GIF courtesy of @thehastiproject
Welcome to the world Baby Castellano! We’ve been waiting eight episodes to meet you, and at last you have arrived. That’s right, Mindy finally had her baby, in the most spectacularly emotional way possible – on a number 2 Subway train beneath Manhattan – with the unflinching support of Danny, who assured her that she is strong enough for the task of childbirth and motherhood.
This episode found Mindy and Danny clashing (not-surprisingly) over Mindy’s birth-plan. It turns out, Mindy has opted for a very posh C-Section delivery at the same hospital that delivered the babies of Tina Fey and Bethenny Frankel (Will Sheila Hamilton be her OB/GYN?). Danny has very different ideas, however, and would strongly prefer that Mindy deliver their baby naturally. When they are unable to resolve their disagreement, Danny turns to an unlikely ally, Brendan Deslaurier, who, along with his brother, is touting a new drug-free birthing method – “Paleo Birth: Stone-Age Health Care”. Brendan provides Danny with a copy of his new book, which suggests natural ways to induce childbirth, including, among other things booze and sex.
Elsewhere, Mindy and Morgan are still working hard on the Lahiri Fertility Clinic and their new enterprise – Later Baby! – Egg freezing for millennials. They’ve got a booth at the Manhattan Fertility Expo, they’ve got merch (including frisbees made in the U.S. of Chernobyl) and they’ve got a trendy sales pitch featuring all the recent slang, but they’re one-upped by the Deslauriers who have a “hella compelling” new commercial featuring Brooke Burke, and warning of the dangers of “Big Fertility.”
Unfortunately for Mindy (fortunately for us!) it is on a subway car beneath Penn Station, while travelling to the Fertility Expo, that Baby Boy Castellano decides to make his grand debut. And the Deslauriers are there to assist – Brendan providing the coaching (mantras! sage!) and Duncan providing musical accompaniment (a stirring rendition of I’ve Been Working on the Railroad). It is Danny who is able to finally convince Mindy that she has what it takes to deliver the baby naturally, however, as he rushes onto the subway car just in time.
The last three minutes of this episode were so surprising and special, as Danny assures Mindy that she is the strongest person he knows: “I am terrified, but the only thing that calms me down is knowing that I’m doing this with someone that’s stronger than I am.” I cannot praise Mindy Kaling and Chris Messina enough for their acting here. Mindy is so convincing in the role of laboring mother, and Messina’s line delivery had me in tears. Only he can make the line “you’re a stone cold bitch” the most romantic declaration I’ve ever heard.
And so, finally, we meet Mindy and Danny’s son, Leo ( named for Leonardo DiCaprio or Leonardo da Vinci depending on which parent you ask). I cannot wait to see how Mindy and Danny each approach the role of parenting. And I am particularly excited to see what a fashion forward little guy he’ll be!
This episode also saw the return of the supporting cast members we missed in Episode 1 – including Beth Grant as Beverly, Xosha Roquemore as Tamra and Ed Weeks as Jeremy. Jeremy was featured prominently in the episode, as he tried to to convince his co-workers to join he and his new girlfriend, Whitney, for dinner at “the restaurant where the guy breaks up with his phone plan in the new Verizon commercial.” Jeremy does not succeed, as, inexplicably, none of his friends are interested in a free meal. And just as he’s conned Danny into joining him, Mindy goes into labor. Jeremy resorts to hiring a dinner companion to prove that he’s not a “weird loser with no friends”. This plotline was a little weak for my taste, but I assume it’s setting us up for something down the line, so I’ll let it slide. Especially since the rest of the episode was so fulfilling.
Favorite one-liners:
…and ISIS! – Duncan Deslaurier
Alcohol? I tried to have a sip of your beer last month, you called me Casey Anthony. – Mindy to Danny
How do you know I’m not pregnant? I’m late! – Beverly
I’m starting to feel a little bad that I ever messed with your birth control in the first place. – Morgan
A subway baby?! You’re gonna be on the Ellen show! – Tamra
Save my money and spend his. – Mindy’s mantra
I’m Ma. – Mindy
The Mindy Project returns Tuesday. Be sure to follow @TheGameofNerds on Twitter and join us for our live-tweet at 6:30pm PST/9:30pm EST!
