It’s very evident at the end of “Dinner at the Castellanos” that The Mindy Project is shifting into unchartered territory. We started out with a show about a young, professional woman trying to “get her life together”, and here we are, two and a half seasons later, and she’s pregnant, pursuing her professional dreams and is truly happy. So, with The Mindy Project’s original goal seemingly accomplished, where does it head now? I may not be able to entirely predict the direction that the show’s heading in, but I love how we’re getting there.
Mindy is definitely pregnant, as the 30 home pregnancy tests that she’s taken have proved (aside from the one negative, a popsicle stick that she drew a minus on). She is finding it hard to tell Danny, and plans a romantic getaway for the two, so that after “a day of pretending to enjoy reading and fresh air”, she can tell him the big news. Her plan in thwarted when Danny’s estranged father (guest star Dan Hedaya) and his daughter “Little” Dani Castellano, make a surprise visit to New York after Little Dani gets suspended for slapping her teacher. Mindy accidentally tells Annette Castellano (guest star Rhea Perlman, continuing to be fantastic) that Papa Castellano is in town, and Annette invites them all to dinner.
It’s obvious once they’re there that Annette wants to get back at Danny’s father for leaving her, and brings her new boyfriend Dr Ledreau to the dinner to prove that she’s doing fine. Mindy is desperate to be included in what Danny calls a “family matter” – which is fair enough considering that she’s got a little Castellano in her – even murdering eels to attempt to fit in. Mindy is outraged when Danny, without consulting her, agrees to take in Little Dani for a while. Mindy correctly guesses that Dani is acting out to get what she wants, but when Dani slaps her, Mindy declares “never slap a slapper!” and slaps the twelve year old right back. Danny kicks her out of the dinner, but it’s Annette who sides with her. Annette quickly guesses that Mindy is pregnant, and runs back inside to give both Danny and his father a severe dressing down, inadvertently revealing to Danny that he’s going to be a father. Danny rushes all over Manhattan to find Mindy, eventually finding her at the hospital, and proclaims his joy at the fact that they’re going to be a family.
At the beginning of the third season I was worried that with so much focus on Danny and Mindy’s relationship, we were going to fall into the classic sitcom pattern of the relationship going through minor troubles throughout the season, only to culminate in a break up in the finale. Instead, we have seen Mindy and Danny essentially move in together, start a long-distance relationship, and now, deal with an unplanned pregnancy. All of this is far more interesting than the classic sitcom relationship drama. The Mindy Project has taken all of the sit-com and rom-com rules and tossed them out the window, instead doing things its own way. I don’t even mind that The Mindy Project is now nothing like the show it promised to be. It’s evolved into something new, something better, and it doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
Review Score: FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Mindy Project screens in Australia on Channel 7
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