BWW Recap: THE MINDY PROJECT Shine On, You Crazy Diamond

Dear Mindy Kaling: When you began your show with "More Than a Feeling" by Boston, I was in. But when Danny Castellano does a strip tease? I am SO in!

Schulman and Associates are back! And Danny and Mindy are a couple. We last left this twosome at the top of the Empire State Building about to begin their new life together. And so they have, but not without a few bumps.

The one thing Mindy loves to do is share the details of her personal life with her staff. Danny is none too pleased that his co-workers are all now aware of his "mouth skills." As a compromise, Danny shares some office gossip with Mindy if she agrees to keep it between them. It lasts all of a half of a day when she nearly bursts at the seams to fill Morgan in on it. Turns out, Jeremy and Lauren (Peter's girlfriend) have been a little touchy-feely around the office and an affair is suspected. Morgan, naturally, tells Tamra, who tells Danny who is infuriated with Mindy. But, Dr. Castellano has some secrets of his own. When Mindy discovers a hot pink speedo labeled "Diamond" in Danny's dresser, she does some research of her own. When they confront each other, Danny is revealed as a former stripper!

In other office news, Morgan's cousin, Lou, is has been hired as the IT guy to gain a tax credit for hiring ex-cons. (And TMP is almost to the halfway point of having the IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA cast as guest stars.) Despite his adoration of Dr. C., Morgan is desperate to hook up Mindy with Lou. He really wants Mindy in his family if for no other reason than to hold family holidays at her house. Peter is madly in love with Lauren until he, too, discovers the rumor of her alleged affair with Jeremy. She admits that there's an attraction and they kissed and Peter punches Jeremy. Even though he's sorry, Jeremy tells Peter that he's going to pursue Lauren. Rivalry?

Danny finally admits to Mindy his stripper past as well as some other secrets he never shared with her. And she tenderly admits to him that she shares the details of their private life because it helps her to believe it's real. They are too sweet together.

And then, it happened. Last season, Danny gave Mindy the gift of dance for her Christmas gift and tonight? She got it tenfold. A strip tease to "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz by Dr. Danny Castellano aka Diamond Dan. So I rewatched it five times, don't you judge me!

I don't know how I feel about a Jeremy/Peter rivalry but I am SO glad that Ed Weeks finally has a plotline. Will this lead to a battle for her affection or just animosity between Peter and Jeremy? I'm loving Tamra, in the background but still very involved in the office happenings and Beverly, TMP's resident Creed Bratton, who still throws in her quirky one-liners every now and then. I do love that Mindy confides in Peter and Morgan. I sure wish they were my best friends. #creepy

MVP - Chris Messina. He gets turned on when Boston is playing, he solos "Let It Go" on the piano when he's sad...and a strip tease? I'm spent.

Runner Up - Rob McElhenney aka Morgan's cousin, Lou. If only for his Richard Lewis neck tattoo.

Favorite Lines:

• Mindy - After years of dating losers and sociopaths, I'm now happily dating the man of my dreams: a devout Catholic divorcee with some pretty serious Dad issues which, for a single, 30-something woman, is not too shabby.
• Mindy - Is this boring like all the States' capitals?
• Mindy - I have a box of my ex-boyfriends' hair. I keep it for curses.
• Morgan - You will not have to worry about these problems when you're a Tookers. Comes with a lot of other problems though. Dyslexia, alcoholism, short-term memory, alcoholism.
• Jeremy - Look at Woody and Soon-Yi. Everybody hated them at first and now they're America's sweethearts.

Are you as happy as I am that THE MINDY PROJECT is back? Were you excited to see Mindy and Danny as a couple? Is there an extended cut of Chris Messina's dance? Were you also dying to know what exactly the "Staten Island Handshake" is? Let me know!

To post a comment, you must register and login.