It's so easy, with old habits, to trick yourself into thinking that things are OK when they aren't. The Mindy Project Season 4 returned on Tuesday with that exact dilemma. The Hulu series went on hiatus with a slightly ambiguous note, but know we know that Mindy and Danny are broken up on The Mindy Project, but that transition was not as easy as they hoped. As much as I 'ship these two together, this breakup is probably the best the thing — at least for the moment. In the episode, they tried to make it work, but eventually decided that they needed a cleaner break.
I would also like to announce that I can no longer in good conscience support Mindy Lahiri's choices as a character. She had a ticket to Hamilton that went wasted because she instead chose to hookup with her ex while their baby was sleeping. You don't throw a Hamilton ticket away, Mindy. Does she have any idea how much value that has, both monetary and sentimental? That also means a (fictional) seat went empty that night. It's too tragic to think about. I can't stand by her anymore. I don't care how sexy Chris Messina is, Mindy could have seen Danny after Hamilton was over.
That wasn't the only consequence of Mindy and Danny's failed breakup. A string of events resulted in Seth Meyers, who played himself, losing his dog. Mindy also lost sight of what she was trying to accomplish at work and wasn't there for her friends. It was all too clear that Mindy needed to let herself move on from Danny.
Do I think that Mindy and Danny are broken up forever? Absolutely not. This allows Mindy Kaling to explore stories about dating as a single mom. This allows Danny to get his act together, because he turned into The Worst in Season 4. While the circumstances that lead to it still hurt, this breakup on The Mindy Project is the best move for the show.
Image: Jordin Althaus/Universal Television
