One of the broad themes that Parks is built around is the idea that Leslie is the perpetual underdog. Part of this is where a lot of the comedy is found, so Leslie slips on the ice floor that wasn’t supposed to be there and can’t climb the platform that wasn’t supposed to be so comically small. But it’s also where the show finds its heart. In this episode we see Leslie in full underdog mode, attempting to answer tough and harassing interview questions while completely smashed on tequila. Yeah we laugh at Leslie and feel her plight, but the real moment of the night came from the other underdog in the show, Pawnee itself. As Buddy Wood completely verbally destroys our beloved town it fought back, championed by a friendly airport worker who ‘lost’ the videographers production bag in a dumpster. This moment was by far my favorite in the season, and was done perfectly. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this show is so much more than a comedy, and is definitely the best show on network TV right now.
In addition to Leslie’s drunken interview debacle we also saw a resolution to a storyline that was introduced earlier in the season that I thought we would never see again; Andy takes a college class. Now a lot of people speculated earlier in the season that Ron and the Women’s Studies professor Linda might be a perfect match. Attractive? I seem to recall writing that she looked like a porn star when we first met her back in “The Smallest Park”. Brunette? Check. Not named Tammy? Unless it’s her middle name I’d say nope. Despite these undeniable factors April still thinks that Professor Linda would be a better match for Chris and try to set them up over lunch. Never bet against Ron Swanson though, who after three steaks and not a word of conversation to Linda still manages to take her home at the end of the night. And in a nice reference to the second season we see Ron again in his Tiger Woods outfit smiling and happy, giving April $25 dollars for no reason. I like the new blood in the show and I hope that Linda sticks around for a while, but I’m not sure why they had Ron let Chris down gently at the end. Tying up loose knots maybe? Normally prolonging that kind of drama for another episode is a good thing, but maybe they figured that Chris has had enough drama this season.
Thanks again to everyone who reads these; I really appreciate all the comments! I’ll see you again on April 20th after the show returns! In the meantime I’ll be watching The Walking Dead, Eastbound and Down, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones which are all excellent shows to watch in your Parks and Recreation downtime!
Random Thoughts:
- It’s nice to finally see Leslie in clothes that aren’t dark pantsuits, although she really needs to let Ann do her shopping for her. Oh man, those leather leggings… nightmares.
- The store is called Lady Place, and yet somehow I believe that a store what that name and tacky clothing actually exists.
- If I had to pick between pants that said ‘juicy’ on the butt or ‘nympho’, well I might have to pick nympho.
- I feel like Andy’s plight with his final exam was a larger joke about education in America. We’re taught in schools to memorize facts for tests, but then can’t think outside those facts or piece them together into anything meaningful. Oh wait this is a comedy show? The ‘treat please’ for every right answer was adorable, and lends to my theory that Andy is really just a giant puppy.
- Also Andy looked really cute with his hair styled and no stubble!
- Not sure how watching Jerry space out and lick envelopes would be better that a gigantic fireman named Marcus, but Donna had her reasons I’m sure.
- So mindless labor makes sense to Jerry? Oh poor Jerry.
- On our favorite couple TAnn; they seemed to be oddly getting along in this episode, although since they’ve broken up and gotten back together so many times who knows? Even though they broke up again at the end of this episode they might be back together in the next. It’s not a traditional relationship by any means, but it seems to be kind of working for these two.
- Oh drunk Leslie, we’ve seen you so many times but it never gets old.
- Also, soooo glad to see the Hot Tub Hummer back again! And even more surprising to us and the limo driver was that it was actually being used!
- I really wanted to hear Ron finish talking about the other powerful women in his family, hopefully that will be a deleted scene?
- Shame Tammy 2 wasn’t in this episode; we could have had a mini Will and Grace reunion!
- Come on Leslie, you gave a speech while delirious from the Flu! A little drunk shouldn’t be too bad, right?
- In case you didn’t catch that, it appears that the airport security guard was using a beach metal detector as a security scan.
- Oh how I love the mad/insane Leslie scrunch-face that she gives the journalist. Not seen since Greg Pikitis?
- Three steaks and after dinner omelets? How has Ron not dies yet of a heart attack?
- My day job is videography, so I could go into a long rant about how you should always keep your raw video with you and guard it with your life, but I’ll spare you.
Favorite Quotes:
- “Are you hitting on Leslie, for me?”
- “And since it’s on the butt there are other implications as well.”
- “If you can’t remember what someone did just tear up and and say ‘she changed my life’.”
- ‘We’ll let you pay for your own food. Because of… equality?”
- “I have a date with my bathtub, a glass of red wine, and a gigantic fireman named Marcus.”
- “Ben is like a MILF.”
- “Oh yeah that was one of your most readable papers.”
- “Oh she drowned immediately.”
- “We found a small piece of carpet without a horrifying smell-scape.”
- “Pawnee Indiana: Home to the Sweetums Candy Corporation, nineteen toxic waste repositories, and not much else.”
- “What if superbaby became too powerful?”
- “I didn’t want you to think that I was objectifying you with my male gaze.” Looks like someone took Women’s Studies.
- “I’m not drunk! Yes when you have a jumbo margarita and some flaming tequila shots you can get drunk…”
- “Is it this sad pathetic town that makes you drink this way?”
- “I know what tiramisu is and sheep don’t eat it.”
- “You and the women taught me that nothing is impossible.”
- “That’s so sweet! I’ve never had a boyfriend threaten to commit arson for me before.”
- “Eh, it gets old.”
- “It ain’t government work if you don’t have to do it twice.”
- “Thank god for that mitten factory tragedy.”
- “Donuts! Go nuts!”
- “Go buy yourself a Walkman. How much is a Walkman nowadays? Probably more than 20, here’s 25.”
- “I’m quite lonely.” “Fuck.”
