The 13 Best Mindy Kaling TV Show Universe Couples, Ranked
Mindy Kaling knows how to write a hilariously likable heroine, a parade of bumbling side characters, and some of the most chaotic relationships the age of dating apps has ever seen. Pretty much every couple in the Mindy Kaling Television Universe is messy, miscommunicating, and occasionally doomed, but we love them for it. Boy, do we love them.
From Running Point to Never Have I Ever, from The Mindy Project to The Sex Lives of College Girls, nothing quite beats a well-crafted Mindy Kaling romance. (She loves a good slow burn.) Some were written by Kaling to be played by Kaling herself, while others were brought to life by stars like Renée Rapp, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and even rom-com royalty Kate Hudson.
Here are our favorite Mindy Kaling TV couples, ranked from chaotic-but-fun to full-on swoonworthy. Which MKTS couple ranks the highest in your heart? Let us know in the comments below!
13. Eleanor Wong & Trent Harrison, Never Have I Ever
Initially, they were the classic side characters orbiting our main couple, Devi and Paxton. Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) was Devi’s theatrical, high-energy best friend, while Trent (Benjamin Norris) played Paxton’s laid-back, comic-relief sidekick. And somehow, against all odds, it became a classic case of opposites attract.
There was real sweetness to their relationship. Both of them openly admitted that the other made them better in different ways, and they genuinely made an effort to step into each other’s worlds, like spending time with each other’s friends and showing up for one another in small, meaningful ways.
But they also spoke completely different emotional languages and cared about very different things. It always felt like a connection that worked in the context of high school chaos, but would struggle to translate into anything beyond it. Cute for high school, but probably best left there.
12. Bela Malhotra & Eric Miller, The Sex Lives of College Girls
We are weak for skinny men with glasses, sorry!
Eric (Mekki Leeper) was a bit of a wet mop at times, but hear us out. He was part of the college comedy magazine, The Catullan, so we knew he was funny, we just didn’t always get to see it on screen.
When Bela (Amrit Kaur) made allegations of sexual assault against a fellow member, Eric was initially hesitant, but ultimately did the right thing and backed her, even when it meant standing against a former friend. It was a quiet but important moment that showed real growth in his character.
That said, communication between Eric and Bela definitely needed work. He allowed things to stay casual, even when it was clear he wanted more, which created painful and messy moments. And in many ways, the bigger tension came from Bela’s own insecurities, as she often felt like she was in competition with him rather than in partnership with him.
When they finally did become exclusive, things ultimately fell apart after she cheated on him with a visiting late-night comic, and Eric even found out from someone else. Brutal.
11. Mindy Lahiri & Cliff Gilbert, The Mindy Project
Many people would call Cliff (Glenn Howerton) the one that got away — it’s us, we’re many people. Cliff seemed to genuinely love Mindy (Kaling) for exactly who she was, while she could never quite return the feeling in the same steady, consistent way. His patience, humor, and stability made him stand out against her usually chaotic exes.
As a divorce attorney, Cliff also brought his own baggage, including some deep-seated trust issues that inevitably complicated their relationship. Ultimately, Mindy chose Danny — who we’ll get to in a second — but not before Cliff left a lasting impression as one of her best connections.
And, of course, in classic Mindy fashion, she did circle back when she needed help with a tax issue, which was… awkward, given that it was clear he still had feelings. Maybe in another life, with slightly better timing and fewer emotional complications, they would have made it work.
10. Devi Vishwakumar & Paxton Hall-Yoshida, Never Have I Ever
This was the romance — or at least the crush — that kicked off the entire show, and yet it never quite stuck. The issue with Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Paxton (Darren Barnet) was that there was always a subtle imbalance between them: He thought he was out of her league, and she internalized that same belief, too. That dynamic lingered in the relationship far longer than either of them wanted to admit.
From Paxton initially trying to keep things secret, to the on-and-off flirting, to the awkward evolution of their connection once he became a teacher at her school, there was always a sense that these two were more in love with the idea of each other than the reality.
Was he hot? Without question. But was he actually a good match for Devi? Not really, and deep down, they both seemed to know it.
9. Jackson & Kimberly Finkle, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Okay, so this couple took a while to grow on us, but eventually we realized Jackson (Mitchell Slaggert) was just a hottie with big biceps and an even bigger heart.
While his confidence and chemistry with Kimberley (Pauline Chalamet) initially hooked her, he quickly proved he was more than just eye candy. One of his most redeeming moments came when he stepped up to take care of her after her egg donation, showing a softer, more attentive side that completely shifted how we saw him. A hottie with a heart!
He didn’t fully support her during her dining hall strike at first, but when he was called out, he apologized and actually owned the mistake, which is rare for men. He also resisted getting jealous, even when Kimberly attended the awards banquet with her friend Canaan (Christopher Meyer), choosing trust over ego.
Still… maybe he should’ve been a little more worried, because she ultimately left him for Canaan. Justice for Jackson, honestly.
8. Whitney Chase & Canaan Greene, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Cue the Tyra Banks meme: “We were rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!’ Because, honestly, we deserved Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott) and Canaan.
We were finally moving past her inappropriate relationship with her soccer coach (no, thank you), and Whitney deserved a genuinely good man in her corner. Canaan initially seemed like exactly that — steady, kind, and grounded — but ultimately, her jealousy pulled them apart.
And then came the real kicker: him pursuing her friend Kimberly. Seriously, dude? Even with the breakup, this pairing could have ranked so much higher if it weren’t for the questionable post-split decisions that followed. Shame on those two.
7. Isla Gordon & Lev Levenson, Running Point
Hear us out! Isla and Lev (Max Greenfield) could have been great together, and, for a long time, probably were. Before everything shifted with the promotion and Isla’s evolving ambitions, they seemed built to last.
Lev was patient, kind, thoughtful, and endlessly supportive. He never stood in the way of her career, in fact, he actively nurtured it, whether that meant cooking for her, making smoothies, or quietly backing her through every big decision. He was happy to be her trophy wife. On paper, he was a good partner. A very good one.
But was Isla always a good partner to him in return? Not really, and that was even before the complicated feelings (and very inconvenient sex dreams) about Jay (Jay Ellis) started creeping in. Ultimately, the relationship couldn’t hold under the weight of all that change. The engagement ended right before the wedding, and at this point, it doesn’t look like there’s a second chance on the cards. We’re so sad to see Max Greenfield go.
6. Morgan Tookers & Tamra Webb, The Mindy Project
Perhaps the most beloved side couple in The Mindy Project universe, quirky nurse Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) and sharp-tongued nurse Tamra (Xosha Roquemore) developed a classic “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic that stretched across multiple seasons.
By the time of the finale, their relationship had fully blossomed, with their wedding (eek!) becoming a major emotional beat not just for them, but for Mindy’s wider storyline, too. Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were breakups, reconciliations, and one unforgettable plot twist involving Tamra inseminating herself with Morgan’s sperm. Oops.
All’s well that ends well, right?
5. Isla Gordon & Jay Brown, Running Point
Okay, now for the Running Point couple everyone actually wants to talk about: Isla and Jay.
The pair instantly sparked in Season 1 while Jay was coaching the team, with their chemistry simmering into one very illicit kiss during Isla’s brief separation from her fiancé, Lev. But just as things were getting good, Jay moved to Boston to be closer to his family, leaving us all emotionally stranded.
Season 2 finally reunited them when their rival teams faced off, and naturally, the unresolved tension quickly turned into a full-blown hookup situation. But judging by the finale, things may already be crashing and burning after Jay’s major betrayal in joining Cam’s new team.
4. Kamala Nandiwadal & Manish Kulkarni, Never Have I Ever
Devi’s older cousin Kamala (Richa Moorjani) initially seemed to exist mostly as a comparison point — the effortlessly accomplished cousin who fueled Devi’s insecurities and reinforced all the ways Devi felt she was somehow “wrong.” But over the course of Never Have I Ever, Kamala evolved into a far more layered character: a confidante, a source of support for Devi, and the main character of her own genuinely charming love story.
That shift largely unfolded through her secret relationship with Manish (Utkarsh Ambudkar), Devi’s hilariously laid-back teacher. While Kamala’s grandmother initially disapproved, Manish’s goofy humor and genuine kindness quickly won both Kamala and the audience over. We love them!
3. Mindy Lahiri & Danny Castellano, The Mindy Project
The beloved rom-com series The Mindy Project ended with Dr. Mindy Lahiri and her longtime love interest, Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), finding their way back to each other for good.
We adored Danny when we first met him, which honestly made his Season 4 behavior all the more painful. Suddenly, he became judgemental, controling, and frustratingly unsupportive of Mindy’s ambitions. But by Season 6, Danny finally began to reckon with his past behavior. In one standout moment, he fiercely defended Mindy after a rude principle labels her an “absentee mother,” refusing to let her be unfairly shamed.
More importantly, Danny admitted he was wrong. (Truly, find a man who can do that.) As Mindy told him in the finale: “I never stopped loving you, and I don’t think I ever will.” Cue all the tears.
2. Alicia & Leighton Murray, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Watching Leighton (Renée Rapp) struggle with her sexuality throughout Season 1 of The Sex Lives of College Girls was genuinely heartbreaking. So when she met Alicia (Midori Francis), the effortlessly cool leader of the Women’s Center, everything slowly started to shift.
Alicia challenged Leighton on her elitist nonsense, pushed her to be more honest with herself, and helped her embrace parts of her identity she’d spent years trying to suppress. And in return? Alicia got to see the softer, vulnerable side hiding beneath Leighton’s icy queen-bee exterior. Together, they somehow managed to make emotional growth and sarcastic banter look incredibly romantic.
Yes, they had their breakup era, but thankfully, they found their way back to each other, while also leaving behind a deeply unpleasant sorority-girl situation in the process. By the time they left the show together, we were fully emotionally attached. We miss them dearly.
1. Devi Vishwakumar & Ben Gross, Never Have I Ever
Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover how we feel about Ben (Jaren Lewison) and Devi. From the very start of Never Have I Ever, we were all in on the tension: the enemies-to-lovers banter, the begrudging respect, the academic rivals-to-soulmates energy. We ate it all up.
And don’t even get us started on the “one free boink” moment. When Devi joked that she’d never lose her virginity, Ben half-jokingly offered her a “free boink” coupon, only for Devi to actually show up at his house and hand him the pass later. They wordlessly entered his room and started making out. Excuse us while we scream into a pillow.
These two were endgame from the beginning, and Ben literally arriving at a wedding (okay, not her wedding) with a heartfelt declaration of love? Cinema. What made them so special was that they constantly pushed each other to be better, while also fully embracing each other’s most chaotic, competitive, deeply dorky selves. It was sweet, messy, romantic perfection.
