Never Have I Ever season 1 episode 2 recap: …had sex with Paxton Hall-Yoshida

Never Have I Ever gets real about grief, intimacy, and human fallibility in its second episode, while still maintaining its humorous tone.

In episode two of Never Have I Ever, Devi gets closer to her goal of being with Paxton, but the path to true love is a rocky one. We recap the highs and lows of Devi’s life in the second episode.

The Moped

When Kamala, while showing Nalini her chosen outfit to e-meet her future in-laws, gets pinned down by the family moped, Nalini decides that it is time to sell the bike.

It hadn’t been her choice to buy it but, her late husband, Mohan, had loved the idea of it and bought the moped for the family—it was his attempt at being more Californian, which was a goal of his in the first episode of Never Have I Ever.

Nalini quickly finds buyers for the bike. A neighbor is particularly keen on it but Devi won’t stand for it. She may not know how to drive but the moped is a reminder of her father that she can’t let go. Between Nalini and Devi, the neighbor has effectively driven away.

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But perhaps Nalini’s heart really isn’t in selling this bike? While cleaning it up for another potential buyer, Nalini recalls a touching memory associated with the bike.

It seems sometime after Devi’s birth, the Vishwakumars received bad news about their ability to have another child. Nalini was heartbroken and Mohan wanted to make her feel better. So, he took Nalini out on the bike for a ride by the seaside.

Nalini follows in Mohan’s steps and goes on a solo ride on the bike. This moped is never leaving the house.

Kamala’s Future

Devi may not be her cousin’s biggest fan, as we saw in the opening episode of Never Have I Ever, but Kamala is an accomplished young woman who is definitely going up in the world. If only her family would let her.

Kamala’s parents have found her a possible husband—a man from India who she’s never even met. And according to Nalini, the boy’s parents are only interested in how well Kamala can cook and clean.

Even Kamala’s simple plan to wear a trouser-suit is vetoed because it makes her look too career-oriented. So, she puts on a sari and has Nalini give her talking points to impress the in-laws.

It doesn’t go well. Kamala wants to talk about her Ph.D. but they want to hear about what she can cook.

But these are the least of Kamala’s problems. For three months now, she’s had a boyfriend—Steve, a CalTech student who is decidedly not Indian.

Despite their seemingly loving relationship, Kamala calls it quits. She needs to do right by her family and that means giving up Steve. And non-vegetarian food, apparently.

Mission H-Y

Devi’s plan from the pilot episode of Never Have I Ever, to have a physical encounter with the school’s best-looking student, Paxton, is going quite well. She’s managed to convince her friends that it was all Paxton’s idea—Paxton himself seems fairly keen to pair up with Devi.

Only one problem—Devi has no clue what she’s doing. Her first planned encounter is a disaster—she freezes up and tries to escape, cutting her leg on Paxton’s trophy in the process.

With some help from Fabiola and Eleanor, Devi ends up with some academic knowledge of what to do with a boy. The practice is a whole other matter.

But it’s time to put her knowledge to the test. At Paxton’s house, she freshens up, only to bump into Paxton’s heretofore unmentioned sister, Rebecca. The two hit it off immediately—primarily because Rebecca has a fantastic style and knows how to deliver some savage burns.

Paxton, however, is not pleased by this development—he accuses Devi of snooping around his house and trying to bully his sister. Clearly Rebecca hasn’t had an easy time of it in the past.

Despite this new disaster, Devi lets her friends believe that she and Paxton successfully consummated their relationship. Fabiola and Eleanor are thrilled that the three of them have boyfriends and are now cool—though Fabiola is quickly realizing that her interest may lie in girls.

There’s one more surprise waiting for Devi—Paxton arrives at her house that night. He’s apologetic about his reaction to Devi meeting Rebecca—he’s overprotective of his little sister, after all.

Devi accepts the apology and the two decide to put the event behind them. But as Paxton walks away, he begins to see Devi in a whole new light.

Final Thoughts

The second episode of Never Have I Ever manages to be just as hilarious, if not more, than the pilot. Devi is immensely relatable, and the incongruity of John McEnroe narrating her thoughts never stops being laugh-out-loud funny.

I love the addition of Fabiola’s burgeoning queer identity—and that Kamala’s boyfriend is Asian-American. This show is demonstrating how easily you can make an inclusive story—hope other shows take a leaf out of this book.

Never Have I Ever is currently streaming on Netflix.