Is 'The Mindy Project's Fate Sealed?

I would like to extend a genuine, heartfelt congratulations to Liz Meriwether and the rest of the crew and cast of New Girl for being renewed by Fox on Tuesday. Though there we undoubtedly people who jumped ship during the Nick/Jess period, the show rebounded this year and rediscovered the humor at its heart. But the New Girl renewal also has me worried — because it didn't come with a renewal for The Mindy Project. The show's chances of survival have been the subject of speculation recently, especially with a finale down in ratings. So is this New Girl renewal a bad sign for The Mindy Project 's future, since the shows' renewals weren't mentioned simultaneously?

It should be noted that New Girl and The Mindy Project shouldn't be pit against each other as competition; both are funny shows with similar narratives of love and growing up at their center. But they've often shared nights on their home network — making it even more worrying that they didn't announce their renewals simultaneously. It brings to mind a picture of Mindy Kaling getting a very disappointing call from Fox, which is not something I want for either her or the show she's run for the past three years.

I haven't agreed with all of The Mindy Project's decisions this year — that pregnancy plot still puzzles me — but it's a solid show that deserves the chance to wrap up on its own terms and say goodbye to its characters in the romantic, comedic manner the show was built around. It, at the very least, deserves what Hart Of Dixie got: A renewal for one final season with the knowledge that it's likely to be the last, and the chance to write an arc aimed towards closure and a fulfillment of the narrative.

I have no doubt that Kaling and the rest of the cast will continue to kill it and dominate Hollywood once The Mindy Project ends, no matter when that is. Fox could also announce the renewal tomorrow and the show could go on for five more seasons. But until that announcement, I'll be sitting at the edge of my seat, waiting for Fox to make the right choice.

Image: Fox