The Mindy Project, Season 3, Episode 1, “We’re a Couple Now, Haters!”
September 16, 2014, 9:30pm (EST), Fox
Danny Castellano was a stripper - it’s such a brilliant avenue for the writers to take with his passion for dancing. Danny has a gazillion secrets, and Mindy is a completely open book who tells the entire office sordid details about their sex life. Complete opposites who totally work. This is fiction, yes, but their kooky, oddball relationship, is something of magic for me. Starting off season 3 with a voice over narrative brought to you by Danny, and then Mindy coming in on how they never expected this to happen, but explaining how happy the both are, it doesn’t last long. After Mindy finds a pink thong with the word Diamond written on it in rhinestones, she figures out that Danny was a male stripper. Danny is pissed at Mindy for telling all the men in the office how good he is with his tongue. He has lived his life with divulging and opening up as little as possible to people, and now Mindy is forcing him out of his shell. All of this culminates in a huge fight at an event (as most fights on The Mindy Project do).
Meanwhile Peter, who’s finally settled with a girl he really likes, but can’t quite “please”, learns through Mindy’s gossip that Jeremy made out with her after they had worked closely together organizing the charity event. Peter takes back the tiara he bought for her, hilariously wearing it as he fights Jeremy. If I could have one wish, it would be for Adam Pally to wear a tiara in every episode.
Morgan’s cousin Lou shows up after two seasons of mentions, played by the brilliant Rob Mcelhenney. Lou went to jail for boosting cars “no more stealing cars”, but stayed, for murdering an inmate who dared heckle Richard Lewis. He’s on the prowl for Mindy and ends up serving as the problem solver of the episode telling Danny “the truth shall set you free”. The brilliance of The Mindy Project is in the small details. Morgan mentions the Tookers’ family problems, listing alcoholism several times. After that, you see Lou constantly holding two glasses of wine at once, or a full bottle of liquor.
The Mindy Project also knows when to let its sweet moments shine, as Danny makes a list of all the secrets to share with Mindy - he stripped to pay for med school and helped pay his mother’s mortgage. His mom couldn’t afford to buy him a backpack in the fourth grade, so he used a purse. He actually has a middle name, but it was his dad’s name, so he pretended it didn’t exist. Mindy shares that the reason she tells everyone about their relationship is because she’s afraid it’s not real, and the more she talks about it, the less likely it will slip away from her. Brilliantly hilarious, and perfectly peppered with sentiment, season 3 opens with The Mindy Project at its absolute best.
The Roundup
- “If there were braces for your penis, we would not be in this situation.”
- “I can’t go, I have tickets to an execution.” Beverley, my favorite sketchy old lady.
- “Look, I get it, I’m not well read, well traveled and our family’s trash. But I am a white man, who’s interested in you.” Cousin Lou keeps it real.
