Never Have I Ever Season 2 Episode 8 Recap – …been Daisy Buchanan

Ben and Aneesa date and are always all over each other in school. Aneesa asks Devi if she‘s really okay with her dating Ben, so Devi tells her she‘s okay, and she‘s her biggest fan.

Fabiola meets Devi by her locker and shows her new jacket. She says Eve took her shopping. While they were talking, Eleanor comes with Malcolm, and Ben comes with Aneesa. Eleanor asks them what they think about sharing a limo to the Winter Dance. Everyone likes it except Malcolm. He says he doesn‘t want to ride in the limo because he spent his childhood in a magical one on TV. Eleanor realizes it, so she apologizes to him, but Malcolm snaps at her and tells her that the fact that Eleanor suggested it makes him feel unseen by his partner. Malcolm’s attitude towards Eleanor makes Fabiola and Devi look at each other and makes things awkward for Ben and Aneesa. Ben suggests a party bus clear the awkwardness. Malcolm likes the idea.

The bell rings, so Eleanor and Malcolm walk away. Devi calls Eleanor and tells her she didn‘t like how Malcolm talked to her. It reminds her of the health class video about controlling teen relationships. Eleanor defends him and tells Devi that she doesn’t know Malcolm as she does and promises that everything is fine.

Fabiola and Eve meet Sasha, who tells them she has arranged a schedule for them to dine with the school groupies so they can campaign for the Cricket Queen title. Fabiola tells Sasha that she can‘t campaign all the time because she has robotics practice three times a week after school. Eve tells her that if they win the thing, it would mean a lot to the queer community, so even though she knows that skipping robotics practice might be too much to ask, she still asks Fabiola to skip. Eve suggests a compromise where Fabiola keeps two robotics practices that week, but moving forward, Sasha will schedule around robotics. Fabiola agrees.

In class, Devi sees Paxton. She is suddenly reminded of the last time she was with him. She yelled at him and told him she couldn‘t hold his hand forever. Devi approaches Paxton and explains that during their last interaction, she was just suspended and in a volatile place. Paxton tells her he doesn‘t care; he‘s taking her advice to do things on his own without her holding his hand. Mr. Kulkarni announces that they will do a mock trial for their Great Gatsby lesson, where they will try to decide if Daisy Buchanan is guilty of killing Jay Gatsby.

Ben, Aneesa, and Devi are assigned to the defense team, while Fabiola, Paxton, and Malcolm are on the prosecution team. Fabiola assumes she will do all the work, but Paxton insists he will contribute because he read the book. Ben and Aneesa go to Devi’s house. Devi finds it hard to focus on their task when Ben and Aneesa are always all over each other. Kamala sees it difficult for Devi to be around them, so she brings Nirmala to the living room. At first, Nirmala sits between Ben and Aneesa, and then, she tells Ben to transfer to another chair.

Meanwhile, at Paxton’s house, where he, Fabiola, and Malcolm are gathered to plan for their part, Malcolm excuses himself from the two after he volunteers to be Gatsby’s host so he will not have anything else to do during the mock trial. While he’s gone, multiple texts from a certain Isabella pop on his phone. Fabiola is quick to think that the texts are not platonic.

Devi goes to Mr. Kulkarni to ask him to transfer her to another group because she can‘t work when Ben and Aneesa are so distracting, given that she and Ben had something. Manish tells her she should stay and let them annoy her because distance makes the heart grow fonder, while proximity makes the heart want to barf.

Fabiola shows Devi a picture of Isabella’s texts on Malcolm’s phone. Devi says Malcolm is trash, so they should tell Eleanor about the texts. Devi shifts her mindset about Ben throughout the day. She turns Ben into the annoying dork from being her love interest, so she feels lighter.

Nalini tells everyone in the house that she won‘t have dinner with them because she has dinner with people in her office. Nirmala guilts her for not eating what she has prepared, so Nalini decides to eat before she goes. Nirmala asks Devi about her day, so Devi tells them that her day is decent and that Mr. Kulkarni taught him a valuable lesson, plus he asked her to say hi to Kamala. Kamala blushes.

Devi and Fabiola prepare an intervention for Eleanor. They reveal that Malcolm has received texts from Isabella and that Malcolm might be cheating on her. Devi tells her she deserves better.

Ben comes to Devi’s house. He tells Devi that Aneesa has a Pasadena soccer game, so they will work alone. Ben tells Devi that he hopes things are not weird for Devi when she has to work with him and Aneesa. Devi tells him she’s okay. She even thinks they make a good couple.

The mock trial happens. The prosecution wins after Fabiola delivers an excellent closing argument. The defense loses. Ben can‘t believe he lost an academic competition. After class, Eleanor confronts Devi and Fabiola saying that Isabella is Malcolm’s 73-year-old agent about a role. Malcolm tells them they are immature children who can‘t be happy for their friend. Devi tells Eleanor that Malcolm may not be cheating, but he‘s still toxic and condescending. Eleanor stops her from talking and tells her that she and Fabiola are the ones who are toxic. She says she won’t take relationship advice from them because Fabiola has turned into an Eve clone while Devi has not been in a real relationship.

After school, Sasha makes Fabiola skip yet another robotics practice so they can attend Shira’s party.

Devi walks home crying after Eleanor said mean things to her. Paxton sees her walking by the street and gives her a ride. Paxton asks her why she’s crying, so she explains she just fought with Eleanor. Paxton tells her she‘s always in a fight with many people, so Devi takes the cue to apologize to him again. Paxton tells her she‘s really mean, but it‘s okay because he‘s working hard to get better grades. He voices his frustration for working as hard as he can but still being outdone by Ben. Devi tells him he should go above and beyond to impress his teachers. Devi asks Paxton to pull over a few blocks away from her house so her mother won‘t know she got a ride from him. Paxton sees a fancy car before them and points it out to Devi. Devi instantly recognizes that it‘s Dr. Jackson’s car. Suddenly, she sees her mother inside.

Our Thoughts

Oh, no! Devi catches Nalini on a date. I think Devi is not yet ready to see her mom with another man, so it might be a disaster. Eleanor seems so deep into Malcolm’s web of lies that she’s already so blind to his deceptions, let alone to his controlling attitude. Who in this world would believe that Isabella is really a 73-year-old agent? Well, I guess Eleanor would. Anyway, Paxton and Devi seem to be getting along well again. Would it be really impossible for them to be together again? Ben is already happy with Aneesa, and I believe Devi deserves her happy ending too. I feel bad for Fabiola because Eve doesn‘t seem to appreciate or value her love for robotics. That’s a big waving red flag!