In the third episode of the Hulu comedy series, a character eats seafood to impress a woman and ends up in the hospital.

Food allergy group calls out Mindy Kaling’s Not Suitable for Work over ‘dangerous’ shellfish plotline

In the third episode of the Hulu comedy series, a character eats seafood to impress a woman and ends up in the hospital.

By Kathleen Perricone

June 9, 2026 10:31 p.m. ET

Davis (Will Angus) goes into anaphylaxis after eating shellfish in 'Not Suitable for Work' episode 3. Credit:

- A food allergy awareness group has called out Mindy Kaling's *Not Suitable for Work* for its depiction of a shellfish allergy.

- In the third episode of the Hulu series, a character eats seafood to impress a woman, despite having a severe life-threatening allergy.

- "We strongly urge the entertainment industry to begin responsibly depicting food allergy as a serious medical condition," FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) said.

A food allergy awareness group is not laughing at a recent plotline on Mindy Kaling's comedy series, *Not Suitable for Work*.

In the third episode of the Hulu show about twentysomethings pursuing their careers in Manhattan, Davis (Will Angus) attempts to impress AJ (Ella Hunt) by eating seafood despite his life-threatening shellfish allergy. Chaos ensues as he goes into anaphylactic shock and is rushed to the hospital.

Davis (Will Angus) breaks out in hives in 'Not Suitable for Work' episode 3.

But the non-profit organization FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) did not find it funny — and went as far as deeming the comedic plot device "both disappointing and dangerous."

In a social media post, FARE began by critiquing the use of Benadryl to treat the fictional character's anaphylaxis. When the over-the-counter antihistamine didn't do the trick, "multiple doses of epinephrine" were then administered to Davis, thus giving him "adrenaline poisoning." An epi pen, argued FARE, is safe and "the only FDA approved medication to prevent the progression of anaphylaxis."

"We strongly urge the entertainment industry to begin responsibly depicting food allergy as a serious medical condition," continued the statement.

As FARE's post gained some traction online, the comments ran the gamut from "it's not that deep" to "food allergies aren't a joke." Several others pointed out that Davis wasn't yet in anaphylaxis when he took the Benadryl.

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In a follow-up Instagram reel, FARE CEO Dr. Sung Poblete doubled down on what *Not Suitable for Work*'s scriptwriters got wrong about food allergies.

"What struck me most is that the storyline reflects a real pressure many people with food allergies face: the pressure to stay quiet, fit in, or avoid making others uncomfortable," Dr. Poblete explained. "No one should feel that they have to risk their health to impress someone or avoid an awkward conversation."

Speaking directly to the show's creators and Hulu, she continued, "Talk about food allergies, just do it responsibly. Hey, we all love a good laugh, but just leave the misinformation behind."

Hulu did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.

Kaling created and is executive producer of the series, which is "the last show in this trilogy of shows that I've done about young people," Kaling explained on *Today*. "*Never Have I Ever *was a show loosely based on my childhood and the loss of a parent. *Sex Lives with College Girls* was very loosely based on my time at Dartmouth."

'Not Suitable For Work' creator Mindy Kaling (fourth from left) with the show's cast on May 28.

TheStewartofNY/WireImage

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Like the *Not Suitable for Work *characters, Kaling spent her early 20s in New York City, where she worked as a production assistant and got into stand-up comedy. Looking back on those "ambitious" years, she said, "I just wanted to hurry up to the time in my life when I was successful."

The first five episodes of *Not Suitable for Work* are currently available to stream on Hulu.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”