‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 4 Episode 1 Recap: “Lost My Virginity”

It’s been a year since Devi showed up at Ben’s door, ready to cash in the “boink” card that he gifted her at the end of Never Have I Ever Season 3. And Season 4 wastes no time showing us what exactly transpired after that door closed: the fourth and final season of this Mindy Kaling-created series opens on Ben and Devi naked in bed, looking positively horrified at what just happened. 

People always romanticize losing your virginity but usually it looks something like this—two inexperienced kids (no matter what age you lose it, the inexperience always feels childish) trying to understand the anatomy of this other person in front of them. Usually there are feelings involved and for Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Ben (Jaren Lewison), their feelings had been brimming beneath the surface for the better part of three seasons. There’s some fumbled post-coital small talk and in a moment of awkwardness, Ben offers to call Devi an Uber so he can “hit the hay.” 

Miscommunication is the name of the game and soon Devi, Fabiola, and Ramona are dissecting Ben and Devi’s text message exchange. Devi channels her inner cool girl and asks Ben to meet her at Starbucks, and Ben uses his newfound gym friendship with NBA star Dwight Howard to get advice on how to proceed. Howard advises him against the meet-up because it seems like an unsexy setting, and I’d have to agree! But instead of being truthful about his feelings and countering with a better option, Ben makes an excuse and tells her to have a great summer. Not the HAGS treatment, Ben! A cold-blooded move with someone whose virginity you just took and you have feelings for, but this tracks for a high school romance when you’re afraid of your feelings.

When the school year begins, Devi is ready to go back to being friends with Ben — that is, until she finds out that he spent his summer dating his former art tutor Margot. Hell hath no fury like a Devi scorned and she sabotages her chance at getting a coveted college admissions recommendation from a fragile, conservative teacher when she outs her one-night stand with Ben in front of the whole school. After a quick therapy session (and a welcome appearance by Niecy Nash), Devi copes with the heartbreak by writing out her feelings about Margot. Unfortunately, after she makes good with her crush’s new girlfriend, Margot accidentally sees all of the things that Devi wrote about her in therapy and they’re back to square one (actually, maybe even worse than square one. It’s an all-out war with these two). 

Her former flame Paxton isn’t having a hot start to the year either: a newly enrolled freshman at Arizona State, he’s quickly finding out that maybe he peaked in high school. Paxton’s bro-y roommates throw a dorm party and call him names for no reason, and he’s pining for Sherman Oaks where he was the king of the castle. It’s a new look for Paxton, whose effortless jock persona doesn’t translate to the bigger pond of a large state school.

Trent, back to repeat senior year, decides to make a grand gesture and propose to Eleanor. But she says no, as she should, because they’re too young and Trent breaks up with her, comparing her to a shooting star that he’s trying to hold down. It’s sweet while also deranged, and ultimately probably a good thing for these hot and heavy lovebirds to get a little bit of distance and live some more life before potentially finding each other once again. 

Before Devi heads home from a very bad first day of senior year, Ben catches her in the parking lot and apologizes for ghosting her, admitting that it was his first time having sex too. While they’re confessing feelings for each other, Ben puts a dagger in her heart: “That night made me realize that we shouldn’t be together. We’re both insecure and competitive and we always manage to hurt each other.” In a surprise moment of maturity, Devi accepts his decision instead of fighting for her chance with him. A tough but adult conversation that made me so proud of these two nerds. 

The first episode *almost* ends on a high note, until Devi walks to her brand new (hand-me-down) car and sees the words “stupid bitch” spray painted onto the side. In Devi’s mind, there’s only one person who could’ve done this: Margot. Like I said, it’s an all-out-war between these two.  

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.