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.

Movie Review: Our Idiot Brother

First off, this movie officially wins the award for casting.  There are so many hilarious, hugely underrated people in this film, and the ensemble is what carries an at-times flat plot.  Paul Rudd leads the way as Ned, the idiot brother to whom the title refers, and Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, and Elizabeth Banks play his neurotic and self-involved sisters, each of whom has her own drama to deal with.  Rashida Jones and Adam Scott make distractingly impressive appearances as Deschanel and Banks' romantic interests, respectively.  Seriously, if the film had focused on those two couples and had Rudd's character as a background player, it would have been an equally good (perhaps even better) film.

I think what I struggled with was the fact that the film does focus so much on Ned, who becomes a bit wearing and repetitive as you watch.  His character doesn't really change or transition, the point of the story is that he more or less stays the same while everyone else kind of comes to realize how much they like him the way he is.  And maybe that's a bit more true to life, but the lack of character development is a little frustrating.

Add to that the fact that a few smaller things are neglected in favor of focusing on Ned.  The first of these is the character of Ned's mother, who despite the drama fest of the three sisters, is the most depressing character in the film.  She just seems sad most of the time, and there are several shots of her drinking alone, though nothing about her or her state of mind is ever referenced.  I'm going to hope this is something that simply got trimmed down during edits and not blatant neglect on the part of the writers.  Additionally, as I've alluded, I was far more interested in the many subplots than in what was actually going on with Ned, to the point where I was anxiously awaiting the moments when they would return to them.  Both Deschanel and Banks' stories felt like they had more aborted conclusions than they deserved, and in favor of an ending for Ned that was somewhat anti-climactic. 

I guess I liked this film less than I thought, at least from a craft standpoint.  It really is very funny, and Ned is interesting to watch before the other stories pick up momentum, and even then it could certainly be worse.  This is a fun movie that will leave you wanting more, and if you're a person who is content with filling in the blanks in your head, then it should be perfectly enjoyable.