Photo: FOX
So, I’ve already covered The Mindy Project here before, but last week’s finale episode just begged for a repeat performance of Danny and Mindy on Romantic Moment of the Week. Let’s be honest, nothing could top the perfection of that episode. One thing I love about The Mindy Project is Mindy’s obsession with Romantic Comedies. She is a true romantic at heart, and is constantly referring back to her favorite movies throughout the show. This really came to a head in the season’s finale episode, which was also structurally set up like a Romantic Comedy film. The episode is littered with Romantic Comedy references that help build the plot of Danny and Mindy’s story up to the epic final scene. I thought that for this week’s article I would go through the different references, and point out their appearances throughout the episode.
We begin our journey with the show paying homage to the classic You’ve Got Mail. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starred in this film about two bookstore owners starting an intense rivalry with each other. Little do these two know that they have in fact been email-flirting anonymously with each other for months. When Hanks finally realizes that his nemesis is actually the woman he’s been falling in love with over the internet, he struggles to keep this fact to himself. In The Mindy Project Danny pulls a similar stunt when he begins to email Mindy as “Andy,” thinking that when he reveals who he really is Mindy will think the whole idea was cute and a sweet way to get them back together. However, Mindy ends up falling head over heals for “Andy,” revealing the fatal flaw in Danny’s plan.
When Danny realizes that his plan could actually backfire and end up ruining his relationship with Mindy, he decides to be a no-show to the first meeting between Mindy and “Andy” at the Empire State Building. This brings us to our second film referenced during the finale, An Affair to Remember. When Mindy is standing at the top of the Empire State Building waiting for “Andy” to show up the show is directly referencing the tragic end of this movie. In An Affair to Remember Nickie and Terry fall madly in love on a trip, but must end their current relationships before they can be together. So, they agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. Unfortunately, on the way to the building Terry is hit by a car and seriously injured, leaving Nickie waiting endlessly for her on the top of the Empire State Building, as Mindy waits endlessly for “Andy.”
The next day gives light to Mindy’s horrible previous night, and reveals that she is now sick in bed from a cold she caught while waiting for “Andy.” We are treated to another You’ve Got Mail reference when Danny goes over to Mindy’s while she is sick and tries to help her feel better. A nudge towards When Harry Met Sally is made when the two end up watching said film and Danny paraphrases the infamous diner scene quote with, “I’ll have whatever’s giving her an orgasm!”
And so the episode goes on, with Danny trying to make Mindy forget about “Andy” and the two slowly growing closer as friends again. That is, until Mindy sees “Andy” on the subway on the way to work and tries to accost him. Danny’s entire emailing scam is revealed and Mindy is furious. However, this does push Danny into revealing his love for Mindy, and announcing that he will be waiting for her at the top of the Empire State Building that night. At first Mindy is set on not going, leaving Danny to simply wait for her. But the gang at the office steps in and convinces Mindy to put her heart out on the line and run to meet Danny. Everything seems to be going according to plan until the gang spies Danny eating pizza in a diner. Danny apparently went up, waited an hour, and then left. So, the gang has to also convince Danny to hurry up and run to meet Mindy at the top of the Empire State Building. Danny’s chase scene is a dead on reference to Harry’s New Year’s scene in When Harry Met Sally.
We also get a reference to An Affair to Remember when Danny is hit by a taxi cab while running to get to Mindy.
All of these shenanigans lead up to the moment we’ve been waiting for. In an epic reference to Sleepless in Seattle, a film that borrowed heavily from An Affair to Remember, but with a happier ending where the two actually do successfully meet at the top of the building, our two lovebirds finally find each other. Danny finds Mindy lying on the floor, after her tear up the building’s stairs, at the top of the Empire State Building. He gallantly joins her on the floor, declaring that he finally wants to go “all in.” The scene ends with them kissing, albeit lying down, on the top of the Empire State Building.
What did you think of The Mindy Project’s epic finale? Sound off below…
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