THE MINDY PROJECT, one of only two new
broadcast sitcoms last year to garner a second season, returns with “All
My Problems Solved Forever…,” now available on Hulu. In the episode,
Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is flown home from Haiti to have emergency
gallbladder surgery. Once back in NYC, though, she questions whether she
should marry Pastor Casey (Anders Holm) and return to the island.
Mindy is a girl who just doesn’t know
what she wants yet. She has been taught to think life is like a romantic
comedy, and thus tries to follow the plot she thinks is laid out for
her. She did so when she started dating the holy man, and when she
followed him to a poor, third-world country, believing it would lead to
her happy ending. After all, Casey is the key to “All My Problems Solved
Forever…” for Mindy, right?
Then, Mindy continues along the path
with him when she accepts his marriage proposal early in the episode and
agrees to give up her dreams of a big wedding in favor of an intimate
ceremony in her apartment, even though it doesn’t feel right to her, no
more right than waking up for jungle sunrises. She just gets carried
away. Mindy puts her whole heart into everything she does, and even when
things start to turn wrong, she carries on.
There is something to be said for this
quality of follow. It takes a lot of honor and determination. However,
Mindy also needs to find herself and what she really wants. Sacrificing
her own dreams isn’t right, and won’t get her the guy she should be
with. Emotionally, Mindy is still a teenager, and she needs to work on
herself before she is ready to figure out life with someone else.
Once one realizes that, THE MINDY
PROJECT’s title and premise makes sense. And it’s a funny show, well
worth one’s time. Without spoiling what happens at the end of “All My
Problems Solved Forever…,” I will say that fans of both the show and the
character should be at least partially satisfied.
The other major relationship in the show
right now is that which is between Danny (Chris Messina) and his
ex-wife, Christina (Chloe Sevigny). In the season premiere, Christina
wants a lot more sex than Danny is willing to give her (though that is
merely a symptom of their larger problems) so they begin seeing sex
therapist Doctor Paul Leotard (recent Comedy Central Roast subject James
Franco).
I really like Franco in this role, which
works well in the established chemistry. Not only is Leotard replacing
Mindy in the office, even taking her nickname of “Dr. L.,” but he also
integrates himself into the dynamics between various characters. He
isn’t sticking around long-term, but while he lasts, Leotard will be a
great source of conflict and humor for the series.
Danny is a lot like Mindy in his
tenacity and drive to do the right thing. However, he is a bit wiser and
should know better. He being with Christina is just as wrong as Mindy
and Casey, not finding what he needs from a relationship in Christina.
Some may call it stubbornness, but Danny tries to make it work anyway.
Now, I’m not saying that Mindy and Danny
should be together anytime soon. There are plenty of shippers for the
pair who are fans of THE MINDY PROJECT, and this segment will get a
scene to tickle their fancy in this episode. However, as I’ve said,
Mindy must grow before she’s ready for a long-term, stable relationship
that works, and Danny is the end-up-with type of man, not the
experiment-on-the-way guy. So, for now, they should remain apart.
I do think there will be more
opportunity for Mindy and Danny to bond this year, though, with Mindy’s
gal pals reduced to recurring status, and completely absent from the
season premiere. She has her co-workers, Jeremy Reed (Ed Weeks), Morgan
(Ike Barinholtz), Besty (Zoe Jarman), Beverly (Beth Grant), and, very
minimally, Tamra (Xosha Roquemore), to talk to, but none of them really
fill that friend gap for Mindy. Danny may be masculine in some ways, but
in others he’s a total fem. Plus, a strong friendship for them could
set the stage for something more later.
Now, there is a little bit more to THE
MINDY PROJECT besides relationship woes. But those are mainly just the
funny gags and lines about relationship woes. After undergoing many
changes in season one, the show should know what it is now and serve
their audience better. “All My Problems Solved Forever…” is a good step
in the right direction.
THE MINDY PROJECT returns Tuesday, September 17th at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
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