“The Mindy Project” focused on the primary friendship of the show after a very long time. Mindy and Morgan are the perfect oddball best friends, except most times you’d think Mindy doesn’t know it. Ever since the show started, Morgan is dedicated to Dr. L and all her antics. He knows her, he loves her, he doesn’t notice when she’s making fun of him, and he’s always by her side. Mindy is...well, let’s just say she takes advantage of Morgan’s availability and loyalty but you just know that deep down, she does care for him and appreciates him. Deep down.
I was glad that the penultimate episode of this season, “Mindy’s Best Friend,” actually shed light on, you know, Mindy’s best friend.
Min is excited because her old friend from school, Elena (Casey Wilson, only the third “Happy Endings” alum cast on the show) is moving back the United States from Germany after years. She can’t wait to reconnect with her and throws a big bash at her place so Elena can meet a man.
Ben invited Morgan, an action Mindy isn’t happy with. She didn’t want Morgan to be at a party meant to be filled with eligible bachelors for her friend. Jody and Mindy explain to Ben how Morgan is well-meaning and good to have around when needed but beyond that, not really. Plus, Jody continues, some people are only meant to be at certain kinds of parties. Ben is really surprised by this because he’s noticed how much he takes care of Dr. L. I mean, he put her birth control pills in her cheese cube so she doesn’t forget to take them. Aw, Morgan Tookers!
Mindy realizes she has no choice but to live with the fact that Morgan will be at this party. Elena, who’s also looking forward to meeting someone, is happy to be back in the States. At Mindy’s behest, she tries to form a connection with Jeremy because the only common denominator here is Europe. But we all know Jeremy. His idea of party talk to woo Elena is bringing up a castle seized during World War II that turned into a home for the insane.
Even Jody can’t impress Elena simply because he busts all her enthusiasm by bringing up how the U.S. can’t go to the moon anymore, anything can marry anything, and it’s now illegal to be a white man. All of this leads Elena to fall for the only man who seems normal to her at this party...dun, dun, dun, Morgan!
Mindy’s surprised by this progression and clearly not happy at how happy both of them are. She likes him because he’s happy and non-judgemental, the opposite of men in Germany. At a double date with them, Mindy happily blurts out to her that our Nurse Tookers is an ex-con. Morgan overhears her, is obviously ashamed and hurt, so he walks off. Elena leaves soon after. Ben is surprised, too, asking Mindy why she would do that?
She admits to him that she thought of Morgan more as a candelabra than a friend, then referring to Ben as Belle when he asked what she thought of him. Why? Because he reads books.
Mindy goes to Morgan and Colette’s apartment when she and her girlfriend Karen yell at her for hurting Morgs. Never mind because the two are about to make up anyway! She confesses to him atop his bunk bed that she’s always assumed Morgan would be less happy than her so she could count on him being there for her. “You’re my best friend,” she tells him. We know, Mindy, we know. And, of course, he has been carrying around a BFF necklace with him and makes her wear it.
Another important development this episode was Karen spotting Ben at a jewelry store, possibly shopping for an engagement ring? The news quickly spreads in the office, leading to Tamra’s epic dialogue about the four rules of good gossip: who, what, where, and whoa!
Through the grapevine, Ben hears about this and confronts Colette, Karen, and Tamra who I’d like to call the gutsy gossip mongers. He tells them he was at the store returning his ex-wife’s ring and not buying one for Min. He instructs them to stop this rumor before it reaches Mindy and freaks her out. To contain the damage, the trio starts spreading even worse rumors to cover up this one.
Later that night, after her talk with Morgan, which also involved marrying Ben someday, Mindy talks to him about a potential wedding. She doesn’t want to get married, she tells him. She likes where they are now -- two parents, Ben with Lindsay and Mindy with Leo -- who get along and are in a successful, happy relationship. Ben’s okay with it, he tells her. When they turn around to sleep, Ben flashes back to the jewelry store, where he wasn’t there for the ex-wife’s ring like he told Tamra and co. He was, indeed, buying Mindy an engagement ring with assistance from his daughter Lindsay! Whoops.
I can see why Mindy doesn’t want to marry. Season 4’s first half focused on her upcoming nuptials with Danny and that ended in big, red flames. She was deeply hurt. Her excited parents were hurt. Plus, Danny remarried, remember? Either way, isn’t it too soon for them to be getting married. They just got back.
Ben may be insecure or he might just be so sure about Mindy but, hopefully, they can sort it out. Although, they don’t have much time!
The season finale is upon us, folks. Season 5 ends this Tuesday. It really isn’t enough time to wrap this story, or stories from this show, up. That’s why I hope it doesn’t turn out to be the series finale. Hulu should pick it up for a season 6 or at least a final, shortened final season so we can tie a nice bow to end the show.
What did you think of this episode? Will you be okay if the show ends with this season's finale? Or would you want another dose of Mindy Lahiri and gang, along with returning faces like Danny Castellano or Peter Prentice? Let us know in the comments.
