'The Mindy Project' May Return With A New Outlook

For five seasons, we've watched Mindy Lahiri fall in love, make mistakes, and get her heart broken, but she always bounces back: the true definition of someone with confidence in themselves. But with the midseason finale airing on Tuesday, Nov. 14, we won't be able to watch that for at least a few weeks. So when will The Mindy Project come back with more episodes of Mindy looking for love in her usual, confident way? There isn't a set return date yet, but there's reason to believe we'll be without Mindy for a while.

Though previous seasons of the show have returned in January, Season 4 — the first to be on Hulu — went on hiatus from December to April. That was a full 26-episode season, and Season 5 is only 16, so while we can hope that the November finale means a return closer to March, the abbreviated season may mean another long wait. Right now, the safest bet is to say that The Mindy Project should return in Spring 2017, but Hulu could always surprise fans with an earlier midseason premiere.

When it does come back, it seems like Mindy will continue truly moving on from Danny, which is giving me mixed emotions. After all, we've been rooting for Mindy and Danny since day one, but their relationship has proven to have some major issues. Should we be hoping that they reconcile at some point when Season 5 picks back up? There are pros and cons when it comes to their potential future.

Pro: He Really Is A Good Guy At Heart

Remember when he couldn't bear to give Mindy her invitation to his wedding, because he was worried about hurting her? Or when he went all the way to India to get her parents' approval? Danny's not the vindictive ex. He still cares about Mindy as a person and doesn't want to see her hurting, which shows the deep feelings they'll always have for each other. He's also been there for Leo, which is very important.

Con: He's Hard To Trust

Mindy and Danny will always have their history and friendship, which means they'll always, in some sense, understand each other. But Danny's made some questionable choices and has gone behind Mindy's back to get his way when they've disagreed on some major issues. Mindy deserves to be with someone who she can trust and will always be honest with her, and based on the past few seasons, that might not be Danny.

Pro: His Flaws Make Him Human

Sure, Danny's complicated, but so are real people. Nobody is perfect, and you wouldn't want them to be — Mindy realized this the hard way when she woke up to her "dream life" last season. Mindy and Danny have both made mistakes and learned from them, and I don't think Danny is done growing as a person yet.

Con: Some Of Those Flaws Can't Be Overlooked

As their relationship has progressed, we've seen some of Danny's worst qualities come out, and there are some serious issues that likely won't just go away. Danny had a major problem with Mindy being a working mother, and when she finally did go back to work, he essentially tried to trick her into having another baby. He also was upset when Mindy wanted to have a Mundan ceremony for Leo, a Hindu tradition, because he was determined to raise their son Catholic. Clearly, Mindy and Danny disagree on fundamental issues, and if he can't respect her career or culture, they shouldn't be together.

No matter what happens in the future, it's clear Mindy and Danny will always be a will they/won't they couple. Whether you want them to fall back in love despite these cons or would prefer to see them co-parent as friends, their dynamic is a key part of The Mindy Project. But no matter how that dynamic shifts when Season 5 picks back up, I'm confident that Mindy will be just fine.

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