‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 7, ‘Door #3’

Plot: “Door #3” is all about discovering alternative solutions to life’s problems.

Dev is starting to hate hosting Clash of the Cupcakes, but one of his bosses, Jeff Pastore, tells him that the network is ready to lock him in for a seven-season contract. Our hero explains that he doesn’t want to settle in for the long haul, and much to Dev’s surprise, Jeff admires his decision and is not upset.

Later that afternoon, over lunch at his favorite Indian restaurant, Dev tells Jeff that he’d love to go and learn to cook in India, perhaps for a show like Pastore’s hit Jeff’s Table. His boss likes the idea, but also says it would be nice to have Dev stay on the network because he’s good at his job and “there’s no diversity in the food world.” Jeff asks Dev to sleep on it.

Meanwhile, Brian learns that his dad Peter (Clem Chung) is dating two women at once, but he vows to break up with one of them soon. On the other side of town, Dev visits his doctor dad Ramesh (Shoukath Ansari) at the hospital where he works to discuss whether or not he should leave Clash of the Cupcakes. His father urges him to stay, and make it work. “My job stinks too,” Ramesh notes. At his father’s request, Dev sticks around the hospital for a bit but decides to leave after a patient comes in with a toothbrush lodged up his butt.

Later that week, Brian’s dad tells his son and his buddy Arnold that he’s decided not to break up with either of his girlfriends. When Arnold asks how he figured out that arrangement, Peter explains: “My secret is that people my age often feel very alone. This makes them open to situations that are not ideal in exchange for temporary companionship.”

Back on the set of Clash of the Cupcakes, Dev tries to cheer up an insecure magician named Kenny the Magnificent (played by Cedric the Entertainer), who doesn’t want to go on stage to judge the show. He eventually pulls himself together, but during one of his tricks on camera — a version of three card monte using a metal spike — he badly injures himself. Following this bloody incident, Dev tells Jeff Pastore that he wants out of the show, but he’d love to work on a new program with him called BFFs — Best Food Friends — where they travel around the world cooking and eating. After chewing it over for a minute, Pastore says he digs the idea and wants to make it happen.

Later that night, Dev Skypes with his old friend and potential love interest Francesca, who’s now back in Italy, to tell her about the show. Francesca’s also got a bit of news for him: She’s engaged.

Food Breakdown: In real life, the no-frills restaurant that Dev and Jeff go to in this episode, Agra Taj Mahal, is one of the best places to get Indian food in North Brooklyn. After Jeff points out that he’s the only white person in the restaurant, Dev remarks: “That’s why it’s good. Don’t tell any other white people about it, I don’t want it to get ruined.”

This scene also addresses the lack of diversity in food television, which is a very real issue outside of the world of this show. Jeff remarks: “Look at our hosts. If our lineup were ingredients, we’d be flour, salt, sugar, all white.“ And this episode also contains a conceit related to home cooking: One of the reasons Peter’s dad finds it so hard to quit his girlfriend, Linda, is because she makes him beef soup with kimchi. When he learns that she’s preparing this dish for them, Peter exclaims: “This is interesting information.”

Best of None: Aziz Ansari’s dad, Shoukath, steals every scene he’s in. His best line in this episode comes after he urges Dev to stay and watch him work: “It will be like Gray’s Anatomy, but this time it’s me — I’m the McDreamy.” Bobby Canavale and Cederic the Entertainer also do some great character acting in episode, and the opening segment, where Dev is recording a bunch of absurd intros, is hilarious.

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