Source: spoilertv.com

Title Dinner at the Castellanos

Two-Sentence Summary Mindy’s plans to tell Danny about her pregnancy are derailed by a visit from his father and half-sister, who’s become a “problem child.” Long-simmering tensions boil over at a family dinner at Annette’s, leading to important confrontations and revelations.

Favorite Lines
Annette: Bring dessert.
Mindy: Oh, I shouldn’t bring dessert. I’ll just eat it in the car.

My Thoughts “Dinner at the Castellanos” was an episode about family. Specifically, it was an episode about the way we define who our family is. Is it the people we feel a sense of obligation to because of genetics, or is it simply the people we choose to love? We have the family we’re born into and the family we choose. And for Danny Castellano, there was always a line between those two families. However, Mindy Lahiri isn’t a character who respects lines and boundaries, and that led to an episode that did what the best episodes of The Mindy Project do: It took an honest look at a common relationship problem, and it ended on one hell of a high note.

This was the rare episode of The Mindy Project that was all A-plot, and I thought that was a very smart writing decision because it allowed the focus to remain tight on Mindy and Danny at such a major turning point in their story. The plot still allowed for some appearances by the supporting cast, with my favorite moments being another mention of how Morgan got his glasses (which still always manages to make me laugh) and a surprise appearance by Adam Pally as Peter, offering Mindy his typically crude but loving advice once again. (Family is like HPV, in case you didn’t know.)

The lack of distraction from Mindy and Danny’s storyline allowed the tension to build up without escape or release, which was exactly what needed to happen for the final minutes of the episode to resonate the way they did. And that tension built in different ways for the four most important characters in this storyline: Mindy, Danny, Annette, and Dot. (I’ll get to Dot’s underrated importance in this episode soon.)

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Source: spoilertv.com

Title No More Mr. Noishe Guy

Two-Sentence Summary Life-changing decisions are happening all over the place at Shulman & Associates, as Peter chooses to follow Lauren to Texas, and Morgan moves from his grandma’s basement to her attic. Mindy and Danny are also faced with some big choices when Mindy is offered a dream job in California but learns that Danny is making a new home for them in Manhattan, which could end up being a home for three after Mindy gets some big news.

Favorite Line “Just because I look like Olivia Pope does not mean I know how to disappear a body.” (Mindy)

My Thoughts No sense in burying the lead here: Mindy Lahiri is pregnant. So often, episodes are hyped as “game-changers,” when they’re really just average episodes with a minor plot twist at the end. However, the last moments of “No More Mr. Noishe Guy” were as game-changing as it gets. The reveal that Mindy is pregnant was the perfect way to end an episode that featured huge changes for both the characters and The Mindy Project as a show. Peter’s departure was surprising for the characters, but anyone who paid attention to entertainment news knew that Adam Pally was leaving the show. Industry news generally keeps character departures from being shocking (unless you’re The Good Wife), so The Mindy Project chose to surprise us in a different way—by blindsiding Mindy (and, by extension, us as viewers) with an unplanned pregnancy.

I’ll admit, my first reaction to Peter’s phone call was not one of joy but one of worry, which is probably how I should have felt if the goal was to put us in Mindy’s shoes. Mindy Kaling played her reaction so honestly—there was no overwhelming joy or happy tears or even the hint of This could actually be a good thing! on her face. And that’s real in a way television usually isn’t. In reality, Mindy wouldn’t be immediately overjoyed or think of the news as a unexpected blessing. She would be confused, anxious, and upset. I’m sure the coming episodes will show the unexpected joy to come from an unexpected pregnancy, but this wasn’t the time for that if the show was going for realism. This was the time for disbelief, shock, and other not exactly joyful emotions. Kudos to The Mindy Project and Kaling especially for creating such an honest moment that I’m sure plenty of women watching could relate to.

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