Parks and Recreation finally feels like it’s on track to finish strong.
Leslie and Ron’s reconciliation in these latest two episodes finally drags the season out of the rut it dug itself in its first two.
Last week’s allusions to Morning Star were a decent effort to establish anticipation for the moment. But you know how they say that sometimes it’s more about the journey than the destination?
Although that could be said about the Harvest Festival and the mission to merge Pawnee and Eagleton, the same isn’t true with Ron and Leslie making up. The details and flashbacks in the second half of this pair of episodes are the jewel on the season’s otherwise “meh” crown (Let’s face it: Even though Parks may not bring the laughs like it did before, it’s still some of the best comedy on network television.)
Ron and Leslie’s exchanges were just what was missing from “2017” and “Ron and Jammy.” Although the two had an opportunity to work together in that latter episode, we didn’t get Ron’s usual straight-man performance. Instead, both characters bounced off each other, escalating the situation to a peak that was unsatisfying.
With Ron more or less assuming the stooge position again, Leslie is free to unhinge without being unbearable. What made Leslie Knope difficult to stomach in the first season was that hardly anyone held her back — she was free to take things to their extreme.
Season 2 is when other characters — Ron in particular — helped balance her out. “Ron and Leslie” was a great callback to those days.
The return to the Pawnee parks department offices was the icing on the cake. The episode’s big reveal was an excellent payoff, not just for the last three episodes, but for Ron and Leslie’s relationship thus far in the series’ run.
Finally, Morning Star means something.
Much of the previous episode, “William Henry Harrison,” serves as a slow cook to that final payoff.
Leslie’s only hope to snag the Newport land is to capitalize on the legacy of a man who was elected president of the United States only to die after less than two months in office because he refused to wear a coat. Thus “Operation Quantity” begins.
Much of the focus here is on Leslie, Andy and April’s attempt to collect enough of William Henry Harrison’s possessions to preserve the land they’re wrestling over with Ron.
The visit to a museum dedicated to the ninth U.S. president provides some of the best jokes so far in the season.
At the same time, Ron plans to ambush Leslie as she prepares to unveil her case for the Newport land at a press conference. The ensuing argument leads Ben and company to lock Leslie and Ron up in the Pawnee parks department offices.
Stray observations:
“One day, Magnus. I will wear you as a jacket.”
Zorp the lizard god has returned!
“How did you get in here?” “Broke a window.”
Far-out brain tornado?
Pulitzer Prize for Top-10 listicle? I’m so there.
“He’s an embarrassing footnote. But he’s our embarrassing footnote.”
“They can’t even fill a small museum with stuff about his life because he was so lame.”
“I really like your museum. It’s weird and sad and really unnecessary.”
Calvin Coolidge was a notary? No way.
“Zach! Camp Wamapoke — you had a boner!”
“Come with me as we binge-watch the future.”
“Enjoy your new job, Judith.”
Did anyone else totally love the nod to Parks and Recreation’s spiritual predecessor with that Billy Joel song?