Parks and Recreation
Season 5, Episode 7: Leslie vs. April
– Posted by Sage
“It was a real honor that, in my sitcom debut, I got to meet someone like Leslie Knope, who believes so deeply in public service. She’s an example for men and women across the country that there’s no higher calling than helping other people.” – Joe Biden
If it wasn’t already obvious to you that Leslie Knope is marrying the right man for her, Ben’s surprise engagement present should have made it abundantly clear. It’s better than a waffle tower! In one of the best Parks cold opens in recent memory, Ben and Leslie have an audience with Vice President and one-man celebrity sex list, Joe Biden. The cameo was secretly filmed in DC last summer, including a scene that would address the other possible election outcome. Thankfully, it wasn’t needed. Forward, bitches.
Amy, Adam, and the Vice President just kill this scene. Leslie is endearingly unhinged; Ben is appropriately horrified at her invading Joe’s personal space; and Mr. Biden is flattered and good-naturedly weirded out at the same time. It’s a beautiful, hilarious moment of wish fulfillment for fans, on our beloved Leslie’s behalf. I love the quote that opens this recap, because it lends so much more meaning to a PR-generating cameo. The President also recently revealed that his family watches Parks and Recreation together. Call me a sucker, but I’m comforted that the White House shares our admiration for this character and the values of this show. *Cue “America the Beautiful,” as I shed a single, patriotic tear.*
Back in Pawnee, Leslie proudly watches April give a presentation on the town’s need for a new dog park. She’s beaming, armed with a camera to capture her protege’s newfound motivation. (“Can you say ‘per capita’ again? I want to take a picture of you saying ‘per capita.'”) She and Ben (and Chris and Ron) have nurtured April’s very, very latent potential, so Leslie rightly feels responsible for her development as an adult and public servant. She’s over the moon until April proposes the dog park site: Lot 48, the infamous pit behind Ann’s house. Uh oh.
For years, Leslie has tried unsuccessfully to turn the cursed Lot 48 into a park. And if Leslie Knope can’t do it, ain’t nobody can. She won’t support April’s plan, even though it may be the one that finally turns the space into something useful. Leslie’s ego, like the rest of her life, exists in her work. We get the feeling that she kinda liked being the only competent person in Pawnee government. She was the hero. Now, under her influence, her coworkers and friends are working harder and caring more. Where does that leave Leslie ? April’s adoption of Lot 48 brings her identity crisis to a head.
Heeding some Swanson advice, Leslie attempts to distract April, first with a visit to Orin’s art show (disturbingly reminiscent of a Bosch painting), then by touring other possible sites for the park (which also sort of look like Bosch paintings, but with more radioactive sewage.) April sees straight through the scheme, and tells Leslie she’ll present her plan to at the council meeting with the support of Councilman Jamm. Leslie tries to warn April that Jamm is unreliable, but April doesn’t want to hear anything else from her. During her presentation, Leslie states that public opinion is clearly against the proposition (“I just heard one hag booing.”), and Jamm pulls his double cross. He thinks parks are useless, but hears that Paunch Burger is looking for a new location. April just got Jammed.
Ron and Ann stage an April/Leslie intervention. With Ann’s mediation, Leslie acknowledges that she hasn’t been a great mentor to April lately; and April apologizes for writing off all of Leslie’s advice in anger. And also, they love each other. Ugh, moments with these two always slay me.
April, Leslie and Ann join forces to fight the real enemy: Councilman Jamm. Leslie’s responsible for the “dick move” that gets him to back down on his dirty tricks. They invite all the park-less kids and dogs in his neighborhood to his play on his lawn. I get the feeling Jamm isn’t a big fan of either. Jamm lays out a peace treaty: in 90 days, they’ll put their various plans before the council and up to a vote. Fair and square. Now, get that hula hoop off my car.
Now that he has his start-up cash from Ron, Tom is taking the next steps with Rent-a-Swag. He smartly asks Ben to check out the business plan. Ben is impressed. Tom offers to cut him in, but Ben is just in to help a friend. Since being back in Pawnee, he’s accepted a position at the same accounting firm he quit in Season 4. He’s getting married and needs a stable, boring job where everyone gets his jokes (“Bond…Municipal Bond.”) Ben sets up a few meetings for Tom to try to partner Rent-a-Swag with other businesses and get some local exposure. Every single meeting results in a “no” to Tom, but a job offer for Ben. Tom’s certainly grown since Entertainment 720 bit it, but he hasn’t had to deal with much rejection yet with this idea. He’s nearly ready to chuck it all when Ben tells him to be patient. If he’s passionate about the idea and sticks with it, great things will happen.
Ben shows up for his first day at Tilton and Randomski (ha), and his boss could not be more thrilled to have him back. He must be a local celebrity, especially to Pawnee math geeks. (By the way, how amazing is John Balma as Barney?) Ben gets one look at his name plate and quits…again. Even though they haven’t shared a scene throughout this whole episode, Leslie is still the driving force behind his decision. She wants him to do something he loves, and now he knows that, even in Pawnee, he has options. Ben Wyatt could be the CFO of Rent-A-Swag or the Executive Director of the Sweetums Foundation. Sky’s the limit for the future First Gentlemen. But still, let’s hope that gorgeous house is paid off.
Random thoughts/B-Stories:
- Knope 2024, anyone?
- It’s a sin that none of the supporting actors on this show have ever been nominated for Emmys, but Chris Pratt has been especially robbed. No one delivers a line like him, and his physical comedy is unmatched. Mike Schur has said that the writers don’t even give stage directions for an Andy pratfall any more. They just write, “Pratt does something funny.” This week’s storyline, with Andy investigating his missing computer was full of gems. His scenes with Rob Lowe are particularly fantastic, since their characters are the most weirdly sincere. (“You’re as guilty as you are sexy.”) Hopefully Andy’s new appointment as security guard will give us lots of these.
- “Mr. Looks and Professor Books. He’s Looks.” Our readers would disagree.
- I will now group my announcements in threes, just like Chris Traeger: fun fact, regular fact, unfun fact.
- “We specialize in making stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks.”
- Leslie to Ron, on how to stop “Ricky Jordache”, aka April: “How did you slow me down when i was becoming too me-ish?”
- More priceless Andy: “I can never tell when people are lying to me. Hopefully that doesn’t come up in my police work.” and “When I get bummed out, I take my shirt off cause the bad feelings make me feel sweaty.”
- Of all Ben’s possible future jobs, I hope and pray that he takes the political correspondent post. I need Ben Wyatt, Human Disaster to return to my television. “It’s like The King’s Speech, but the first part, before he’s fixed!”
Will April and Leslie beat out the dreaded Councilman Jamm for control of Lot 48? Will Ben and Tom take over the pre-teen fashion industry? Where will Donna take her talents next? And who is really stealing City Hall computers? Mystery and intrigue, Pawnee-style!
ZOINKSBO! I had to comment before I even got through the beginning of this to say OF COURSE THE BIDENS WATCH THIS SHOW! I love them.
ZOINKSBO! I had to comment before I even got through the beginning of this to say OF COURSE THE BIDENS WATCH THIS SHOW! I love them.
“A game is the foot” is a mighty fine Andy Dwyer moment. I’m right there with you on the nomination. He needs one.
I am so, so deeply obsessed with that Biden quote. It says wonderful things about what this show can do (and also about him! And our First Family).