Sadness Baths and Geopolitical Problem Solving: Aka Cy has thoughts

[cypanache]

Normally I would just post this over on tumblr but it's long and tumblr hates me right now.  So the point is I have now seen 'The Treaty' twice and have watched the preview clip for 'Smallest Park'.  And given this and what I've read of the spoilers for the next two episodes, I have some thoughts that I'm working through regarding this arc.

These

Comments

[zombie_boogie]

First of all, I just wanted to say that you articulated all of your thoughts really, really well. I especially love what you wrote about Leslie and her feelings, because I think there has been an expectation among some fans that she would react to the break-up in a way that I don't think would be fair to or consistent with her character.

Now then! I haven't felt as negatively about the developments of this pairing in relation to spoilers as much as other people, mainly because I'm generally optimistic about the ability of the writers to make it work. It does seem like a rather large leap to make to go from where they are at the end of "The Treaty"/the beginning of "Smallest Park" to them getting back together, but I think with the right kind of interactions and discussions it could happen.

Second of all, and I think possibly even more likely, I could see the Parks writers deliberately holding that 'Flu Season' moment (or series of moments) for Leslie where she sees Ben as awesome independent of her back for the latter half of the

[cypanache]

I have to admit, those first three episodes directly after the breakup where she felt like such a blank page, I was having a lot of trouble filling in the gaps for her character emotionally. I was trying, but I was also trying not to assume to much, and I do think that period is part of what triggered Ben's tailspin because that could not have been easy for him to watch. But once they gave me something to latch on to with End of the World, then the whole three previous episodes fell completely into place more and felt emotionally right for her

[quick_ly]

THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! Since the clip came out, I've seen a lot of crazy reactions to it, with people taking this new information and getting angry at the Parks writers for it, so I love that you made an articulate, well-thought out post where you analyzed what we know and the ways it could turn out, while not ignoring what you personally want

[americnxidiot]

I agree with everything you said here.

[rikyl]

I was quick to take Ben's side in this ep but spent a lot of today considering Leslie's POV. First of all, I think she's not okay with just friendship either, but she's trying to convince herself she is. She looked so unhappy when she was describing what a friend is vs. what a boyfriend is, it seemed pretty clear to me that she wanted the love and marriage part of it with Ben. But is trying to make the best of a bad situation by having him in her life in some way. I don't think she'd be happy being friends with Ben forever, though--she's just not facing the reality entirely yet. I can't picture her getting over him or moving on while Ben is still in her life. I keep thinking of the last scene of Soulmates, where even though she hasn't figured out how it's going to work with Ben, she decided she didn't want to even consider anyone else

[cypanache]

I completely agree that she probably wouldn't have been happy being friends with Ben forever, I just had kind of wished for her to face her dissatisfaction with it rather than Ben forcing the question. But as I said above I think Leslie is still in this place where she needs the emotional jumpstart of prospectively losing Ben.

Like we talked about on chat. I think this a good character observation about Leslie feeling betrayed. I also think there's a potential that Ben is unintentionally leading her on, by letting himself be talked into trying to be friends and then realizing he can't only to try to take a step back, and then letting himself get talked into it all over again. So I think for all his efforts at forthrightness, given Leslie's emotional state he's sending some mixed messages.

[rikyl]

I was thinking today for some reason about Ben confessing his feelings to Leslie in Road Trip. What he said was basically, translated: I like to hang out with you, I find you attractive, and we share similar interests. And that is almost exactly how Leslie feels about him. It just got me thinking about the admiration aspect of it and what that has to do with actually falling in love ... the moments we think of Ben "falling" for Leslie are really more like Ben crushing on Leslie, because you can admire someone without actually being romantically compatible with them. And the real falling part seems to happen once they're spending more time together, laughing together, having fun together, fitting together. So the fact that Leslie thinks of her feelings for Ben in terms of how well he fits with her actually might be fairly comparable to his feelings for her. And that explains why he is so much more lovesick now after having a brief relationship with her than he was when they were just working together

[cypanache]

I think that could be a fair interpretation of the storyline. Like I said a lot of my issues stem from this whole 'inkblot' problem I have with Leslie

[lunamystik]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts... I always love reading your insight into such issues. So far this season I've merely been along for the ride, confident in where the writers will take my fave 'ship, so I haven't been analysing the episodes and spoilers as much as I normally would. It's therefore always interesting to read what everyone thinks about the progression and regression of Leslie/Ben.

I love "fill-in-the-blanks" fics, so your second option for Take a Bow would be awesome to read. But, really, I'm good either way! :)

[americnxidiot]

This is kind of how I feel. Parks and Rec makes me feel so happy on a regular basis. It makes me laugh, it makes me smile, all while still managing to pack a satisfying emotional punch. So I'm almost actively not overanalyzing this. I trust the writers. Maybe I'll look back on this season and be disappointed, but for now? I'm enjoying the ride.

[cypanache]

And I get that perspective I totally do. It is in fact my default perspective. And actually despite what my long ass post seems to imply, I completely trust the writers. I have needs, which I thought were going to be addressed one way, but I'm starting to think are going to be addressed completely differently with regards to how their relationship continues to develop once their together. And the more I consider that possibility, the more excited I am for that.

I'm in this weird overanalyzing mode mostly because I'm writing fic. And as the season has developed, I've had to think about and continuously adjust my perspectives about the characters. It takes a little time, and sometimes the way I work through it is long posts.

In essence what I think you guys are seeing in the above post is the beginnings of my Leslie character arc for the next two chapters of 'Take a Bow'

[americnxidiot]

I think this is something I do when I really, really love something. When it's a show I'm less passionate about, I have no trouble tearing it down and analyzing the success of the different plot points, but with Parks? IDK. I just love it so much that I don't want to think about the ways it's not succeeding as well as it could, if that makes sense. And I really like all the things you said in this post. Also: "This is completely legitimate, and I am less bothered by this now that I have finished this paragraph than I was when I started it (this is how my mind works)." is basically what happens every time I start to analyze Parks in my head hah.

[kyrieanne]

I think the phrase "slipping through her fingers in stages" is a good way of describing the arc the writers have chosen. They could have handled this lots of different ways, but this is the one they chose

[cypanache]

Yeah I saw your tumblr post. It's part of the reason I elucidated where my need for a little more clarity on Leslie's feelings come from. I do get that there won't necessarily be one single aha moment (which is why I called it a 'Flu Season' moment or series of moments

[kyrieanne]

Yeah, I should apologize for not posting coherent thoughts in response to your lovely ones. I am trying to finish up something for work that has eaten my whole weak, but I wanted to comment on this before I forgot so I stole what I said on tumblr when what I really should have said is: AMEN