Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

'The Mindy Project' succeeds, avoids common rom-com pitfalls

a0923-mindy1
Love is in the air at the start of season three on 'Mindy'

There are TV shows that start off brilliantly, but after a season or two lose some steam.  There are also shows that have quite a rocky start and find their voice and footing in the seasons that follow. "The Mindy Project" (2012-present) is on its way to becoming part of the latter group. Season after season, the main characters continue to be fleshed out with a little more characterization. Even better, the show stays fresh with increasingly wacked-out story lines, as each episode puts less of an emphasis on Mindy finding a boyfriend.

Season three begins with Danny (played by Chris Messina) and Mindy (Mindy Kaling) in round two. They are happily together and public about their relationship -- sometimes a bit too public. (Mindy even shares information about Danny's bedroom talents with her colleagues!) Now that they're a couple, though, what's next for "Mindy"? TV shows often jump the shark once their main characters get involved, riddling the plot with "will they / won’t they" tension. This annoying trend probably arises because once the lovebirds do get together their relationship becomes the sole plotline, and other characters become a supporting cast -- see Jim and Pam in "The Office"(2005-2013) and Jess and Nick in "New Girl" (2011-present). The audience so badly wants to see these characters together that once its wishes come true, it has nothing else to keep it invested. 

Despite this, Kaling has always been clear -- Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano were meant to end up together. The season two finale saw the show cash in every single cliché it could afford to create a very sweet get-together, ending unsurprisingly with the two of them lying on the floor atop the Empire State Building. Following the new seasons premiere, it is clear that "The Mindy Project" has not fallen victim to the TV-couples'-curse now that Danny and Mindy are together. Instead, it uses the romantic pairing as an advantage to showcase the endless possibilities of craziness for the mismatched duo.

The audience is still able to learn about each of the two characters as individuals rather than as Dandy (or Manny?), a task which so often plagues writers. For example, a secret from Danny’s past is uncovered (literally), and Mindy struggles to keep the gossip to herself. It is clear that they still have many issues to sort out for themselves, but the show is engaging enough to make audiences want to be a part of the tangled relationship as well.

Amidst this new-again relationship, the other characters on the show are left with storylines that either involve the lead romance or deal with another one. "The Mindy Project" may not have fallen into the trap of becoming another boring couple-centric show, but it has yet to develop stronger arcs for its supporting cast. For example, as Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) and Tamra (Xosha Roquemore) offer solid one-liners, Peter (Adam Pally) and Jeremy (Ed Weeks) embark on a love triangle of their own. Jeremy’s addition to the triangle feels particularly rushed and unwarranted.

Still, the seeming randomness of events has been a trademark of "The Mindy Project" from the very beginning. In a way, the unpredictable movement from episode to episode has been refreshing, as fans can expect something new every week. However, the same unpredictability can hinder character development, as the show continues to add new faces. (See the abrupt introduction of Morgan’s cousin. We can forgive this, though -- the addition of Rob McElhenney's comedic talent is a welcome one.)

Overall, the premiere shows a solid start for "Mindy's" third season, but only with stronger development for the side characters and a little more consistency will it be able to settle into viewers' weekly schedules.