Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project is one of TV’s sharpest, funniest, and warmest new comedies. If you haven’t tuned in, here are several compelling reasons to give it a shot.
Mindy is flawed.
She's a mess. (The original series title, It's Messy, conveyed that pretty well.) But Mindy is also likable — far from perfect but still endearing enough to follow on a weekly basis. Sometimes she's purely sympathetic. Sometimes she's a total pain in the ass. Either way, she's a pleasure to watch.
Beth Dubber / FOX
Mindy is a strong female character.
Flawed, yes. Incompetent? Not at all. For all her issues (and there are plenty), Mindy is also a skilled OB-GYN. There still aren't enough strong female characters on TV, which makes Mindy especially important. Oh, and Kaling is the first South Asian–American lead actress on TV. Ever.
Beth Dubber / FOX
Mindy isn't skinny.
Relax, I'm not saying she's fat either. By TV standards, however, Kaling is curvy. It's something the other characters allude to — these aren't fat jokes so much as realistic depictions of the way women get categorized. In the most recent episode, Mindy got called "chubby." Her response was that she's a normal, healthy size.
Beth Dubber / FOX
Mindy and Danny have amazing chemistry.
I can't lie to you: I love good unresolved sexual tension. It may be a while before we see Mindy and Danny consummate their love-hate relationship, but right now I'm satisfied just watching their back-and-forth. While she may be a bit all over the place, he's kind of a dick. Hey, they're human.
Jordin Althaus / FOX