The Mindy Project: “Music Festival” — Recap

Back from Haiti, Casey’s returned to his packed church and reveals to everyone’s chagrin (most of all Mindy’s) that he’s giving up the ministry to become a DJ. Fast forward six weeks later: Casey’s consumed by his new “passion” while shacked up with Mindy, who is frustrated by his burning grilled cheese sandwiches and general laziness.

Mindy decides to confront Casey about finding a more productive when Casey gives her the exciting news about landing his first DJ gig at the Penny Farthing Music Festival. Most of the regular office gang decide to make the trip to the festival with Mindy, but they seem less than impressed with Casey’s ambitions–with the exception of Morgan, who thinks Casey is “like a white Beastie Boy.”

When they arrive at the festival, Mindy panics after getting a fat man’s sweat in her mouth and being accosted by raving hula hoopers. She initially tries to be excited until she realizes that she’d have to go with Casey to multiple festivals, and tells Casey that it was a lot easier to support his dream when his dream was volunteering in Haiti. Casey’s disappointed in her and leaves for his gig.

Morgan eats special cupcakes, gets stoned, and breaks his tailbone cannonballing into the grass. Mindy and Danny find chaos when escort Morgan to the infirmary tent. “This looks like a civil war battlefield,” says Danny, “But in the Civil War there weren’t as many beards.” They decide to stick back and organize the tent (since the medic is on ‘shrooms). Mindy and Danny finish tidying up in time for Danny to catch his favorite band, The National; Mindy offers to stay behind, even though she’d be missing Casey’s DJ set. Danny, who’s usually not sentimental, tells Mindy that she’d only know if DJing was Casey’s true passion by seeing it in his eyes when he’s performing.

Inspired, Mindy goes to watch Casey’s set, and more great physical comedy on Mindy Kaling’s part ensues as she’s involuntarily crowd-surfed to the front of the stage and tossed in the air while complaining about her scoliosis. Mindy’s genuinely inspired and excited by Casey’s performance, but Casey’s now decided that his calling is event planning (after hating the layout and fire exit locations of the tent).

Later, Morgan’s convinced The National to come play a song in the infirmary tent under the false pretense that he plans to propose to Danny (full name: Daniel Mussolini Castellano), and the band plays “This Is The Last Time.”