Another day, another Netflix show bites the dust. The streamer is keeping its reputation for being trigger happy with cancellations well and truly alive in 2022, although this time it might not be the streaming service's sole decision. Either way, a handful of original series have already been axed this year, and we’ve now got another one to add to the increasingly large pile: Never Have I Ever.
The popular coming-of-age comedy series was created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. It stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, a teenage Indian-American Tamil girl trying to navigate growing up in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles and dealing with the sudden death of her father. The show premiered in 2020, and its third season is currently scheduled to hit Netflix this summer.
The show's demise was confirmed by Kaling via Twitter. The popular actress/writer told fans that season three is still on track to drop this summer, and that it would be followed by a “fourth and final season.” Presumably, this fourth season will drop in summer 2023, and it will officially bring Never Have I Ever to a close.
‼️‼️‼️ @neverhaveiever pic.twitter.com/xAaANAZWwaMarch 8, 2022
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Alongside Ramakrishnan, Never Have I Ever stars Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Helen Hong, Ramona Young and Lee Rodriguez. The series is predominantly narrated by tennis legend John McEnroe, but guest voiceovers have included Gigi Hadid and Andy Samberg.
The show has enjoyed strong critical reception across its run. Its first season earned an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, while season two scored an almost-as-high 93%. Netflix previously revealed that the show’s first season reached 40 million households in its first four weeks on the platform, which isn’t record-breaking but which definitely indicates strong audience interest.
Analysis: A slightly different end for a Netflix series
While the news that Never Have I Ever is wrapping up will disappoint fans, it’s refreshing to see Netflix give a show a chance to finish telling its story with a swansong season.
Many Netflix original shows such as Another Life, Messiah and I’m Not Okay With This have been unceremoniously axed with multiple plot threads forever left unresolved. At least Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher have been forewarned and can now ensure that viewers are left with a satisfying conclusion next summer.
It's not currently known why the show is ending. It’s likely its initially strong ratings dipped in its second season, but The Hollywood Reporter also suggests that pay negotiations for the show’s primary cast of young acts was proving to be a stumbling block.
There is also the possibility that Kaling and Lang requested a fixed end date to the show, feeling that an indefinite run would only drag the series out. Kaling is pretty busy right now as well, as she’s working on the second season of her HBO Max show The Sex Lives of College Girls, and is writing the script for Legally Blonde 3, which is also due out in summer 2023.
While the end of another popular show on one of the best streaming services is a tad disappointing, at least this situation seems amicable between the streamer and the show’s creators. Plus, fans of Never Have I Ever can still look forward to two more seasons before they have to say goodbye.
