GIF courtesy of @thehastiproject
Before we launch into a re-cap of the latest episode of The Mindy Project, I have to get one thing out of the way – I miss Danny. This week was the third episode in row without an appearance by actor Chris Messina, whose shooting schedule was moved up so he can film a movie with Ben Affleck, and while the show continues to deliver the jokes, the heart of the show – Mindy and Danny’s relationship – is missing. My understanding and/or hope is that the next episode will usher in the return of Danny, as the show shifts to a new character arc.
This episode focused primarily on the friendship between Mindy and new doctor Jody Kimbell-Kinney. When the moms at music class reveal to Mindy that they’re all competing for prime spots at the Little Doorways Academy for Ethical Children, Mindy wants in. She loves exclusive things, after all, and an elite pre-school is the most exclusive of things. The admissions office wants to meet Leo’s dad, however, and with Danny a country away in California, Mindy turns to her co-workers to fill in. Jeremy is busy and Morgan is an unappealing option, so Jody it is! Jody is charming at Parents’ Night and assists Mindy in securing an all-important home visit, as the director agrees to fast-track Leo’s application.
Elsewhere, Jody’s sister-in-law, Ann-Marie, is in town. We learned previously that Jody had an affair with Ann-Marie, and here he schemes to make her jealous by asking Mindy to pretend she is his girlfriend. The three go to dinner together, but Ann-Marie is not convinced that Mindy and Jody are actually in a relationship. After she accuses Mindy of being a high-class prostitute, the jig is up. Mindy eventually leaves and Jody and Ann-Marie have a heart-to-heart, Ann-Marie explaining that she will never leave her husband.
The next morning, Mindy is preparing for the home-visit when a heartbroken and drunk Jody shows up. Mindy is unsuccessful in hiding him, and the admissions officer is suspicious. To save matters, Mindy rushes Jody to the shower, where she literally tries to spray him with water and knock some sense into him. It works, but both Jody and Mindy are forced to admit that they don’t really want the thing that they’re pining for. Mindy comes to the realization that Leo will be okay in public school. The elite private preschool is too expensive anyway.
Favorite one-liners:
Leo needs to go, he keeps pinching the other babies’ butts. – Derek the music teacher
Doesn’t he want Leo to go to like the Immaculate Academy of the Sacred Meatball or whatever? – Tamra
Cry not for mother, books are your parents now. – Jeremy singing his school song
Exsqueeze me? That is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me. Thank you. – Mindy on being called an escort
Did you know that Bill Clinton’s wife is running for President? I didn’t! – Mindy
