It is a goddamn travesty that I haven't written about Parks & Recreation yet. I actually started a post last weekend, but I was traveling and sleep-deprived and just couldn't find the time to finish it. But that doesn't mean that Cool Beans Ron and Pants! Pants Pants Pants Leslie weren't my favorite thing about last week, because they totally were. Because this show is the best.
In all seriousness, it is such a close call as to what I think the best current network comedy is, Parks & Rec or Community. Usually Community squeaks out on top, but Parks & Rec just fills me with such joy that I don't want to relegate it to second place. So let's say for the most part it's a tie. However - last night, Community wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite episode (a little too mean without enough self-deprecation), and Parks & Recreation was just GREAT so we're gonna talk about how great it was RIGHT NOW.
The cold open with Dan Castellaneta was fantastic. Anyone who has ever listened to a small-town public radio station should be entirely familiar with this sort of programming - and it was SO Leslie Knope. Good job, guys.
I was afraid that this episode would just be some weird promotion of the Pawnee book, but they managed to do that and provide an interesting plotline that was true to all the characters. Of course Joan Calamezzo has a book club. Of course Leslie wants her book to be chosen. And duhdoy, Joan is going to do everything she can to keep that from happening. The tension over the book quickly changed into tension over Leslie's alleged place of birth (nice Obama parallels without being too heavy-handed about it) and led to a charged hunt for the truth that led them to, of all places, Eagleton (yuck). I love hearing Leslie rant about Eagleton.
The parallel plotline of Tom trying to use his patented charm on Joan only to discover that she's divorced, wasted, and expecting him to follow through on all his flirting was unbeatable. Adam Scott is so perfect on this show because, much like Louis CK, he reacts so hilariously to things (see also: Ben's face when Chris is talking about being a speed-reader). Watching Tom try to be good at his job and do right by Leslie while simultaneously evading Joan's advances (Mo Collins is so great here) while Ben looks on in horror was one of the best scenes of this show. And then getting to see Joan's house! Amazing. Speaking of Tom's job, I am very impressed by how the writers have been able to remove Tom from the parks department and still integrate him in a very believable way into the show. Tom and Ben make an incredible comedy duo (the ham and the straight man) and have for a while; I'm so glad their relationship is really being explored while Leslie is busy running for office.
The third storyline with Ann, April, and Ron was also terrific! Ann has been winning me over more and more, and I just loved her attempts to crack the hard, hard nuts of the stoic duo. April has never been afraid of expressing her disgust for Ann, and Ann just has too much enthusiasm for Ron. But for realsies, everyone loves a gross medical story, that is just an established fact. Not that this means they're all gonna be friends or even that Ron and April will tolerate her in the future, but Ann kept her goal realistic and thus was able to achieve it. One of my favorite things about this show is how true to human behavior (and to the established personalities of the characters) it is, making it entirely relatable while still being off-beat and crazy funny.
I like that this show can manage to end on a very sweet and sentimental note (waffles for everyone!) without letting that sentimentality get in the way of the humor. Basically I just like everything about this show. Six seasons and a movie!
Notes & Quotes
"Sweetums Cares: a non-profit foundation that puts umbrella hats on homeless people when it rains."
"We removed a lot of my poems and personal ramblings and pictures of unicorns..."
"Usually I only read nautical novels and my own personal manifestos"
"Aren't you sick?"
"I'm cute together with everybody"
"I've never used a phone in my life"
"You put 'Gotcha' on my face"
Burt Maclan, FBI is just pretty much the greatest. Unlike the president's enemies, I never believed he was really dead.
"Now I can get some real work done." *starts whittling*
Tom sprays his cologne 33 times, by my count.
"You know, nerd culture is mainstream now, so when you use the word 'nerd' derogatorily, it means you're the one who's out of the zeitgeist."
That Chris-smiling-thing would totally work on me.
"You're welcome...Lester." And then Ron is SO PROUD.
"I wonder who else was born in Eagleton? Voldemort, probably."
Images via Seat42F
No comments:
Post a Comment