The Mindy Project is one of the comedies turning Tuesday night into a multi-network must-see comedy night. Created by and starring Mindy Kaling (who was a writer on The Office, where she also played the crazy Kelly Kapoor), the show's first few episodes have been witty, charming, and self-effacing, much like Mindy herself. And on a personal note, it's always nice to see an Indian person on TV whose sole comedic purpose isn't to talk with a funny accent or lend color to the surroundings.
Kaling plays Mindy Lahiri, a thirtysomething OB-Gyn in New York who is obsessed with romantic comedies and wishes her life would resemble Sleepless in Seattle. She works in a small practice owned by a Dr. Shulman (the dependably funny Stephen Tobolowsky) and her fellow colleagues are Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina, who you may recognize from The Newsroom) and Jeremy Reed (played by British actor, Ed Weeks). Danny is a grumpy Italian man, annoyed by Mindy's constant wittering about romantic comedy tropes. The two of them bicker constantly and are also trying to figure out who will inherit the practice once Dr. Shulman retires. In stark contrast, Jeremy is a footloose and fancy-free Englishman who has occasional "bedroom dates" with Mindy.
Sound familiar? The set-up is very reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary, with our heroine fooling around with the roguish cad but eventually falling in love with the man she thought she could not stand. If you eschew Bridget Jones for her Victorian counterpart, then Mindy is Elizabeth Bennet, Danny is Darcy, and Jeremy is the nefarious Mr. Wickham. But unlike Wickham or Daniel Cleaver, Jeremy isn't really taking advantage of Mindy - they're very clear that what they have is an "arrangement" and not a relationship. Kaling has clearly started her series off on a solid romcom footing and I look forward to seeing how her interactions with these men continue to evolve. Already, the dalliances with Jeremy have ceased because she has found a sports attorney named Josh who might be her love interest for a while.
What is much more fascinating is Mindy's relationship with Danny. Last week's episode, titled "Danny Castellano is my Gynecologist" was an utterly hilarious 22 minutes featuring an escalating power play between the two characters. Danny claims that he could be Mindy's gynecologist because he has no personal relationship with her and can treat her just like any other patient. Mindy decides to call his bluff and almost has to back down after the initial patient questionnaire which features a fascinating exchange as she tries to avoid Danny's probing questions about her lifestyle. However, she gets a pep talk from some friends, strengthens her resolve, and returns to Danny for the physical exam. At this point, he's the one who is thoroughly embarassed, and finally he has to give up, unable to even do a breast exam without breaking a cold sweat.
The Mindy Project is further proof that "women can be funny," which is still a contentious statement despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Kaling was bizarre and hilarious on The Office and NBC showed extremely poor judgement by not picking up this series when they had the chance. However, regardless of which network she's on, Mindy Kaling continues to write brilliant episodes of television that showcase her talent and deliver pure entertainment.
Kaling plays Mindy Lahiri, a thirtysomething OB-Gyn in New York who is obsessed with romantic comedies and wishes her life would resemble Sleepless in Seattle. She works in a small practice owned by a Dr. Shulman (the dependably funny Stephen Tobolowsky) and her fellow colleagues are Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina, who you may recognize from The Newsroom) and Jeremy Reed (played by British actor, Ed Weeks). Danny is a grumpy Italian man, annoyed by Mindy's constant wittering about romantic comedy tropes. The two of them bicker constantly and are also trying to figure out who will inherit the practice once Dr. Shulman retires. In stark contrast, Jeremy is a footloose and fancy-free Englishman who has occasional "bedroom dates" with Mindy.
Sound familiar? The set-up is very reminiscent of Bridget Jones's Diary, with our heroine fooling around with the roguish cad but eventually falling in love with the man she thought she could not stand. If you eschew Bridget Jones for her Victorian counterpart, then Mindy is Elizabeth Bennet, Danny is Darcy, and Jeremy is the nefarious Mr. Wickham. But unlike Wickham or Daniel Cleaver, Jeremy isn't really taking advantage of Mindy - they're very clear that what they have is an "arrangement" and not a relationship. Kaling has clearly started her series off on a solid romcom footing and I look forward to seeing how her interactions with these men continue to evolve. Already, the dalliances with Jeremy have ceased because she has found a sports attorney named Josh who might be her love interest for a while.
What is much more fascinating is Mindy's relationship with Danny. Last week's episode, titled "Danny Castellano is my Gynecologist" was an utterly hilarious 22 minutes featuring an escalating power play between the two characters. Danny claims that he could be Mindy's gynecologist because he has no personal relationship with her and can treat her just like any other patient. Mindy decides to call his bluff and almost has to back down after the initial patient questionnaire which features a fascinating exchange as she tries to avoid Danny's probing questions about her lifestyle. However, she gets a pep talk from some friends, strengthens her resolve, and returns to Danny for the physical exam. At this point, he's the one who is thoroughly embarassed, and finally he has to give up, unable to even do a breast exam without breaking a cold sweat.
The Mindy Project is further proof that "women can be funny," which is still a contentious statement despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. Kaling was bizarre and hilarious on The Office and NBC showed extremely poor judgement by not picking up this series when they had the chance. However, regardless of which network she's on, Mindy Kaling continues to write brilliant episodes of television that showcase her talent and deliver pure entertainment.
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