jjetao
Joined Nov 2011
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jjetao's rating
Reviews4
jjetao's rating
It's 12/31/22.
I recently broke down and added Netflix to my paid subscription streamers. And, that's it. The thing about streamers is that each has their own originals that I want to watch. I added Netflix because I wanted to watch "Wednesday", "Stranger Things", the Harry & Meghan docuseries, and - of course - "Never Have I Ever" (NHIE).
Having binged NHIE over several weeks, I liked it better than "The Sex Lives Of College Girls" (SLOCG) on HBOMAX. I've been following SLOCG from the start: if I get around to reviewing that on, I'd give 7 stars (still a recommendation).
One thing about NHIE that made it stronger was the overall complexity of the over arching story. While SLOCG is basically limited to the stories of the four roommates, NHIE digs into the stories of the various characters more deeply. Pretty much, this means that individual characters' family lives are explored & the "coming of age" sexuality of different characters (both gay & straight) are looked into more deeply. At the same time, the overall focus is kept on Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). The fact that it can simultaneously emphasize Devi's development and flesh out the characters without losing the center (Devi) is a strength. Basically, the story is about a brilliant kid who keeps making horrible life decisions.
Devi's family relations are especially nicely handled. The concerns of the mother (Poorna Jagannathan) are fully addressed as is the romantic entanglements of the cousin (Richa Moorjani). Devi's family is Indian (she'd first generation) and Indian holidays and customs are worked into the story. Yeah, I learned some stuff.
Both NHIE & SLOCG are dramedies (a mix of comedy & drama). NHIE has a its share of serious moments but - frankly - more laughs.
I recently broke down and added Netflix to my paid subscription streamers. And, that's it. The thing about streamers is that each has their own originals that I want to watch. I added Netflix because I wanted to watch "Wednesday", "Stranger Things", the Harry & Meghan docuseries, and - of course - "Never Have I Ever" (NHIE).
Having binged NHIE over several weeks, I liked it better than "The Sex Lives Of College Girls" (SLOCG) on HBOMAX. I've been following SLOCG from the start: if I get around to reviewing that on, I'd give 7 stars (still a recommendation).
One thing about NHIE that made it stronger was the overall complexity of the over arching story. While SLOCG is basically limited to the stories of the four roommates, NHIE digs into the stories of the various characters more deeply. Pretty much, this means that individual characters' family lives are explored & the "coming of age" sexuality of different characters (both gay & straight) are looked into more deeply. At the same time, the overall focus is kept on Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). The fact that it can simultaneously emphasize Devi's development and flesh out the characters without losing the center (Devi) is a strength. Basically, the story is about a brilliant kid who keeps making horrible life decisions.
Devi's family relations are especially nicely handled. The concerns of the mother (Poorna Jagannathan) are fully addressed as is the romantic entanglements of the cousin (Richa Moorjani). Devi's family is Indian (she'd first generation) and Indian holidays and customs are worked into the story. Yeah, I learned some stuff.
Both NHIE & SLOCG are dramedies (a mix of comedy & drama). NHIE has a its share of serious moments but - frankly - more laughs.
I did not watch the series when it came out. I am now (it's 10/2022) binging it a few episodes at a time. I just started watching season 4. Having read about this unaired pilot, I tracked it down. While not on Hulu - which hosts the series - it is on You Tube.
The unaired pilot is like a first draft of the official one. Same plot & style but needing a rewrite. Most noticeable difference is that Willow is played by Riff Regan in the pilot (of course Alyson Hannigan plays her in the series). In the story, Willow is shy & unpopular. While Hannigan plays her with a sense of optimism, Regan's Willow is simply an insecure loner. Hannigan's more appealing interpretation was needed for this central character. Also, Hannigan is more physically attractive, and the network may have felt that would serve an on-going series better.
A fan would enjoy watching this.
The unaired pilot is like a first draft of the official one. Same plot & style but needing a rewrite. Most noticeable difference is that Willow is played by Riff Regan in the pilot (of course Alyson Hannigan plays her in the series). In the story, Willow is shy & unpopular. While Hannigan plays her with a sense of optimism, Regan's Willow is simply an insecure loner. Hannigan's more appealing interpretation was needed for this central character. Also, Hannigan is more physically attractive, and the network may have felt that would serve an on-going series better.
A fan would enjoy watching this.
