The invention of Netflix is a canon event that altered an entire generation. Hundreds of millions of paid subscribers can view their favorite series and movies from the comfort of just about anywhere; this convenience is what makes Netflix one of the most popular sources of entertainment worldwide. Though it is extremely difficult (impossible, even) to choose my favorite series or movie from the thousands of Netflix Originals available on the platform, I have narrowed down my selection for this essay. For this application, my absolute favorite Netflix series is Never Have I Ever; and, though main character Devi Vishwakumar is the absolute worst, it'll take no convincing for you to love her anyway. Over four wonderfully paced seasons, Indian-American teen Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) navigates life as a total loser in Sherman Oaks, California. We are introduced to Devi soon after her father's traumatic passing, in which he suffered a heart attack while attending Devi's orchestra concert. Her visceral emotional reaction to her father's death left Devi temporarily paralyzed from the waist down--as if her status as a loser couldn't get any worse. Upon entering her freshman year of high school, Devi (sans wheelchair) decides the solution to her problems is to ditch her loser status and attain ultimate, virginity-free popularity. Easy, right? Alongside her best friends Eleanor and Fabiola, Devi embarks on her quest for popularity under the careful watch of her strict (and now widowed) mother, Nalini. Through regular therapy sessions and random narration from tennis legend John McEnroe, Devi runs into one ridiculous obstacle after the other. From a failed love triangle with the most popular boy in school to falling for her academic nemesis, Devi creates quite a name for herself at Sherman Oaks High. Though comedic and lighthearted at its finest, the coming-of-age series is underrated in its emotional complexity. When viewers first meet Devi, she is grief-stricken and angry; she rebels against her mother, she betrays her friends, and she acts out in notable ways. Devi gains a reputation for being both selfish and self-destructive; her out-of-line behavior is enough to earn her the nickname "Crazy Devi". Devi's actions and how they are treated by those around her bring attention to underlying mental health issues and the idea that society labels suffering young women as emotional, insane, and (in Devi's case) "crazy". No one likes a mad woman, and Devi is stubborn in understanding consequences. All the while, even as Devi burns irreplaceable bridges, we cannot help but love her for who she is; Devi is incredibly smart, passionate, and academically driven. She loves fiercely and knows how to make the best out of the worst possible circumstances. From the first to the last season, Devi is finally able to cope with the grief that has been holding her back; viewers are left proud of all she accomplishes and endeared by the young woman she becomes. Mindy Kaling's series offers an absurdly comedic plotline, a beautiful demonstration of Indian culture, and a flawed main character who is guaranteed to make you fall in love. Never Have I Ever will make you belly-laugh and ugly cry, and is sure to teach you something about yourself and those around you. Clear your weekend for this binge-worthy series.

As late August quickly fades into September, I can practically feel the imminence of fall in my bones. With every shortening day, I anticipate the season; from Friday night football games to Harry Potter movies, the infant stages of autumn are exciting. In my coastal Florida city, it is harder to hear the early whispers of fall in the traditional sense. The leaves do not change colors and temperatures rarely plummet below 70 degrees. In Florida, fall is on island time; she arrives late and leaves early, staying only long enough to catch a sunburn. I have an annual struggle with fall's absence. Every year, I look on as fall happens elsewhere, anticipating only the season's leftovers from the north. And every year, around the same time that Hocus Pocus runs marathon-style on television, I am given a reminder that fall is indeed upon us: Starbucks' iconic seasonal menu. The Starbucks Fall Menu has been a consistent entity in my fall-time narrative. Each drink from the selection is laced with nostalgia; when I smell a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I am seven and at my grandmother's house, admiring my older cousins as they sip theirs from matching cups. With every Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte, I am eleven and my father is discovering what it means to be a "girl dad". When I order a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, I am fifteen and on a Target run with my mother. It is the first (and possibly last) blissful 60-degree weekend of October; it is finally cool enough to open our big kitchen windows and exactly the right time to wear a new sweater. I have just adopted my mother as my closest friend; we go on little errands and binge-watch The Vampire Diaries, living for days when my father and brother are occupied with football. When I order a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, I am in the passenger seat of my mother's car; we blast Taylor Swift on the radio and spend money on things we don't need. Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew tastes like fall when life was simple; when the only things to worry about were Stefan/Damon debates and how many days were left until I could get my driver's liscense. When the ever-classic seasonal menu becomes available tomorrow, I will not miss the opportunity for a taste of nostalgia. As I journey through the fall of my senior year, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew in hand, I hope I continue to reminisce on the autumns of my past... and never lose my taste for the simpler things.