Mindy Kaling never takes herself too seriously on "The Mindy Project," especially in highly personal situations. In "Danny Castellano is My Gynecologist," the latest episode, Kaling even turns an embarrassing encounter into a personal triumph for her character.
The story opens with Dr. Mindy Lahiri wearing the button-down shirt of boyfriend Josh (Tommy Dewey) in the bedroom. It's a sweet, romantic moment, but Josh ruins it by accidentally putting on Mindy's jeans and discovers they are too big for him. Calling it a scene from a lap-band commercial, Mindy sends her new beau packing.
At the office, Dr. Lahiri learns that Dr. Penney, her long-time gynecologist, has retired. Though she asks Dr. Shulman to take her on as a patient, he refuses because he likes her too much as a friend and colleague. Danny (Chris Messina) says he doesn't have that problem and offers to become her new OB/GYN.
Mindy and Danny turn his suggestion into a battle of wits. Danny thinks Mindy likes how he looks in a T-shirt too much to be his patient. She, on the other hand, believes Danny has feelings for her that would interfere with a doctor/patient relationship.
Dr. Castellano tries to prove his point by asking a series of embarrassing lifestyle questions before her first appointment. That intense grilling makes Mindy nervous about the situation. Ex-con Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) offers some prison wisdom and tells Dr. Lahiri to imagine the best warrior version of herself. Whatever Danny does to the warrior, Morgan explains, he's not doing to Mindy.
That advice proves to be crucial in the examination room. Clad in a hospital gown, Mindy lets her inner warrior loose to exploit Danny's unspoken feelings and insecurities. When it's time for the hands-on portion of the exam, he finally admits that he's unable to treat her like a patient.
"Danny Castellano is My Gynecologist" firms up the Mindy/Danny relationship at the expense of her burgeoning relationship with Josh. Danny tries to play the tough guy around the practice, but he's no match for Mindy's inner warrior -- or his own feelings.
The episode also shows that it may be time to trim the supporting cast. A subplot involving Dr. Reed (Ed Weeks), Morgan, Betsy (Zoe Jarman), and a missing watch goes absolutely nowhere. Though Dr. Reed used to sleep with Mindy on occasion, this character is not adding that much to the show as of late.
