THE MINDY PROJECT: “Mindy and Nanny” recap

One of the (many) things that I like about The Mindy Project is how it’s able to portray realistic issues in a funny yet truthful way. This episode is no exception, tackling the relatable subject of dealing with your mother-in-law even when she pushes just that little bit too much…

I am Beyoncé Pad Thai: With last episode focusing on Danny and Morgan, the spotlight is back on Mindy as we see her balance being a working single mom. Luckily she has her future mother-in-law helping her out…well lucky if you like being (literally) vacuumed awake at 5:45am, her barging in while you’re in the shower, constantly criticizing you (which includes the taste of your breast milk!), hanging her cured meats inside your apartment (along with your laundry), plastic wrapping your furniture and turning your home into a religious shrine. At her wit’s end, Mindy has been looking into getting a nanny so she can let Annette go. The first candidate seems perfect – 20 years of experience, British – until she reveals her fee is $20 000 a month. Next candidate is an older, firm European woman and the next few candidates are no dice. It seems all hope is lost until in walks Clara, a young woman who loves children, believes in using organic and non-toxic products, has her own homemade children’s clothing online business and more importantly, loves to bake. Yay! With a nanny found, Mindy gently breaks the news to Annette over dinner and presents her with two cruise tickets for her and Dot as a thank you gift. Mindy thinks it’s all good between them, until she gets served by a Don Castellano with papers – Annette is suing her for slave labour! Clara turns out to not be the perfect nanny though when it’s discovered she’s been using Leo as her poster child for the anti-vaccine themed onesies she sells. When she and Mindy get into a debate, that’s the end of Nanny Clara and Mindy is left with no one to look after Leo. It’s not until later that night, Mindy realises that as frustrating Annette is, by looking after Leo, Grandma Castellano is also looking after Mindy, and so she treks it to Staten Island with baby in tow to grovel.

Mischief with Morgan: As Mindy’s faithful servant, Morgan is in charge of setting up nanny interviews for Mindy this week. Of course Morgan tries to sneak himself in as a candidate, ala Mrs Doubtfire style, but Mindy is on to him of course.

The Gang’s All Here: Jeremy is known for holding big “important” office meetings (Kind of reminds me of Michael Scott from The Office in that sense, which Mindy Kaling fans will know is where she wrote and starred in before The Mindy Project) and this week it’s about gauze. (Anyone else crack up over seeing Beverly sleeping on Morgan during this meeting? Haha!) But when Jer’s girlfriend, Whitney, drops by to go to lunch early, he drops everything for her, leaving the rest of the team especially Jody, unimpressed. (As much as I love the show, I have a small issue with how they are dumbing down the characters quite a bit. What happened to the cad Mindy was hooking up with in the Pilot? I’m all for character growth, but this seems extreme…) When Jody realises that Tamra knows something about Whitney, he manages to coax it out of her and then calls her and Mindy into his office for a little meeting, complete with refreshments (drinking scotch out of mason jars with a straw!), because he’s a Southern guy and “no matter is so urgent that there isn’t time for a little civility.” Unfortunately for him, these two are not much help and he ends up paying a visit to Whitney at work to settle the matter. Next thing you know, he’s kissing her and we later learn they did more than make out! When it’s time to admit the truth to Jeremy, Jody brings Leo with him to soften the blow after Mindy leaves the baby with him when she gets called away to a delivery.

The Ballad of Mindy and Danny: With Danny away, Mindy has taken to sleeping with piles of junk food on his side of the bed. She does reveal to Annette that she and Danny have video chat sex though. With him texting Mindy about Leo wearing Clara’s onesie being the only time we hear from Danny this episode, his absence is definitely felt this week. We hope he’s back next episode!

Say It Again!:

• “Best of all, no one tells you what to do unless your future mother-in-law has descended upon your home like a biblical plague.” – It’s tough for Mindy to co-exist with Danny’s mom, Annette.
• “Here’s the deal brother, when you’re in love, you do whatever the girl wants. I have given a first date a kidney on more than one occasion.” – Morgan Tookers: Love Guru.
• “No comment. Don’t mind me. Whistle, whistle, whistle.” – Tamra has learnt her lesson from last time to mind her own business.
• “Child is like mule. It must be raised then broken.” – Nanny candidate #2.
• “I used to have an online business. I sold my toenail clippings to a pervert in Idaho.” – How have we never heard about this former business of Mindy’s until now?
• “Leo has a little cold, so I’m spending the night. Buy some sheets on the way home, all of yours reek of sin.” – Classic Annette text.
• “Oh my god. Every time you talk it takes so long that I literally die and turn into a skeleton, so please just tell me what’s going on.” – Mindy just wants Jody to cut to the chase.
• “Doing cocaine once doesn’t make someone a coke head. Don’t jump to conclusions. I hit a bicyclist once with my car. Does it make me a murderer? I have no idea, I drove off.” – We really hope Mindy was just embellishing with this tale!
• “I am not being served because that is not my three orders of panang curry, triple cream, no veg.” – Mindy doesn’t get the concept of being served at first.
• “Castellano’s an attorney? Where’d you get your degree? Canoli State?” – Mindy’s not intimidated by lawyer Don Castellano.
• “Lawyers are for guilty people, like thieves and Edward Snowden.” – We can always count on Mindy for a good pop culture reference!
• “You know what? People are always bagging on millennials and saying how great the elderly are, but they’re not. They can’t drive, they give terrible award show speeches and they ruin Facebook.” – Mindy Lahiri: Team Millenial captain
• “I’m so glad I found a cool fresh faced young woman to take care of my son because he deserves a cool young nanny who has never had a landline and who only knows the Chris Pratt version of Jurassic Park.” – Thanks Mindy, now I feel old…
• “Are you kidding me? He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. After he cooks me dinner, he gives me a comment card on how he can improve.” – Whitney further proving just how whipped Jeremy is.
• “You want to pay me to break up with him? What are you? A dad in a Nicholas Sparks movie?” – Whitney’s response at Jody’s attempts to break them up.
• “I would never be friends with you. You’re an old lady like Britney Spears.” – Clara does not take well to being fired by Mindy.
• “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should find a woman I deserve. Quiet, plain, simple girl, maybe she’s gone mute since she witnessed a crime.” – Pretty sure that’s a movie, Jeremy.
• “No, I only love five people – Danny, Richie, Leo, Dot and the handsome one from Suits.” – Annette is convinced she does not love Mindy.

New episodes of The Mindy Project are released on Hulu every Tuesday.