I don't usually share personal anecdotes about episodes (and lucky for you, this isn't too long an anecdote), but this Thursday I had a very long, exhausting, and moderately annoying day at work. I was bone tired when I arrived home, and I made what was perhaps an ill-advised decision to stay up and watch this week's Parks episode instead of going to sleep. To say that I am happy I made the choice I did would be an understatement. Getting to come home to a heartwarming and hilarious half hour of comedy is one of the little joys I live for, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. "The Trial of Leslie Knope" is different from any previous episode in many ways, but it still manages to capture the spirit of the show while continuing to have some of the best, most well-written plot progression of any comedy currently on television.
First, I'm pretty sure all the Ben and Leslie goodness of the past two weeks exists solely to make fans like me happy, and maybe also to serve as a kind of apology for the angst we had to endure for a few weeks there at the beginning of the season-- remember their breakup in "I'm Leslie Knope"? All that seems just a distant memory now, and I couldn't be gladder.
The cold open this week is perhaps one of my favorites ever-- not only do I love Ron being his crazy, anti-government self, any scene where he and April interact is usually pretty much guaranteed gold. And while most of the episode centered on Leslie and the trial to investigate her and Ben's transgression, I liked the way the supporting characters were utilized, both as witnesses and as the people staunchly in Leslie's corner, no matter what. I think it's great when this show reminds us just how much the Parks Department gang love Leslie, and really do look up to her despite their frequent shenanigans.
Honestly, there was not too much about the trial and punishment plot itself that I hadn't predicted-- the bribe emerging in some form and Ben resigning were kind of obvious possibilities, in my mind-- but it's a mark of this show that neither development came off that way. I will be interested to see how they incorporate Ben now that he doesn't work at City Hall (because I definitely don't want to lose the rapport he's built with the other members of Leslie's department this season), but I'm sure they'll find a way to make it work. After all, Ann was a city government outsider for almost three whole seasons, and we definitely saw her often enough.
Hands down, though, the best part of any of Leslie's defense was that video she sent Ann. It was simultaneously creepy and adorable (so much that I had real difficulty deciding between those two adjectives), and just so Leslie. Ms. Knope has been making progress from some of her wacky ways, but I love seeing that she's still got some madness up her sleeve, and hope we'll continue to see glimpses of it.
And Ethel! I loved her in "The Bubble" clashing with Tom, and I loved her even more as the go-between in Leslie and Ben's declarations of their feelings. Yet another great thing about this show is their memory for very minor characters who later show up in big ways. Each appearance just makes Pawnee feel more and more like a real place, one you could easily love just as much as Leslie does.
In conclusion, there is probably nothing about this episode that didn't make me smile. The only negative thing about season 4 of Parks so far is the level of anger I will reach if it doesn't earn an award (Globe or Emmy, or even People's Choice, I'm not picky) for the brilliance it churns out every single week.
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