Plot: Danny (Chris Messina) asks Mindy (Mindy Kaling) to not share private information with their co-workers about their sex life. Danny spots Jeremy (Ed Weeks) massaging Peter(Adam Pally)’s new girlfriend Lauren(Tracey Wigfield).
Whether we like it or not, fall is here, which means it’s time to set our DVRs for all of the new and recurring programs on TV. For a lot of people, this is a thrilling television free for all, but for me, it only means one thing: The Mindy Project on Tuesday nights. If you haven’t followed my Mindy Project addiction on this site over the last few years, shame on you. But also, you probably think it’s weird that I am more excited about this show more than anything else this season. In my defense, I can’t resist. Creator and star Mindy Kaling creates a (perfect) world where it’s perfectly acceptable to have a sexy make out session with Chris Messina on the top of the Empire State Building. Do I even need to say that my reasoning is totally justified? I think not.
Speaking of that very make out scene, the third season premiere starts off just after that. Mindy (Kaling) and Danny (Messina) are in the cusp of their newly formed romance (yay!) and are just beginning to explore each other on a romantic level. But because this is The Mindy Project, this transition from friends to couple is totally and completely wacky.
The episode begins when Mindy tells her co-workers that Danny is “good with his mouth.” Danny, who is reserved about personal matters, asks Mindy to keep their sex life private. This is very hard for Mindy, as she loves to talk openly about her relationships with other members of the group. Initially, Mindy does very well with this request, until Danny tells her he saw Jeremy massage Lauren’s shoulders after work hours. Then she manages to totally fall through on this when she and Morgan discover Danny’s stripper past.
Aside from all of these different plotlines, which came together so perfectly, what really made the episode was the dialogue. This is not so surprising as funny one-liners are a quintessential part of the show. However, with this episode, it seemed to happened more frequently than normal. I found myself laughing at almost every moment. I think my favorite quotes from the night were Tamra’s “If a guy won an Oscar for eating McDonalds every day, why can’t I record my life?” and “You just hit me with your peas!” In short, Kaling and her writers did a stellar job with this episode. I’m impressed.
Another aspect I surprisingly enjoyed was the inclusion of Rob McElhenney (Mac on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). I was pretty nervous about his appearance, given the fact that James Franco on last year’s premiere was so blah. McElhenney did a great job as Morgan’s cousin Lou. I felt like his character was the badass, prison, tough guy version of Mac and I loved that. Even better, he didn’t play a love interest! I don’t know how I would have felt if he was a potential suitor for Mindy, especially after her romance with Glenn Howerton (Dennis on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)’s character Cliff last season.
Overall, I give this episode two thumbs up. I know, totally shocking, right? But this is definitely a fantastic start to the season. I think the only concern I have moving forward is how Mindy and Danny’s relationship is going to play out by the finale. You never know with Kaling behind the script! In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy all of the scenes of Messina dancing in his underwear. I’m calling this now – a Messina dancing montage will pop up on the interwebz by the mid-season finale. Any talented Youtubers out there reading this – you know what to do.
Rating: 9/10
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As the Managing Editor, Lauren Stern is responsible for curating Pop-Break.com’s content. This includes managing the editorial staff, coordinating the content calendar, and assigning publishing dates and deadlines. She graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Philosophy. She spends her free time searching for the best gluten-free food in the Tri-State area, playing with her dogs, and reading an insane amount of books. She tweets constantly about pop culture and social issues and hopes you follow her musings @laurenpstern.
