The Mindy Project Recap – ‘Wiener Night’

Welcome aboard Mindy’s flight of destiny! Last night on The Mindy Project, Mindy found herself a new guy, and Danny found himself naked all over New York City.

On a return flight back home, Mindy calls on destiny to supply her with a cute seat mate. Destiny gives her Kevin Smith. In a short cameo, Smith is relieved he wasn’t sitting next to a skinny girl. Naturally, Mindy is offended referring to herself as a “petite Asian woman.”

Her mood quickly changes for the better when Jason Richman, played by Ben Feldman of Mad Men, turns out to be the real owner of the seat. Jason, an arts and culture writer for The New York Independent, hits it off with Mindy and asks her on a date.

When Jeremy and Danny find out who Mindy’s newest beau is, we learn that Jason has incredibly high brow tastes, which probably won’t mesh with Mindy’s wannabe romantic comedy lifestyle.

While at work, Danny finds out that his ex-wife Christiana is showing an art exhibit. The art? Fully naked photographs of Danny. I don’t know who came up with this brilliant subplot, but I want to buy him a gift. Not only do we get to see Danny adorably flustered, but we get to see him shirtless. Huzzah!

On their dinner date, Jason asks Mindy how she liked the movie they saw. Her description of the film was probably my favorite part of the episode.

Mindy: “I thought it was very real. I thought they looked like people that would be in line behind me at the bank. I was not sure why we paid money to see it.”
Jason: “Okay. Because for me, it was kind of refreshing to see normal people falling in love in a movie.”
Mindy: “I have not yet tired of seeing hot people fall in love.”

At the end of the night, Jason doesn’t see much of a future with Mindy, because they don’t have a lot in common culturally. Mindy gets upset that Jason doesn’t think she’s cultured. She shouts, “I’m deeply cultured. I’ve been to London. I saw Mamma Mia on the West End before it transferred to Broadway!”

Then next day at work, Brendan the midwife tells Peter the blabbermouth about Danny’s upcoming show. Peter sprints into the office to tell everyone about the exhibit and invites them all to “Wiener Night.”

Danny, desperate to stop the art show, enlists Cliff’s legal counseling. Since Danny took the photo’s willingly and sign a release waiver, he has no legal claim and must allow the whole world see his “undercarriage.”

Despite the terrible end to their date, Mindy invites Jason to the exhibit in an attempt to prove that he isn’t better than her.

At “Wiener Night,” Danny gets drunk and Mindy tries to sound knowledgable about art. Both are spectacular failures.

Danny impersonates an offended mother and makes a fake 911 call, trying to shut down the exhibit. Mindy comments on the sadness of thigh meat, trying to impress Jason, Jeremy, and Brendan. They then make fun of her mainstream preferences like Monet’s “Japanese Bridge” and Katy Perry.

Now this is where I got angry. Say whatever you want about art but do not scoff at Katy Perry!

At the end of the exhibit, Mindy comes to Danny’s defense. She proclaims that even though she isn’t as well read as she would like to be, she isn’t any less of a person. During her touching speech, she accidentally Instagrams a photo of her boobs, and Danny drunkenly tries to whip out his junk. Like I said, spectacular failures.

“Wiener Night” was not completely lost though.

Danny leaves the exhibit with an attractive woman who enjoyed his...art.

Jason was missing after Mindy’s speech, but for valid reasons. Mindy says, “The public indecency and the police showing up is a lot for a second date.” He later surprises Mindy at her doorstep, references Pretty in Pink, and sings her “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry on a ukulele. It was perfectly cheesy.

I loved this episode. We’ve finally moved past all the dangling plots from last year’s season finale, so the show can finally breathe again. What did you think? Comment below!

Image: Fox