Words can’t express how happy I was when Hulu saved The Mindy Project from an abrupt and unjust cancellation. This little comedy-that-could is undoubtedly one of television’s funniest offerings, and it’s imperative that viewers keep on discovering its whacky brand of humor for many years to come.
The season four premiere thankfully doesn’t deviate from what made the show so great in the past. Apart from some kinkier jokes and a longer running time (again, thank you Hulu), Mindy feels exactly the same. The characters are still lovable, and the plotting is still brisk and sharp. While I didn’t exactly love Mindy’s alternate reality subplot, Dany visiting the Lahiris proved to be an exceptionally strong storyline. In fact, the introduction of Mama and Papa Lahiri did a great job of showcasing all the qualities that make their daughter Mindy such a confident and hilarious force of nature. Here’s hoping these two standout characters continue to make further appearances this season (and get paired up with Morgan no less).
Although I wasn’t wowed by Mindy experiencing her very own Sliding Doors, the show definitely let loose with this storyline as it featured guest-turns by both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Frieda Pinto. The former received a substantial amount of screen-time, and his comedic timing (and chemistry) opposite Kaling proved to be a welcome surprise. I did however miss the rest of our cast (Beverly, Tamra, Jeremy) but since Hulu has apparently ordered 26 episodes this season (instead of the usual 22), there will be certainly be more than enough time for Mindy’s supporting players to take center stage.
Bits from the Clinic
– Wow, sure Dany sweats a lot doesn’t he?
– Hilarious visual gag: Mindy dropping the bottles on the plane… twice!
– Two blowjob jokes in one episode? Wow Hulu!
– Hysterical bit: Mindy’s business in the alternate reality is creating a line of “slutty girdles for the sexually obese”.
– Really cool continuity with both Mindy and her mom uttering the line “ex-squeeze me”.
– I actually laughed out loud when Morgan ordered the Lahiri’s servant to get rid of Mindy’s suitor after the latter realized Morgan was scamming him.
– Mindy’s cleavage-y dress… yowza!
– I don’t think the bus running over Mindy wast as funny as the writers were hoping it would be.
– Well Dany sure fast traveled back from India in one night! Also, was anyone surprised that he finally proposed?
Lahiri Liners
Morgan: I will track down Dr. C even if I have to pry his mouth from the naked breasts of his mistress.
Mindy: Where am I? Oh, no, did I break into Mariah Carey’s penthouse and fall asleep again?
Mindy: Are you a hot home invader? Please don’t kill me.
Mindy: It’s like “13 Going on 30,” except I’m still the same age. 26.
Husband: Judging by your build and your denim jacket, I just assumed you were an old Native American man.
Mindy: Oh, were you on the jury for my public urination trial? Thanks for nothing, by the way.
Sonu: I played every part from gypsy to fortune teller. And here, here I can’t even get a callback for “old woman who can’t believe that yogurt is fat-free.”
Danny: This is a very intimate space.
Mindy: Duh, I spend half my life kneeling on this floor.
Mindy: I go to church with you every single week. I’m not even Catholic. It’s boring as hell to wait in a long line for one stupid chip.
Dany: But you… you… you must have known each other a little bit before, right? Like seen each other at the festivals? You know, when you push the… the lantern in the water.
Sonu: That’s Japan.
Doctor: Hello, Mindy. You look happy. Let me guess, there’s a new pop song out celebrating butt size.
Sonu: Our daughter is a 35-year-old pregnant woman with a Bart Simpson tattoo. If one of these men will marry her, who are we to say no?
Morgan: I am Morgan of House Tookers.
Morgan: I’ve been looking all over for you. I went to Pakistan first. Big mistake. The Taliban tried to recruit me…
Mindy: Ugh! These chips are terrible.
Husband: Whoa, babe, that’s a bowl of seashells.
Morgan: Honestly, it just… it looks really disgusting to me. Like it was made with… ulterior motives. I’m just gonna stick to my PB and naan.
Mindy: You only check “open relationship” on Facebook as a joke, like, “I’m in an open relationship with chili fries.
Morgan: Okay, she’s a very sexually active 35-year-old woman who doesn’t like the way condoms feel. What do you expect?
Sonu: And for the record, people would kill to be a Lahiri.
Morgan: I’d kill a whole busload of people. You hear that? [inhales] Whew, I’m sorry, that’s the Taliban talking.
Mindy: I am in a sliding doors for one freaking day, and you are wining, dining, and potentially sixty-nining with this rando…
Mr. Lahiri: As my son Rishi would say, get a grip, dude.
Dany: Probably see you guys during Brahmadon?
Sonu: That’s not anything.
Pinto: Oh, she’s so heavy, Danny!
Mindy: No, I am not so heavy!
Dany: You’re crushing her.
Mindy: If you ate more, this wouldn’t hurt so much.
Mindy: It was like “It’s A Wonderful Life,” except it was in color and it wasn’t boring.
Conclusion
While not the show’s finest hour, the season four premiere was an enjoyable return for one of TV’s most incredibly amusing comedies.
Nad Rating
B
The Mindy Project is one of those shows that I don't watch a lot of but wish I did. This episode is proof of the reason why which is that the show is funny and has heart like Parks and Recreation. That scene when Mindy was trying to convince alternate Danny that they belong together and how much she needs him almost me want to cry. And I love Mindy's parents, especially the mother. How she made her entrance with song was hilarious.