Saturday, April 13, 2013

The Mindy Project

The Mindy Project
Episode 21: Santa Fe
By: Carlos Uribe

The Mindy Project is about an OB/GYN named Mindy.

Spoilers Ahoy?

I'm confused. Mindy is now dating that pastor character from two episodes back? When did this happen? I knew she was interested in going out with him again but there was nothing to suggest they were actually going to be in a romantic relationship. At first, I thought that the episode might have aired out of order. It turns out that “Pretty Man” should have actually aired before “My Cool Christian Boyfriend” but the production code doesn't imply that there are any episodes missing. This basically means that the development that they were now a couple happened off-screen. So I guess they're together now and that's going to happen. I'm not sure I approve of this development since his entire character is basically he's a Christian. The whole cold opening and every interaction that he has with Mindy is basically about his faith. We don't learn anything new about him. This basically means that he doesn't have the same chemistry that Mindy had with her last long-term boyfriend, Josh. It probably wasn't a good idea that in the first episode where Mindy and the pastor are together is one where the pastor is sidelined so that Mindy can get some closure from her relationship with Josh. It's nice that we get a reappearance from Josh but he doesn't really do anything in this episode to justify it. Well other than planting the seed in Mindy's mind that she might be good with Danny. That has to be the long-term plan because I'm not sure how the Mindy Project will function if Mindy doesn't get to go out with a new guy at least once every other episode.


She's not really dating anyone new in this episode but if this is an example of what happens when Danny and Mindy get together then I'm not sure it's a good sign. It sucked. The characters all go to Santa Fe for some medical conference and very little funny actually happens. The writers do the normal job of splitting the group up. Mindy and Danny go to a rehab center so that she can see Josh for the first time and get closure. I've got to say that the scenes at the rehab were the only time I laughed throughout the entire episode. The series is unable to capture the magic of Josh and Mindy from the first half of the season but they still pair well enough that the episode comes to life. All Mindy finds out is that Josh was on cocaine while they were together and that he cheated with her with more than one girl. She doesn't get the closure she needs but Josh seems to think that she's moved on with Danny. Josh might have made a guest appearance where he didn't get to do a lot but the writing remains stronger for him than most of the characters. The only exception being Mindy and Danny. Danny does get a lot laughs this week when he's talking to the rehab's patients about their addictions. He was hoping for hard drug use but he instead finds a group who claim to be addicted to sex, buying small figurines, and other actions that imply less an addiction and more a lack of self-restraint. The two aren't going to get back together because of one of the most awkward cliff-hangers any shows has done. It makes sense but I'm not going to get used to having big plot twists appear out of nowhere as the credits are rolling. Danny's ex-wife comes back. The episode's moments were in the rehab but everything else was dry. Bringing Danny and Mindy should be the long-term plan but it can't pursue that yet. The show hasn't developed the relationship enough and the rest of the series is too non-existent for it to work yet. It needs to be able to deliver these non-romantic episodes before it can pursue a Danny-Mindy relationship. The only good part about the Mindy Project is their banter and doing anything to jeopardize it right now is too risky.

The sub-plot was just terrible and boring. Jeremy and Morgan get a plot together where the two plan to spend time together. They're apparently close friends now. This might have been a development over the season but I could care less about the two. When Jeremy acts embarrassed of Morgan in the middle of lunch with other doctors, Morgan takes offense. He acts like this whole conference meant a lot to him. Why? I honestly have no idea. No reason is really given other than the writers needed a conflict between the two. The two make up only they spend too much time inside a sweat lodge. Their conference goes terribly. I haven't been silent about my dislike for Morgan but he remains a blight on this show. He acted incredibly immature and I still don't understand why the trip meant as much as it did.

Santa Fe is not a strong episode of the Mindy Project. The sub-plot felt like there was conflict for the sake of it. The main plot was a little bitter as the series came alive whenever Josh was on the screen but it did two things wrong. The first is that the cliff-hanger was random and tacked on. The second is that Mindy is suddenly dating the pastor but that basically just means a whole lot of Christian jokes. Josh brings up the idea of Mindy and Danny being together but this is the last thing that the series needs to do. Overall, another frustrating episode of what is definably this season's biggest disappointment of the new comedy shows.

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