The Mindy Project: “Hiring and Firing” Recap

By Cassie Belek

I sure hope everyone who was iffy about The Mindy Project after watching the pilot tuned into last night’s episode. As much as I enjoyed the pilot, The Mindy Project’s second effort was a definite improvement both in storytelling and writing. It’s still not perfect. Office assistants Betsy and Shauna remain undefined, and with the addition of recurring character Morgan/Ransom Tookers (Ike Barinholtz), it might take some time for these ladies and best friend Gwen to get anything resembling a storyline. But overall, it was a funny episode that slowed down the frenetic pace of the pilot while maintaining Kaling’s voice and point of view. Kaling and her staff are in the world-building phase of their show. Character development will come.

The episode begins with an internal monologue from Mindy about how you can see love everywhere and in all stages, even on your commute to work. We quickly find out this isn’t so much of an internal monologue as an external narration to Danny, who she ran into on the train. He pretends that he doesn’t want to be around her, but this is probably the most obvious will-they-or-won’t-they relationship since Jim and Pam on The Office.

Once at the office, Mindy gives Betsy and Shauna the bottom half of her movie theater candy (solid choice with the Junior Mints) and tells them about the cute guy she met at the bookstore. Mindy doesn’t actually go to bookstores to buy books. She can just do that online for cheaper. Like many of us, she goes for the tote bags. Good thing, too, because we’re then treated to a meet-cute with guest star Seth Meyers. (Screenplay idea: A 90-minute movie of just meet-cute after meet-cute. I would see it, like, three times in theaters.) After three failed attempts to buy her a frozen yogurt flavor she likes (“Do you maybe just hate yogurt?”), Seth Meyers buys Mindy a soft pretzel instead. He’s sweet, and did I mention he’s an architect, ladies? Danny points out that no one’s really an architect. It’s a job from the movies. (Mindy: “Well call me Reese Witherspoon because I’m going on a date with an architect tonight.”)

Except we never get to that date because other forces prevent it from happening. As much as I would have liked to see more of Seth Meyers, I’m actually relieved that The Mindy Project isn’t going to devolve into a date-of-the-week series. Yes, Mindy is a woman looking for love, but The Mindy Project made it clear with this second episode that it’s a workplace comedy first. So let’s talk about what happens in the workplace.

What “Hiring and Firing” really revolves around is the firing of “old school” nurse Beverly and the hiring of a new nurse for the practice. You see, Beverly takes blood samples home and smokes pot in the office. So Mindy calls a partners meeting to discuss firing the nurse who labels blood vials “Short, Asian” and “Fat Lady.” Dr. Shulman puts smooth Brit Jeremy in charge of firing Beverly, and it’s nice to see Mindy’s boy toy in the pilot get a storyline apart from her. Meanwhile Dr. Shulman puts Danny in charge of hiring a new nurse, but Mindy asks for the responsibility instead. (Danny: “Just for the record, this responsibility has been given to someone with a chocolate fountain in her office.”)

Danny is upset that Mindy is in charge of hiring because he doesn’t want her to hire a bunch of other Mindys. This is when we find out from Dr. Shulman that it used to be just Danny and him at the practice and that Danny has had trouble accepting that they expanded. (Danny: “Remember when Mindy’s office was used for storage. Now that was great. I could keep my bike there all winter.”) Dr. Shulman gives Danny permission to step in and lend a helping hand if he sees Mindy doing something that’s not going to help the practice.

Of course Danny sees a problem right away when he overhears Mindy and her first applicant gushing over their favorite romantic comedies. But Danny isn’t any better at hiring people. Instead of looking at resumes, he goes with his gut. They set up ground rules: No crying, they both have the power to nix anyone, and to hire someone they both have to agree. Should be simple enough, but they can’t even decide whether to agree with a handshake or agree verbally. Cue the montage of applicants they take turns rejecting. (Danny rejects someone for knowing all the names of Brangelina’s children. Mindy rejects someone for being too hot.) When Mindy and Danny finally agree on a nurse, their bickering drives the qualified applicant away. (“That’s enough! I’ve seen child soldiers in Africa with better manners! I would never work here.”)

A frustrated Dr. Shulman gives Mindy and Danny one more chance to hire someone together. Enter Ransom Tookers (his real name is Morgan), a guy in a blue tracksuit who used to be in prison and lives with his grandma. (One of his strengths is upper body.) Morgan/Ransom and his “No More Stealing Cars” stomach tattoo are too weird for either of them, so Mindy and Danny fail to find someone. Morgan/Ransom sticks around to use the restroom and replenish his fluids with a bottle of water.

Meanwhile Jeremy is doing a terrible job at firing Beverly. He asks if she’s ready to leave the office and see the world. Turns out Beverly does have a dream of being the den mother for a sheikh’s harem, making sure they don’t escape and waxing them as a side business. Whatever he’s doing isn’t working, so he takes Beverly to the park for frozen yogurt. (So much frozen yogurt in this episode!) Jeremy says that there’s something he’s been trying to tell her. Naturally, Beverly thinks he’s coming on to her. (“How do you want me?”)

Upset that Jeremy wasn’t able to fire Beverly, Mindy takes charge and decides to be honest with the nurse so Beverly can get on with her life. Mindy is as straightforward as possible with her, so Beverly does what we all do when fired. She punches her in the nose and runs away. Mindy freaks out and not even Danny can handle her or her broken nose and bloody face. In steps a calm Morgan/Ransom. (“Sweetheart, this is gonna hurt like a bitch. On three. One, TWO! I did it on two…I did it on two…”) And he’s hired! The practice has a new nurse, and Mindy and Danny share a subway ride home where Mindy tries to get everyone to believe that Danny broke her nose.

I’m feeling good about The Mindy Project and where it’s going. Hopefully the supporting characters get fleshed out soon. What do you all think? Did any of you also think the theme song sounded just like Clarissa Explains It All? Make sure to check back here each week for my recaps of new episodes!

And now I leave you with a piece of dialogue from the episode taken from my actual life:

Mindy: “Is that from Sleepless in Seattle?”
Applicant: “Yes, that is from Sleepless in Seattle.”
Mindy: “That is my favorite movie.”
Applicant: “Really? It used to be my favorite movie, but now it’s got to be You’ve Got Mail.”
Mindy: “Are you kidding me? Wait, I’m sorry. That is actually my favorite movie.”