I loved Mindy Kaling from her days on The Office as Kelly Kapoor, so I was BEYOND excited when The Mindy Project first came out in 2012. As I started to watch, I wasn’t disappointed—we were given a strong, hilarious, quirky female lead who had the same appreciation for pop culture and desire for constant attention as I do. I was low-key jealous of her hair, the attention she got from guys, and the fact that she was a badass doctor.
Fast forward to 2020, three years after the series finale in 2017. I’ve got time on my hands, I’m bored out of my mind, and I’ve come to realize that I’m not TikTok famous (and probably won’t ever be). So what do I do? I channel my energy towards re-watching old TV shows that I used to love (yeah… my parents are super proud of how I spend my time…).
One of the shows I re-watched was The Mindy Project, which I picked in hopes of giving my mind a break from serious sh*t like the upcoming election, #FreeBritney, and the fact that Dorinda left RHONY. I wasn’t disappointed, but I did happen to notice a ton of unrealistic storylines, ridiculous plotlines, and general inconsistencies.
Whether you were quick enough to notice these things the first time you watched the show or not, here are some of the things I happened to spot that made me think “WTF?”
1. That Mindy Meets A Cute Guy Everywhere (Literally, Everywhere)
If you’ve seen even a few episodes of the show, you know Mindy meets a potentially dateable guy literally everywhere she goes. She’s met them on an airplane, in her office and office building, at the hospital she delivers babies at, on the street in NYC, through her patients… the list goes on, and on, and on, and on. Oh, not to mention that the majority of these guys are hot, have decent personalities, and have great jobs (I’m talking lawyers, doctors, and writers).
This is a recurring theme and storyline that I find difficult to believe. Especially as a single girl myself who’s fairly social, I know it’s preeeettty difficult to find even one normal guy who’s single and ready to date. And I’m not talking about finding “Mr. Perfect”—I’m legitimately just talking about meeting a guy who looks like he showers and receives a paycheck from some sort of place of work.
So with all that being said, the show romanticizes the ability to find a dateable guy or girl in a way that drives me crazy. Buuuut, in the off chance that Mindy Kaling actually experiences this IRL…@Mindy, please send me some serious tips. Your girl needs all the help she can get.
2. That Mindy Opens A Fertility Clinic Within Episodes
If my business degree and Shark Tank watching have taught me anything (ok, ok… Shark Tank definitely taught me WAY more than college), it’s that it takes time to start a company. Especially one that requires its own brick-and-mortar front in the heart of NYC, like the fertility clinic Mindy opens in season three.
Somehow, in a miraculous amount of time (I’m talking within a few episodes), Mindy finds a location for the clinic, gets together financing, files the necessary permits, re-decorates, hires an employee, rolls out a marketing plan, and is ready for her grand opening. If anyone thinks this is possible, they’re either delusional or they have the same connections as Kris Jenner.
3. How Mindy Found Time For Full Glam And Wardrobe Every Day
As a doctor at one of the top practices in NYC (and a single mom for part of the show), how TF does Mindy find the time every single day to have her hair and makeup done as if she’s Dorit Kemsley? And to dress in outfits that even Reese Witherspoon would be jealous of? Personally, I’m not even commuting to work and I can hardly find time to put on Chapstick and a non-toothpaste-stained sweatshirt before my 10am Zoom meeting.
So even though her hair, makeup, and outfits are #GlamGoals and good enough to get her cast on the RHOBH, IRL it would be humanly impossible to pull those looks off without a full-on glam squad and stylist. And it’s not like everyone else is dressed to the nines too. The majority of the other cast is running around in scrubs…just saying!
4. The Longevity Of Mindy And Danny’s Romantic Relationship(s)
Okay, I get it. Every girl has that one guy in their life that they always go back to, even if he’s a complete piece of sh*t. For Mindy, that guy seems to be Danny.
What makes this recurring plotline so ridiculous is the longevity of their relationship, and the fact that Mindy kept going back to him over and over again. Why is this so crazy and unbelievable? IMO, it’s unrealistic because of how Danny treats Mindy.
I’m referring to Danny criticizing and shaming Mindy on everything from her eating and workout habits, her mothering skills, her appreciation for pop culture and celebrities, and the fact that she was career-driven (shocking, a modern woman!). For someone that hardly seemed to like her lifestyle and personality, why TF did Danny even want to be with her and why TF did Mindy want to be with him?
What makes this crazier is that Mindy dated a sh*t ton of other guys on the show who were so much less of a**holes. Okay, so not all of them were that much better than Danny (i.e. she dated a 40-something-year-old skateboarder she met off the street)…but let’s just say they weren’t as judgmental as Danny.
5. That Danny Tried To Secretly Impregnate Mindy
In season four, Danny tries to impregnate Mindy without her knowledge. Big WTF. Big red flag.
What makes this plotline unbelievable is that they’re both OBGYNs. So from Danny’s standpoint, he should 100% understand the ethical issues with getting someone pregnant without their explicit consent and knowledge…you would think? On top of that, from his work, he should know what kind of stress it can cause a woman to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.
Overall, this just seemed like a bizarre (borderline criminal?) scenario to take place on this show.
6. How Mindy Could Afford Her Rent And Lifestyle
Even Luann de Lesseps would be impressed if she saw Mindy’s apartment, because it’s THAT gorgeous. Seriously, it looks like it could be on Million Dollar Listing.
Nowhere in the show was it discussed how Mindy could afford her lifestyle, pay her medical school bills, AND afford her rent. Did she have some sort of relative that left her a ton of money? Did her parents contribute to the rent? Did she secretly have investments in stocks or property elsewhere? No explanation was given…
What makes it even more unbelievable is that, through the seasons, we learn that she has zero financial skills and insane spending habits.
Remember in season three, when Mindy realizes she’s been inadvertently committing tax fraud and had to hire her ex Cliff to get her out of the mess? That goes to show her lack of awareness for personal finances. Second of all, her outfits and bags look like they’re more expensive than the property tax on Lisa Vanderpump’s Villa Rosa. So how TF is she affording it all? Makes no sense.
7. The Length Of Ben And Mindy’s Marriage
The only explanation I have for the Mindy/Ben plot line is that the show’s writers were HUGE Keeping Up With the Kardashians fans. After all, Mindy and Ben’s nuptials seemed to last about the same length as Kim Kardashian and Chris Humphries’ 72-day marriage.
To refresh your memory: Ben and Mindy got engaged during the last episode of season five. In episode one of season six, we find out they’re having marital issues, and in episode two they decide to get divorced. This left viewers—or at least, me—wondering what the point of building up the engagement plot was, if they weren’t planning on exploring the relationship more in the coming season.
And it wasn’t like Ben was acting like an a**hole and it made sense for Mindy to initiate a divorce. In fact, it was Mindy who wasn’t showing any commitment to the marriage, despite Ben’s efforts. Mindy was standing Ben up on their date nights, and at one point she hadn’t even realized he’d been missing from home for two full days.
So, for the girl who dreamed of being married to the perfect guy (seriously, she started a podcast about wedding cakes), why TF wouldn’t she put more effort into keeping Mr. Perfect once she found him? Too weird for me to believe, and therefore something I’m calling out for being a ridiculous plot.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the show and Mindy Kaling will always be my personal hero. I’m just saying, if there’s ever a reboot and she needs a writer to will painstakingly catch every single out-of-place detail, give me a call.
Images: GIPHY (7), Hulu
