MovieChat Forums > The Mindy Project (2012) Discussion > WTF are they doing to/with Danny?

WTF are they doing to/with Danny?

posted 8 years ago by MacsDuster
24 replies | jump to latest

I could defend and explain the Mindy/Danny story arc for the longest time. Danny was being a controlling jerk, no question, but the problems Danny and Mindy had made sense for such a tumultuous relationship with two flawed people. However, Mindy Lahiri is DTF has Danny's appearance starting to feel like character assassination. Danny has always been a jerk, but I used to love the fact that he was just as much of a complex character as Mindy. Now, it feels like he's being a jerk for no reason. There were a lot of mixed messages. First he says he doesn't care about what Mindy wants and questions her taste. Then he hugs her and lets on that he still cares. I'm completely against Mindy and Jody(it makes zero sense to me), but the Mindy/Danny arc is starting to feel out of character. I don't know what to make of it. I think I just wanted to vent. 😞

Some of us prefer illusion to despair.-Nelson Muntz

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

They are reducing that character as a guest, but he won't be written out automatically.

[–] leejean21 8 years ago

I think they'll get back together eventually. What they had was beautiful but his character got out of control. I'll admit though I don't want to see Mindy with anyone besides Danny.

[–] cagneychick182 8 years ago

I felt like his reaction was completely in character. He flies off the handle. He's jealous. He is rude. But he's also sweet. He's completely in love with Mindy. And we saw all of those reactions in this episode.

I don't think they've assassinated his character. He's complex so the deeper he goes into a relationship, the darker his reaction gets.

As much as he angered me in the elevator and with Jody, his childlike impulse to go hug her and show her he still loves her made me fall for him all over again.

He's not a dream man. He never has been. But he's real.

[–] LHartz 8 years ago

Danny was a complete jerk, which is really nothing new. How dare he dictate who Mindy can be with. I can't stand Danny. Hope he he gets written out.

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

He's reduced as a guest.

[–] Chairrific 8 years ago

Not reduced enough, if he is going to act more like a Neanderthal every week.

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

He's not a complete Neanderthal yet, but he's already too popular to be let go completely. It is better to reduced him as a guest, nothing worse than that.

[–] Dubdub1974 8 years ago

I hate what they did to the Mindy/Danny relationship. I thought she was good for him by reducing his exaggerated traditionnalism and he was good for her by reducing her exaggerated ditziness. So basically they balanced each other out, and though of course they would have needed to grow together to reach that perfect balance, instead, out of nowhere, Danny became a raging MCP totally obtuse and not at all open to anything his wife wanted as if he didn't know her after I don't know how many years of friendship and then love. And now Mindy reverts to an exagerrated version of herself where she'll sl*t it out with the best of them, I mean what's the difference between having sex with a radom dude in a bar or a random dude from an app? She says "this isn't her" but apparently that applied only to the location (ie a public bathroom).
Now if at least the show had remained funny and heartwarming, but it is now neither and I'm reallu disappointed that one of my favorite shows has gone down the drain. I wonder what happened. Don't know how long I'm gonna keep on watching...

[–] LHartz 8 years ago

He's always been that way. Called her fat all the time, shamed her for what she ate. They didn't "Chang" him at all. They've been very consistent with his character.

[–] cagneychick182 8 years ago

I agree. CM I so long likable and charming that I think we forget what an ass Danny can be. I think the show's entire point is that Danny is lovable but not easy to love.

And Mindy is too easy to love. She tries to find something appealing about everyone who asks her out and when they want her to do something, like become a missionary or a stay at home mom, she tries her best to make THEM happy rather than try to communicate what she needs.

And if those two are going to make it work, she needs to learn how to tell him what she needs and he needs to learn how to listen to what she's telling him.

[–] bobcobb301 8 years ago

I hope it's just a case of Chris Messina taking other projects as opposed to the rumored backstage issues with Mindy.

The show is not the same with Danny. Granted, this episode, and the last one, proved that they can create a similar dynamic with Jody and Mindy, but it's not quite the same thing.

The TV guide quotes had me lol'ing. Chicago Fire is burning up Tuesday nights!

[–] camorrow 8 years ago

What are the rumored backstage issues?

Personally I'm starting to enjoy the Mindy/Jody dynamic. I kind of love the actor that plays Jody. After how they wrote Danny for this season it would be hard for me to accept them backtracking to that relationship. I liked them together, but now you can't ignore what Danny became (even if it seemed out of character).

[–] Jelly-4 8 years ago

Yes what are the issues? And where can I read about such rumors?

I stopped watching TMP when it moved to Hulu as I don't want to pay for yet another subscription service. But I just read that Danny & Mindy aren't even together?

I will say that is realistic...it's interesting how M&D were written as a fairly realistic couple and showed Danny's dark side.

[–] verucasalt23-1 8 years ago

There aren't any issues. There's a troll who posts on several message boards, trying to create rumors. So if you want to read about it, look for the comments sections. Here is one where a mod yelled at someone for posting under multiple screen names http://tvline.com/2016/05/04/the-mindy-project-renewed-season-5-hulu/#tvline-comments-709876

Meanwhile, there have been multiple articles which say the following: Chris Messina was filming a movie, Live by Night with Ben Affleck. He had a big role and was gone for months. This is why the second half of the season was delayed, and and he missed a few episodes and had a smaller part in some others. It seems like they filmed multiple episodes in his absence, then added his parts in after he returned.

There is precedent for this, certainly. For example, on The Office, Ed Helms' character, Andy, went nuts and sailed off on his father's boat for months because the actor was filming The Hangover (or one of those Hangover movies). Similarly, Melissa McCarthy's show, Mike and Molly, has generally been delayed and pushed around in the schedule for her filming. Not ideal, certainly, but nothing sinister.

"Arguing with trolls is like playing chess with a pigeon . . . ."

[–] Jelly-4 8 years ago

So did they get married and are now separated or they did they just co-parent after realizing they're not meant to be a couple? What were the issues?

[–] hihihi-42 8 years ago

I haven't seen the last few episodes but Mindy and Danny never got married. They started having problems so they kept putting it off, they had the kid and were living together when Danny started being more of an *beep* (for example, Danny wanted Mindy to quit her jobs and stay at home with the child. He almost immediately tried to force her to have another kid when she said she didn't want another yet - he tried different fertility tricks, tracked her ovulation and tried to convince her that he shouldn't wear a condom). Mindy moved back to her apartment and they broke up.

[–] kendrah66 8 years ago

Right. And in the time passage scenes between her considering moving out and actually moving out, they showed that they tried to work it out, such as by going to couples therapy, but he blew it off. Which is interesting because, of course, in the When Mindy Met Danny episode, they showed Danny desperately wanting to go to couples therapy while Christina blew it off.

[–] Jelly-4 8 years ago

Great thanks everyone for filling me in.

Yeah it doesn't sound like Danny - not going to couples therapy part.

[–] lil_dee_a 8 years ago

The reason why we're seeing so little of him so far this season is because he was filming a movie. So they had to try and work around Chris's schedule. I miss Danny, I can't wait for him to come back properly

[–] Jessical1992 8 years ago

Me too! I miss him and the show isnt the same. Hopefully he comes back soon. I do not want her with Jody! (I'm still not caught up all the way and I'm hoping this doesn't happen)

[–] Live_Dream 8 years ago

I also don't think what Danny did was out of character. However, I think the problem with the show now is that none of the characters are fleshed out anymore - but they used to be, which is why we used to understand where Danny was coming from. But is there anyone on the show now you would call complex? I don't think so. Everyone is a very standard sitcom cutout. And lately, I can barely see where Mindy's coming from. Everything is so rushed. Jody likes Mindy - why? Because! And that's the reason. Danny's mad! No, he's not, he just cares! Or does he? No one can really tell because this show doesn't take its time to, you know, show us anything anymore.

As a result, Danny has become that emotional Mean Girls character you just want to yell 'you don't even go here' at, when he should be shown in a different way, taking Leo off Mindy's hands, asking about the practice he worked at for years, that kind of thing. But the storytelling just isn't the same.

[–] maryumblog 8 years ago

I hope Danny comes back properly

[–] 8 years ago

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