Never Have I Ever (Season 4) Recap & Ending Explained: Our favorite Desi-American is back with her misadventures, one last time, and we are all ready for her teenage swag with some desi tadka all over again. We have loved Devi and her mishaps ever since the first season of ‘Never Have I Ever’. With this last season, Netflix is finally waving goodbye to this heartfelt story that has been a hit from the very first season.
In this season, the showrunners are tying up most of the issues with Devi and everything that revolves around her. There’s a major focus on what the show started with, which is, Devi dealing with the trauma of her Dad’s death. Here’s a full recap of what happens in this season of ‘Never Have I Ever’:
Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead. Proceed with Discretion.
Never Have I Ever (Season 4) Recap:
Episode 1: “…lost my virginity”
In the first episode, Devi and Ben feel awkward after having sex for the first time. Ben suddenly distances himself from Devi after running into NBA player Dwight Howard, who suggests that Ben should not be with someone like Devi, who is only interested in a physical relationship. Three months later, Devi starts her senior year of high school and hopes to secure a Letter of Recommendation from her conservative AP Literature professor, Dr. Keyes, for her Princeton application.
However, she discovers that Ben is now dating Margot and confronts both of them, causing a scene that results in Dr. Keyes fainting. Principal Grubbs summons Devi and Margot to her office. Meanwhile, Paxton is in college but misses high school, while Fabiola struggles to be the only female member of the Robotics Club. Trent proposes to Eleanor, but she declines, stating that they are too young. The episode concludes with Devi discovering that her car has been vandalized with the words “That bitch” spray-painted on it.
Episode 2: “…gotten sweet revenge”
Devi faces financial issues after her mother insists that she pay for the car repair using her own pocket money. Devi believes that Margot vandalized her car as hate crime and decides to report it to Principal Grubbs. However, Margot and her father deny the accusation, with Margot having an alibi. Despite Devi’s objections, Principal Grubbs decides to let Margot go, which worsens the situation. Meanwhile, Fabiola and Aneesa discuss the toxic masculinity embedded in the Robotics team after noticing a lack of female students joining. They vow to work towards changing the environment and encouraging more women to join.
Devi meets with her college advisor about applying to Princeton early, but it turns out that she will not receive a Letter of Recommendation from Dr. Keyes. Devi later discovers that she can not afford to go on the school trip to New York because she needs to use her savings for her car repair. Although she tries to negotiate with the mechanic, he insists on $1,100 for the paint job.
Things do not get any better when Devi suspects that Margot lied about her alibi and overhears Professor Nuni mentioning that Margot was not in school the day before. Devi confronts Ethan, who she suspects to be the vandal, and he confesses. Margot and Ben are both upset with Devi, and Margot is called into the Principal’s office for lying about her alibi. Devi defends Margot, which angers Principal Grubbs, and Ben reveals that Margot has asked him not to talk to Devi again.
Despite all the drama, there is a silver lining. Fabiola apologizes to Michelle for the Robotics team’s environment and promises to work on changing it. Michelle agrees to join the team after seeing Fabiola stand up for STEM women. In addition, Devi realizes that has growing feelings for Ethan despite knowing Eleanor has a crush on him. The episode ends with Ethan offering to help Devi clean her car, leaving her pondering about their relationship.
Episode 3: “…liked a bad boy”
In this episode we see Devi grappling with her feelings for Ethan, her best friend Eleanor’s love interest. Devi wakes up from a wet dream about Ethan and realizes that she is betraying Eleanor. She tries to avoid Ethan and advises Paxton against quitting college. However, things escalate when Ethan invites Devi, Eleanor, and Fabiola to a party, and Eleanor develops an interest in him. Devi encourages Eleanor to go after Ethan and tries to give him some space.
At home, Nalini injures herself on the termite-infested stairs, which Mr. Ramos, the family’s contractor, was supposed to repair. Nalini discovers that Mr. Ramos is being dishonest about the extent of the damage when he removes the entire staircase. Meanwhile, Paxton, who quit college, is working as an assistant swimming coach in school. Devi and Ben’s relationship continues to be strained as they are paired for their Crucible discussion in class, and Ben mocks Devi. In addition, Eleanor and Trent have an awkward encounter at Ethan’s party.
Things reach a boiling point at the party when Eleanor witnesses Devi kiss Ethan. Eleanor confesses that Ethan had kissed her just moments earlier, triggering a confrontation between the two friends. However, Fabiola believes that Ethan is to blame and that he is not worth the trouble. Paxton encounters some negative chatter from his peers after overhearing them talk behind his back at the party.
Despite all the drama, Ethan confesses his feelings to Devi, kissing her. Devi sets some boundaries for a monogamous relationship, signaling an end to her brief phase of being indecisive about Ethan and Ben.
Episode 4: “…wrecked my future”
Devi and Ethan’s relationship takes center stage. Despite being a bad boy who disrespects teachers, Ethan brings happiness to Devi’s life. However, Devi’s academic adviser, Professor Warner, warns her about potentially harming her academic success by being in a relationship with someone like Ethan. Meanwhile, Fabiola’s mother meets with Professor Warner to discuss college applications and convinces her to prioritize her own future and apply for college, regardless of her friend Devi’s plans.
At the college fair, Devi shares Professor Warner’s concerns about Ethan with her friends, Eleanor and Fabiola. While they agree that Ethan is only good for fun, Devi disagrees. When Devi tries to speak with the representative from Princeton, Akshara, who happens to be an Indian woman, she cuts the line and boasts about her achievements, which displeases Akshara and prompts her to dismiss Devi. Ethan suggests damaging Akshara’s car as retribution, but Devi is against the idea. After regularly encountering Akshara at the fair, Devi finally breaks up with Ethan after learning that he had stolen Akshara’s wallet to punish her for being disrespectful to Devi.
Meanwhile, Kamala begins to suspect Pati’s boyfriend of cheating on her with another woman. Ben experiences a panic attack and accidentally gets paint on his shirt, which Devi offers to help him with, despite their strained relationship. Fabiola learns that Princeton has an excellent robotics program, prompting her to apply for college despite her concerns about Devi’s Princeton aspirations.
Episode 5: “…been to New Jersey”
In this episode, the students of Sherman Oaks High School are taken on a college tour to New York. Devi is excited about her visit to Princeton with a student who goes there and someone she once idolized, Blair. However, Blair takes Devi to a nightclub instead of showing her around Princeton and is no longer the studious student she once was. Meanwhile, Fabiola hides the fact that she has applied to Princeton, fearing Devi’s reaction. Fabiola accompanies Eleanor to her auditions at Juilliard, where she discovers that Eleanor has been rejected.
Ben gets a special tour of Columbia University thanks to his father’s connections. However, he soon realizes he does not fit in with the students there and feels less intelligent than them. Back at the Vishwakumar house, Kamala tells Nalini that she suspects Len is cheating on Pati. Nalini is excited to have the house to herself but soon grows anxious in its silence. Andres, Margot’s father, continues to do odd jobs to help Nalini and offers to stay with her.
Devi, Fabiola, Eleanor, and Ben end up at a party hosted by Blair, where they dance and have fun. However, Devi is groped by one of the college students and Ben comes in just in time to punch him and save her. Devi and Ben talk about their college aspirations and reconcile their friendship. The group must return home early due to Professor Warner’s anger over their night out. The episode ends with Fabiola feeling guilty about lying to Devi about her college aspirations.
Episode 6: “…had my dream stolen”
Devi grapples with the stress of college applications and the emotional turmoil of being deferred by Princeton. The episode begins with Devi and her friends eagerly awaiting the release of early acceptance letters, setting the stage for a tense and emotional journey for the characters.
As the story unfolds, Devi becomes increasingly anxious about her college prospects, feeling like she has let her mother and herself down with her behavior in high school. Her suspension for bullying Aneesa, her confrontation with Ethan over Akshara’s stolen purse, and her lack of a recommendation letter from Dr. Keyes – all weigh heavily on her mind, fueling her self-doubt and fear of failure.
Ben, on the other hand, seems to be thriving in his early acceptance to Columbia University, relishing in the self-confidence boost and recognition from his peers. However, even he struggles with feeling like he does not fit in with the elite students at the university and wrestles with questions about his own intelligence and suitability for such a prestigious school.
Meanwhile, Fabiola secretly applies to Princeton and accepts a spot without telling Devi about it, leading to a heart-wrenching revelation that threatens to tear their friendship apart. Devi feels betrayed and hurt by Fabiola’s deception, and it takes a significant amount of time and effort for the two to reconcile.
Throughout the episode, we see multiple characters grappling with the notion of success and what it means to them. Kamala is offered a job in Baltimore but ultimately decides to stay in Sherman Oaks to support her family. Eleanor, after being rejected by Juilliard, decides to pursue acting full-time and graduate early, choosing her passion over traditional academic success. Devi, despite having been deferred by Princeton, resolves to continue pursuing her dream of attending the university and refuses to give up on her goal. The episode ends with Devi and Ben bonding over their shared experience of deferred acceptance and the possibility of starting a new journey together.
Episode 7: “…had an identity crisis”
This episode sees model Gigi Hadid return to narrate the life of Paxton Hall-Yoshida, using her signature dash of humor. The episode opens with Hadid reminding the audience of Paxton’s cool-kid reputation and his reputation for being invited to all the parties in high school. It is no wonder he feels like a king among his peers.
However, the episode takes a different turn when Professor Lindsay Thompson calls for teachers to volunteer for a potluck, with no one volunteering aside from Professor Shapiro. Paxton, on the other hand, avoids the potluck by claiming to be busy on the day. As a teacher, he seems unsure of his place in the high school social hierarchy.
But Paxton’s internal struggle proves to pay off when he is asked to conduct the Swim Team tryouts and he notices a persistent student named Eric trying out for the fourth time. Despite not being able to swim, Paxton realizes Eric’s dedication and promises to train him.
Meanwhile, Devi is convinced that she too can find her way to Princeton just as Paxton managed to find his way back to high school. However, Paxton’s post-college life proves to take a toll on him when constant reminder emails from his college at ASU add to his guilt that he is wasting away time that could have been used to achieve his degree. He is unsure of his place in life.
During a small party Paxton has at his place, Professor Thompson shows up and discovers the former throwing a party and serving alcohol to high schoolers. She tells him to behave like a grown-up and a responsible teacher. Paxton gets into a conversation with Eric about his feeling like a failure, leading Eric to remind him that there is no shame in trying even if one fails. Paxton’s bond with Eric leads him to push himself and Eric to get better at swimming.
While helping Devi sort through swim supplies, Paxton and Devi get locked up inside a storage room, leading them to confront their past. They kiss, but the moment is interrupted when Coach Noble opens the door, giving Paxton a warning about being careful as a teacher. He speaks to his mother, who advises him to find out who he really is. The episode concludes with Eric making it into the Swim Team, and Devi and Paxton having an amicable chat about their past, leading Paxton to join the teacher’s potluck and offering to volunteer for the student help hotline.
Episode 8: “…set my mom up”
The anticipation for the arrival of Princeton’s decision continues to loom over Devi but she is not as anxiety-riddled as she once was after the many twists that occurred in her senior year. Her mother, Nalini, begins flirting with Margot’s dad, Andres, and Devi is initially taken aback but realizes that this could actually be great for her family.
To help facilitate this new situation, Devi convinces her mom to invite Andres over for dinner for Pati’s birthday. Andres, however, declines the offer, not wanting to upset Margot, who is still struggling with her relationship with Devi.
As Devi and Margot put on their best game face at dinner for their parents, they discuss Ben, and Devi realizes that although Ben hasn’t been texting her much, he has been constantly communicating with Margot. The two confront Ben about it, leading to a confession from Ben that he has feelings for Devi. However, things take a turn when Ben arrives at Devi’s house with flowers and realizes that Margot is there too. After a chaos-filled night, Devi and Margot comfort each other over Ben rejecting them and joking about hoping that their parents date.
Meanwhile, Nalini’s career is on the upswing but she runs into her mom on the set of her next project, leading to a moment of confrontation between the two. However, after the casting director is looking for a featured body for the promotional poster, her mom jumps at the opportunity.
As the finale draws to a close, we see Nalini and Andres sharing a kiss outside her house, and the moment of truth arrives for Devi as she discovers that she has made the waitlist at Princeton while having been rejected from all the other seven colleges she had applied to.
Episode 9: “…gone to Prom”
Devi is left reeling after discovering that she has been rejected from all of the colleges that she had applied to. Her mother overhears her scream and checks on her, and Devi lies, stating that she has gotten into all of them. Despite feeling alone in her predicament, her friends are excited for her, and they head off to prom.
However, those feelings disappear quickly when Principal Grubbs announces over the intercom that Devi has been accepted by all the Ivy League schools. Overwhelmed and guilt-ridden, Devi comes clean to her friends about not getting into any college while en route to the most awaited prom, which leads to everyone screaming their true desires.
Meanwhile, at the National High School Tech Fair, Fabiola impresses Dr. Tye from Howard University with her robot, Gears, and is offered a spot on the team in the fall. As the episode progresses, Devi is left struggling with writer’s block while trying to write a supplemental essay for Princeton. After confiding in her therapist and receiving encouragement from Ben, Devi finally pours her heart out in the essay, writing about her relationship with her father and his influence on her academic aspirations.
Episode 10: “…said goodbye”
The season finale of the fourth season of ‘Never Have I Ever’ is a heartwarming and satisfying end to the season and the story of Devi Vishwakumar. John McEnroe narrates the episode, highlighting Devi’s life, her achievements, the outfit she wore, and the car she drove on the day she was accepted into Princeton.
The episode skips the summer and we see Devi a week before she heads off to college. During this period, Pati has planned her wedding. We see two confirmed relationships – Nalini and Andres, and Paxton and Ms. Thompson. Pati’s wedding is a delightful event, and everyone has a great time. Devi wants to make it the best time of their lives and she hopes to do so by spending time with her friends.
However, Nalini introduces her to all of her family at the wedding, who start putting doubts in her head about college, leading to her feeling uneasy about her future.
At the wedding reception, Devi plays Never Have I Ever with her friends, and while playing, Ben arrives and tells Devi that he loves her. They leave the wedding together and head to his place. The following morning, Devi and Ben agree to give dating a try. The ending of the season finale highlights Devi’s appreciation for her family and how they have supported her throughout her journey.
Never Have I Ever (Season 4) Ending Explained:
We get a montage of our Sherman Oaks family one last time, with John McEnroe breaking down where everyone is now. Nalini and Andres enjoy each other’s company. At the same time, Fabiola is with her robotics team at Howard. Eleanor is on a movie set with Trent and Paxton back in college. The series ends with Ben and Devi in bed together, watching a movie.
The episode ends on a heartwarming note as Devi, in classic Devi Style, prays to the Hindu gods, thanking them for always looking out for her during rough times and ensuring that her mother is taken care of while she is gone.
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