The Thrill Of The New

In its first season, The Mindy Project got attention for its casting choices. Stephen Tobolowsky left almost immediately; Anna Camp and Amanda Setton were out by midseason, to be replaced (sort of) by Beth Grant and Xosha Roquemore; and along the way, there was a parade of stuntcast Mindy (Mindy Kaling) love interests including Marc Duplass, Ed Helms, Bill Hader, B.J. Novak, Seth Rogen, and Anders Holm.

This season, the trend continues. Adam Pally's joined the show's central medical practice as an OB/GYN. Since breaking up with Holm's Casey just two episodes ago, Mindy's already crossed meet-cute paths with Glenn Howerton. Tonight's episode finds Mindy going on a date with Ben Feldman; already-announced future romantic prospects include Larenz Tate and Timothy Olyphant. (Note to Mindy's publicist: maybe try letting the show build some suspense by letting one boyfriend run his course before telling us who the next one's going to be?)

The show already boasts a regular series cast including four doctors, two nurses, and not one but two office administrators (and I get that not every show can be Seinfeld, but that's...two Seinfelds' worth of people). Pally's barely been on the show yet, and his weird Dr. Prentice is fighting for weirdo screen time with Original Weirdo Morgan (Ike Barinholtz); meanwhile, Jeremy (Ed Weeks) apparently gained a bunch of weight while Mindy was in Haiti and that hasn't come up as a story point since the season premiere or during any of his three lines per episode. Could the show's producers service the characters they've already created and/or developed? Sure. Or: they could throw even more opening-credits cast members and guest stars at us! Here are some predictions for the rest of the season.

Rufus

Who Is...? A subway bucket drummer Mindy hires as another office assistant.

Stunty Casting Choice: Bobb'e J. Thompson.

Current Character He'll Displace The Most: He'll siphon off Tamra's (Roquemore) sassiness, and the actual job tasks of intern Parker (Mort Burke), because yeah, there's also an intern sometimes.

Corinne

Who Is...? Another midwife from the competing practice upstairs.

Stunty Casting Choice: Katie Aselton.

Current Character She'll Displace The Most: It's not really displacement if she crowds out Duplass's Brendan, since they're married; it's more like job-sharing.

Ferdinand

Who Is...? Mindy's hunky new dentist.

Stunty Casting Choice: Rob Lowe.

Current Character He'll Displace The Most: He'll replace Larenz Tate's guy as Mindy's new love interest.

Hercules

Who Is...? A successful shipping magnate, recently relocated to New York, who lines up Mindy to be his pregnant sister's OB/GYN.

Stunty Casting Choice: John Stamos.

Current Character He'll Displace The Most: Next love interest after Rob Lowe.

Lance

Who Is...? An Off Broadway actor/playwright who takes offense by Mindy's loud heckling at his show, only to be charmed after spending just a couple of minutes with her.

Stunty Casting Choice: Ben Affleck.

Current Character He'll Displace The Most: Taking over romance duties from Stamos.

Arlene

Who Is...? A hypochondriac patient who keeps visiting the practice with phantom symptoms.

Stunty Casting Choice: Ellen Burstyn.

Current Character She'll Displace The Most: Beth Grant's Beverly won't be the only crazy old bitch in town!

Jemima

Who Is...? An extremely elegant Englishwoman who moves into Mindy's building, and whose friendship Mindy is desperate to lock up.

Stunty Casting Choice: Gwyneth Paltrow.

Current Character She'll Displace The Most: Camp's Gwen is pretty much MIA these days, but if Mindy is still supposed to be friends with Alex (Kelen Coleman) and Maggie (Mary Grill), they are fucked.