There's no doubt that The Mindy Project, which split up its time between Fox and Hulu between 2012 and 2017, was a dream come true for fans of Mindy Kaling's quirky comedic style. The show was full of her over-the-top humor and romcom obsession, and we couldn’t get enough.
As much as we loved The Mindy Project, though, not every episode was a winner, and being that we already covered the 10 best episodes of the show, we decided it was time to search out the 10 worst. To do this, we’ll be using the star ratings at IMDb.
The popular entertainment website has assigned every episode of The Mindy Project a rating on a scale of 1 to 10. This rating is a weighted average that has been based on the votes of registered users.
Now that we’ve covered our enjoyment of the show and the ranking logistics, it’s time to dive into the details; Here are the lowest-rated episode of The Mindy Project on IMDb at time of publication.
Teen Patient (7.1)
This episode has Mindy telling a teenager not to rush into any pregnancy-causing-activities with her boyfriend. This also leads the titular doctor to consider her relationship with Josh. Meanwhile, Danny deals with an anonymous complaint he gets at the practice.
Though the intentions of this episode were strong, it wasn’t great. For one thing, we know very little about the teen the episode is centered on and therefore don’t feel the same emotional connection to her that Mindy does. Additionally, the girl doesn’t come back later in any large way, so this episode remained out-of-place in light of the series as a whole.
Nurses’ Strike (7.1)
While Mindy is busy taking care of her son Leo, who has come down with something, the practice deals with a nurses’ strike. This event is headed by one of Mindy’s many soon-to-be romantic interests, Ben.
Jody wants to sell his upstairs apartment and Brendan runs to Mindy for assistance.
Simply put, this episode wasn’t a stand-out. Its plot was lackluster and though it tried to introduce a man into Mindy’s life, it just didn't do so in a way that was impressive.
Margaret Thatcher (7.1)
Directly following “Nurses’ Strike” is the Season 5 episode in which Mindy’s feelings for Ben begin to intensify. As she deals with this and the everlasting strike, Jeremy gets alopecia due to his high levels of stress.
Though Ben was a solid love interest for Mindy, he created another predictable ending. The series, at this point, fell into a lull of good but repetitive episodes. In other words, “Margaret Thatcher” was fine, but the series was still searching for a way to reach the heights of the great episodes that came early in its run.
Leland Breakfast Is The Miracle Worker (7.1)
After “Margaret Thatcher” came “Mindy Lahiri Is a Misogynist,” and after that came “Leland Breakfast is The Miracle Worker.” In this episode, Mindy — now with Ben — learns that he isn’t being exclusive. To deal with this, she decides to go on a date of her own.
Jody deals with his own feelings, as he grapples with the emotional lull he’s hit in life. The other doctors try to cheer him up.
Though this episode might have been a step above the previous couple in terms of plot, it still wasn’t a good look for our lead heroine who continued in her ever-constant-non-character-developing ways. Don’t get us wrong, Mindy is great, but we needed more from her here.
Mindy’s Best Friend (7.1)
Jumping to the end of Season 5 comes this episode in which one of Mindy’s friends from childhood takes her life to the Big Apple and begins dating Morgan.
Meanwhile, the other nurses find Ben in an uncomfortable situation that he does his best to keep a secret from Mindy.
The Mindy Project got progressively better through much of Season 5 after getting through its early “meh” episodes. However, “Mindy’s Best Friend” returned to this blandness with a plot that unfortunately didn’t have any originality worth bragging about.
Is That All There Is? (7.1)
The Season 6 opener had Mindy and Ben dealing with their new married life, which turns out to be not all that great. Jeremy’s plotline has him continuing to fall hard for Anna, and he ultimately decides to pursue a relationship with her. Another subplot has Tamara deciding that she wants to become a mother despite not having a stable relationship.
Though “Is That All There Is?” would have been fine as a mid-season episode, it didn’t act as a strong opener. We see Mindy dealing with another relationship that is bound to end, and it just didn’t have the pep or excitement that one would have hoped for.
Road Trip (7.0)
This earlier Season 4 episode has Danny heading out to California with Morgan via road trip after his dad is struck with a heart attack. It also sees Danny keeping a giant secret from Morgan.
The problem with this episode lies in the description. If you’re asking, “Where is Mindy?” trust us, that’s what we were asking, too.
Though Mindy makes appearances in this episode, they are brief, and being that the show is literally called The Mindy Project, a Mindy-lacking episode is not going to go over well with fans.
Mindy’s Brother (6.9)
In this episode, we’re introduced to the aspirations of Mindy’s little brother: to become a famous rapper. He decides to drop out of college much to Mindy’s dismay.
While our favorite doctor deals with family matters, the other doctors — more specifically, Danny and Jeremy — try to convince the practice’s landlord into lowering the rent.
Though Mindy’s plotline was average — if not a tad silly — the subplot fell off halfway and never fully developed. Though there was lots of potential, this episode never reached it.
Mindy’s Minute (6.8)
The first of the two lowest-rated episodes of The Mindy Project came during Season 1. In it, Danny tries to instruct Mindy on what to say during the local news medical segment she is appearing on later. Meanwhile, the subplot has Beverly — who was recently rehired — learning to deal with the updated technology of the 2010s.
Being that this episode was directed by B.J. Novak, it wasn’t bad. It was funny, a little goofy, and full of charm. However, it was also predictable and didn’t wow anyone for being clever or outstanding. What was left was an episode that, while moving the show along, was rather forgettable.
A Romantical Decouplement (6.8)
The second of the two lowest-scored episodes comes on the other side of the show, during Season 6. The second episode of the final season had Mindy dealing with her relationship with Ben and debating about whether or not a job in Philadelphia would be worth it.
The subplot sees Anna planning a girls' get-together. It also sees her struggling to deal with her breakup with Jeremy.
Critics found that Mindy seemed to be a little all-over-the-place during much of Season 6, including in this episode. While there were moments earlier during the series where it was easy to root for her, she doesn’t seem to know what she wants here. Her character development was confusing, putting the episode at the bottom of the list.