Excellent review. I'd give the ep a B+ too. It definitely does seem like a transitional episode--I guess we could call it this season's Camping, which signaled the end of the Harvest Festival plotline and the real beginning of the Leslie/Ben relationship arc
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I really winced at that "poison" comment too, and I was really relieved when people started speculating it was Ben who had used that word, and now that's what I choose to believe. I agree, they could have just tweaked that line slightly to spare us the wincing!
I didn't think to question Ben not being there right away--I guess I just took it at face value that he was staying away from the campaign--but you're probably right, he could have been in the back or something. I wonder if that would have changed the plot at all--if he would have seen things starting to go wrong and tried to help or something. But you're right, now that they're together, we should see them on screen together more!
Thinking about it more, I feel this episode could have used a bit of editing to allow for more background into Ben's absence from the rally/campaign. Maybe shorten up some of the Pistol Pete plot (alliteration, yay!) to at least include a line where Ben debates whether he should attend the rally. Normally Parks is really good about filling in the blanks, but not so much this time. I wish we could see a deleted scene about this but I don't know if one will show up since we already have 2 deleted scenes.
Yeah, I think you're right. It was a really funny episode, but not the best storytelling episode. Maybe we'll still get a deleted scene? Probably that's just wishful thinking, but sometimes it seems like they release them slowly over a few days.
Ahhhh ... good detective work. I totally forgot about the calzone place located on Terrible Idea Avenue, too. But if that was a takeout calzone, then why was he complaining there are no takeout Italian options?
Maybe it was a sit-down Italian restaurant where you could also order food to go? Since Leslie was eating pasta. But most pizza places I know that aren't chains have calzone, sandwich, and pasta options. Maybe things are different in Indiana.
Vaguely connected to this, I was looking at gifs on Tumblr of "Requiem for a Tuesday," and the protagonist is in a room with a bed, table with two chairs, a sofa, and a full-sized fridge. It doesn't resemble Ben's room, since it's missing the desk and the TV. It could be a hotel room, but what hotels have full-sized fridges but no microwave or other kitchen appliances?
That would explain it. Thank you, everything makes sense now.
Hmmm ... I vote that it's a hotel room, and he just got a few of the details off? Maybe the plot has to do with his time on the road. The title's a little sad sounding. But clearly we need them to release more info, a script, etc.
I agree completely - this episode was okay and I only say that because I have such high standards for the show. I think the extended scene on the ice really elevated it. The physical humor there was just so perfect.
I could have done with a different version of Pistol Pete - less handsome guy next door normal and more extreme in some way (could have done with less screen time too). He just didn't hold up against the vast greatness of other Pawnee characters.
You're right about the episode - it got the show from point A to point B and set up the campaign arc. I don't know - I'm still not as pumped up for Leslie's campaign as I thought I would be. Not sure why...
I've been feeling like there was something slightly off about how Ben became campaign manager, and I've think your reasoning here is sound. I hadn't considered the fact that the gang's foibles this episode weren't at all political, which does it make it odd that they would feel it necessary to turn to Ben. I don't think it was particularly odd that the event itself failed for the reasons you mentioned - Leslie is capable of great successes but also failures when she thinks too big, and the issue of delegation, which I think was the key here. She not only delegated too much and didn't oversee enough stuff herself, but she delegated exactly the wrong things to the wrong people. Asking April to do a task that requires her to pay attention to people and be detail-oriented? Asking Tom to work with a limited budget and not overspend on quality over quantity? Asking Ron to do something that would require paying heed to rules and regulations? Disaster waiting to happen. This team is capable of great things, but this event's planning played
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I didn't think to question Ben not being there right away--I guess I just took it at face value that he was staying away from the campaign--but you're probably right, he could have been in the back or something. I wonder if that would have changed the plot at all--if he would have seen things starting to go wrong and tried to help or something. But you're right, now that they're together, we should see them on screen together more!
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I am not obsessed with this show's obsession with food...oh wait.
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Vaguely connected to this, I was looking at gifs on Tumblr of "Requiem for a Tuesday," and the protagonist is in a room with a bed, table with two chairs, a sofa, and a full-sized fridge. It doesn't resemble Ben's room, since it's missing the desk and the TV. It could be a hotel room, but what hotels have full-sized fridges but no microwave or other kitchen appliances?
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Hmmm ... I vote that it's a hotel room, and he just got a few of the details off? Maybe the plot has to do with his time on the road. The title's a little sad sounding. But clearly we need them to release more info, a script, etc.
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I could have done with a different version of Pistol Pete - less handsome guy next door normal and more extreme in some way (could have done with less screen time too). He just didn't hold up against the vast greatness of other Pawnee characters.
You're right about the episode - it got the show from point A to point B and set up the campaign arc. I don't know - I'm still not as pumped up for Leslie's campaign as I thought I would be. Not sure why...
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