Now this is the kind of relationship stuff we need to see in the early days of The Mindy Project’s third season. This awkward, ‘getting to know you’ stuff that all couples face, it’s what fleshes out the central relationship and makes Danny and Mindy into a believable, solid couple. “I Slipped” is proof that The Mindy Project doesn’t need to rely solely on its big-name guest stars to keep it going.
Mindy and Danny are in the boudoir when Danny surprises Mindy with… well, let’s call it a slip. Mindy is outraged that Danny went there without asking, and is dubious about his ‘I slipped!’ excuse. After seeking advice from her “most perverted friend” Peter, Mindy gets Danny to admit that he didn’t actually slip, and had just assumed that she’d gone to ‘fifth base’ before, considering the amount of guys that she’s dated. Mindy then becomes worried that she’s not sexually adventurous enough for Danny, and after getting some practical advice from Peter, and some sedatives from Morgan, she attempts round two at the back door. Unfortunately the sedative works a little too well, and she’s taken to the hospital, where Danny assures her that she is most definitely enough for him, and that he’s actually never done it before, he just wanted to try it out with her.
Meanwhile, the whole office has turned against Jeremy since he’s started dating Peter’s ex-girlfriend Lauren. Jeremy is terribly lonely, and realises that he’s perhaps paid too high a price for love. Morgan tries to ‘Parent Trap’ Peter and Jeremy, and sets up a surprise dinner which ends with Jeremy singeing Peter’s eyebrows off. The two agree to a truce in the workplace, but out of hours they are definitely not friends.
My problem with the central plot of the last couple of episodes is that those storylines should have occurred later in the season, when Danny and Mindy are more of an established couple. Perhaps they’ve been dating for months in the show’s timeline, but from our perspective, Danny and Mindy have been a couple for all of five minutes, and suddenly she’s meeting his mum and getting her ex (who she dumped so that she could be with Danny) to help her with her taxes. “I Slipped” feels like a step in the right direction: a problem contained within the relationship that makes them realise that they are still getting to know each other, and exposing their vulnerabilities. This is also the first episode where Mindy seems genuinely relatable again; her insecurities and self-deprecating awkwardness are what connect her to the audience – well, that and her penchant for stress-eating an entire roll of cookie dough.
Her relationship with Peter continues to go from strength to strength. The Mindy Project has undone a lot of its characterisation recently (mostly with the return of Douchebag Jeremy) but Peter and Mindy, who started out disliking each other, are now each other’s confidants. Adam Pally and Mindy Kaling have great comedic chemistry and also handle the sentimental moments really well.
The B-plot also took a step in the right direction this week, with Jeremy finally admitting his wrongdoing against Peter. Jeremy’s lack of remorse has been one of my pet hates about the whole storyline, and it’s nice to see the writers addressing it. Hopefully they keep it up and don’t just sweep this episode under the rug, because in “I Slipped” we saw aspects of season 2 Jeremy, who was a three-dimensional character and gave Ed Weeks more to work with. I hope that nice Jeremy comes out to play more as the season progresses. Tamra and Beverley are still underused; I just hope that The Mindy Project starts using more of its female players before they decide to pull a Zoe Jarman and jump ship.
Review Score: THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
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