Parks & Rec weathers another mediocre episode that is saved by a Ben and Larry date and some classic Ron Swanson.
Leslie gets caught up with trying to paint a pretty picture of the Pawnee/Eagleton merger six months in and the episode doesn't find anything for this storyline until the final moments. Leslie tries to parade around a Pawnee/Eagleton couple on their fiftieth wedding anniversary, but the jokes they go for are bland and you can see every joke coming from a mile away. The new young person committee has a lot of potential though, and not just for the Pawnee/Eagleton music concert scene. I hope this isn’t a one off with the group as the show could use a change of pace as Leslie heading out into the community is clearly running out of angles.
The secret war between April and Donna doesn't get off the ground either, but it at least inspired Ron Swanson towards greatness. I get that they are trying to continue to flesh out Donna now that she is in the opening credits, but every time they try to give the character more to do it never works unless Tom is involved. Those two elevate each other to another level. Swanson gets a ton of great one liners as he uses the internet to the best of his devices and I can’t wait to hear Canada’s response to Ron’s “review”.
The other bright spot of the episode was the slow build of Ben and Larry’s accidental man date and I was shocked at how they were able to keep raising the bar every time they came back to the couple. The dancing, the scrapbook and the ultimate stupid face were each better than the last as Larry is integrated into a full time role far more successfully than Donna. I was just happy to not have to type Poor Jerry/Larry/Whatever we are calling him. Love me some more Jim O’Heir.
There were some bright spots in the episode, but most of the episode was wasted on the weak Leslie focused A story. They somehow wasted a John Hodgman guest appearance, that is how weak this episode really was. I think it is safe to say this is the weakest season of Parks & Rec and it's not that it is terrible or anything it's just really run out of places to go. At least it gave us Ron Swanson saying, “Dear Canada. Fuck You.”
Random Ramblings:
-“She will make that stupid face!”
-Hodgman!
-”Absorb the aggression.”
-”I work here, so legally you can adopt me.”
-”Children are terrible artists.”
-”I’m on the radio!”
-”Be ice cream or be nothing. Zero stars.”
-”Only this time can we shave her mustache.”
-Larry, having a day!
-”She’s amazing and she drove me here!”
-Love the Larry and Ben scrapbook.
