Remember that time I reviewed the Parks and Recreation season finale a month after watching it? Yeah, this is that time.
"Win, Lose, or Draw" almost instantaneously secured a spot on my all-time favorite episodes list, which is an increasingly stiff competition. I loved it mostly because of the element of excitement it had, serving as the culmination of a season-long story arc, which is something we haven't really seen since "Harvest Festival" last year.
In the first act we saw Kathryn Hahn and Paul Rudd cementing their status as gold-standard guest performers with their respective hijinks, my personal favorite of which was Rudd's Bobby Newport solemnly informing Leslie that voting for oneself in the election is illegal (though I also liked the rigged voting machines with the candy bar vouchers).
As I had hoped, there were a few fake-out moments when it came to Leslie's fate, the first of which was a surprise early lead by Brandi Maxx, Pawnee's resident porn star and, apparently, would-be politician. I have to say, I might have been able to cope with Leslie losing if Maxx had been the competitor to beat her, for the sheer humor of it.
The surprise/question mark plot of the episode concerned Ben, who received a job offer to work on a political campaign in Washington, D.C. His initial instinct was to turn it down, and Leslie seemed grateful, excited that they would be able to have a normal relationship for the first time since they began dating. However, after a heart to heart with Ron (more on that in a minute), Leslie decided to let Ben go off and pursue his dream job, sending him off in a scene that beautifully mirrored the season's premiere, in which Ben broke up with Leslie so she could pursue her dream of attaining political office.
And on the heels of Ben and Leslie's resolution came the episode's dramatic peak: the final election results. I still can't decide if I'm happier that Leslie won or that Ann, who has in many ways taken a backseat this season plot-wise, got to be the one to tell her. Both of them on the verge of tears and Ann trying to tease her with another fake-out added up to just plain perfection, and I can't imagine that moment being scripted any other way.
The subtle hero of this episode, though, was one Mr. Ron Swanson. If nothing else this episode demonstrated just how far he's come as a character, from season one's adamant disinterest in his co-workers to being the person nearly everyone goes to for advice. We've seen Leslie and Ron bonding before, but I think their conversation in the city council chamber while awaiting the recount (again mirroring the season premiere when they were both hiding in the woods) is one of their all-time best friendship moments. Leslie trusts Ron, but Ron also genuinely wants Leslie (and Ben) to be happy. And that, friends, is how you realistically develop a character on television.
One benefit to my tardiness with this review is that it has been confirmed by now that Parks is getting a full fifth season next year (NBC tried to trick us all by floating another potential abbreviated run, but luckily that was all sorted out). So what might we be seeing when we go back to Pawnee in September? We'll surely get something of a Leslie crash-course in what life is really like for a city council member (I predict just a little bit of disillusion, particularly for Leslie, who thrives on being able to see projects through to the end through sheer determination and very little sleep); and we'll hopefully have a nice (and not too long-awaited reunion) when Ben's job is finished in D.C. I can't say for sure what their relationship dynamic will be or if there will be any major steps forward, but I don't think an engagement by season's end is an unreasonable guess, given how much these two crazy kids care about each other.
As for the rest of the gang, I hope we'll get to split near equal time between Leslie's adventures and the goings-on back at the Parks Department, particularly if April is still playing a large role. I'd like to see them forge ahead with the seedling of a plot concerning Andy's future career in law enforcement, because I think it will not only be hilarious, but a logical next step for his character. I think Ron is probably overdue for a visit from one of the many Tammys in his life, and Tom will hopefully find some way to occupy his time that doesn't result in an Ann/Tom redux (I think we can all agree that theirs is a relationship best left in season four). Speaking of Ann, she's the one I'm interested to watch next season. Leslie will likely be a bit more unavailable than usual, and those are the times when Ann has historically been at her most interesting. I hope the writers can come up with something more exciting than just a string of romantic entanglements for her--maybe she could spearhead some kind of project between the Health and Parks departments (this would have the added bonus of Ann and April having to collaborate, which never fails to amuse).
I'm sure I will have many, many more predictions and thoughts the closer we get to season five (it just feels so dismally far away at the moment), especially as information starts to trickle out. In the meantime, let's enjoy the fact that Parks is finally getting some awards recognition and keep our fingers crossed that this bodes well for Emmy nominations, which will be announced on July 19th.
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