rain, so Devi finds him sexy. They hook up. When Paxton leaves, her grandma stands in the doorway and asks for a family meeting.
The ending of Never Have I Ever season 2, episode 9
Nalini tells Devi that she hasn’t moved on but wanted a break from the pain — she says it’s over with Dr. Jackson. Devi is worried that she’ll forget what her father sounds like. Nalini shows a video; Nalini is pregnant with Devi, and her father is excited to bring Devi into this world. After a theatre play, Eleanor apologizes to her friends. Devi reveals she may not be going to the Winter Dance alone, but then Paxton calls her “pal.” Devi wonders if she was played, which leads to the ultimate question for the finale — will Devi be going to the Winter Dance with Paxton in the finale of season 2?
