‘The Mindy Project’ season 2, episode 1 review: James Franco and all smiles

In going back to “The Mindy Project” tonight, we were really impressed by how much has changed on the show since the days of the pilot. The focus on the workplace is appreciated, the humor is mostly there, and Mindy Kaling seems more comfortable. Above all, this is a show much-improved.

So why is it still only the third-best show on Fox’s new comedy lineup? The #1 reason is simply that there is so much good around it, and we feel like away from Mindy and Danny at times, we do lose a little bit of interest. While we know that this is not a permanent change, we do admit to loving the presence of James Franco as the doctor who basically took Mindy’s job while she was away in Haiti. He’s a likable, seemingly-perfect man cultivated to get almost under anyone’s skin. It is also a nice reminder of just how much fun James can be in a role.

What we will find to be a little more interesting is seeing where Mindy’s personal life goes from here on out. Clearly, she ends up on the market again thanks to all of the guest stars coming up in the role of her love interest, and many of these relationships also go very badly. This is going to continue being a show in progress (just like Mindy’s personal life), and the question that could really help it sink or swim at this point is simple: Can the show be this good when there is not a big-name guest star on the cast?

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Photo: Fox