Before I get too deep into this week’s episode, I just want to take a second to mourn the loss of the long opening title sequence of The Mindy Project. I love the theme song and I always get a kick out of seeing quick shots of my favorite characters. I don’t think I’ve actually seen the whole sequence in months and it kind of bums me out. Anyway, that’s an issue that’s been bugging me for a while and I’m glad I got it off my chest. On to bigger and better things.

Now that Mindy has scratched her itch to get down and dirty with someone (anyone!) she’s starting to get a little more serious about actual dating. The opening scene shows Mindy on a date with a handsome Indian man who is very into his culture. He asks Mindy some questions of her family and background and she’s not even able to tell him what city in India her parents live in. He makes the observation that she’s a coconut, brown on the outside but white on the inside. (He obviously hasn’t been watching Mindy as much as the rest of us, because, duh!) Mindy leaves the date not exactly upset, but a little more aware that she’s not exactly living life the way other Indian people might. Maybe it’s time to shake things up.

The first way to do that is to bring family back into the fold–and it’s a beautiful thing. We get some time with Rishi and he does not hold back from letting Mindy know that growing up in suburban Boston didn’t exactly set them up to follow traditional Indian culture. He points out that she’s essentially white and that he’s essentially black. She goes to work to ask Jody (!) if she seems Indian to him and he assures her he thinks of her as a white man. She’s not pleased. Time to get her culture on.

She contacts the guy from her date, Neel (who is not exactly pleased that she called), and asks him to help her and teach her some stuff, since he is basically her only Indian friend. He agrees to help her out and invites her to dinner with some friends. For some reason she finds the need to bring Jody (with seriously cringeworthy results) and aside from some uncomfortable moments she finds that she is really enjoying being around Neel’s friends. She spends a few minutes with a mom who has just recently shaved her daughter’s head for a Hindu Mundan ceremony where the baby “sheds her past lives and moves into the future.” Mindy decides that Leo should have his own ceremony.

Yippee! Mindy’s parents arrive for the ceremony and I am as happy as a clam. They always bring so much fun and energy to the show and I really start to believe that they are all related. However, Danny is MIA and that bugs me a little bit. This ceremony is kind of a big deal. Mindy looks gorgeous in her ceremonial outfit while Leo just looks like he’s wondering what the hell is going on. After a disastrous start – Mindy changes her mind and whisks the crying Leo away – her parents and Rishi join her in the bedroom and assure her that she’s wonderful the way that she is and that it’s okay that she isn’t as much into her culture as other Indian people might be. They assimilated their kids to be American because they love the country and they are very proud of her. Sniff. Cut to a very touching group hug and I’m suddenly feeling very warm and fuzzy.

The secondary plot this week was just kind of there. Jody and Morgan are at an evening party where they both become interested in a woman named Ashley. She gives Morgan her number even though he’s acting extra-super creepier than usual and then immediately becomes charmed by Jody, woman lover extraordinaire. She allows Jody to escort her home. He’s wanting to come in to her apartment to rock her world, but she informs him that she’s saving herself for marriage. Jody practically leaves skid marks. That charmer. She decides to start seeing Morgan. Um, okay.

Morgan tries to assure everyone that he really likes Ashley and that he can handle a celibate relationship, but it turns out that he really can’t. He’s been hooking up with Chelsea on the side (and she really hates herself for it) and is guilted into letting Ashley know. She dumps him and Jody, who took Morgan to see her, apologizes for Morgan and let’s her know that she deserves better. She calls Jody later and they decide to go out on a date. Um, okay.

Danny made a couple of appearances this week and I was so happy to see him back. Having him around in small doses reminds me of happier times when he and Mindy were still in the beginning stages of their relationship. I finally remembered why I liked him so much in past episodes. I’m not sure I’m in for a full reconciliation yet, but I am kind of rooting for Danny to get his crap together and be the man we all know he can be.

Favorite quotes from the episode:

Mindy: “Jody, let me ask you something. I obviously have the ass of a Dominican and the giant jugs of a Jewish girl, but you think of me as Indian, right?” Jody: “Honestly, I think of you as a white man. Largely because of your entitlement.”

Ashley: “Look, I’m just old fashioned in all sorts of ways. I even have a landline. You can come in and make a call.” Jody: “Oh, well, it has been a nice evening but I have to work in the morning and I’m sure you have several layers of flannel nightgown to put on.”

Morgan: “You know what? I believe in a little thing called love. And it’s not about sex, it’s about love… oof… I’ve never had the moral high ground before. It’s kind of making me a little dizzy.”

Morgan: “Dr. L., You know that I’m no fan of Leo but this is too much for even me.” Mindy: “Shut up, Morgan, it’s important! It’s okay to hurt babies if it’s for religion!” Jeremy: “This is bad–I’m having flashbacks…”

Rishi: “Hold up. The doctor gets all the love but what about the receptionist/mix tape DJ?”

Danny: “Mindy! Where the hell is Leo’s hair? Where did it go?” Mindy: “Well, if we’re going to go down that path, where the hell is Leo’s foreskin?” Danny: “It’s in a locket around Ma’s neck, with mine. You know that!”

So that’s about it for this week. Danny was back for more and Mindy could not have looked any more gorgeous. The Lahiris were back and elevated the entire episode. Mindy is becoming more aware that she is, in fact, Indian. And Jody is going to begin courting and not sexing a new character in the show.  We’ll see how it goes.

Let me know how you liked the episode and where you think some of these relationships might go in the future. As always, I look forward to your thoughts.