25 feel-good shows to start 2018 off right

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The Mindy Project

The premise: An effervescent single girl thrives as a successful gynecologist, but fails miserably in her personal relationships. Mindy Kaling plays Mindy Lahiri as the sort-of shallow, sort-of genius partner in a successful practice who makes terrible decisions about men. Although Mindy is often presented as vapid and self-destructive, she has cultivated quite the name for herself professionally.

Why it’s so good: It’s fun to watch all of the worst things you’ve ever done to yourself (or others, for that matter) play out in a safely fictional world. It’s super sad when I eat an entire loaf of bread in one sitting, but its comically whimsical when Mindy does it. It’s career suicide for me to sleep with my co-workers, but when Mindy does she finds viable relationship after viable relationship.

The show is firmly fourth-wave feminist, as well. The Mindy Project takes a stand on what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Mindy loves clothes, but values ambition. She wants children, but not to stay home with them. She desires fulfilling relationships, but not at her own expense. It’s comforting to see a female character that has so many facets, even if some of those facets are insufferable. None of us are perfect, after all.

How to watch: You can watch the entire series on Hulu.