[7.3/10] The Eagleton part of this episode doesn’t do it for me. I’m all for a slobs vs. snobs story, especially one built on Leslie feeling betrayed by a former friend, but all of the Eagleton stuff is just too cartoony. Everything from public forums with giftbaskets to a pink and purple jail with scones to Leslie’s frenemy Lindsey herself are just too exaggerated to make this conflict feel real and not just a bit of ridiculousness. It turns the “good town vs. bad town” dynamic into something that feels like it’s out of an 80’s cartoon.
Still, I appreciate the tack that it’s founded on Leslie thinking Lindsey was on her side, and that she feels hurt by the broken promise and backs turned on Pawnee itself as much as she’s upset with Lindsey individually. The whiffle ball feel is a nice twist to resolve the fence issue, and Leslie being the bigger person is a nice character beat.
What really sells this one though, is the B-story, where Leslie figures out Ron’s birthday and Ron goes nuts (in true Ron fashion) worrying about what public, showy thing Leslie is going to do to celebrate. I love the way everyone gets a turn with him, from April messing with him at Leslie’s prompting, to Andy inadvertently dropping hints about a kidnapping, to Ann scaring him with stories of bounce houses and hoopla, to Chris straight up kissing him on the mouth. Ron’s increasing paranoia, and his reactions to all of this are outstanding, and it’s great acting from Nick Offerman, who really sells Ron’s disgust and fear at all of this.
The finish, however, is beautiful. Leslie providing steak, scotch, old movies, and solitude is the perfect Ron Swanson birthday party. And the fact that it ties into their relationship and the Eagleton story is great writing. Ron knows Leslie and Leslie knows Ron, and that means that Leslie knows how to give Ron the sort of celebration he’d enjoy, and Ron knows Leslie’s the kind of person who’d make her hometown better. It’s a great testament to what is arguably the show’s core relationship.
The Eagleton stuff gets a bit too out of hand for my tastes, but that still makes this one a keeper.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-03-09T04:29:20Z
[7.3/10] The Eagleton part of this episode doesn’t do it for me. I’m all for a slobs vs. snobs story, especially one built on Leslie feeling betrayed by a former friend, but all of the Eagleton stuff is just too cartoony. Everything from public forums with giftbaskets to a pink and purple jail with scones to Leslie’s frenemy Lindsey herself are just too exaggerated to make this conflict feel real and not just a bit of ridiculousness. It turns the “good town vs. bad town” dynamic into something that feels like it’s out of an 80’s cartoon.
Still, I appreciate the tack that it’s founded on Leslie thinking Lindsey was on her side, and that she feels hurt by the broken promise and backs turned on Pawnee itself as much as she’s upset with Lindsey individually. The whiffle ball feel is a nice twist to resolve the fence issue, and Leslie being the bigger person is a nice character beat.
What really sells this one though, is the B-story, where Leslie figures out Ron’s birthday and Ron goes nuts (in true Ron fashion) worrying about what public, showy thing Leslie is going to do to celebrate. I love the way everyone gets a turn with him, from April messing with him at Leslie’s prompting, to Andy inadvertently dropping hints about a kidnapping, to Ann scaring him with stories of bounce houses and hoopla, to Chris straight up kissing him on the mouth. Ron’s increasing paranoia, and his reactions to all of this are outstanding, and it’s great acting from Nick Offerman, who really sells Ron’s disgust and fear at all of this.
The finish, however, is beautiful. Leslie providing steak, scotch, old movies, and solitude is the perfect Ron Swanson birthday party. And the fact that it ties into their relationship and the Eagleton story is great writing. Ron knows Leslie and Leslie knows Ron, and that means that Leslie knows how to give Ron the sort of celebration he’d enjoy, and Ron knows Leslie’s the kind of person who’d make her hometown better. It’s a great testament to what is arguably the show’s core relationship.
The Eagleton stuff gets a bit too out of hand for my tastes, but that still makes this one a keeper.