TV Review: Parks and Recreation--Bus Tour

In season four's penultimate episode the loyal Knope2012 team is forced to use its final days of campaigning to overcome no small number of unforeseen obstacles, including but not limited to a broken bus rental agreement, Chris' lady troubles, a would-be pie assassin (don't worry, Burt Macklin was on the case), and of course, death.  And at the end of the day, Leslie and company find themselves about as certain as the rest of us as to whether she will emerge the victor in next week's finale, "Win Lose or Draw."

Though Leslie makes up for some of her (colossal) missteps by the episode's end, mostly due to Bobby Newport's naivete, there is still a lingering feeling of doubt in many viewers' minds.  I've found myself thinking of this election the same way I would any non-fiction one, wondering if Leslie has succeeded as a politician, and if her earnestness and candor will be enough to overcome the inherent corruption of politics, even local (and fictional) politics.  I also can't wait to see how this will be handled from a writing standpoint.  As we've all surely read by now, Mike Schur has been quoted on multiple occasions as saying that they've shot three different endings to next Thursday's finale, as per the title:  a victory, a loss, and a draw.  And what's more, his statement of only a few weeks ago warned us of his own uncertainty, and the possibility of a last-minute game change.  I'm hoping there will be a healthy dose of suspense in next week's episode, ideally even some kind of fake-out or last minute twist, because if I have to go to sleep that night heartbroken on Leslie's behalf, I want to at least feel like the journey was worth it. 

Some of the other things going on in the midst of Leslie's scramble to get back on Bobby Newport and the press's good side must be applauded, namely Andy's latest (and most hilarious) turn as Burt Macklin, erstwhile FBI agent.  His investigation of the pie incident, the reenactments of the crime (assisted by Jerry, naturally), and the code names he assigns--all of it is just about perfection, and a welcome lighter contrast to the semi-seriousness of Leslie's plot in this episode.  Chris Pratt has proven once again that he is a performer not to be taken lightly by any means, and that he ought to be a serious contender for some of this year's comedy accolades.

Also, Leslie's cold open, envisioning Obama at her swearing in?  Absolute perfection.

Basically, there's no way next week's finale could really disappoint me, or fail to bring this just about perfect season to a close.  In fact, I'm pretty damn certain it will prove more satisfying than any of us are anticipating.  Just think, in four days' time the results will be in, and we'll be all set for three months of television nowhere near the standard that has been set by Parks and Recreation this season.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation-- The Debate

An episode both written and directed by the dynamite Amy Poehler could only ever be amazing, right?  That's the attitude I went into watching "The Debate" with, and even so it managed to exceed my high expectations.  I think a lot of the reason the writing works so well in this episode is because Poehler clearly knows and understands all of the show's characters, not just her own.  She takes time to highlight the best and most interesting aspects of each player's personality, sometimes within the space of only a few lines or moments. 

This episode, as the name probably indicates, features Leslie's much-hyped political debate with her opponents, including Bobby Newport (played even more fabulously in his second appearance by Paul Rudd), Pawnee's own local porn star Brandi Maxx, and two others who don't really merit me looking up their names but who provide some auxiliary amusement nonetheless (one is a literal gun-nut, the other is a wildly hyperbolic animal rights activist).  As we've established in previous weeks, Leslie needs this win, and she needs it bad.  Both she and Ben are equally focused and determined to win, and rather than creating tension between them, this energy is something that seems to enhance their affection for one another, as well as remind us just how well they complement each other. 

Of course, that can only lead us naturally to the couple on this show who never has and (in all probability) never will compliment each other:  Tom and Ann.  They finally appear to be broken up for good, and somehow Tom seems surprised by this turn of events.  No one else is actually surprised that this breakup has occurred, and Chris even takes the opportunity to promptly capitalize on it by hitting on Ann.  What is surprising is that, following weeks of halfhearted hints that they might be headed for a reunion, she turns him down, declaring that she might just never date anyone ever again.  To me that sounds like a pretty good solution at this point-- we've been down this road with Ann before, and swearing off dudes the last time didn't seem to force her to learn from her mistakes, so maybe a second attempt will do the trick.  That, or she'll find herself hooking up with someone even more absurd than Tom, and we'll be having this discussion all over again.

Many of our other favorite characters are performing at full throttle in this episode, supplying us with lots of laughs.  Andy, April, Ron, and Donna (what an odd team) have been tasked with treating Leslie's wealthy donors to a party to show their gratitude, featuring a viewing of the debate.  Of course, this hardly goes according to plan, and I have to say, I think this episode is worth watching simply for this secondary (even tertiary, really) story line, just to see Andy and April's view of how rich people behave and Andy's go-to method of entertainment when the cable goes out.  Chris Pratt had better be submitting this one for Emmy consideration, that's all I'm saying.

And of course, there's the debate itself, moderated by Pawnee's own Joan Callamezzo and Perd Hapley (because really, could you have imagined anyone else?).  Not only does Leslie remind us why she's someone who needs to be involved in government with her last-minute save, she brings out some compelling arguments from Bobby Newport ("I'm against crime, and I'm not afraid to say so") along the way.  Both Poehler and Paul Rudd are phenomenal in these scenes, with the latter playing his character as such a hapless dope that if you weren't rooting so hard for Leslie, you'd almost want to support him, or at least give him a hug. 

Overall, by the end of this episode things are certainly looking up for the Knope campaign.  Since we've only got a few episodes left to the season, does this mean we might see a Leslie victory come May 10th?  I certainly hope so.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.15-- Dave Returns

Okay, let's just throw this out there first:  I would willingly watch an entire episode/several episodes featuring Ben's inability to act like a human around cops.  I love Adam Scott so much anyway, but moments where he gets to play impossibly awkward are my absolute favorite.  I also feel a sense of kinship with this character facet, because I too am irrationally afraid of police officers (they have guns, guys!).

But setting that aside for the moment, this episode's focus is on Leslie attempting to secure the endorsement of Pawnee's police chief.  This is complicated by the return of her ex-boyfriend (also a cop), Dave, played by none other than the hilarious Louis CK.  Naturally, an intensely awkward three-person dinner ensues.

Meanwhile, Andy is at his most enthusiastic as he tries to organize the team to record "Catch Your Dream," the official theme song for Leslie's campaign.  There are several pieces moving at once during these scenes, including Chris' unfortunate lack of any musical talent, Ron's desperation to avoid being identified as his alter ego Duke Silver, and of course, Tom's continued attempts to woo Ann (more on that in a minute).

I think one of the best things in the dinner scene and the hijinks that follow is Leslie's clear influence on Ben.  When we first met Ben Wyatt his first instinct was to judge the people of Pawnee, openly casting them as "weirdos" and the like.  Now, however, he is willing to give Dave the benefit of the doubt to an almost foolish extent, because he trusts Leslie as a judge of character so much.  Unfortunately, this renewed naivete results in his being handcuffed to a urinal so that Dave can try to run away with Leslie.  Moral of the story:  sometimes it pays to be a little critical, especially when it comes to your girlfriend's ex.

And now I'd like you to bear with me while I express some (expansive) thoughts on the recent arc concerning Tom and Ann.  I’ve been reading a lot of negative thoughts on this episode because people don’t like the way the Tom and Ann story played out.  I am ambivalent about it (I want to see one more episode featuring the two of them & their dynamic before really passing judgment), but I’ll say this.

Everyone is complaining about Ann letting herself be “worn down” by Tom, and saying that she can do better and blah, blah, blah.  And hey, I love Ann, and she probably can do better, but the thing is (and her history on the show illustrates this) I don’t think Ann thinks that Ann can do better.

Look at her relationships on the show:  when we met her she was with Andy who, let’s face it, was kind of a huge tool in Season 1.  We found out they’d been dating and living together for a long time, and it was very clear that Ann was letting herself be walked all over.  Arguably her healthiest relationship on the show was with Mark, because she was the superior one in that relationship (having the experience of having dated someone long term), but she eventually got bored with that because Mark didn’t test her patience or push her buttons, and even then it took her ages to end things with him.  Then she dated Chris, who I might remind everyone also had to work hard to wear her down.  He was very self-absorbed, especially as their relationship progressed, yet Ann put up with it because she liked the idea that such a nice, cute guy wanted to be with her (she also may have been influenced by the huge increase in vitamins and supplements in her regiment).  When she broke up with Chris we saw her at the height of her insecurity, bouncing from sub-par guy to sub-par guy while her self-esteem continued to plummet.

This season we’ve seen an Ann who has been throwing herself into helping Leslie’s campaign and her work with the Health Department likely because she was trying to downplay or ignore the failures in her romantic life.  When Leslie and the gang threw Ann’s single-ness into sharp relief in last week’s Valentine’s episode, Ann was the most vulnerable we’ve seen her in a long time.  Of course the attentions of someone like Tom who, annoying as he is, has repeatedly told Ann that she’s beautiful and kind (which is probably exactly what she wants to hear right now, even if she won’t admit it/doesn’t fully realize it); are going to be flattering on some level.  I think the writers are to be applauded for giving Ann even the small amount of power in the relationship that she has— if this were Grey’s Anatomy or some similarly dramatic show, Ann would’ve already slept with Tom to try to up her confidence; her saying yes to a date with him is not the anti-feminist throwing in of the towel that some viewers have made it out to be.

I also think it’s not inaccurate to say that Ann likes a project in her relationships.  She thought she could push Andy toward being an adult (and was subsequently disappointed when he began to mature after their relationship had ended), and she was able to try and mold Mark into the boyfriend she thought she wanted, so maybe she thinks she can do the same with Tom.  You could see the little flicker of hope on her face when Tom said he wanted to cut the crap and be straight with her (before he started singing, of course); there is clearly a part of Ann that sees through Tom’s nonsense and still (maybe naively) believes that she can sort of train him to act normal, without losing the parts of his attentions that make her feel good about herself.

I think that's enough out of me, yes?  

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.05-- Meet & Greet

So much to say about this episode, starting with how glad I am that we got to see an actual Halloween episode this season, and that it highlighted some of the best this wacky bunch of lovable misfits (and Chris) have to offer.

We open with April and Andy planning the Halloween bash of a lifetime, which for Andy means lots of fun and candy and for April seems to mean something much more macabre.  One fun addition in this scene is the return of Food n Stuff, where, as the name indicates, you can get "all of your food, and most of your stuff."  Also, like Andy, I did not know what a "blood orphan" is.  I looked it up, and let's just say April, you are even more disturbing than I imagined.

We cut over to see what Leslie is up to this week, and find her prepping for a meeting with the owners of local businesses.  What's more, Tom has appointed himself her adviser so that she can better hype herself up and secure votes.  He is, naturally, doing this in exchange for some free exposure for Entertainment 720, which can only spell disaster.  Oh, and just when you're sure the deck isn't stacked against Leslie enough, Tom gets a clearly disturbing phone call from Jean Ralphio just before the meeting. 

I'd like to interject here and voice my disappointment that this is the second Halloween-centric episode this show has aired, and for the second time, Leslie doesn't get to partake in the festivities.  And while I enjoyed the story arc for her in both season 2's "Greg Pikitis" and this week's episode, I can't help but wonder if this is a missed opportunity.  Leslie seems like exactly the type of gal to get extremely invested in over-celebrating Halloween.

We cut back over to April and Andy's, where we are introduced to the very first version of Ben that I do not find remotely attractive, and that is passive-aggressive Ben.  He's pissed that Andy and April have decided to plan and execute this party without him, but rather than saying that like a grown person he decides to be petulant about it.  I get that you learned this behavior from your estranged parents, Ben (and nice drop-in with the backstory there, writers), but when Andy and April are both behaving more maturely than you are, you're doing something wrong.

The party quickly gets into full swing, and there are a ton of little fun things going on.  Orin, April's infinitely creepy friend (who is apparently a "genius"), makes an appearance, and Ron shows up in his pirate Halloween costume (he literally has one costume he wears every year).  The latter quickly becomes distracted by the many things wrong with Andy and April's ramshackle house, and appoints himself handyman, purchasing tools for them (and the sequence where he goes through their existing "toolbox" is hilarious), and then making the necessary repairs while everyone else dances and drinks the night away.  Ron does, however, need a sidekick with "small hands", and selects none other than Ann Perkins, which makes her (and me) incredibly happy.  I loved her and Ron's bonding in this episode, and I hope that this is some progress for both of their characters that doesn't get erased or ignored in future.

Back at Leslie's meeting, Tom is skillfully steering things downhill, at least for Leslie.  His attempts to publicize E720, which it is pretty clear by now is tanking, overshadow all of Leslie's efforts to appeal to the business community.  She tries to turn it around without losing her cool, but Tom is in rare form and she (understandably) gets frustrated, leading to one of their worst arguments/fights to date.

The next few scenes are filled with an almost unprecedented level of violence for this show, although it is all done in the name of hilarity and, oddly, character development.  First we see both Andy and April try to push Ben to confront his annoyance with them, each using different tactics.  I love that they both approach him like a sibling, because it indicates something about their current dynamic, and I love the idea of forcing Ben, who is probably the least physically aggressive character on the show, into an absurdly extended wrestling match (that was Andy's tactic, not April's, just to be clear).  And as if that dose of rough-housing isn't enough, we go back to a super angry Leslie who nearly drowns Tom for his attempted hijacking of her campaign event.  Luckily, no permanent damage appears to be done, and when Tom confesses that his company is bankrupt, the friendship seems repaired as well.

Back at the party, Andy finally pushes Ben to fight back, and earns himself a broken nose for his troubles.  It's okay, though, because the entire experience brings the bizarre co-habitating trio closer together than ever, with Ben asking for some basic respect ("Stop referring to my bedroom as a common space!"), and Andy and April asking that he not be such a little bitch in future (okay, that last part was my wording, not theirs).

How does Tom make things up to Leslie?  Well, by showing her the video biography he had originally made to air at the meeting.  This video, judging by the brief clips of it we saw, is a masterpiece on par with the phenomenal Lil' Sebastian memorial tribute, complete with Tom's ridiculously accented voiceover (it's Southern this time!).  For Leslie, though, this is a huge gesture, and it actually brings her to tears.  Once again, Tom surprises not with his douchiness, but with the surprisingly thoughtful gestures of which he occasionally proves capable.

Overall, this episode was both funny and sweet, and it moved several plots forward as well as giving insight into several characters.  Translation:  pretty much the best Halloween episode you could ask for.  Oh, except for the sub-plot with Chris.  I think I might have fallen asleep during that one, except for the moments where I felt really, really bad for Jerry for having to put up with "Sherlock Traeger."

Some favorite quotes:

"My parents would keep everything bottled up and subtly hint at what's bothering them, and after 36 years they are still....divorced!"  --Ben

"I stand by my decision to avoid salad and other disgusting things."  --Leslie

"This looks like a party for Tom's face."  --Leslie

"I don't like to throw around the word butthead too often, but....Tom is being a real dick."  --Leslie

"There are no rules."  --April, on dealing with her sister

"We're brothers."  --Andy, after Ben broke his nose

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.04-- Pawnee Rangers

At this point I am fairly convinced this show is no longer capable of turning out a bad episode.  "Pawnee Rangers" is the fourth phenomenal episode in a season that has been damn near perfect so far. 

In this episode we get to see Leslie and Ron's dueling scout troops, the Pawnee Rangers and the Pawnee Goddesses (can you guess whose is whose?).  Ron comes at his leadership role with his usual manly stoicism, giving us a hilarious extension of what we saw back in "Go Big or Go Home" with his basketball team.  And Leslie, of course, showers her girl power fueled troop with affection, merit badges, candy, and puppies (no, seriously).  It quickly becomes clear who has the superior troop, as Ron's men-in-training begin to defect to Leslie's group.

Leslie's "little Leslie Knope monsters" are perfect playing against Amy Poehler in this episode, especially when they begin to channel their enthusiastic leader just a little too much (it's 70% pride-inspiring, 30% annoying).  They lead a public forum to determine whether boys should be allowed to join the Pawnee Goddesses, and it is fantastic.  It also leads to Ron's entire troop (including Andy, aka Brother Nature) taking a pledge of womanhood.  The story wraps up really well, though, with Leslie recruiting the best members of each troop for Ron's elite group, The Swansons.  I hope they make a return appearance soon.

Additionally, the Goddesses hate Ann.  I feel kind of bad that most of the stories involving Ann this season have been her trying to get people to be nice to her, but this one is too hilarious.  It's mostly because she just tries to gosh darn hard to get people to like her, and she just fails almost every time (though that scheme with the fish seems to work out pretty well; then again, maybe she just gets along better with boys).  I also like that as much as the Goddesses hate Ann, they love April.

And if that all weren't enough to make this episode extremely appealing, I haven't even gotten to the hilarious subplot involving Tom, Donna, and Ben.  Donna shows her compassionate side by sensing that Ben is feeling a bit off (though she does erroneously attribute it to Game of Thrones' cancellation at first), and convinces Tom to take him along with them on their "Treat Yourself Day" field trip.  What in the world is "Treat Yourself Day", you ask?  Well, it sounds like just about the best day ever, and something that is right up Donna and Tom's alley.  It's all about relaxation and spending money on frivolous items (there is a fashion show sequence involved, the full version of which I fervently hope is included in the deleted material from this episode).  Anyway, Ben predictably finds this pretty insane at first, given his lack of interest in high-end clothing and spa treatments (him trying to get acupuncture is one of the most hilarious moments in the episode), until Donna and Tom convince him to buy something ridiculous he's interested in.  And believe me, I tried to imagine what this might end up being, and I was absolutely wrong.  It's okay though, because the real result is far more hilarious than anything I might have dreamed up.

I cannot deal with Ben dressed as Batman, especially since they make him wear the costume the rest of the episode/day.  It's just too ridiculous and over the top, and just when you think it can't get anymore absurd, Batman breaks down and starts crying over his breakup.  There are moments in television that are almost too much, and this is one of them.  Fortunately, the heart to heart with Tom and Donna that follows saves it from becoming too painful to watch.  I really like this friendship because I was initially really disappointed by Ben's whole "I have nothing to stay in Pawnee for" stance, and I am glad to see he's learning that Leslie doesn't have to be his whole world (and probably shouldn't be, if he's crying in public over her).  It's a rare subplot that has both laugh-out-loud absurdity and genuine character development, but this one absolutely raises the bar.  Not to mention the tag, which gives us a fantastic snapshot of how life is going over at Casa Ludgate-Dwyer-Wyatt.

Also, there's a third plot where Chris starts dating Jerry's daughter.  That I don't care about so much (or at all).

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.03-- Born and Raised

I knew going into this episode that it would be difficult to top last week's Tammys extravaganza.  And yet, Parks managed to outstrip even my high expectations, again.  Every single person in this episode had something funny to do, and it was outrageous and topical while also moving the larger plot line forward in a much-needed way.  "Born and Raised" is my favorite episode of this season so far, and we're only three weeks in-- that can only bode well for the future.  Here are the soundbites I loved most:

"We removed most of my poems, emotional ramblings, and pictures of unicorns."  --Leslie, on how her book was edited to be more campaign-friendly

"The Time Traveler's Optometrist"  --pronounced by Leslie to be "unreadable," and I absolutely believe that

Ben:  "Wow, you guys are really cute together."
Tom:  "I'm cute together with everyone."

Leslie Knope:  Author, Immigrant

"There's only one man for the job... Burt Macklin,FBI."  --Andy

"I will get my one minute of small talk, dammit!  It will be casual, and it will be amicable!"  --Ann

"That's a...powerful metaphor."  --Ben

"Quick, start talking about nerd stuff!"  --Tom to Ben, trying to ward off Joan's advances

"Let's just say the message boards are going nuts."  --Ben, world's most lovable nerd

"Pawnee Hospital was overrun with raccoons at the time."  --Marlene Griggs-Knope, on why she had to birth Leslie in Eagleton

"I wonder who else was born in Eagleton...Voldemort, probably."  --Leslie

Aaaand let's just leave it at that.  Fantastic episode was fantastic.