A last, epic Parks and Rec post
Parks and Recreation
I caught up on the first two episodes over a week ago, but didn't get around to posting my responses, and then caught up on the final three episodes ever (the length of seasons has really varied with this show).
7.9 Pie-Mary
Heh to seeing, as Jenn said, Leslie as a Candidate’s Wife. Hoo-boy. Satire time.
Meanwhile, April went to tell Ron she’d found her dream job and would be leaving for Washington (is Washington ready for Andy?). I think his lip wobbled at losing his daughter-figure. But of course he didn’t say much of anything. Instead there was displacement activity over finding the key, made even more entertaining by Ron and Andy’s running.
But that strand and Donna hanging with Garry, who was utterly himself, made for a really nostalgic feel, added to the fact that we had so many returning Pawnee faces in the hoo-hah over the pie nonsense. Pretty funny and rather touching.
7.10 The Johnny Karatae Super Awesome Musical Explosion
This made me pull a Tom or Donna is delighted face, because this episode was in another dimension for this show! So awesome! And did Pratt know about Jurassic World when he uttered Burt ‘Tyrannosaurus’ Macklin?
The episode was nominally the last episode of Andy’s children’s TV show, because, of course, he was going to Washington with April, who was increasingly feeling stuff because he was so great at it and it was an ‘amazing trainwreck’. Which it was. They got the kids TV tone so perfect, while bringing in all the characters as ‘Johnny’s’ assistants as well as Burt Hapley as the intro/outro guy. And the fake adverts! The casino one was probably my favourite, but they were all brilliant and seriously made me imagine what it would be like to have Pawnee TV on all the time. Plus it tied into the satiric future the show was doing really well. I liked their riffing off the way they split the screen in the regular credits. Such a nice episode for Pratt and to focus on Andy, who has grown into likeablility as much as Leslie has.
7.11 Two Funerals
And a dozen cameos!
Bill Murray as mayor was mainly funny because of Ethel’s revelations.
Leslie’s over-reaction to all the endings and separations was predictable, but the attempt to help Tom, especially the action movie with a bad accent bit, was amusing enough. It still feels like they got him back with Lucy and stagnated the relationship like a ‘Tom also needs a successful relationship’ afterthought, but his dialling down the proposal and celebration worked as character growth, I guess (in that Tom is the regular I’ve been least invested in.)
And it did lead to the pay-off of Gerry getting the celeberaiton planned for the engagement, which was delightfully absurd.
Despite April’s faces, the whole finding a mayor strand was mainly about All The Cameos. I thought that Mayor Gerry is a terrible idea.
Ron’s response to his barber’s death/change was hilarious, especially crossing paths with the other Ron and bonding with Typhoon over slagging Europe off. (Spit out the booze then, sir. Scotland is definitely in Europe.)
(actually, those weren’t two funerals)
7.12 One Last Ride part 1
Blah blah set-up.
The future Leslie saw for Donna was a bit zzz, but Craig’s was funnier, mainly because of Ron’s bonding with Typhoon having blossomed into friendship.
But things did improve: April and Andy still doing role-play!!! Andy wanting a child while still not having grown up and April turning to Leslie for advice. Dr Saperstein getting to deliver the baby, who was a) cute and b) given a sensible name even if it did satisfy April. Yes, happy but offbeat and very them. (I'm not thinking too much about Andy parenting.)
I also liked Tom’s future, partly because it interlinked with a scene from Craig’s. The terrible English accent, not so much, but at least it’s tradition, and the idea of his using the Parks and Rec gang as types for his book worked well, while he was still glib, insincere and self-centred.
And then Garry the perpetual mayor! Who could fail to beam at Pawnee continuing to vote for him? (Never mind what I said about the previous episode.) I also liked the suggestive secret service guarding Ben and Leslie (although I wish it were Leslie and Ben).
What is nice is how all their lives are still interweaving.
7.13 One Last Ride part 2
Okay, give Jean-Ralphio the opener, if you must. He has been awful since the first season.
Ron’s future, though, was very, very touching (and he implied he’d accepted Leslie was his friend! I mean, he actually said as much as well as showed it) and perfect. Of course, he resigned just like that and his colleagues took it fine, but the lawyer didn’t, and bought his distillery. Heh.
But that was a good call from Leslie, even though it was nepotism.
And Joe Bieden! Ha! His wife was relatively natural for one of the political cameos.
It was apt that Leslie and Ben (and most of everyone else and their children) got the most of the episode. Both of them being up for Governor and Leslie trying to solve it via (an unimaginative) pro and con list was about right - good that there was some tension in the middle of everyone’s happy ending. I mean, I was always for Leslie getting back into political office (Ben will always have the Cones of Dunshire! Every mention of which warmed my heart.)
The reunion was, of course, improved by the return of Ann and Chris, and Ann and Leslie shipping their kids was perfect. But I didn’t love Leslie’s suit thing for that section.
Anyway, Ben saw sense and bowed out for Leslie to run and she was Governor twice - but I thought fandom had decided she will get to the White House (I suppose the Secret Service contingent in the far futrue do allow for that).
In a season that was pretty much a lap of honour, they really did commit to the sci fi element of sticking it in the future. It just struck me that an absurd office-based sitcom/mockumentary had gone there, as someone who consumes media where characters are able to tell someone’s future by touch.
This entry was originally posted at http://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/251524.html.
I caught up on the first two episodes over a week ago, but didn't get around to posting my responses, and then caught up on the final three episodes ever (the length of seasons has really varied with this show).
7.9 Pie-Mary
Heh to seeing, as Jenn said, Leslie as a Candidate’s Wife. Hoo-boy. Satire time.
Meanwhile, April went to tell Ron she’d found her dream job and would be leaving for Washington (is Washington ready for Andy?). I think his lip wobbled at losing his daughter-figure. But of course he didn’t say much of anything. Instead there was displacement activity over finding the key, made even more entertaining by Ron and Andy’s running.
But that strand and Donna hanging with Garry, who was utterly himself, made for a really nostalgic feel, added to the fact that we had so many returning Pawnee faces in the hoo-hah over the pie nonsense. Pretty funny and rather touching.
7.10 The Johnny Karatae Super Awesome Musical Explosion
This made me pull a Tom or Donna is delighted face, because this episode was in another dimension for this show! So awesome! And did Pratt know about Jurassic World when he uttered Burt ‘Tyrannosaurus’ Macklin?
The episode was nominally the last episode of Andy’s children’s TV show, because, of course, he was going to Washington with April, who was increasingly feeling stuff because he was so great at it and it was an ‘amazing trainwreck’. Which it was. They got the kids TV tone so perfect, while bringing in all the characters as ‘Johnny’s’ assistants as well as Burt Hapley as the intro/outro guy. And the fake adverts! The casino one was probably my favourite, but they were all brilliant and seriously made me imagine what it would be like to have Pawnee TV on all the time. Plus it tied into the satiric future the show was doing really well. I liked their riffing off the way they split the screen in the regular credits. Such a nice episode for Pratt and to focus on Andy, who has grown into likeablility as much as Leslie has.
7.11 Two Funerals
And a dozen cameos!
Bill Murray as mayor was mainly funny because of Ethel’s revelations.
Leslie’s over-reaction to all the endings and separations was predictable, but the attempt to help Tom, especially the action movie with a bad accent bit, was amusing enough. It still feels like they got him back with Lucy and stagnated the relationship like a ‘Tom also needs a successful relationship’ afterthought, but his dialling down the proposal and celebration worked as character growth, I guess (in that Tom is the regular I’ve been least invested in.)
And it did lead to the pay-off of Gerry getting the celeberaiton planned for the engagement, which was delightfully absurd.
Despite April’s faces, the whole finding a mayor strand was mainly about All The Cameos. I thought that Mayor Gerry is a terrible idea.
Ron’s response to his barber’s death/change was hilarious, especially crossing paths with the other Ron and bonding with Typhoon over slagging Europe off. (Spit out the booze then, sir. Scotland is definitely in Europe.)
(actually, those weren’t two funerals)
7.12 One Last Ride part 1
Blah blah set-up.
The future Leslie saw for Donna was a bit zzz, but Craig’s was funnier, mainly because of Ron’s bonding with Typhoon having blossomed into friendship.
But things did improve: April and Andy still doing role-play!!! Andy wanting a child while still not having grown up and April turning to Leslie for advice. Dr Saperstein getting to deliver the baby, who was a) cute and b) given a sensible name even if it did satisfy April. Yes, happy but offbeat and very them. (I'm not thinking too much about Andy parenting.)
I also liked Tom’s future, partly because it interlinked with a scene from Craig’s. The terrible English accent, not so much, but at least it’s tradition, and the idea of his using the Parks and Rec gang as types for his book worked well, while he was still glib, insincere and self-centred.
And then Garry the perpetual mayor! Who could fail to beam at Pawnee continuing to vote for him? (Never mind what I said about the previous episode.) I also liked the suggestive secret service guarding Ben and Leslie (although I wish it were Leslie and Ben).
What is nice is how all their lives are still interweaving.
7.13 One Last Ride part 2
Okay, give Jean-Ralphio the opener, if you must. He has been awful since the first season.
Ron’s future, though, was very, very touching (and he implied he’d accepted Leslie was his friend! I mean, he actually said as much as well as showed it) and perfect. Of course, he resigned just like that and his colleagues took it fine, but the lawyer didn’t, and bought his distillery. Heh.
But that was a good call from Leslie, even though it was nepotism.
And Joe Bieden! Ha! His wife was relatively natural for one of the political cameos.
It was apt that Leslie and Ben (and most of everyone else and their children) got the most of the episode. Both of them being up for Governor and Leslie trying to solve it via (an unimaginative) pro and con list was about right - good that there was some tension in the middle of everyone’s happy ending. I mean, I was always for Leslie getting back into political office (Ben will always have the Cones of Dunshire! Every mention of which warmed my heart.)
The reunion was, of course, improved by the return of Ann and Chris, and Ann and Leslie shipping their kids was perfect. But I didn’t love Leslie’s suit thing for that section.
Anyway, Ben saw sense and bowed out for Leslie to run and she was Governor twice - but I thought fandom had decided she will get to the White House (I suppose the Secret Service contingent in the far futrue do allow for that).
In a season that was pretty much a lap of honour, they really did commit to the sci fi element of sticking it in the future. It just struck me that an absurd office-based sitcom/mockumentary had gone there, as someone who consumes media where characters are able to tell someone’s future by touch.
This entry was originally posted at http://shallowness.dreamwidth.org/251524.html.