‘Never Have I Ever’ Season 4 Episode 10 Recap: “Said Goodbye” (2024)

Never Have I Ever…been less ready to say goodbye to a show. The series finale of Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s coming-of-age story about a “hothead from the Valley” dealing with the traumatic loss of her father is upon us, and it ends on a hopeful note for her future. Over four seasons we’ve watched Devi struggle with her temper, her relationships, and the grief of losing the parent she felt closest to, and she’s incrementally worked to become a better person every day — even on days when it felt like she was taking three steps backwards.

The final episode of the series (Never Have I Ever Season 4 Episode 10, “…said goodbye”) picks up a month after Devi’s heartfelt Princeton essay, and we immediately find out that Devi has been accepted to her dream college on the last day of school. Ben congratulates her before breaking the news that, after graduation, he’s spending the rest of the summer in NYC for an internship. And after we see the squad don their caps and gowns (Devi gets the Valedictorian sash over Ben), the episode fast forwards to the end of summer and the weekend of both Pati’s wedding and Devi’s flight to New Jersey.

Devi’s suitcase is completely empty the night before she leaves and she’s having a hard time saying bye to Fabiola and Eleanor, especially when they realize that they might not be able to see each other until next summer. Nalini is also not having an easy time coming to terms with her daughter leaving and she’s taking it out on Devi. She scolds her repeatedly for not packing, not realizing that her daughter is in a state of disbelief that the moment they’ve all waited for is finally here.

When Devi finally goes upstairs to try to distill her life into one suitcase, she breaks down. She imagines her dad lounging on her bed doling out advice, but her tears (and mine) aren’t stopping. It’s too hard to say goodbye to the room, the house, the place that made her — and the place where her dad’s memory is still alive. But Nalini walks in at the opportune moment and finally says the things that Devi has needed to hear all along: Nalini is just as scared to say goodbye as she is, but she’s so proud of her daughter and she knows that Mohan would have been, too.

Luckily, it’s not time to say goodbye just yet. Pati invites all of Devi’s friends to the wedding so that they have one more night together. The wedding is a beautiful Indian and Jewish affair, a colorful blend of two rich cultures, and Pati and Len circle the fire and smash the glass to cement the occasion. The only thing missing for Devi is Ben, whom she has been texting on-and-off while he’s away in NYC. Ben, who is hanging out with douchey law interns, decides now is the time for a grand gesture.

He arrives in a sweatshirt (I have some questions about how he traversed a 6 hour flight and still made it to the wedding, but I’ll let it slide) and confesses his love to Devi, and she says “I love you” back. Kamala offers to cover for them and they scooter back to his house and consummate their love — this time, full of passion and romance.

There are a lot of really great one-off moments that reminded me of how special it was to have a series this specific about the Indian-American experience on TV for so long: there’s a parade of judgy aunties that make Devi even more nervous about her cross-country move, a beautiful Tamil dance number with Devi and Kamala at Pati’s reception, and a send-off prayer from Devi to her gods. Never Have I Ever has shouldered a lot of the representation conversation, but more than anything it has been cool to share this as a version of my walk of life with friends and as an example to point to when discussing cultural differences. I never felt exactly like Devi, but that’s okay. As I argued when the series premiered in 2020, that’s exactly what representation is.

Being a series finale, everyone’s stories are about moving on. Devi and Ben move across the country for college, and Kamala reveals she’s also moved to the east coast with Manish for the job at John Hopkins (we finally get a glimpse of Utkarsh Ambudkar, who was sorely missed this season). Nalini is starting her next chapter with Andres and without her traditional thali chain that signifies her marriage, and Pati is taking the next step with her husband Len. Paxton returns to ASU and is officially dating Ms. Thompson (sorry, I mean Lindsay), and Eleanor and Trent are back together and helping make Eleanor’s multi-hyphenate dreams come true. Even Aneesa, who has barely appeared this season, comes to the wedding and will be playing soccer on scholarship next year.

In the final moments of the series, Ben and Devi curl up next to each other on her dorm room bed. Manhattan to Princeton isn’t exactly an easy commute, but they’re willing to brave the New Jersey Transit for the sake of their relationship, giving Devi the happy ending that seemed almost impossible in season one. John McEnroe, Devi’s reliable narrator, signs off “for now,” which gave me unrealistic hope for a spin-off or revival. But even if we don’t get to revisit this world or these characters down the line, the four-season run was something of a miracle.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.