Never Have I Ever Season 1 Episode 7 Recap – …been a big, fat liar

At school, Devi tries to be invisible because she is humiliated that everyone knows she lied about having sex with Paxton. She believes it until Trent sees her and tells her he knows her secret: She has a hot cousin. Devi realizes Paxton did not tell anyone she lied. Devi feels he’s protecting her, but the feeling quickly disappears when she sees Paxton flirting with another girl.

Devi sees Fabiola and Eleanor hanging out, so she tries to be with them instantly, but they tell her she‘s not welcome anymore because they already have Jonah. Jonah walks in, and Fabiola tells Devi that he has really been a good friend to them and doesn‘t yell at them for any reason. She apologizes to them and explains she has been going through a lot, but she still doesn‘t tell them she lied. She asks them to cut her some slack because of what she has been through. Jonah tells her that her instability makes the friendship feel unsafe for all of them. She tells Jonah not to get in between her and her friends, but Fabiola defends Jonah. She says Jonah has been their safe harbor when Devi was all wrapped up in Paxton, so she shouldn‘t be mean to him.

Devi asks them what’s up. Fabiola finally tells her she’s gay. Devi tells her she‘s happy for her and hates that she missed out. She says she’ll make it up to her. Fabiola says it’s okay, and she’s just glad Jonah is there. Afraid that Jonah has replaced her, Devi insists on making it up to her.

To step up her friend game and regain Fabiola and Eleanor’s trust, Devi hosts a classic sleepover. Devi says Jonah pays attention to them and smells good, but she doesn’t understand why he’s so great. Eleanor tells her that Jonah is smart. Fabiola says he has great insights into Eleanor’s relationship with her mom. It‘s the first time Devi hears about Eleanor’s mom, so Eleanor explains she saw her mom at Casa Mexico.

In another attempt to be a better friend, Devi goes to see Joyce, Eleanor’s mom. She tells her she should talk to Eleanor personally instead of just calling and texting.

The next day, Devi, Eleanor, and Fabiola sit together in school. Devi asks Fabiola what’s bothering her. She tells Devi she‘s scared to tell her family about her secret. Devi tells her she should tell them whenever she’s ready. Joyce shows up and says Devi told her to talk to Eleanor in person. Eleanor runs away again, but this time, Joyce runs after her. When she finally catches up with her, she explains she got fired from the cruise, but she didn‘t want to see Eleanor again without having been booked for a show again because she feels like a failure. She says if Eleanor lets her, she wants to be the mom she deserves. They hug, and Joyce decides they will bake cookies for the PTA bake sale. Devi tells them they can use their kitchen for baking because Joyce is living with teens and using the oven as her closet.

While baking, Joyce thanks Devi for letting them use their kitchen. Devi says she’s happy that she and Eleanor are together again and that Eleanor got a part in the school play. Joyce asks them to update her about their life. Eleanor says she has a boyfriend, Oliver, who’s on the tech crew. Joyce says the boy who came to the restaurant was hot. Eleanor says it‘s Paxton, and Devi knows all about him because they used to be lovers. “So Fabiola, what about you? There must be some pretty girl you have your eye on at school?” Joyce asks. Fabiola gets surprised, so she looks at Eleanor and asks her if she told her mom about her secret. Joyce tells her Eleanor did not say a thing; she just has an excellent gaydar.

Fabiola’s mom, Elise, is in charge during the bake sale. Nalini comes and brings store-bought cupcakes. Devi says everyone’s mom got homemade ones. Nalini says she‘s too busy saving patients from melanoma, so she could not bake. Joyce comes, but it doesn‘t please Nalini and Elise. Ten years ago, Joyce offered to take the girls to the carnival but abandoned them when she got called for an auction.

Nalini asks what brought her back, so she says she has to be where Hollywood is. She also says she missed Eleanor terribly, and of course, she also misses Fabiola and Devi. She says she had a fun gal hang with them the day before, so she learned about their love lives. Nalini says they are too young for love. Joyce says they’ve grown up so fast that she cannot believe they already have boyfriends and girlfriends. Elise and Nalini ask who has a boyfriend and a girlfriend, but Joyce tells them that she won‘t say anything.

Nalini asks Devi if she has a boyfriend because she is forbidden to date until she can rent a car. Joyce tells her to calm down because she’s not with Paxton anymore. Nalini remembers Paxton was the guy in Devi’s hospital bed. “You found him in her bed? So you did know they were having sex? I’m confused,” Joyce says. Nalini panics, so Devi is forced to come clean. She says she didn’t have sex; she was lying. She tells everyone she’s a big virgin fraud. Fabiola and Eleanor get confused. Nalini tells Devi they’re leaving.

At their house, Nalini reminds Devi that she‘s not to have any sexual contact with boys, even in her lies. Devi promises her she has nothing to worry about.

At the bake sale, Fabiola commends her mother for a successful bake sale. Elise tells Fabiola she feels bad for Eleanor because her mom is a flake. She says she’s lucky they have a normal family and are not causing scenes doing embarrassing things. Fabiola says some things about her might be embarrassing to Elise. Fabiola comes out to her mom and tells her she’s gay. Elise tells Fabiola that she loves her, and nothing will ever change that.

The next day, Devi approaches Fabiola, Eleanor, and Jonah. Eleanor confronts her for lying about Paxton and says she gets it if they want to replace her with Jonah. They say they didn‘t want that, but they can have more than one friend. Devi says it‘s because of her that Joyce almost outed Fabiola to her mom. Fabiola tells them she did come out to her mom, and it turned out okay. Devi promises to be a better friend from then on.

Eleanor brings Joyce to watch her play rehearsal. Eleanor recites the lines about being a deserted mother, unmarried, and without a job.

Devi is arranging things in her locker when she gets a text from Paxton asking her to go to his house. Before she can reply, Fabiola tells Devi that Joyce is gone again and left a note for Eleanor saying she will try Broadway again. Fabiola says Eleanor is freaking out, saying she‘s giving up acting forever, so they must calm her down. She asks Devi to meet her in the drama room to help Eleanor. While Fabiola is talking, Devi’s phone beeps multiple times. Paxton says she owes him. Devi gets torn about what to do.

Our Thoughts

Oh, no! Just when Devi can really make good on her promise to be a good friend to both Fabiola and Eleanor, the Paxton thing comes up — impeccable timing! What could Paxton need Devi for? I just hope they will return to being friends again after it.

I cannot forgive Joyce. All she did was wreak havoc and cause emotional damage. The stunt she pulled off during the bake sale was unforgivable, and even the one she did ten years ago isn’t something to be ignored. She’s such a flake. Poor Eleanor! She doesn’t deserve a mom who will always choose to leave when she has the choice to stay.