This episode is a default winner of my heart just because this is the episode where Andy and April get married. It's done in the perfect, carefree, beautiful, true-to-character fashion and in doing so, completely overrides every single cliche in this popular sitcom trope storyline. It's a perfect representation of who April and Andy are, as people first and as lovers second and it manages to wring out so much affecting drama within a single episode and makes the episode so much more than a wedding episode.
Andy and April have a surprise in store for everyone who attends their dinner party: they are not at a dinner party but in fact, their wedding. While everyone at the party seems genuinely happy for them, Leslie has second thoughts on it all and fears that two people who are very close to her may just be making a tumultuous mistake in their early lives. By the ending of this episode, it's clear that while she is moved by the simple but sweet nature of their wedding ceremony and their pure love for one another, she continues to have her fears that an impulse decision could spell trouble in the future. That's one of the greatest things about this episode, maybe one of the greatest of the series. Things do not necessarily wrap up in a neat little bow and it's thematically, all the more powerful for it.
Leslie is just so perfect in this episode. While Ron tells her that it isn't her place to try and correct April and Andy, she tries nonetheless even if she does not actively try and stop the wedding. Amy Poehler is absolutely sensational in this role and she manages to take the script and wring out every bit of humour while capturing the nuances of the drama too. Her performance during the wedding is absolutely fantastic because it captures both a joy and a disappointment and Amy Poehler has gotten to a point with this show where it's sailed way past Leslie being a Michael Scott copy.
April and Andy are probably one of my favourite television couples and I'm not one to generally focus too much or even care too much about television romances because I find most of them, in the sitcom format, tend to run stale at a point. I feel that way about Jim and Pam for example but April and Andy are an exception because they are exceptional circumstances for characters. In a show full of eccentric and wacky personalities, they might just be the two wackiest. The generally apathetic April and the goofball Andy to vaguely characterize them seem to find pure content in each other and the chemistry between Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt is so strong that they capture so flawlessly this oddball love their characters have for one another.
Everything else in this episode is perfect to my eyes too. The introduction of Orin, onscreen at least (previously Leslie voiced her disapproval to April regarding Orin being her friend) is amazing and another reminder or indicator of the sheer number of great side characters the show was able to squeeze out over the years. The interactions that Ben and Chris have with the character are hilarious in the sheer contrast in their attitudes. Ben is terrified of Orin (one of my favourite moments is the "are you asking me or telling me?" bit) whereas Chris terrifies Orin with his positive outlook on life!
I love seeing Jean Ralphio again and the sheer sleaze and arrogance he brings with him is brilliant. The very brief scene he has here provides plenty of laughs. It's also great to see April's parents and her sister again and the utterly apathetic speech she makes after the wedding and turning April into tears are just other lovely touches to this episode.
I love Ron's simple but profound interactions at the wedding. He first tells Leslie that it's not in her place to stop their wedding and after the ceremony, tells Leslie that the reason she didn't do anything drastic was because she knew it would be futile to stop those crazy kids. The dance between April and Ron is perfectly awkward and really highlights a relationship that is very strong with the show. It's so beautiful.
Elsewhere, Ann is trying to hit on guys to little success. There she sees Donna, who initially warns her off but upon seeing how helpless she is, coaches her in the dating world. As Andrew says in his review, I don't feel too strongly with Ann's love life on the show but a storyline like this really brings out some levity and humour out of that situation. Donna is particularly brilliant in this episode.
Simply, I love, love, love this episode. Virtually any episode that focuses heavily on April and Andy will at least leave me happy and at its best, like here, feels like transcendent television. The simplest of wedding gestures here is more powerful than the many grand weddings we've seen in other sitcoms. It is so true to the characters and it could never have worked in any other way.
[9/5/10] Leslie Knope is a problem solver. She has thoroughly demonstrated that with her boundless energy, her wits, and her persistence, she can tackle anything – anything, that is, sans the slippery, insane logic of April and Andy. And that’s why I love this episode.
I’m not sure if I agree with Ron’s message at the end of the episode – that you find someone you like and roll the dice, at least to the point of marrying somebody after dating them for a month (man, could that have led me to some trouble or misery) – but I definitely love his point that it wasn’t a problem Leslie would be able to solve. April and Andy are who they are, and were going to do what they were going to do, all she could do was stand by and try to appreciate it.
Then, by god, Leslie actually takes something from the behavior of Andy and April. Ever hesitant about her growing attraction to Ben, she tells him to stay in Pawnee and take the job Chris offered him, after waffling early and ending with a handshake. It’s an arc for Leslie – learning to be a bit more willing to go after what she wants in her personal life the same way she is in her professional life – and it lands with a great deal of force.
Plus, you know, April and Andy get married! A surprise wedding is so absolutely them, and it’s done in such a ramshackle, “never give up, never think things through” spirit that it’s absolutely adorable. Chris Pratt has become a superstar now, and it’s not hard to see his talents as an actor beyond the big goofy puppy he plays. When he looks at April, there is such love and joy in his eyes that it absolutely sells the moment. (That and Paul Simon’s song.) For her part, Aubrey Plaza shows the joy and affection that pierces through her typical sullen demeanor. It is as affecting as it is ridiculous.
What’s more, there are so many wonderful little touches and details at the margins. Orin is done perfectly (as his conversation with Chris). April’s gay boyfriends throw flower petals. Andy gives a completely Andy speech about defending April and April gives a completely April speech about hating most things but not him. Jerry has a “party shirt”! Chris does a wacky dance! Some guy can’t remember that April just got married and asks Ben if she’s available! It’s all just so hilarious and well-crafted.
The piece de resistance is April telling Leslie that she admires and respects her. It’s a touching moment, and Leslie’s simple “oh” in response is perfect. Amy Poehler is an amazing actress here, and the way she goes from frustration to acceptance to downright melting with all of this stuff is wonderful.
Even the C-stories are great. Tom asking to be a best man and then feeling stymied as the position gets more and more watered down, only to get a shout out and endorsement at the end is slight but amusing. And even Ann’s love life, which hasn’t been my favorite part of this season, is made fun and amusing with Donna to lead the charge and coach her up.
Overall, it’s one of Parks and Rec’s finest episodes, that is true to the characters and their lunacy, but which shows enough growth and sweetness to make it stand out.
Shout by MrFabioBlockedParent2015-09-09T13:24:39Z
The tooth scene was hilarious