What's Going To Break Up Mindy And Casey?

Season 2 of The Mindy Project begins with an episode titled "All My Problems Solved Forever," in which Mindy (Mindy Kaling) receives a proposal of marriage from her minister boyfriend Casey (Anders Holm). It's everything we know the rom-com-obsessed Mindy has been dreaming of, so of course it all falls apart before we even get to the credits, as deal-sealing sex must be put on hold due to Mindy's sudden stomach pain. By the end of the episode, Casey has suggested abandoning the casual wedding they've hastily thrown together so that she can start planning the lavish one she actually wants; also, he's going to go continue his aid work in Haiti while she stays in New York and resumes making money so that they'll be able to afford the gown and cake and litter carried by six gay guys that she's dreaming of.

I mean...clearly, this relationship is doomed -- and the season premiere is full of clues as to what might break up Casey and Mindy.

Paul.

Let's address this one first since it seems like the most obvious. We can tell from promos that James Franco's Paul will appear in at least one more episode, and presumably not just so that he and Mindy can wrangle over who gets to continue working at the medical practice. Also, Mindy instantly has a more intense physical attraction to Paul than she did to Casey (thank you, recent reruns, for letting me confirm this fact), telling Paul he could be a model and so on. That she feels this way in spite of the bags under his eyes, jaundiced cast to his skin, and badly discolored teeth suggests that she might be looking at him through the eyes of love, or at least lust. (James Franco, if you are reading this: a night in would not kill you.)

Mindy's materialism.

Granted, Mindy doesn't need to marry anyone who makes a lot of money, because she makes her own -- and plenty of it, judging from her lovely apartment and overstuffed second bedroom-cum-closet. So I don't mean that her materialism might break her and Casey up because he doesn't make enough to supply her with the material things she wants, but that his occupational parsimony may eventually cause too big a gulf to open up between them, particularly after he goes back to Haiti and she goes back to brunch.

Casey's racist family.

If the wedding planning does get to the point where the family Casey alludes to even gets to meet Mindy -- as of the premiere, she and Casey haven't even agreed on a state -- if they're as bigoted as he says, his marrying an Indian-American might not be so cool with them.

Casey's subpar sexual technique.

Mindy and Casey have barely started to get it on. Mindy winces in gall bladder pain. Casey: "I'm close too!" Dude, really? It's called baseball, try thinking about it.

Casey's family history of heart disease.

Seems like kind of a random detail for Casey to suddenly bust out moments after Mindy's accepted his proposal. If producers decide to break them up in a way that leaves both parties blameless, natural (if premature) death is a good option.

Danny.

If you predicted last season that Mindy and Danny (Chris Messina) are going to get together eventually, congratulations! You have watched TV before. And though this episode nicely did away with the lingering obstacle known as Christina (Chloë Sevigny) -- because of Danny's sexual rejection, no less -- it feels too soon for Danny and Mindy to figure out, as we all have, that they're supposed to hook up. Still: it's possible.

Morgan.

Bringing Brendan (Mark Duplass) to Mindy's wedding as his plus-one? Dosing the reception punch with Ecstasy? Setting Casey on fire? Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) could do any or all of the above. In fact, all of those suggestions are probably too normal for Morgan to do; trying to predict what that dude might do to turn any situation into a catastrophe is a fool's errand.