“The Mindy Project” really found its groove with this week’s episode. In fact, it’s probably one of the best in recent times. The storyline was coherent. The one-liners were absolutely brilliants. The dialogue delivery was pretty on-point. If this episode is an indication of what's to come in the show's final season, we are in for a ride!
Let’s dive into the details of everything that happened in “May Divorce Be With You.”
The episode picks up with Mindy and Cliff, her ex-boyfriend and current divorce lawyer (only Dr. L can be in a situation like this one). Their encounter is incredibly funny to observe, mainly because it is chock-full of comebacks. Glenn Howerton has nailed down the whole facial expression game.
At work, everyone is worried that Mindy may be falling apart emotionally. They bring her a divorce cake and everything! Mindy insists she’s okay with divorcing Ben because they weren’t meant to be but decides to eat the whole cake, anyway. Things start picking up for her when Peter visits, announcing that Lauren (now sporting a disturbing perm) has got a job in the city now so they're moving back.
This is awesome news because it hopefully means Adam Pally will be sticking around. Peter decides to uplift Mindy's spirits by throwing her an office karaoke party. Also, his family will be staying at her apartment. You see, they're finding it tough to make friends in their Trump Tower condo because they don't speak Russian! (heh).
Dr. L meets her family for dinner where she meets Parvati, her younger brother Rishi's girlfriend. She accidentally eats the engagement ring he had hidden for his girlfriend. Yikes. Later that night, while speaking to Rishi, the siblings realize how their roles have reversed. He's the successful one now and in a stable relationship.
Despite all of this, Mindy is still happy with her life right now. The whole thing doesn't last too long because she learns that Ben wants half of everything she owns.
Jeremy, meanwhile, has been transforming back to the earlier seasons version of himself i.e. he has become quite the playboy. Anna overhears him describing his romps to Jody and yes, things get awkward. When Jody learns that Anna wanted to possibly reconcile with Jeremy, he rightly tells his friend that he’s an idiot for not taking her back.
Anna meets Peter for the first time and learns he’s moving back to the city but is jobless. She offers her position at Shulman & Associates to him. She wants to leave because it’s too tough for her to be around Jeremy. Peter then gives the same advice to Jeremy, which is that he should be with Anna, the two are perfectly weird together!
Talking about weird couples, Tamra tells Morgan sleeping together was a mistake and maybe she wasn’t attracted to him after all. Later, she texts him to come over. She saw a plus size mannequin and that reminded her of him.
At the karaoke party, Anna (with a broken nose thanks to Lauren) and Mindy have a heart to heart about their romantic complications. Dr. L encourages Anna to not give up on her relationship by leaving. Anna suggests Mindy talk to Ben directly about the divorce negotiations, despite Cliff's advise against it. This is when we get our first Danny-related hint in the episode. Mindy tells Anna that the reason she's okay going through her divorce is that she didn't truly love Ben. "Trust me," she tells her friend, "it's a lot harder to break up with someone you really love."
Anna ceases the moment and rushes to the stage to sing for Jeremy. He joins her and just like that, the two of them kiss and reunite. I’m so happy because if anyone deserves some good loving on this show, it’s Jeremy! I think Anna is probably the most perfect match for him.
Mindy decides to go and speak with Ben directly. At the hospital, instead of the soon-to-be ex, she bumps into his daughter Lindsay. The two of them have always had a good bond so they have a pretty open discussion about Ben asking for half of everything. Mindy realizes two things here. 1) Ben already has a girlfriend, Vanessa, who runs reality at MTV. 2) If giving up half of what she owns means a better education for Lindsay, Mindy is okay with it.
The next day, she walks happily into Cliff’s office saying she’s doesn't mind the settlement but he tells her Ben has backed off. He’s impressed that Mindy approached the daughter, assuming she did it on purpose. For now, they’re both glad things are moving smoothly. That’s when Cliff drops a pretty big bomb on Dr. L: Danny is also getting a divorce (!!!) and it’s not going as easily.
If Mindy’s shocked but excited reaction is any indication, it means some sort of reunion or at least a resolution of sorts on the Mindy-Danny love story and I am so ready for it. I’ve missed my dose of Chris Messina aka Danny Castellano aka Diamond Dan. We know he’s here to stay for multiple episodes so I will take that as a good sign.
For now, brace yourselves. Here are some (many) of the greatest one-liners from this episode.
1. Cliff: “Why would you want me to represent you? I actively dislike you. All my girlfriends think you made me hate women, which is completely ridiculous. My mom made me hate women.”
2. Mindy: “We weren’t even that married. I barely had time to let myself go.”
3. Jody: “Is divorce necessary? What if I find Ben a mistress or I prescribe you some opium?
4. Jody: "That was the gin talking. Of course, you should get back together with Anna. Now that’s the bourbon talking. Always trust the bourbon. Now let’s see what Mr. Jose Cuervo has to say."
5. Anna (to Peter): "Who are you, again? You have the entitlement of a guy who works here but the demeanor of a guy who gets injured in a viral video."
6. Mindy: "I’m sorry my apartment isn’t as palatial as your Texas mansion but I will say this, the rats are starting to eat the cockroaches so we barely have any cockroaches."
7. Peter: "When I was Mindy’s OB-GYN, she was used to call me Pappa Smurf."
Anna: "I’m very happy to say I don’t know what that means."
8. Mindy: "I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a great son. I have a great job. Will & Grace is back and bitchier than ever. Life is good."
9. Peter: "You’re a weird guy, as you’ve just proved by referring to yourself as a tit, but that’s what’s great about you. And if you can find a weird girl whose weirdness matches up with your weirdness, I wouldn’t let that go." (PS: this is possibly the smartest thing Peter has ever said!).
