When the new kid looks like you

‘Never Have I Ever’ gives Devi a frenemy and reflects pressures women of color face.

After Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) decided to date two boys at once, start a vicious rumor about the new girl at school and let two classmates take the fall for it in Season 2 of “Never Have I Ever,” fans of the Netflix series may have started to wonder: Why would a teen comedy make its main character so unlikable?

But when it comes to Devi’s relationship with Aneesa (Megan Suri), whose transfer makes her the only other South Asian girl at Sherman Oaks High, there’s more than meets the eye.

Last season, Devi reflected on the trauma of watching her father die, which briefly left her paralyzed by psychosomatic shock. Now, with a new, “cool” Indian student on the scene — one who has dealt with her own mental health challenges — she starts the relationship off on the wrong foot, overlooking the bonds they may share as South Asian teens.

And what stands in the way of their friendship is nothing new for women of color: societal expectations and stereotypes.

After all, women of color too often feel compelled to

Where: Netflix When: Any time Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14)