[6.9/10] Not a bad episode exactly, but felt like a bit of going through the motions before we get to what comes next. I like the theme that Ron and Leslie are both sacrificing their principles to beat the other, but it's all underwhelming. Leslie making the most of William Henry Harrison's log cabin debris and going for "quantity over quality" is a nice against type idea, but there's not much comedy in it (beyond the prediction that The Wire would have swept the Emmys if Harrison had worn a coat). By the same token, we'd already hit the "Goop" parody for all it was worth with Ron's chairs in prior seasons, so Ron bringing Tom and Donna along to go for flash over substance doesn't amount to much either. (Though Ron telling Leslie she's not that good at scrapbooking as an ultimate insult is a great bit, particularly with everyone's reactions.)
The one part of the episode that absolutely work is Ben trying to get everyone to sign the right papers while Jerry prattles on cheerfully about having fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a notary public. Jerry's chipper recitation of various facts and commitment to the oath he signed (which was, naturally, notarized by another notary) was great, as was Ben's description of himself as a ghost in purgatory trying to get Leslie and Ron to sign the forms. And by the same token, Andy helping April with her dream job search is very abbreviated, but his solution -- to not try to think of things April likes but to come up with why she likes them and find a job that fits that -- is very sweet and even clever.
Otherwise, the meat of this one wasn't great, though it has the benefit of setting up something fantastic...
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-06-06T02:04:14Z
[6.9/10] Not a bad episode exactly, but felt like a bit of going through the motions before we get to what comes next. I like the theme that Ron and Leslie are both sacrificing their principles to beat the other, but it's all underwhelming. Leslie making the most of William Henry Harrison's log cabin debris and going for "quantity over quality" is a nice against type idea, but there's not much comedy in it (beyond the prediction that The Wire would have swept the Emmys if Harrison had worn a coat). By the same token, we'd already hit the "Goop" parody for all it was worth with Ron's chairs in prior seasons, so Ron bringing Tom and Donna along to go for flash over substance doesn't amount to much either. (Though Ron telling Leslie she's not that good at scrapbooking as an ultimate insult is a great bit, particularly with everyone's reactions.)
The one part of the episode that absolutely work is Ben trying to get everyone to sign the right papers while Jerry prattles on cheerfully about having fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a notary public. Jerry's chipper recitation of various facts and commitment to the oath he signed (which was, naturally, notarized by another notary) was great, as was Ben's description of himself as a ghost in purgatory trying to get Leslie and Ron to sign the forms. And by the same token, Andy helping April with her dream job search is very abbreviated, but his solution -- to not try to think of things April likes but to come up with why she likes them and find a job that fits that -- is very sweet and even clever.
Otherwise, the meat of this one wasn't great, though it has the benefit of setting up something fantastic...