Mindy has some big news to tell Danny but, just as she is getting ready to tell him, his father and half-sister show up for an unexpected visit. The whole crew is then invited to Annette's house for the world's most awkward family dinner.
The Mindy Project ended its last episode with one seismic twist - Mindy is pregnant with Danny's baby. That was a huge reveal but also one that felt earned. Putting Mindy and Danny together romantically has been the best thing the show has done in three seasons. Their relationship gives the show a strong core element. And now, the two of them are hitting the next milestone in their relationship. Granted, everything is out of order. They kissed and then they started dating. They're having a baby before living together or getting engaged. But that's very demonstrative of the two of them. They are unexpected. So their life together should be as well.This is such a surprise for Mindy that it does take her a minute to come to terms with what is happening to her. Once she does, she has to figure out a way to break the news to Danny. Danny has always been a strong family man. He grew up as the man of the house and has always been there to protect Annette and Richie. So, this news should be easy. It's not because there's still Castellano family drama that needs to be sorted out. Danny had to take on responsibility of his family after his father left them. The show introduced his father, Alan, last season. And then, they brought in Annette this year. Now, they had to bring the entire family back together in order to serve as some kind of resolution to these long gesturing family dynamics.
This family reunion is tense enough without the big pregnancy news. They have their issues to work out but Mindy feels like a part of this family now. She and Annette do have their back-and-forth issues but they have grown into being a part of the others' life. To the point where Annette is so ecstatic by the pains Mindy will have to endure over the next few months in order to make her a grandmother that she can forgive them having a child without being married. That's both a hilarious and emotional moment. Sure, the episode trumps up Danny's pushing Mindy out of his specific family a little too much. It's done solely to make him seem clueless about the news she has to share with him. It just makes the rest of the episode so much more dynamic.
Annette really is a great character throughout this episode. She learns that her ex and his new daughter are in town and she willfully invites them all to dinner. She has a pretty good life for herself right now. She has two wonderful sons, a great best friend in Dot and a man she is starting to get more serious with in Dr. Ledreau. She is happy and she doesn't want to drudge up the pains of the past because she's happy with the life she has now. Dot is still holding a lot of anger towards Alan for Annette. But Annette herself is trying to move on. The rest of the family doesn't make it easy on her. And on some level, she's trying to fling her new happiness at her ex - the blonde wig and her pumping up of Dr. Ledreau's successes.
That does get harder for her to do when Alan wants Danny to raise his daughter now too. He really is a poor father. He's making the same mistakes as his past and these are the last people who will let him forget that. However, Danny's willing to do it because he thinks he can make a difference in little Dani's life. Sure, Mindy is able to expose her issues as simple teenage melodrama. But Danny is willing to make an effort for a man who he hated for years.
Danny will make an excellent father. That much doesn't need to be stated. Yes, he's being a fool for excluding Mindy - and Annette makes sure he knows that. But he's still the man who's willing to chase after her and protect her. When he learns about the baby, he doesn't care about anything else. He only cares about being there for Mindy. The last line of the episode is Danny saying to Mindy "We're a family." That's a very sweet moment because it's just the two of them embracing and enjoying the life that will soon be theirs. Yes, it's scary to think about raising kids and being a parent. But right now, it's just happiness and excitement for the love between two people.
Some more thoughts:
- Where is Richie during this whole family dinner? That's the question I wanted an answer to. He is talked about but a reason is never really given as to why he is not here with the rest of the family.
- Even though he got a big sendoff last week, I love that the show is willing to remember Mindy and Peter's friendship. That was a bond that really grew into something. So of course, he's still a friend who she can talk to about certain things.
- I'm so glad we didn't have to sit through some Morgan or Jeremy subplot. Those characters have their moments. But in an episode like this, all they would be is a distraction.
- Morgan does get a good moment though when Danny is showing off the offices to his dad and half-sister.
- Mindy: "I knew I shouldn't have told you. I have ADHD-TV."
