[8.5/10] Look, if I’m being honest, this isn’t the best-written episode Parks & Rec has ever done. Ron’s story ends essentially by fiat (though you can chalk it up to self-actualization if you really want to); Tom and Ben’s story is basically an excuse for E720-related hijinx and gets sewn together with a mostly unearned final beat; and the only story that does get tied up in any way is Ann’s which was the slightest to begin with.
But damnit if the meat of the episode isn’t so good that it’s hard not to completely excuse it for sort of abruptly screeching to the finish line rather than finding a natural ending point for thing. My god, Ron being confronted and controlled by Tammy 1 is a thing of comic beauty. High mark to Nick Offerman who manages to make Ron seem like a bizarrely, hilariously different person, bereft of facial hair, trusting the government, and wearing a colorful shirt. I cannot tell you how loud I laughed when he told someone he hoped the rest of their day would be “cool beans,” possibly the least Ron Swanson words ever uttered.
If that weren’t enough, everyone’s reaction to this is amazing. Leslie’s frightened declaration of “Ron, your mustache fell off!” is perfect and her drunken state is amazing. A low-simmering but brilliant subplot is April being enraptured by Tammy 1 as the “cold distant mother I never had.” Tammy 2’s brief scene about getting acid poured on her foot is short but sweet. Andy comes up with the winning idea, or at least, gets us halfway there! Everyone in the story is gold!
That extends to the guest stars. Patricia Arquette is amazing as the frosty queen bee herself. Making Tammy 1 this frighteningly effective controller, one who is a “literal golddigger” as Leslie points out, is a great bit. And Tammy Zero (aka Ron’s mom) makes a big impression in just a couple of scenes. Her “This is America, isn’t it? Then I don’t have to answer stupid questions on my own property” is one of the series’s best lines (and April’s follow up about her really being Ron’s mom is the perfect capper). Sure, the drink off being finished by Ron is a little sudden, but everything, including the notion of independent Ron being controlled by all these Tammys in his life, is so great up until that point that the show gets a pass for it.
The same goes for Ben checking the books for Tom. Let’s be frank, it’s just an excuse for strait-laced Ben to be mystified at all the insane stuff going on at E720, and for P&R to show off all that insanity, replete with a pair of NBA stars as a two-man greek chorus. The final scene, where Tom realizes Ben was right and gives him an iPad as a show of thanks is nice enough, but it’s basically just an extended bit of sketch comedy about rich know-nothings. Still, it’s funny and creative, so it gets a pass too!
The one complete story is Ann filming the diabetes PSA with Chris. Chris’s boundless enthusiasm and overcommitment to the material leads to great comic stuff for Rob Lowe, who really sells it. The mild theme of the bit – Ann wondering how she went out with Chris, only to remember when he compliments her and shows that he’s caring despite his outsized qualities – is nice too. Overall, it’s not the best-structured episode of P&R you’ll ever watch, but damn if it isn’t great anyway.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-03-14T01:31:00Z
[8.5/10] Look, if I’m being honest, this isn’t the best-written episode Parks & Rec has ever done. Ron’s story ends essentially by fiat (though you can chalk it up to self-actualization if you really want to); Tom and Ben’s story is basically an excuse for E720-related hijinx and gets sewn together with a mostly unearned final beat; and the only story that does get tied up in any way is Ann’s which was the slightest to begin with.
But damnit if the meat of the episode isn’t so good that it’s hard not to completely excuse it for sort of abruptly screeching to the finish line rather than finding a natural ending point for thing. My god, Ron being confronted and controlled by Tammy 1 is a thing of comic beauty. High mark to Nick Offerman who manages to make Ron seem like a bizarrely, hilariously different person, bereft of facial hair, trusting the government, and wearing a colorful shirt. I cannot tell you how loud I laughed when he told someone he hoped the rest of their day would be “cool beans,” possibly the least Ron Swanson words ever uttered.
If that weren’t enough, everyone’s reaction to this is amazing. Leslie’s frightened declaration of “Ron, your mustache fell off!” is perfect and her drunken state is amazing. A low-simmering but brilliant subplot is April being enraptured by Tammy 1 as the “cold distant mother I never had.” Tammy 2’s brief scene about getting acid poured on her foot is short but sweet. Andy comes up with the winning idea, or at least, gets us halfway there! Everyone in the story is gold!
That extends to the guest stars. Patricia Arquette is amazing as the frosty queen bee herself. Making Tammy 1 this frighteningly effective controller, one who is a “literal golddigger” as Leslie points out, is a great bit. And Tammy Zero (aka Ron’s mom) makes a big impression in just a couple of scenes. Her “This is America, isn’t it? Then I don’t have to answer stupid questions on my own property” is one of the series’s best lines (and April’s follow up about her really being Ron’s mom is the perfect capper). Sure, the drink off being finished by Ron is a little sudden, but everything, including the notion of independent Ron being controlled by all these Tammys in his life, is so great up until that point that the show gets a pass for it.
The same goes for Ben checking the books for Tom. Let’s be frank, it’s just an excuse for strait-laced Ben to be mystified at all the insane stuff going on at E720, and for P&R to show off all that insanity, replete with a pair of NBA stars as a two-man greek chorus. The final scene, where Tom realizes Ben was right and gives him an iPad as a show of thanks is nice enough, but it’s basically just an extended bit of sketch comedy about rich know-nothings. Still, it’s funny and creative, so it gets a pass too!
The one complete story is Ann filming the diabetes PSA with Chris. Chris’s boundless enthusiasm and overcommitment to the material leads to great comic stuff for Rob Lowe, who really sells it. The mild theme of the bit – Ann wondering how she went out with Chris, only to remember when he compliments her and shows that he’s caring despite his outsized qualities – is nice too.
Overall, it’s not the best-structured episode of P&R you’ll ever watch, but damn if it isn’t great anyway.