Devi Vishwakumar is a real and honest protagonist, making Never Have I Ever a messy story of a teenager working through her grief. The show is already authentic and entertaining due to Devi’s complexity, yet a secondary character managed to further elevate it by offering an unprecedented sense of humor.
Trent’s main role is to interject in conversations and offer one-liners, but they’re often the funniest part of any given episode. Much to fans’ excitement, Trent had more screentime in the second season, and his extended presence is one of many ways Never Have I Ever season 2 could be considered the best. It’s difficult to narrow them down, but Trent has a handful of quotes that are especially memorable.
“You’re My First Girlfriend And I’m A Little Insecure About That.”
Season 3, Episode 7
Trent has a lot of great moments in the third season of the show, but a lot of his lines are still devoted to him as the comedic relief. This line, when he comes clean with Eleanor about manipulating her into staying with him by making sure she can get a part in one of his uncle’s commercials, helps to remind the audience that he’s smarter than he seems, and he gets to be vulnerable too, not just funny.
His relationship with Eleanor allows the audience to see his vulnerabilities a lot as she realizes how insecure he is about being separated from Paxton the next year, and how much he doesn’t realize about her own perceptions of their relationship.
“I’m Coming For You, Bro! Blood Brothers For Life!”
Season 1, Episode 3
Trent and Paxton’s friendship is particularly hilarious because of how different they are. On a surface level, they have plenty of things in common, but Paxton has proven that he’s much more complex than viewers originally thought.
Trent is more of a “what you see it what you get” type of character, which is what makes him so entertaining. He was the first person to try and assist his “blood brother,” but he rolled off the roof following his declaration, adding to an already chaotic scene.
“Women Should Support Other Women. What Else Did We March For?”
Season 2, Episode 5
It’s Never Have I Ever’s Season 2 that really expands Trent’s character, allowing the audience to get to know him better. Trent is always being dead serious, which is what makes it impossible to take him seriously. In a way, Trent is actually a very evolved character who cares about issues such as equality, but while his heart is in the right place, he usually has no idea what’s going on.
Devi was pretending to express disappointment over Eleanor wanting a “girls only night,” and Trent immediately jumped to Eleanor’s defense. It’s adorable considering that Trent has a crush on her, but applying this conversation to the women’s rights movement is a reach.
“Mixing And Matching Different Grape Varietals Can Yield Some Pretty Fun Surprises.”
Season 2, Episode 2
Devi’s plan to keep Ben and Paxton away from each other might have been a success if Trent wasn’t giving an impromptu lesson on wine tastings. Given his attitude, it was reasonable to assume that Trent would be in the garage playing beer pong, but he’s proven to be full of surprises.
Trent’s dad is a sommelier, and it’s clear that Trent has picked up on his father’s taste for wine. The juxtaposition of a ludicrous character having a mature discussion about matching different grape varietals was a highlight of the party.
“Your Reaction To My Reaction To Their Reaction Just Made My Life, Bruh!”
Season 2, Episode 3
It’s up in the air whether Trent is extremely creative or extremely not, but that only makes his new hobby more hilarious. Trent was proud to present his Youtube channel, in which he reacts to other people’s reaction videos.
Paxton tried to be supportive, which meant the world to his friend. The best part about this quote is that Trent can say the entire thing out loud and still not realize how ridiculous it is. Trent is so funny that he can do anything and still garner an audience. If he were a real person, he would probably go viral.
“I Guess It’s Good That I Slapped You, So I Can Give You This Helpful Info.”
Season 2, Episode 6
Every time Trent does something absurd, he genuinely thinks he’s being helpful. He has no filter and always acts on impulse. One of the funniest examples of this is when Trent passed Ben in the hallway and immediately hit him in the face with a panicked expression.
As it turns out, Trent had confused Ben’s zit for a roach and was trying to do him a solid. It’s an insane mistake to make, but it’s right on par with his character. Trent even appears happy with himself for encouraging Ben to go to the doctor so his zit doesn’t leak into his brain and kill him.
“I Have A Vibrant Countenance That People Find Relatable And Appealing.”
The words that come out of Trent’s mouth never ceases to surprise viewers. His entire purpose is to be ridiculous, so when he delivers lines that are carefully considered and well-thought out, it’s especially absurd.
When Paxton said he was prettier than Trent, even with his cast on, Trent argued that people found his countenance relatable and appealing. Trent isn’t wrong here, as he has some of the most epic facial expressions out of all the characters in the show.
“What Do You Think’s Gonna Happen To You On A Full Moon, Though?”
There are countless times that Devi broke or won our hearts in Never Have I Ever, as the process of grieving her father has proven to be an uphill battle. She clearly wasn’t in the best headspace when she mistook a coyote for her dad, and it was difficult to see her get hurt.
Rather than make fun of her, everyone is impressed that Devi got attacked by a coyote and lived. In a gratifying moment, Trent cheered for her along with the rest of the class and praised “coyote girl.” His flippant comment about the full moon was made complete by Paxton replying, “That’s a werewolf, dude.”
“She Has Her Good Days.”
Season 1, Episode 8
The shift in Trent’s demeanor is what makes such a seemingly solemn line comedic. He was originally laughing with his friend about the crazy drink he called “grandma juice,” but he ended up hanging his head after being asked about his own grandma.
Benjamin Norris’s portrayal is undoubtedly what makes Trent so hysterical. It went from a jovial scene of two party-boy characters being as flippant as possible, to a quiet moment of mourning in less than five seconds.
“She, Like, Blew My Boy Off, Even Thought Gatsby Threw, Like, Sick Parties For Her.”
Season 2, Episode 8
It’s never a good idea to watch the movie instead of reading the book for school. It’s an even worse idea to only watch half the movie and admit to it in front of the teacher and the entire class.
But Trent is as upfront as a person can get, and not the most academically gifted of Never Have I Ever characters. It was already clear from what he was saying that he had no idea what was going on in The Great Gatsby. His statement about his “boy Gatsby” definitely didn’t help Paxton win the debate, but it was worth it for the comedy alone.
“So, Like, You Wanna Dance Or Something? You Could Say No.”
Season 2, Episode 10
Trent might have gotten her name wrong, but when he calls Eleanor “transcendent” before asking her to dance in the Season 2 finale, the audience hoped they would see romance blossom between Trent and Eleanor. It was a pairing that no one saw coming, especially because Trent doesn’t have many scenes away from Paxton.
Trent calling Eleanor Erica was especially funny because he never seems able to get people’s names right. Yet it’s clear that he adores her, and the heartfelt comments he gave were exactly what Eleanor needed to hear. Part of his humor comes from how blunt and forthcoming he is, but for the first time in the show’s history, Trent was a timid bundle of nerves.
