Entertainment
Hulu’s Newest Show Is the Unofficial Sequel to This 4-Part Beloved 94% Netflix Hit
In just one day since its premiere, Hulu’s new show Not Suitable for Work has already surged through the streaming charts. According to FlixPatrol, the series is now at #4 worldwide, and it’ll likely only continue to rise through the ranks as the week goes on. The series, which has only released three episodes so far, follows “five work-obsessed 20-somethings” in a Friends-style living situation as they fight to maintain a perfect work-life balance in “Manhattan’s most glamorous neighborhood, Murray Hill.”
Behind the series is Mindy Kaling, a TV powerhouse both on and off camera, who just recently released the long-awaited second season of Running Point on Netflix in April. Therefore, Kaling’s new show not only maintains her reign on streaming in 2026, but officially continues the TV trilogy she started back in 2020.
‘Not Suitable for Work’ Is Part of Mindy Kaling’s TV Trilogy
In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Kaling opened up about how Not Suitable for Work is connected to two of her previous projects, Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls. “In my mind, this is the third show in a trilogy of shows that are about my life,” she stated. “Never Have I Ever is about me being in high school, Sex Lives of College Girls was about my time at Dartmouth, and this is this last pivotal time in my youth, which was moving to New York City, being super ambitious and being in your 20s.” As a reminder, Never Have I Ever was first released in 2020 and went on for four seasons until their characters graduated from high school, while The Sex Lives of College Girls premiered over a year later in 2021 and ran for three seasons until its cancellation in May 2025.
In each of the shows, while there isn’t any character named after Kaling specifically, there’s always at least one central Indian-American character who’s ambitious and quirky in their own way, and seen as Kaling’s most faithful portrayal of her experience. In Never Have I Ever, that’s Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), while in The Sex Lives of College Girls, the South Asian main character is Bela Malhotra (Amrit Kaur). In Not Suitable for Work, Avantika Vandanapu plays Abhinaya “Abby” Chilukuri, an assistant to a celebrity stylist who’s always terrified of losing her job.
‘Never Have I Ever’ Is Mindy Kaling’s Most Beloved Show
While Not Suitable for Work has just come out, Never Have I Ever set a high bar when it comes to Kaling’s productions. After all, the four-season series was not only a major streaming hit for Netflix, but it also received major critical acclaim at an average 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. From the critics, it’s clear the series nailed key elements of the show, not only showing a hilarious yet honest portrayal of teen years, but shining a light on a flawed yet charismatic lead with Ramakrishnan’s Devi. “It asserts itself with sassy confidence right away, not just in Devi’s voice but in the narrative’s framing,” one review wrote.
Unlike both The Sex Lives of College Girls and Not Suitable for Work, Never Have I Ever thrived because of its larger focus on the lead rather than being a full ensemble show. By doing so, the series honed in on Devi’s life, shining a light on Indian expectations and traditions, second-generation experiences, and the emotional journey with grief she went on after the loss of her father. With that, the series balanced comedy with heart in a way that made it TV gold.
Mindy Kaling’s Best Movies and Series, Ranked From Hilarious to Heartwarming
Mindy Kaling has proven she is one funny writer!
In Collider’s very own review of the show following the Season 2 release, Carly Lane highlighted that Ramakrishnan was indeed the show’s not-so-secret weapon. “Ultimately, a show is only as strong as its lead, and once again, Ramakrishnan proves why she’s the one to build an entire series around, not only in Devi’s most ridiculous and chaotic moments (the show literally describes some of her wildest antics as “pulling a Devi”) but in the scenes that call on her to be quiet, vulnerable, and having to come to grips with the real emotions that drive her to make some confusing and (in true teen fashion) dramatic decisions,” Lane wrote.
With that said, while Kaling’s new show Not Suitable for Work is currently climbing the charts on Hulu and Disney+, perhaps the first series in her TV trilogy, Never Have I Ever, will always be her best. With a quirky yet complicated lead, the series did more than just talk about boy crushes and love triangles, and depicted a heartfelt quintessentially human story instead.
- Release Date
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2020 – 2023-00-00
- Showrunner
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Lang Fisher
- Directors
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Lang Fisher
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