Danny’s finally back in this week’s episode of The Mindy Project, “The Lahiris and the Castellanos,” but his return doesn’t mean that things are suddenly back to being perfect with him and Mindy. In fact, tensions are higher than ever between the couple, as they try to deal with their respective families and plan their wedding. And although the reappearance of Danny doesn’t lead to the Season 4’s funniest or most cohesive episode (this is a very, very busy 22 minutes of television), it does give The Mindy Project a welcome injection of energy, forcing Mindy to be open and honest with Danny about her problems, even as he struggles to see things from her point of view.
What makes “The Lahiris and the Castellanos” such as a satisfying episode of The Mindy Project is that it finally deals with problems that have been boiling for the past few weeks while Danny has been away in California. Despite Danny’s insistence, Mindy has never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom; his intentions of giving Leo a full and vibrant family at home are good and noble, but they also come at the cost of Mindy’s dreams and goals. Both of them have valid points, and this isn’t an easy conflict to work through, which is why I greatly appreciate that The Mindy Project doesn’t resolve all of Mindy and Danny’s issues by episode’s end.
While Mindy and Danny’s disagreement over her returning to work is certainly a major hurdle for them to overcome as a couple, it’s also a small part of a much larger problem. Like many great romantic stories that have come before it, The Mindy Project is about how two very different people with very distinct and unique outlooks on life are able to come together and grow into the best versions of themselves. But this process isn’t always an easy one; it’s challenging and tiring and almost all-consuming, making it very easy to get lost in the thick of it and give up what makes you truly “you.”
Therein lies the what’s wrong with Mindy and Danny right now: Danny, through all of his decisions with Leo, and even to some extent with the wedding in this week’s episode, is preventing Mindy from being her truest self, her best self. This isn’t intentional on Danny’s part; he’s not trying to lessen or hurt the woman he loves. However, Danny’s inability to see past what’s most important to himself, to selfishly wrap Mindy into his own beliefs and philosophies instead of working together with her to create new ones for their family, is his one key flaw.
It’s not that Danny doesn’t view Mindy as a strong, working woman, or that he honestly believes that she can’t juggle multiple things at once while raising their son. Simply put, Mindy returning to work doesn’t fit with Danny’s overall vision, and he needs to become more flexible and accepting of the constant curveballs that life throws his way, learning to embrace the exciting and frightening changes that come with it. The reason that he tells Mindy that he doesn’t recognize their relationship anymore is because their connection has evolved into something different, but also just as special. Danny just needs to open his eyes (and put on his signature Danny Castellano glasses) to realize that fact.
Other thoughts:
- I didn’t mention it above, but everything involving Danny’s mom and Mindy’s parents was terrific. I really hope we see them interact more throughout this season.
- Annette wanting be there for Mindy for all the wedding preparations was a super sweet story, and its callback to Danny’s previous marriage with Christina was very much appreciated.
- Danny’s middle names are all four of the Gospels, because of course they are.
- It would be so easy for The Mindy Project to act like Danny’s return home fixes everything, and I really respect Mindy Kaling and the rest of the show’s creative team for challenging its main couple. Mindy and Danny have gone through a lot of change over the past year, and to simply have them jump right into a happy, no-problems-at-all marriage wouldn’t be honest.
- “Wow, this looks nice. It looks like the kind of place Indiana Jones would just pop out of a basket.”
- “Sonu might be my mom, but you’re my ma.”
What did you think of this week’s episode of The Mindy Project? Comment below and let me know.
[Photo credit: Jordan Althaus/NBC]
