Never Have I Ever’s college acceptances made way for real (good) drama

If there’s one thing, it’s from Netflix Never have I ever has always got it right, it’s the balance between the dramatic and the realistic. While overachiever Devi and her friends may get into ridiculous situations, the world around them still functions very realistically, especially when it comes to school.

That may seem boring on paper, but by actually sticking to the way the real world works, Never have I ever becomes more relatable — and can really delve into drama that few high school shows and movies go to. Nowhere is this more true than in this season’s admissions arc, a plot point that so many coming-of-age stories have failed in the same exhausting way.

[Ed. note: This post contains some slight spoilers for the last season of Never Have I Ever.]

The big thing that separates Never have I ever of a lot from other high school shows: Devi knows where she wants to go to college and she knows where she wants to go to college since she was a little girl, And she is not going to let anyone convince her that she should follow her friends or a boy.

One of the pitfalls of high school coming of age stories is that they so often fall into the same tired tropes when it comes to college admissions. Usually this means that the main character is torn between following his dreams or going to school with his lover. More blatantly, this means that the main character waits until the very last minute, because they are so torn about their dreams and the possibilities for the future, and then they are unlikely to end up in a school they planned to go to four years ago. (This one is specifically a call for the High school musical 3 plot where Troy Bolton decides to go to Berkeley on his graduation day.)

But that’s never a problem indoors Never have I ever, which cleverly subverts the typical tiresome (and frankly just downright wrong) tropes. First, while robotics enthusiast Fabiola isn’t sure which college she wants to go to, it’s not because she magically got into all the subjects and now has to make a decision before she graduates. It happens very early in the process and she is more concerned with finding a program that fits her aspirations. It’s also particularly refreshing that these are aspirations she’s always had, not the ones that popped up two scenes before a college entrance exam happened to add some struggle.

Image: Netflix

When the friendship drama do pop up, there is a twist. Usually in this kind of situation two best friend characters will dream of going to the same school – only for one of them to find another calling, or be unable to afford it, or leave their friend for a love interest . In this case, however, the tension comes from the fact that they may be applying to the same university. And while teen shows don’t need realism, Never have I ever‘s fourth season feels better and grounded for it. After all, as the characters indicate, the chances of a prestigious Ivy League taking over two people from the same school are very slim. Devi shouldn’t be mad at Fabiola for following a dream, but she certainly has cause for concern herself.

And actually, what Never have I ever does best is follow a remarkably realistic timeline for all of the college admissions drama — which means the big questions about who applies where are resolved midway through the season. The showrunners understand that the college application process as it is in real life is stressful enough as it is. So why draw it out? Early decision dates, postponements, waiting lists and everything in between already create enough tension – especially with people as dramatic and over the top as Devi and her friends. They bring plenty of drama wherever they go.