Thoughts on Season Four Characterization and Character Dynamics
One criticism of this season and this story arc that I’m genuinely baffled by is that people seem convinced that the writers just made Danny an asshole out of the blue? Danny Castellano is a bit of an asshole, and he always been, and he didn’t just become an asshole. In fact, that’s kind of the whole point, he’s the “handsome jerk” that is Mindy’s opposite. I mean, we’re talking about a man who egregiously told his colleague to lose fifteen pounds in his first appearance. An arrogant and pompous man who declared himself superior to anyone who would listen, a man who did not want to afford Mindy full professional agency as a senior partner. He was always an asshole, and he’s always fought in a dirty and manipulative way. So really, this fight has been ten years coming, they’ve known each other for years, and for a majority of that time they didn’t view one another as equals. That has residual effects!
Danny is “the judge and the jury” and he always has been. He does see himself as a more controlled and morally superior person. (Oh Catholic guilt!!) This shouldn’t be a new aspect of his character for any viewer. Just because you become friends and fall in love doesn’t mean everything changes and becomes less hard, the problems don’t cease to exist. Mindy Kaling described life as “transitioning problems” on The Talk and she’s not wrong! People change and grow and find themselves in different places and situations, like having a baby, and suddenly everything’s turned upside down and the dynamics that once powered a relationship are completely jumbled and flipped on their axis. For Mindy and Danny, this has lead to a lot of their foundational insecurities, Danny is scared to become his father and Mindy is afraid that she won’t be able to be a doctor, mother, and wife.
Mindy has always struggled with her self-esteem and sense of self on the show, learning the difference between her wants and needs. Mindy Lahiri’s is the story of a woman who learns it’s okay to grant yourself permission to want more. Mindy’s scared, but like Neepa taught her at Stanford, with her son, she has more reason than ever before to work hard and find her own fulfillment in life. And the thing is Mindy has gotten a chance to overcome that fear, she faced it head on, Danny has not faced his most primal fears, which has him reverting to his most primal self. That’s why he’s behaving the way he is and fighting so dirty, so ready to condemn, Danny has put himself back in a defensive frame of mind where he can see himself as morally superior to quench his own crippling insecurities. Danny has always been an asshole, what we are experiencing is him fully lashing out in a way that we, as viewers, had almost forgotten in the midst of his character development. And it is a divisive decision to put Danny, and thus relationship, in its most unappealing light, but it’s also a brave one. And it makes for a compelling and relevant story, it’s a story I am happy that Mindy and the writers have tackled head on.
I understand the polarization that this characterization is causing, because this story is so much more realistic than what we are perhaps comfortable with as viewers of a sitcom. Assholes in sitcoms, like Danny, tend to be a bit more cartoony, like Michael Scott. They are lovable assholes who the viewers see grow in their positions and understandings of their place in the narrative and their dynamics with other characters. The asshole character is a huge asset to a sitcom and is an amazing way to break ground, because these layered characters are flawed just like their viewers, it’s creates a bond and connection. But the thing is, at this junction in the season, Danny is not being “the lovable and flawed television asshole”, he’s become a man that every woman knows and every woman will face. Danny Castellano is antagonistic in a way he hasn’t been before because he is vulnerably lashing out and asserting his dominance as a man. He is a man that every woman will face, a man that tells a woman to compromise her ambitions and aspirations to fulfill a traditional role. And for the record, whatever a woman chooses, is what is best for her. Some women want to stay home and some don’t. Neither is a villainous choice, in fact, they are both amazing choices!! But it has to be the woman’s choice for it to feel liberating and powerful. The problem is there is at least one man in every woman’s life who tries to rob her of her agency and choice.
It reminds me of the boys in class who mocked your intelligence and exploited every blunder because they were so insecure that perhaps a woman could be smart, talented, and funny. It reminds me of the male teacher that automatically counts you out simply because you are a woman. It reminds me of my grandfather who refused to let my mother pursue a college education. It reminds me of the men, of which there are thousands, that demand that a woman quit her job or deny themselves a promotion when they have children. . It’s an antagonistic force that follows women through every stage of their lives. And by embodying this more fragile yet domineering facet of masculinity, Danny has transformed, for many, from a farcical asshole to the asshole we know, the asshole that tried to hold us back. In that, we have projected our deepest insecurities as viewers on Mindy and Danny, just Mindy and Danny are now viewing one another as the personification of their deepest fears and inadequacies.
So I entreat us all, to see these characters, not as our fears and not as our insecurities, but as people. And as we discuss and experience the show with others, I ask you to respect one another as people. Because the only way for Mindy and Danny to solve their problems is to see one another as people, not as their fears and their demons, but as a fully realized human beings that can help them conquer their demons so that they may build a future together. This is compelling, relevant, and realistic television. This is important, so let’s buckle for the ride, and hope that our two flawed protagonists can come together and see one another as a person, and not just a manifestation of their doubts. And not just a person really, I hope that they are able to look to at one another and see not just the person they fell in love with, but that they also see a person to grow with.
I love your comment. Even though, I don’t know what ep 13 will bring, I even wish/hope ep 13 (that s4A ends.) have a happy resolution and everything is solved forever and ever and Dandy get married and Mindy pregnant w/nine girls. But, TMP is doing it’s own thing. Even on ep 13 where I expect the arc to end or end happily,..TMP could leave ep 13 a cliffhanger or Danny and Mindy breaking up, TMP is doing it their way and for the story. They do love their characters. Whatever happens in ep 13, could become meaningful later on. We just have to wait for the arc to play out. It’s hard to wait.