The Mindy Project, “Crimes & Misdemeanors & Ex-BFs” (3.3) - TV Review

The Mindy Project, Season 3, Episode 3, “Crimes & Misdemeanors and Ex-Boyfriends

September 30, 2014, 9:00 pm, Fox

This season seems set to navigate the difficulties of Mindy and Danny’s opposites attract relationship, and they are doing it hilariously, if not infuriatingly. Things writers make Danny say are very deliberate, being an old-school catholic, Danny has a fairly narrow view of the world, and can be completely sexist. There were lines Danny said to Mindy in the beginning of this episode that made my rage black-out level rise, yet it’s all so strategic to show the growth of his character when they’ve worked out the problem at the end of it. He is constantly changing for Mindy, she seems to be the only woman in his romantic life, thus far, that has been able to get under the skin in that manner. It takes a lot of prodding, and she certainly loves to prod.

This week, Danny refuses to let Mindy leave anything at his house. He picks up her zip-lock bag of toothbrush and hairbrush and reminds her not to forget it. She begins sticking it in places he won’t find, but of course he checks behind the toilet, and the fire escape. Danny thinks he’s come up with the perfect solution, a small piece of rolling luggage she can cart around, but it’s only “on loan.” Mindy, naturally, is furious. When she’s in a relationship, she’s all in, and this is just another way Danny is pushing her away. The timing is perfect. Turns out Mindy owes the government tons in back taxes, prompting even the accountant to retire forever, over the horror of her disorganization with money. She needs a lawyer, she has a lawyer. It’s Cliff, the man she cheated on with Danny. Because Mindy is angry, and wants to get her way, and not bring down the practice, she makes up an elaborate lie that her and Danny are no longer together. He immediately pounces on that, takes her out for dinner, and takes on her case. Seemingly not as stupid as he looks (Glenn Howerton is brilliant as Cliff by the way, and it’s nice to see the It’s Always Sunny crew making the rounds on my two favorite network comedies. Charlie Day up next, please?) he is under suspicion that they never really broke up. However the jaw dropper moment is revealed when we find out Danny never made his divorce official, and yet again harboring secrets, is still married. This, for me, personally would be a dealbreaker. Cliff makes Danny a deal. He will help him with his divorce if he can have Danny’s Yankee stadium seats. It yet again takes another It’s Always Sunny castmember to help Danny realize that he needs to change and open up to Mindy more. Cliff observes that Mindy’s presence is nowhere to be found in Danny’s home, and that when they were dating, her stuff was everywhere. Danny relents and gets Mindy her own set of drawers. These two continue to make their relationship work past every hurdle, and every exaggerated dramatic re-encounter with an ex only seems to strengthen their hilarious bond.

The secondary plot this episode was so boring, I don’t even really want to recap it. The Lauren/Peter/Jeremy triangle was never captivating, and when she breaks it off with Peter this week, I was surprised they were even still together. At the end of the episode she ends up with Jeremy, after a deportation scare, at Peter’s hands. Best portion of this was Adam Pally’s hilarious Brit impression, which featured every stereotypical British person ever in film and television.
The Roundup

• Mark Duplass is back this week for an awkward elevator encounter with Mindy, Danny and Cliff. Interesting fact that I’m very late in discovering: Jay Duplass plays Duncan, his brother in the show.
• Mindy doesn’t want to pay taxes because PBS is using her money to line Laura Linney’s pockets.
• She also hates the Liberty Bell, because it has a big ol’ crack in it, and National Parks.