Despite being a critical hit, Season 5 of Netflix's Never Have I Ever remains a question, but why?
The hit dramedy closed out its beloved fourth season in June 2023, telling the coming-of-age story of Devi Vishwakumar (played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), an Indian-American teen navigating adolescence.
In its four seasons on Netflix, the series was universally praised by critics (sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes), with many celebrating it for its true-to-life depiction of young love and finding oneself.
Will Never Have I Ever Season 5 Happen?
As it stands, Never Have I Ever Season 5 seems like a bit of a pipe dream (sorry, fans).
2023's Season 4 was always branded as the final season of the hit streaming series.
Co-creator Mindy Kaling revealed the fourth season as such back in March 2022, remarking in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "We've just been renewed for a fourth and final season:
"Hey Crickets, we've got some morning announcements for you: Season 3 of 'Never Have I Ever' is gonna drop this summer! Plus we've just been renewed for a fourth and final season, which we are thrilled about."
And it would make sense that Season 4 marks the end of the Never Have I Ever journey.
The series was so focused on its main character, Devi, and her high school experience that the central cast graduating at the end of Season 4 seemed to indicate the closing of a chapter.
While that sense of finality rung true throughout the fourth season, Netflix did leave a slight tease in the series, hinting at the potential for more.
The final two words of the hit comedy were "For now" coming from narrator John McEnroe. This ambiguous phrase turned some heads at the time of release, as many had expected Season 4 to be the end (which it seems to be).
Davi actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan explained this "For now" remark should be understood to be that "this is just a moment in time [that fans saw]." And despite no Season 5, "the roller-coaster ride of life continues" (via Tudum):
”‘For now’ means, to me, that this is just a moment in time, because the roller-coaster ride of life continues.Devi’s still a work in progress. It’s very clear that this is just one of many chapters in a young woman’s life, which is very exciting... Life continues and you have no idea what the fuck is going to happen.”
According to co-creator Mindy Kaling, "Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense," adding, "They can’t be in high school forever" (via Entertainment Tonight):
“Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense. They can’t be in high school forever. We’ve seen those shows. Like, you’ve been in high school for 12 years. What is going on here? Also, the actors get older and it starts looking insane that a 34-year-old is playing a 15-year-old.”
Kaling continued, "We really told the story of this 15-year-old girl," and four seasons "felt like the perfect amount of time:”
“So there are some things are built-in doing a high school show that felt like, OK this is time. But the truth is, we got to know the characters. The great thing about doing it on Netflix is that we got to tell stories that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell in traditional network shows and so we feel good. We really told the story of this 15-year-old girl and that felt like the perfect amount of time.”
What Could Happen in Never Have I Ever Season 5?
Yes, a Never Have I Ever Season 5 seems impossible, but there are narrative threads to tug on if the creative team were interested in doing so.
Season 4 saw the characters graduate from high school, so the logical next step would be something like Never Have I Ever: The College Years.
After years of the love triangle between Ramakrishnan's Davi, Darren Barnet's Paxton, and Darren Barnet's Ben, the Season 4 finale brought closure to this.
Davi chose Ben, and the pair headed into the sunset, ready to embark on a real relationship.
Season 5 could follow this up, with the pair headed to college and dealing with the complicated nature of bringing a high school romance into their post-secondary life.
What could especially complicate things, though, is the fact that Davi enrolled at Princeton in New Jersey while Ben at Columbia University.
This long-distance college romance could be the perfect breeding ground for drama, something the series is no stranger to.
Seeing as the first four seasons were loosely based on co-creator Mindy Kaling's high school experience, then why not turn the page, closing the high school chapter and drawing from the renowned comedian's college experience?
Surely, there is fertile narrative soil to cultivate some story for a Never Have I Ever Season 5.
Never Have I Ever Seasons 1-4 are streaming now on Netflix.
