Mindy Kaling’s new Netflix show ‘Never Have I Ever’ is fresh and stimulating » A binge-worthy series that anyone can appreciate Udeshi Seneviratne Illustrator wkweK KY Nw Have I Ever centres its story around the high school life of Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a teenage girl whose had a tragic freshman year and is looking to reinvent her reputation in the next one. The show’s diverse cast gives a certain depth to the comedic writing. The situational comedy starts with the introduction of Devi, who is seen praying to her gods to get invited to a party with “hard drugs’—not to do them though. She wants a chance to turn down offers. Her main goals for the new school year include losing her virginity to the hottest boy in school and earning the title of “cool girl.” It is refreshing to see a brown girl get cast as the lead in trying to navigate drama, horniness, competition, and love triangles as a teenager! Devi is a funny girl and overachieving student who cares deeply for her friends. However, unresolved grief and guilt inform Devi's terrible temper and hasty decisions. She is helped by her best friends, Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), as they share the same geeky and sweet personalities. The show incorporates hilarious aspects of growing up ina desi household, with examples such as getting yelled at for showing too much shoulder ina TikTok video or Devi’s mom insisting on always having her take a delicious box of confections for the parents of friends she visits. Definitely a South Asian and South East Asian thing that was lovely to see mentioned. One of my favourite scenes is seeing Devi being told she’s too Indian and not Indian enough, while all she wants to do is eat a donut. Honestly, she’s just a teenage girl trying her best to get through high school! Never Have I Ever is not always about the relatable cultural situations. Heart- Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca lt CK | ) c¢ ¢ ‘Flowers’ is unafraid to explore mental health issues ¢ ‘The Office’ creator Greg Daniels goes virtual with his new show ..and more Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne Devi, who is seen praying to her gods to get invited to a party with “hard drugs” wrenching scenes of Devi talking to her father as a figment of her imagination are hard to watch without getting a little teary. We also see her father in beautiful scenes of both Devi and her mother’s memories that help steer the characters back to caring about what’s most important to them: family. It is great to see a brown girl play the lead on such a large platform. I really enjoy the show’s cast. Understandably, not all representation is great if the writing of the characters is insipid. However, for Never Have I Ever, a lot of the characters’ emotions and actions are thought through very well. Hearing lines of the lead worrying about her long arm hairs, aunties’ opinions, and itchy saris is something desi girls can absolutely relate to! This pandemic couldn't have been explained 1n a better way » ‘Coronavirus, Explained’ documentary series review Tania Arora Staff Writer keen oronavirus, Explained is an American documentary series produced by Vox and is available on Netflix. Actor Jonathan Kimble Simmons is the narrator of the show; it features Bill Gates, Peter Daszak, and archive footage of many other researchers, doctors, and leaders from all over the world. Their first episode is aptly named “This Pandemic.” The show explains the history, present, and future of COVID-19. The show has been created to clear the misinterpretation and misinformation surrounding the virus. Did you know that the official name of the virus is SARS-CoV-2? COVID-19 is the name of the disease it causes, which stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019. The narrator explained that the name “corona” references “crown,” since the virus has spikes that appear like a crown. It spread light on how it can spread. The world has faced many such types of infections before and still will in the future, but COVID-19 has been a challenge. Viruses that jump from animals to humans, termed as zoonotic viruses, can cause an extensive outbreak. According to scientists, the virus mutated in a bat but may have transmitted into other species (like fish or snakes) HUMAN CORONAVIRUS FAMILY Image for 'Coronavirus, Explained’ via Netflix before making the jump to humans. So far, seven types of human-infecting coronaviruses have reportedly hit the globe (including COVID-19). The current virus is the youngest of them all. The narrator explained, “Viruses can be better at spreading if they don’t make their host that sick.” He goes on to say that bats “are teeming with viruses because viruses don't affect them.” The future of the situation is uncertain. Dr. Fauci, an expert from Trump's task force, guesses it will take a year or nearly two to develop and approve the vaccination. The clips in the series show how people in the past have been able to fight it. Bill Gates voiced his concern on how the countries have prepared themselves for wars and prevention of terrorism but never considered the havoc a pandemic could cause. The documentary is a must-watch for all to know about what has been happening in the world.