“The Mindy Project” gave us exactly zero episodes to witness Dr. Lahiri as a single woman. In “Margaret Thatcher,” the third episode of season 5, Mindy kicks off an adorable romance with Nurse Ben, Jeremy shows us his freaky no-eyebrow side, and we see an actual, emotional connection between the Kimball-Kenney siblings.
As the episode begins, we realize that despite the nurses still on strike, Mindy has some informal and unspoken arrangement with Ben. She calls him over every time Leo has an issue, one she can easily solve, like having raisins up his nose. They decide to keep this a secret because of the ongoing warfare between the doctors and the nurses. The former do not support the latter joining a union and getting an increased (in this case, a super fair) wage.
This secret becomes increasingly difficult to keep when, you know, the nurses are egging the doctors in protest. Plus, Ben (kind of correctly) assumes that Mindy keeps calling him over because she is attracted to him, a fact she denies. This doesn’t do her much good because cute nurse Ben decided to go in for that kiss.
When he leaves her house, he is spotted by Morgan, who has taken another job as a dog walker and decides that even if he cannot really talk to Mindy, nothing is stopping him from walking by his ex-best friend/mentor’s house. Since it was Ben’s idea that nurses and doctors don’t mingle during the strike and he even tells Colette not to invite Jody to her party, Morgan becomes pissed at him for breaking his own rules.
As for the doctor’s, they are falling apart without the nurses. Jeremy becomes increasingly hyper about his position as the mediator and has taken up smoking in the stock room. Jody struggles with what to do about missing Colette’s birthday and secretly orders a golf-themed cake for her. He even sneaks into her party dressed as a cowboy and the two seem genuinely happy to see each other. It’s the first time the duo made me smile! As her brother curls her hair, Colette blurts out about Dr. L giving Ben the goods. Naturally, this hurts Jody because Mindy rejected being with him.
He arrives at Jeremy’s to give him the news, which causes the Brit to have a heart attack. At the hospital, he decides he cannot continue being the leader for the doctors. Jody obviously cannot do it because he will easily give into his sister’s demand. This leaves Dr. L as their hero. The next day, when the nurses and doctors meet to sign the final agreement, Mindy texts Ben at the last second to tell him not to give in and reveals how the doctors have reached their limit, with Jer’s heart attack and all.
Thanks to her change of heart, the nurses get all their demands met and even have a triumphant return to work. As for the newbie couple, Ben wants to thank Mindy for her help and admits he has been thinking about their kiss. Mindy denies it, refusing to even acknowledge it happened. Ben, being the cutie he is, leans in to remind her and they make out right on the sidewalk as a creepy Morgan and his dogs look on.
I’ll admit it, though, that as much as I want to see a single Mindy Lahiri conquer the world, I do like her with Ben. He is stable, not too demanding, has a good guy thing going on. I hope they give us a slow burn with these two, especially since he also has a 13-year-old. Plus, I will always hope that they somehow revive the mess that is now Danny Castellano.
What did you think of this episode? I also thought Mindy and co. give some of their finest one-liners this episode. Here are some of my favorites:
Ben: I don’t want to fight. It’s clear we are on opposite sides of this. I think we should be paid a living wage. You think that we’re commies that need to go back to Russia. Agree to disagree. Just please don't say anything.
Mindy: Yeah, I’ll keep your precious secret Jason Bourne.
Mindy: Can you believe these nurses? Asking for more money for the same job they’ve done for years? Who do they think they are? The cast of “The Big Bang Theory?”
Beverly: Business is bad and Schulman can’t go under. It’s the only job that forgot to do my background check.
Jody: This is the longest I’ve been apart from her [Colette] since I caught her from betwixt mother’s thighs.
Colette: Without Jody to curl my hair, I’m a monster. Yesterday, someone thought I was a Hemsworth brother.
Mindy: My nanny called. Leo has a raisin stuck up his nose. This is why I like a fruit-free home.
Mindy: I’d like three pepperoni slices blended into a smoothie. I’m juicing.
Jeremy: Hold on a second. Cowboy hat, Bettie Page handstamp. You were at Colette’s birthday. I thought I saw you on the back of some Instas. I assumed it was maybe Jane Lynch.
Mindy: Sorry I gave you a heart attack.
Jeremy: That’s okay. I kind of knew it was coming from the moment I met you.
Mindy: I just need to sit there and be quiet? I’m hella good at that. That’s why I’m such a good peeping Tom.
Tamra: Unemployed people just talk about cold brew and “Mr. Robot” all day. It’s awful.
Mindy: I guess I’m not the rich, entitled princess you thought I was. I’m more like the hooker with a heart of gold and a hot bod.
Morgan: Those two are falling in love. I’m talking to a dog. Everyone’s happy.
