Parks and Recreation Review: Ron, Leslie, and Breakfast
Narsimha Chintaluri
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Parks and Recreation Season 7 Episode 3 and Parks and Recreation Season 7 Episode 4 quickly brought the Ron and Leslie, "Tupac and Biggie-level," beef to a fitting close.
But man, was it great while it lasted.
As the first main arc of this final season comes to a close (these two episodes a night are just flying by!), Ron and Leslie make peace at last – but not before some relentless hilarity ensues (Ron in a leather jacket, anyone?).
Raging war against each other was clearly taking a toll on the both of them, and I love the way it finally came to a head. After they witness Ron and Leslie yell at each other in public like some five-year olds, the rest of the gang definitely makes the right choice in giving them a timeout.
Leslie: You're the most unreasonable person I've ever meet and I'm not going to change my mind no matter what anyone says.
Ron: You're bad at scrapbooking.
Leslie: Whaa--?
Although it didn't seem successful at first, the confined space allowed Leslie to actually exorcize her frustration with her former friend by means of a hilarious montage of Ron-centric torture. From post-its all over his body (the last one left to cover his mouth/bushy mustache) to singing along to Jerry's favorite jam, Leslie finally gets to have some from of revenge – even though her goal is to actually get him to talk to her.
However, we all know Ron's not a man of many words.
I would rather bleed out than sit here and talk about my feelings for 10 mins.
As he is for most, Ron's one of my favorite characters and definitely one of the greatest to ever come out of the show. I kind of saw this feud between them as a season long arc, but I'm glad resolving it now got Offerman a lot of one-on-one screen time with Poelher. Amy Poelher's always been a genius at her craft, but Nick Offerman's clearly descended into his own legendary Dos Equis spokesperson-level of mysticism. His quotes are often times the most memorable, right next to Tom's.
Leslie: Come on Ron, we were friends for 10 years.
Ron: We were work proximity associates.
His reasons for turning his back on the Parks & Rec Department made a lot more sense than I bet anyone gave him credit for, and it definitely was enough for Leslie to admit her own faults in the situation.
They both suffered from miscommunication, but all things considered, Ron was the victim first – and, relatively, put in more effort at the start to make things right. I mean, how difficult must it have been for him to see all his friends leave the office unceremoniously – and then have to build up the nerve to ask Leslie for a job.
Although the majority of both episodes focused on building up and resolving Ron and Leslie's standoff, there were still tiny cogs turning amidst the rest of the cast.
Ben's rant about being a ghost had me in stitches, as well as Terry's love for the notary profession.
I also think it's worth pointing out that Ben almost never gets as mad at Leslie as he should be. Even when she's being her most unreasonable, or unpredictable, he's always pretty understanding. Eh – kind of a pushover to be honest.
But I guess we always knew who wore the pants(uit) in that family.
And speaking of marriages, Andy keeps proving to be the most brilliant and insightful village idiot ever – as well as a great husband. Although it's a bit slow, I like that they're building up a plot-line to transition April into a profession she's truly invested in, giving her a chance to finally stop just simply going through the motions.
I made a list of the things you love. Playing with our dog, staring contests, having sex with me - and so on. Then I lost the list.
Andy
I'm getting so caught up in the gritty details here that I almost forgot – there were a bunch of hilarious moments throughout the hour! Head over to the Parks and Recreation quotes to catch any I forget to mention.
The first half-hour acted as a perfect build up for a seamless transition into the resolution of this conflict and, although much of the big laughs and plot points where in the second half-hour, the first held its own.
Leslie: That was all flash no substance!
Ron: It was exactly as substantive as your presentation.
I found the second half to be stronger all around but, as a whole, I definitely like where the final season is going.
It doesn't look like they're phoning it in.
The hour was light on Tom or Donna, but they're few scenes were still notable – Tom translating start-up speak" into English for Ron, and Donna pointing out that Tom put himself on their list of celebrities, in his own handwriting. I'm sure as this season progresses, there will be more character-centric episodes to give each fan favorite a proper farewell.
If not, I sure hope they at least keep up the quality they've exhibited tonight, and last week as well on Parks and Recreation Season 7 Episodes 1 and 2. I hope they find a way for us to say goodbye to everyone – I know a lot of people are dreading that finale rolling around!
To catch the flawless expression of confusion that Chris Pratt always has on his face, or a drunk Ron playing his beloved saxophone, or simply Ron and Leslie ultimately sharing a bond that's thicker than blood – breakfast – watch Parks and Recreation online via TV Fanatic.
