Mindy Kaling's Not Suitable For Work plays it too safe

There are a few defining traits to Mindy Kaling’s glossy TV universe (Mindyverse?): Beyond their “created by” credits, the lighthearted likes of The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives Of College Girls are all united by their charming leads who thrive in chaos, dole out pop culture references, wear impeccable outfits, and indulge in complicated love affairs. Taking a cue from the show that provided her big break, Kaling’s narratives tend to center on quirky families, either blood-related or found. The messy journeys of these ensembles are entertaining at best (Running Point) and unimaginative (Champions, Four Weddings And A Funeral) at worst. Somewhere in between those poles, you’ll find Kaling’s newest show, Hulu’s fun but half-baked Not Suitable For Work. 

The title raises an expectation for the risque, but in reality, Not Suitable For Work is far from provocative. In fact, it’s a sweet and predictable tale of five twentysomething New Yorkers in the early stages of their careers. As neighbors, they seemingly rely on each other to navigate the city, their workplaces, and their romances. In other words, it’s a hangout sitcom catered to a younger generation. In interviews, Kaling calls it part of a trilogy with Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives Of College Girls. If those were a callback to her high school and college years, respectively, then Not Suitable For Work seems inspired by her early, pre-Office adulthood in Manhattan. Like last year’s Adults and I Love LA, it feels like an attempt to give Gen Z its own Friends, Seinfeld, or New Girl. One thing that’s holding the show back from reaching those lofty heights: In season one, its protagonists aren’t spending nearly enough time together. 

Cultivating chemistry among your main ensemble is a necessity for a good hangout comedy. Audiences have to believe that Joey waltzes into Monica’s home for food whenever he pleases, that Kramer never knocks on Jerry’s door either, or that Nick and Schmidt can accidentally share the same towel. Not Suitable For Work has its work cut out for itself in that department, because the dynamic between its five leads is less than sparkling in season one. The focus is on their individual professional ambitions and issues with their coworkers; with less of an eye on the interpersonal relationships between its principals, Not Suitable feels disjointed, and its characters quite thinly sketched. And if they’re not having out that often, why would we want to do the same?

The group, in this case, consists of Abhinaya “Abby” Chilukuri (Avantika), the dutiful assistant to a demanding celebrity stylist played by Constance Wu. Abby’s college roommate, AJ Pascarelli (Ella Hunt), moves in with her to start a new banking job in the city. Across the hall are a trio of goofy, well-meaning dudes: Davis (Will Angus) works with and develops an instant, How I Met Your Mother-like crush on AJ; med student Kel (Nicholas Duvernay) is a wannabe actor whose real calling is teaching English at an elite all-girls institute; and Josh (Jack Martin) is an aspiring reporter who secures his production assistant gig at a news show by using his connections—his dad is the network’s CEO. Naturally, all of them can afford to live in fairly large Midtown apartments.