Review: The Mindy Project, “Danny Castellano Is My Nutritionist”

This week’s The Mindy Project, “Danny Castellano Is My Nutritionist,” finds Mindy back in NYC with Danny getting ready to start her fertility clinic. Unfortunately, she’s got a major case of morning sickness that doesn’t just hit in the mornings.

Dr. L. pukes pretty much everywhere, including on a Bible, before Morgan makes her a bedazzled ‘barf bucket’ to carry around. Morgan is weird. Morgan is also obsessed with a red fedora like hat for the entire episode (that causes Mindy to get sick every time she sees it). Morgan is weird.

Despite her morning sickness, Mindy’s appetite isn’t gone. When Danny tries to make her eat some oatmeal she informs him that she’s been “eating for two her entire life” and now that she finally has an excuse she’s not going to waste it on “steal cut oats.” Too bad Danny thinks that her morning sickness is caused by her poor diet.

So Mindy and Danny Skype with Peter (Mindy’s OBGYN/BFF – now living in Texas) and he confirms Danny’s diagnosis by explaining that Mindy actually fits into a “special category” of pregnancy… the “geriatric obese” category. Time for Danny to take over Mindy’s nutrition. Also, probably time for Mindy to get a doctor who lives in the same state.

Danny’s approach to the diet is as up tight as he is, and Mindy is being fed nothing but boiled chicken and oatmeal. Obviously, she can’t handle this and nose dives right into a birthday cake. Danny handles this as delicately as any pregnant and nauseated woman would hope, by basically accusing Mindy of failing to co-parent with him. Yikes.

But Danny’s got a problem of his own. He promises Mindy he quit smoking, but she catches him in the act and they make a deal. Mindy will quit eating junk food when Danny quits smoking.

Meanwhile, the practice has to hire a replacement for Peter, so Mindy tries to rope in her old teacher/med school crush (Vanessa Williams). This doesn’t work out because Williams realizes that everyone at the practice is totally insane, so they are forced to hire the doctor Mindy barfs on instead. Luckily for Mindy, that same doctor also explains that Mindy’s morning sickness isn’t diet induced, it’s stress induced. And who do you think is stressing her out? Danny of course. (Side note: isn’t morning sickness just pregnancy induced?).

Faced with the realization that he’s not being a great support to Mindy, Danny apologizes and the episode ends with a sweet moment where they both admit to being scared about parenthood, and that they need each other.

This episode was just as hilarious as usual (with just as many great Mindy one-liners), but I have to admit that Danny still gets on my nerves. I’m ready for him to relax and realize that although she’s kinda crazy, Mindy is also a successful doctor who probably knows how to make small life choices all on her own. Maybe he’s getting there, I’d just like to see him move a little faster. That aside, I’m excited to see how Mindy deals with the rest of this pregnancy. I’m sure more antics are on the way.

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The Mindy Project airs at 9:30 on Tuesday nights on FOX.

Amanda Coyne

Amanda is an associate editor for Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer, teacher, and pop culture enthusiast with a love for 30 Rock and The Mindy Project. She is also the proud mother of two orange cats. Follow @amandarcoyne