Parents' Guide to

Never Have I Ever

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Drinking, language, sex talk in fresh, charming teen series.

TV Netflix Comedy 2020
Never Have I Ever Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 23 parent reviews

age 10+

sis it’s not that inappropriate

this isn’t that bad idk what y’all talking abt this show was fine i thought it was really good but hear me out there are inappropriate references to sex and stuff but unless the kid knows what they are talking about they will have no idea what it is like if someone says the word sex to a kid they aren’t going to know what it is there’s also no violence at all and like the whole drinking thing isn’t that big i mean it’s there but not there all the time and it’s not that much i think it’s fine

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
5 people found this helpful.
age 12+

I think 12 and up

There's a lot of sex talk and making out for kids that are under the age of 12 to watch.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
5 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23):
Kids say (156):

Sex-obsessed teens are nothing new in entertainment, but sex is just a cover for what the leads in this fresh, charming series are really seeking: love, acceptance, and validation. When we meet Devi, it's on the first day of her sophomore year of high school, fresh from having endured incredible pain and humiliation as a freshman. Chief among her woes is the untimely death of her father, an event that Never Have I Ever shows viewers in flashbacks that emphasize the horror Devi is hiding under layers of easier-to-take pain, like the embarrassment of belonging to a social niche that Devi's nemesis calls the U.N. (which stands for "unf--kable nerds"). Devi knows she's not happy. But rather than dive into a pool of unfathomable grief, she'd much rather focus on more typical teen angst and worry about boys and being cool.

Thus Never Have I Ever, like Devi, has depths that are barely papered over with plot lines about parties and romantic misunderstandings, problems at school, and fights with her mom. Underneath these everyday concerns lurks a terrible sadness, but on the surface Devi is a regular TV teen who worries whether her outfit's cool enough and hesitates to approach the boy she likes when he's hanging out at the "Hot Pocket" (where all the cutest, coolest boys at school sit at lunchtime). The moments when Devi and this show get real, though, are remarkable for their sincerity. When Devi blows off her therapist's suggestion that they discuss her father's death in favor of impressing upon Dr. Ryan (Niecy Nash) just how desirable Paxton is, the doctor gently reminds her that Paxton is also a person with feelings and problems -- and that instead of focusing on losing her virginity, Devi has the option of finding something to succeed at that will give her a more genuine and lasting happiness. At such moments, Never Have I Ever truly shines. By weaving fun and forgettable teen antics with true sincerity, this show rises above teen cliches and becomes something more than the sum of its parts.

TV Details

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