It’s the start of sophomore year, and Devi is praying for a better one than last. Indeed, her freshman year wasn’t just bad — it was tragic. Her father (played by Sendhil Ramamurtny in a brief but infectious performance) died suddenly of a heart attack during a school function, and in her grief, Devi became paralyzed from the waist down. Devi experienced bullying as a result of using a wheelchair and less obvious but still insidious comments from her classmates and teachers. The pilot never fully reckons with that, though, because by the time sophomore year begins, Devi’s ability to use her legs suddenly returns, making her previous disability sort of just a blip in her past. It still affects the way she’s treated at school, even by her close friends, but Never Have I Ever doesn’t yet seem all that interested in exploring disability in a nuanced, meaningful, inclusive way, even though it ends up being a major part of Devi’s arc leading up to … [Read more...] about Premiere Recap: Teenage Rage
