Review: 'The Mindy Project' - 'Harry & Sally': I'll have what she's having
B.J. Novak steps in front of the camera as the series revisits romantic comedy territory
B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling in "The Mindy Project."
A quick review of last night's "The Mindy Project" coming up just as soon as I drive a motorcycle through a flaming hoop...
"Harry & Sally" returned to the theme of modeling your life on romantic comedies, which was a huge part of the pilot but has been largely ignored since, while the show has been casting about looking for a clear direction. And this did feel like the most focused episode in a while, as both the Mindy and Danny stories concluded with grand gestures cribbed from the movies, executed clumsily — though Mindiana Jones is just charming enough to work for Jamie, while Danny fails at playing Lloyd Dobler for Eyepatch. (And I like that Morgan was the distracting sidekick in both scenarios.) I'm not sure there's enough meat in the idea to make it the subject of an ongoing series, which is no doubt why the writers pushed away from it, but as the subject of an arc that puts BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling together on screen again? Why not?
I will say, though, that if I were Anna Camp and watching this episode, I'd be really ticked off that they writers gave Mindy a brand-new blonde best friend from college — even having the guys acknowledge that she has multiples — and then gave Mary Grill more comedy to play in this one episode than Camp got in all of her appearances. Maybe she can't do all of that slapstick (and I enjoyed the matter-of-factness of Mindy helping Maggie down the steps of her apartment), but she can definitely play more than she was given. But I liked Grill, and I continue to like Mark Duplass as Brendan. At a certain point, though, they need to let the regular and recurring cast settle down a bit, decide who's important, who's not, and how every character should be defined.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupBigTed
January 30, 2013 at 1:54PM EST Reply to CommentThe romantic comedy stuff got out of hand when everyone recommended that Danny make a "big gesture" to get Eyepatch back -- when it would be obvious to anyone with half a brain that all she was looking for was a little common courtesy. It made it seem as if the entire staff, not just Mindy, gets their ideas about relationships from movies rather than real life.
It might be funny in the future to pair Danny up with a woman who gets turned on by jerks. But in the meantime, some sort of douche intervention seems to be in order.
KC I thought it was out of character for Danny to take any advice from Mindy. Or Morgan and the secretary whose name I can't remember, for that matter. They're the most out-of-touch people in the office, and Danny actually listens to them? I wasn't buying it, even though I died laughing when Morgan asked about the "seadog."
January 30, 2013 at 6:36PM ESTJoe Ditto on the "seadog" line, KC. Morgan's bizarre comments almost always get me.
January 30, 2013 at 10:41PM ESTJaxemer11 They have no idea what to do with that character. He has been sympathetic at times, but then he is an asshole for about three episodes. You can't build a solid show when your characters are unsympathetic assholes.
January 30, 2013 at 11:15PM ESTFistOSalmon @jaxemer11: Seinfeld, The Job, Arrested Development, It's Always Sunny In Philidelphia...
January 30, 2013 at 11:43PM ESTJaxemer11 @Fistosalmon I should have said, you can't build a show like this around characters that are unsympathetic assholes. This show is a light-hearted comedy that edges towards being a romance. Danny just doesn't fit in with the style of the show. There was very little (if any) romance in the examples you listed. They were straight sarcastic comedies. I don't think you can have a romantic show and a primary character like Danny and have it succeed. He can be an asshole, but he has to be a regularly sympathetic one. That is the problem with the show, in my opinion. There just aren't any real sympathetic characters, except Mindy.
January 30, 2013 at 11:59PM ESTm
January 30, 2013 at 2:01PM EST Reply to CommentAs a single person, it drives me crazy when I hear happy couples whining about how boring they are. So I loved Mindy telling the couple who wears sweats and watches Netflix that they're insufferable scumbags.
M. Hight
January 30, 2013 at 2:03PM EST Reply to Commentkind of strange that there are so many broken limbs on the best friends - I know its a tier, but still.
an arm and a leg, one broken limb per blonde?
Haynie
January 30, 2013 at 2:05PM EST Reply to CommentI have to give them credit for a genuine "LOL" moment when Morgan busts into Novak's office as the pre-face-melted Nazi from "Raiders." The timing and just his so-happy-to-be-there-playing-this-Nazi expression nailed it.
Alan, I'm sure you have some thoughts about the Kelly Kapoor/Ryan Howard reunion. Do you think the show is far enough along, and Mindy's identity well-enough established, that they can successfully portray these new character in an original relationship? How much do you think trying NOT to replicate any Ryan/Kelly elements could stifle them creatively?
KC I'm certainly not Alan, but I had to comment on this because when I'm watching Mindy Project, I totally forget that she was once Kelly Kapoor. I'm not sure why that is ... I love Mindy Kaling but don't think she's some amazing actress who disappears into roles. Still, I never think of Kelly Kapoor on this show, so there's that :)
January 30, 2013 at 6:40PM ESTB
January 30, 2013 at 2:08PM EST Reply to CommentMorgan dressed as the SS officer killed me.
Guest1
January 30, 2013 at 2:08PM EST Reply to CommentThis show is rapidly becoming must not see TV. Not thrilled to see Office refugee BJ Novack back with Kaling and it appeared to be a move of desperation on the part of the producers.
E
January 30, 2013 at 2:21PM EST Reply to CommentI think there's a lot of comedy that could mined out of a character who's obsessed with movie romance, learning how to deal when the real-life version doesn't live up to expectations. Some of the series' best moments were when it took a romantic cliche--like the "if we're still single in 5 years" question, or the horse-drawn carriage ride--and went somewhere unexpected/dark with it. I also think there could be an interesting contrast between Mindy's viewpoint and that of Danny, who after recently getting out of a divorce and having lived the real-life, day-to-day version of a relationship and having his heart broken, has grown cynical. It's there, but not much has been done with it (or has been done sloppily). So I think there's potential in the concept--it's just not being executed very well yet. In the meantime, there are enough funny moments, and Mindy and Chris Messina are enjoyable enough to watch, I'm sticking with it.
Neeraj this is an excellent comment
January 30, 2013 at 2:45PM ESTJesse
January 30, 2013 at 2:33PM EST Reply to CommentI think the show is moving in the right direction. Mindy and Danny are good characters, and Morgan was a fantastic addition to the cast. I'd love to keep the Duplass brothers on as regulars but Mark's getting pretty popular these days.
I'm looking forward to a cast trim though. Anna Camp's character doesn't add much, the British doctor is just window dressing and the office staff is fine as long as they stay in the background.
The writing is getting more consistent though, and that's the key to a successful comedy.
Neeraj anna camp is hilarious but all the scenes with the blonde best friend are mindy acting really absurd (oh wait your daughter will need to spend the wknd with you?) when in reality a woman with that romantic comedy disposition would probably be the most doting and over-the-top (but also clueless) godmother ever.
January 30, 2013 at 2:48PM ESTOaktown Girl
January 30, 2013 at 4:07PM EST Reply to CommentI was disappointed that Mindy apologized to the BJ Novack character because he was the one in the wrong. It was obnoxious enough with merely his cell phone usage, but when he even put his hand up in front of her face and shhhhsh'd her, that was a bridge too far. Funny, yes, but she had every right to walk out at that point.
I'd find it more comedic if she was repeatedly with the *seriously* wrong-for-her guys rather than guys who just treated her disrespectfully.
Loved the way Eye Patch told Danny some truth about himself. @BigTed - "douche intervention seems to be in order." - LOL!
Neeraj agree. i don't want to get ad hominem but maybe it says something about the worldview of the writing staff that all the male coworkers (except the asexual bff-type Morgan) are jerks and mindy keeps falling in love with total jerks and when there is pain the show acts like she's the one in the wrong. wtf?
February 13, 2013 at 1:56PM ESTKyle
January 30, 2013 at 5:25PM EST Reply to CommentI think Morgan steals the show every time he is in a scene
Oaktown Girl To Alan or anybody who might know: Was Morgan always the plans, or was he brought in after Higher-Ups decided the extremely cranky borderline-psychotic elderly nurse from the pilot was not the long term answer? Thanks.
January 30, 2013 at 7:52PM ESTJayne I want Morgan to have romantic arc with Merritt Wever.
January 31, 2013 at 2:19AM ESTJames I agree with this - Morgan is the funniest character on a relatively unfunny series (thus far). But doesn't he seem to be an EXACT clone of Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt's character from Parks and Recreation?
January 31, 2013 at 7:56PM ESTSchmye Bubbula
January 30, 2013 at 9:47PM EST Reply to CommentGeorge Machen @SchmyeBubbula
.@lenadunham Eyepatch on The Mindy Project lost her eye patch tonight & with it the magic. Get her w/patch on Girls as Marnie's twin cousin.
11:14 PM - 29 Jan 13
...just have the character appear without fanfare and never, ever mention the eye patch!
CB
January 30, 2013 at 10:07PM EST Reply to CommentI agree about the show needing to decide who's important and who's not. Other than Mindy and Danny (and apparently Morgan, whom I find tedious rather than funny), it's not clear who we're supposed to care about and who's just there as background. I don't even really think Danny's character has been nailed down yet, and I'd like to see a couple episodes where he has a more prominent story.
I did like the Novak/Kaling reunion and thought it worked really well. Loved Novak as a sweet, dorky Latin teacher -- the polar opposite of his character on "The Office."
Also, I feel like I need to mention the scene from last week where Brendan was singing "Landslide" while Mindy was struggling in his shower. I actually really liked his version of the song, but he did it in the douchiest possible way...funniest moment of that episode for me.
Jaxemer11
January 30, 2013 at 11:13PM EST Reply to CommentI like Anna Camp. I hope they don't think writing her off the show is going to fix it (like they did with Steven Tobolowsky). Ryan is one of my favorite characters on the Office, but I did not find BJ Novak very funny (or even engaging) on this episode. If he sticks around, I hope they give him more of a personality. His sardonic wit on The Office was fantastic.
FistOSalmon
January 30, 2013 at 11:59PM EST Reply to CommentActually if I never saw Anna Camp again I'd be fine with it, I don't know that she's much more than a pretty face. I thought she was weak on True Blood and never came across as anything other than an uninterested performer on this show. Unless she's got something else she's working on that restricts her availability it seems the producers feel the same way, she breaks her arm an episode or two ago and suddenly there's a new (funnier) blonde college best friend with a fractured limb? Seems a little too coincidental.
I feel like they're working out who stays and who go's pretty well and once they work through the scripts they had ready at the beginning of the season you'll see the actors settle into a consistent line up of regular vs. reoccurring.
Kmarko She does have something else she's working on.
January 31, 2013 at 3:00PM ESTKmarko
January 31, 2013 at 3:01PM EST Reply to CommentUnfortunately, my Tivo decided it should record Raising Hope instead of this last night. Very odd.
Christine
February 1, 2013 at 10:24PM EST Reply to CommentThis was a great interview with BJ about this week's episode.
http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/01/29/bj-novak-mindy-project-the-office/