'The Mindy Project' Season 1, Episode 16: 'The One That Got Away' Recap

People always ask Mindy why she likes romantic comedies so much… it’s because even under extraordinary circumstances the right two people can end up together.

She tells her friends at work that someone from her past is taking her out. Sam Kleinfeld. She met him when she was 13, at Jewish sleep-away camp.

Flashback to when she met Sam, who defends her against other campers who point out she is not Jewish. Sam is hilarious. Mindy thinks she can see having a relationship with him if he’s like he was at camp.

Sam shows up (guest star Seth Rogen). She asks about his army t-shirt and he tells her he just got back from Afghanistan.

They go for lunch. She tells him he’s very different from how he used to be, and he tells her he thought she would be a boring mom, not a pretty doctor. As their lunch ends, Mindy and Sam establish that they’re both single, after fishing pretty obviously.

Danny talks to his patients, who tell him they found the perfect sperm donor. They ask him for his “guys.” Danny thinks about it a moment, and agrees.

Sam and Mindy go shopping and after getting shampoo, go to the self scanner, despite Mindy’s hesitation. Sam is excited about it since he just got back, but as Mindy was worried, the scanner alarms go off and they dash. Mindy invites him to the mummy exhibit, but Sam tells her he is deploying again tomorrow. For eighteen months.

Mindy explains the situation to Morgan and Betsy as Danny comes in. They are horrified that she blew Sam off. Guilt-ridden, she tracks him down at a tattoo parlor. She tells him finding someone she likes is hard enough and they should spend all their time together. He leaves without the “y” on his “army” tattoo.

Sam talks about missing American movies, and Mindy drags him to a Nora Ephron double-feature.

Morgan finds Danny’s fax from a donor clinic, and hugs him about being a future father. Everyone talks about the future child possibly finding him.

On the subway, Mindy and Sam talk about the movies. Sam sees a veteran and they chat. Mindy gives him a smile. They go home and have sex.

Afterwards, Mindy tells him how much it sucks that he has to leave.

“We didn’t even get to do any fun, date-y things. Like go to the supermarket and have a big fight in front of people.”

They settle on him fixing her A/C while she hands him tools. As they argue about “Caddyshack,” Sam falls out of the window.

Danny finds Mindy in the hospital waiting room. Sam is fine, just banged up. She is admittedly excited that he may have to defer his deployment. Danny walks to talk to her about the couple who asked him to donate sperm. He tells her he doesn’t think he’ll have kids so he might as well.

Mindy tells him that’s a terrible reason to do it. He admits he already told them he would do it… Mindy takes him to talk to the couple. She tells them his many flaws.

“Also he has tiny ears and he’s a selfish lover. So let me ask you, do you really want Daniel Catellano to be the biological father of your angry, sweaty, emotionally needy baby?”

They say no, and Danny is free.

Back at the hospital, Mindy tries to do push-ups. The doctor comes in and tells Sam he lucked out, with only a minor sprain. Mindy tries to get the doctor to lie but he won’t. Morgan tries to help with a list of things they can do to keep him out of the army, but Sam comes up and interrupts.

Sam tells her he has to go back. He wants to go back. They argue for a moment, but her beeper goes off and she goes to her procedure.

Morgan rubs Sam’s shoulders in the lounge, when Danny comes in. Sam gives Danny a letter to give to Mindy.

Later, Danny gives her the letter. It thanks her for the sex, and apologizes for not saying goodbye in person. He tells her he watched her do her surgery, and he could see that she was doing what she loved. It made him remember that he loves what he does. He tells her maybe he will see her next summer. Danny asks if she is going to cry.

He starts to try and comfort her but she tells him it is what it is. He reads off what is in the vending machine for her while she decides what she wants.