Even though Peter returns to The Mindy Project in this week’s episode, “Later, Baby” is much more focused on Mindy’s struggles with motherhood and her business than her relationship with her so-called best friend, and for the most part, it works well. “Later, Baby” continues to illustrate the challenges that face Mindy with Danny on the other side of the country, taking care of his father, and the episode shows how these difficulties are turning The Mindy Project‘s protagonist into a more mature, thoughtful, and independent individual.
Although most of the running time of “Later, Baby” is dedicated to Mindy and Morgan trying to find new ways to save her practice, which ultimately includes partnering with Jody, the real heart of the installment comes from Mindy’s internal battle with herself: should she let Danny know how hard life is without him, or keep putting on a good face for her fiance as he deals with his dad’s major health concerns? It’s not an easy decision for Mindy, just like it’s never an easy choice for anyone in this type of situation; so many times in life, we mask our own pain to try and help those who we believe are hurting more.
However, that mentality is a slippery slope and, in the end, does more harm than good, a fact that The Mindy Project acknowledges in the final scene of “Later, Baby.” Instead of responding with another smiley-faced sunglasses emoji, Mindy finally tells Danny the truth about how much she misses him, and he immediately offers to call her to talk about it.
Mindy opening up to Danny in the episode’s closing moments doesn’t negate any of the growth we’ve seen from her over the past couple of episodes, as she’s cared for Leo by herself, all while working and keeping the apartment in order. It actually works as a clever way to give fans a nice Mindy/Danny moment despite the continued absence of Chris Messina (who is still very much missed–can Danny please come back in next week’s episode?), and it proves, yet again, that Mindy’s relationship with her soon-to-be husband has only been a positive force in her life. Mindy may becoming more self-reliant and independent, but that doesn’t mean that she always has to go into things by herself, whether that’s parenting or her practice. Also, her and Danny’s real and honest communication with one another remains a true highlight of Season 4.
Although Mindy’s adventures as a mother continue to be a pleasure, the same can’t be said for Peter’s return to The Mindy Project, as Adam Pally is pretty much wasted in a half-baked storyline about Peter and Jeremy’s friendship. While there are a couple of good jokes here and there (and Pally briefly performing the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away”), the whole plot amounts to Jeremy complaining about Peter’s behavior when he last visited him in Austin, a trip we never saw, and Peter explaining that his actions were caused by his adjustment to marriage and fatherhood. There’s some strong ideas in this story, particularly Peter’s struggles with being a husband and dad, which could have paired nicely with Mindy’s experiences as a new mom; however, none of it really meshes well with Jeremy, and Peter and Mindy barely spend anytime together over the course of the episode’s 22-minute running time.
“Later, Baby” is a disjointed but still entertaining episode of The Mindy Project. Not everything works perfectly, but Mindy’s continuing evolution remains compelling television, even when the rest of the supporting characters don’t have too many interesting things to do (like Tamra and Colette’s quickly resolved fight). Here’s hoping that Pally sticks around for at least one more episode, so we can actually get some solid Mindy/Peter scenes next week.
Other thoughts:
- Garret Dillahunt continues to bring his A-game in every single scene he is. I know Jody is pretty disgusting, and I understand why people might people not like him. However, for me, the character has been such a great addition to this show, and his interactions with Mindy are priceless.
- Mindy and Morgan really need the practice to make them more money. They have funds tied up in Zach Braff’s latest Kickstarter.
- Tamra’s not a dramatic person. She just created a drama club at the office that didn’t end putting on a play because there was too much behind-the-scenes drama.
- While Peter’s return this week may not have been everything I wanted, it did lead to this hilarious line about his very odd injury: “He decided to play Danny’s piano with his penis and the lid shut right on it.”
- Jeremy and Roger are my OTP, and Ed Weeks’ delivery of “You expecting someone, Roger?” had me roaring with laughter.
- “You don’t leave a delicate British man alone in Texas!”
What did everyone else think of this week’s episode of The Mindy Project? Are you missing Danny as much as I am? Comment below and let me know.
[Photo credit: Isabella Vosmikova/Universal Television]
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