As we all get ready for the fifth season of The Mindy Project on Hulu, the show will be coming out of the gate swinging. Its first episode back will deal with the cliffhanger at the end of Season 4 between Mindy, Danny, and Jody, and now we've also gotten details of one very interesting future episode. The episode will see series lead Mindy (Mindy Kaling) transformed from an Indian woman into a white man. Don't worry, the show isn't whitewashing anyone; the change will only be for one crazy sounding episode.
TVLine has the details and they report that if Hulu okay's the episode (which I have to imagine they will) then the show will cast a Caucasian male actor to play the role of Mindy in an episode of Season 5. Mindy Kaling will still provide her voice over for the episode, making the whole thing extra funny. While at the Television Critics Association panel, Kaling revealed new details about the episode and how exactly they plan to tackle the high concept.
We're pitching an episode called, 'If I Was Born a White Man.' I love the idea that something happens to Mindy that is really sexist, and then she wakes up the next morning as a white man. . . . It seems really interesting and fun and kind of a weird wish-fulfillment to see how differently she would be treated.
It definitely sounds like an episode of television that will get a lot of attention. As to how exactly Mindy will transform into an entirely different person on a show that is mostly a romantic comedy is a good question, though. Kaling's brief description of the episode makes it sound like Mindy will ACTUALLY become a white man, but it's far more likely that it's some sort of dream or fantasy situation. It's an outrageous concept with a real opportunity to explore important social issues.
Let's hope Hulu gives the green light for the episode. I don't think it's crazy to say that The Mindy Project isn't the most watched show on television, and an episode like this would give it a lot of much needed buzz. The show was axed by Fox after its third season on the network and then made the move over to Hulu. It hasn't made a lot of splashes since then so "If I Was Born a White Man" might just be what the show needs. Not to say that this is just a PR stunt; Mindy Kaling is a smart writer and there's a lot of relevant ground to be explored with that kind of concept.
The Mindy Project will return for a 16 episode season on October 4 on Hulu. To learn more about all the returning shows, check out our fall TV premiere schedule.
