When the end credits roll on Not Suitable for Work Season 1, fans of Mindy Kaling’s new hangout comedy will be begging for more romance, drama, and unique twenty-something chaos.
Episodes 8 and Episode 9 of the hit Hulu series — which premiered Tuesday, June 23 — were back-to-back holiday celebrations featuring unexpected twists, a bougie office Christmas party, a star-studded New Year’s Eve show, a career-altering punch, and an unexpected kiss that will leave fans swooning and hoping for a Season 2 renewal.
Not Safe for Work Season 1’s penultimate episode saw Abby (Avantika) try and fail to land Jack McBrayer as a client. Though she secured the perfect Prada jacket for his fitting, when she made a pitstop to help Kel (Nicholas Duvernay) with a teaching crisis, she lost the $18,000 statement piece and was left with a mountain of debt. After Josh’s (Jack Martin) dad cut him off for disrespecting him, Josh took full advantage of his company holiday party. And Davis (Will Angus) sulked over AJ (Ella Hunt) and Bill (Jay Ellis) dating, unaware that Davis dumped her after the holiday party and took his ex girlfriend on a trip to Aspen.
Longtime Mindy Kaling fans know she excels at writing love triangles and holiday episodes, and Not Suitable for Work‘s finale two episodes deliver in both departments. Episode 9, “A Birthday Party For the Whole World,” shows the friends celebrating a New Year’s Eve to remember. As they say, out with the old, in with the new Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III!
Do Kel and Abby end up together? Who does AJ end up with after her breakup with Bill? Who gets punched? Who locks lips in the season’s final seconds? And who’s left heartbroken? Decider’s Not Suitable for Work ending explained has the answers. Just be warned, NSFW Season 1 finale spoilers lie ahead!
Not Suitable for Work Ending Explained: NSFW Episode 9 Recap
Not Suitable for Work‘s Season 1 finale kicks off with Davis un-trimming the Christmas tree and changing seasons faster than a CVS. He doesn’t want to go into the new year moping about AJ and devises a plan to go emotionally numb when he sees her and Bill at the office. Fresh off a breakup, AJ feels somewhere between “fine and dead” at the thought of seeing Bill at work, but admits she’s more upset about Davis not talking to her than the breakup. Interesting… When Abby suggests that Davis’ reaction is completely normal, seeing as he’s in love with AJ, she calls her crazy for even suggesting he has feelings. Denial is a river, etc!
Despite Davis’ pleas to celebrate “a birthday party for the whole world” together, his boys have other plans. Kel is headed to a cast party after his big show, while NYE-hater Josh plans to watch Broadcast News and eat Chinese food with AJ. As for Abby, she’s ringing in the new year working double shifts at a clothing store on a quest to earn enough money to pay off that lost Prada coat.
Speaking of work, after Kate (Ego Nwodim) clocks Kel’s chemistry with Abby in Episode 9, she hires a permanent replacement for his classroom and fires him before he even gets to say goodbye to his girls. When Josh realizes that Wes Dryden’s (Victor Garber) dream is to appear on a live New Year’s Eve show, he buries his pride, apologizes to his dad, and asks him to pull some strings to get Wes on Hannah And Paige Drop The Ball, hosted by Summer House stars and Giggly Squad podcasters Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo.
While Josh makes a Times Square miracle happen, Bill returns to the office and calls AJ, Davis, and the team in to gush over his Aspen trip and inform them they’ll be working through New Year’s Eve on a big Mr. Beast pitch. To that, AJ simply says, “Yeah fuck this!” Burnt out and fed up with Bill’s bullshit, she tells him she worked eight days straight through the holidays and is “taking some fucking PTO!” When AJ storms out of the office, Bill replies, “Someone’s a little unhinged,” which doesn’t sit right with Davis. Rather than quietly head back to his desk like the rest of the team, he snaps, “It wasn’t unhinged. Actually, I think she was reacting pretty normal for someone whose boss dated them and then dumped them… What you did was unhinged. AJ is amazing and you’re a huge jerk!” Instead of de-escalating the situation, Bill says Davis is just mad AJ didn’t want to be with him, and the two throw hands as their teammates run in and record the fight. The physical altercations ends with Bill firing Davis, but he’s barely phased. In that moment, all he cares about is doing right by AJ.
The group’s luck takes a turn for the better as the finale nears its end. While Kel’s parents don’t pick up the tickets he left for them at the box office, his students surprise him at the show. Vanessa (Constance Wu) stops by the store Abby works at and rehires her on a trial basis. And thanks to an assist from a teleprompter, Josh helps Wes nail his appearance on Hannah And Paige Drop The Ball. ) Wes even charms special guest, Ashanti!) When Wes is in the clear, Josh races home to keep his New Year’s Eve plans with AJ, and the Season 1 finale wraps with a series of heartwarming and heartbreaking twists.
After accepting that Kel isn’t to blame for losing the jacket, Abby surprises him at his cast party, seemingly interested in exploring something more than a friendship. Having gotten platonic vibes from Abby for so long, Kel tells her he’s interested in a girl who works on the show with him. As he walks over to shoot his shot, a disappointed Abby leaves. Meanwhile, as AJ’s waiting for Josh, she sees the video of Davis and Bill fighting and starts to wonder how much he cares for her. Before she gets too in her head, DAVIS, not Josh, shows up at her door.
He brings AJ her Deal Tombstone (the trophy they get for “making rich people even richer”), and when he sees his black eye she asks why he fought Bill. “I didn’t like how he treated you, and I didn’t think he should get away with it,” Davis says. As he turns to walk back home, AJ bluntly asks if he likes her and he confirms his crush. As Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is”s swells (iconic choice), the two start passionately kissing. This is it! The moment we’ve been waiting for! Or is it?!
Mindy Kaling, queen of love triangles, strikes again. And by that, we mean that the rom-com-worthy first kiss scene is spoiled when an excited Josh appears behind them, champagne bottle in hand. He was visibly excited for his big night in with AJ all episodes, and though he wants his friends to be happy, when he sees them kissing, his face drops.
Before they notice him, Josh walks back into the hallway and somberly slips into his apartment. So as NSFW Season 1 ends, I’m just a girl, rooting for Abby and Kel and AJ and Davis, but also AJ and Josh, who I can’t help but feel is the endgame couple we’re building up to here. (I mean that balcony scene earlier this season!? Help!) If you need me I’ll be eagerly awaiting NSFW‘s Season 2 renewal status and hoping we haven’t seen the last of these charming characters.
Not Suitable for Work Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.
