In its second week, "The Mindy Project" is still feeling its way. Series creator/star Mindy Kaling is seeking a balance for her character, the hopelessly romantic Dr. Mindy Lahiri. Mindy is still looking for love, and this week, she finds the potential for it in an architect (Seth Meyers) she meets in a bookstore.
As a woman in her "20s to mid-30s," Mindy also wants to take on a leadership role at the practice by hiring a new nurse to replace the horrid Beverly. Dr. Lahiri dresses for success before the interviews, but best friend Gwen (Anna Camp) criticizes her zippered bustier, saying she looks like a librarian in a porn film.
Dr. Danny (Chris Messina) is afraid, though, that Mindy is going to hire another Beverly, who'll torment him with endless conversations about movies and celebrity breakups. When talking to Dr. Marc Shulman (Stephen Tobolowsky), Danny gets wistful about the days when Mindy's office was merely used for storage. He would rather have a place to store his bike in the winter than her as a colleague.
Danny forces his way into the interviews to make sure that Mindy hires someone he likes. The funniest moments of the episode occur as the two colleagues try to agree on a candidate. At one point, their insults become so annoying that an excellent applicant walks out, saying she has seen child soldiers in Africa with better manners.
The interview process highlights the unspoken attraction between Mindy and Danny that was present in the pilot episode. It also introduces Morgan Tookers (Ike Barinholtz) as the new nurse for the practice. Not knowing when to shut up, Morgan describes himself as being so painless when drawing blood that he is like giant mosquito. To show he has given up his criminal past, he even has a tattoo on his stomach that reads "No more stealing cars."
Morgan doesn't ace his interview, but he comes to the rescue when a newly fired Beverly punches Mindy in the nose. Tookers successfully resets her nose, but he also gives her advice on what sexual positions she should avoid until she is fully healed.
The episode closes as it opens, with Mindy and Danny taking the subway together. Season 1 of "The Mindy Project" is starting to play out like a medical "Cheers." The two colleagues spend most of the episode bickering like Sam and Diane, but there's always that underlying respect and affection. It wouldn't be surprising to see them dating or living together by season's end.
