Well. Another episode of Mindy. This episode was… I want to say “blah”, but that doesn’t convey the overwhelming mediocrity of what I just watched. There were some killer one-liners, as there always are, but the characterization was boring, Mindy was more annoying than she usually is and everything about the episode made me want to fall asleep.
That said, let’s get started, shall we?
Mindy is trying and failing to get along with Peter Prentice, the new hire at the practice. He’s a total bro, and Mindy is… she’s Mindy. It’s not that she’s a girly girl, it’s that she…. okay, she’s a girly girl. But what’s wrong with that? So she likes dolls and the color pink, that doesn’t make her any less of a bro. She sets out to prove that she can bro with the best of them, after it becomes clear that Peter doesn’t like her, and decides to prove it by holding her hostage during a nerf gun fight.
Danny suggests that perhaps the reason why Peter doesn’t like Mindy is because she’s a little self-involved. He suggests that Mindy take Peter out somewhere they both can enjoy, to show him that she cares about his interests. Mindy is less than amenable to that idea. (“I will not listen to Phish, Danny! Songs should be three minutes long, and have Nicki Minaj rap in the middle.”)
Mindy decides to take Peter out, but she doesn’t exactly follow Danny’s advice. In a move so boneheaded only Mindy could make it, Mindy decides to take Peter to the USA Girl cafe, a place where little girls go to have tea parties with their dolls.
When Peter objects, Mindy tries to convince him to stay by telling him how a visit to this place helped get her through the trauma of getting her first period. When he still isn’t convinced, she suggests they move on to the next place, Tiara Champagne Palace. (“It’s the death place of Liberace’s plastic surgeon!”)
After her first attempt to woo Peter goes horribly wrong, she agrees to accompany the guys to a MMA fight. Peter is fighting, because he apparently wants to get killed, and during their attempt to pump him up, Mindy tells him that his ex just got engaged. It backfires, and instead of getting pumped up to fight someone, Peter just gets depressed.
The fight looked something like this:
…. And then Peter gets the crap kicked out of him by a dude who looks like he guards the gates of hell.
It was pretty fun to watch.
Mindy and Peter make up, after she helps him get pumped up for real this time. It was sweet, kind of. Moving on.
The B plot of this episode was special, in that it is the first time that Tamara had anything to do other than snap off a few one-liners.
In honor of this event: a little more about Xosha Roquemore, who plays Tamara. Xosha is a Tisch trained actress, which means she’s far too good for the role they’ve given her. She also is starring in something called G.B.F., or Gay Best Friend, which looks absolutely horrible.
Xosha is most famous for having the distinction of being the only person to crack a joke in the otherwise horrifically depressing Precious.
Morgan has a little crush on Tamara, and tries to ask her out, after she complains about her deadbeat boyfriend, Ray Ron. She turns him down, saying that she’s still with her boyfriend, and Morgan is disappointed. Later, at the MMA fight, Ray Ron inexplicably shows up, angry and looking for a guy named Morgan.
Cue the fight.
Morgan throws him in a dumpster, which isn’t the nicest thing to do to somebody. Ray Ron starts to cry, and Morgan comforts him, telling him how to be a better boyfriend. Ray Ron gets the message (kind of) and shows up to the office to give Tamara a giant stuffed panda bear for their anniversary. Tamara is duly appreciative. (“I’m gonna call it New Car, ’cause that’s what I really wanted!”)
What I liked about the episode:
I liked that Mindy and Handsome Man McWhatshisface broke up. I wasn’t a fan, if you remember from last week. He had no personality, even though he is really fun to look at.
What I didn’t like about this episode:
Mostly everything else.
See you next week, folks!
Jaya Sundaresh lives in Hartford, Connecticut. She grew up in various parts of the Northeast before deciding to study political science at McGill University. Follow her on Twitter at @anedumacation and read her thoughts on her personal blog.
I didn’t really like it either, this show is going down the drain (and I’m a Mindy fan so I’m crying while I’m realizing this).
The first season had its issues but I liked it overall, but now Mindy is becoming less intelligent and more selfish and self-involved as ever, and I am missing in-depth characterization of some of the work staff, such as Ed Weeks’ character. The fact that Xosha FINALLY got some screen time saved this ep.