REF: Pre-empt TypeError (pandas-dev#29261)

pandas/core/groupby/ops.py

@@ -140,15 +140,20 @@ def apply(self, f, data, axis=0):
         group_keys = self._get_group_keys()
         result_values = None
 
-        # oh boy
-        f_name = com.get_callable_name(f)
-        if (
-            f_name not in base.plotting_methods
+        sdata = splitter._get_sorted_data()
+        if sdata.ndim == 2 and np.any(sdata.dtypes.apply(is_extension_array_dtype)):
+            # calling splitter.fast_apply will raise TypeError via apply_frame_axis0
+            #  if we pass EA instead of ndarray
+            #  TODO: can we have a workaround for EAs backed by ndarray?
+            pass
+
+        elif (
+            com.get_callable_name(f) not in base.plotting_methods
             and hasattr(splitter, "fast_apply")
             and axis == 0
             # with MultiIndex, apply_frame_axis0 would raise InvalidApply
             # TODO: can we make this check prettier?
-            and not splitter._get_sorted_data().index._has_complex_internals
+            and not sdata.index._has_complex_internals
         ):
             try:
                 result_values, mutated = splitter.fast_apply(f, group_keys)
@@ -166,12 +171,6 @@ def apply(self, f, data, axis=0):
                     # TODO: can we infer anything about whether this is
                     #  worth-retrying in pure-python?
                     raise
-            except TypeError as err:
-                if "Cannot convert" in str(err):
-                    # via apply_frame_axis0 if we pass a non-ndarray
-                    pass
-                else:
-                    raise
 
         for key, (i, group) in zip(group_keys, splitter):
             object.__setattr__(group, "name", key)