Parks and Recreation - "The Comeback Kid"

Season 4, Episode 11 

If I had to pick the one strongest aspect about Parks and Recreation's fourth season (a difficult task, I know), I would say that the show has really gone for broke – and succeeded – at ramping up the pathos to never-before-seen levels. Now, the show was already wearing it's heart on its sleeve before this season came along, so this was a potentially risky move, but I think they managed to temper that by making sure that they also really brought the funny. But after three straight episodes that all ended with big emotional moments, it was about time for the show to bring back the comedy big time, and “The Comeback Kid” was able to do just that.

When we last left Leslie Knope and Her Lovable Band of Misfits, the Parks Department had just rallied around her and offered to help run her campaign, and while that was a powerful emotional moment (seriously, the line “Ron Swanson. Any other damn thing you need.” still gets me), but it left a lot of comedic potential just swaying in the breeze. I mean, Leslie might be a highly competent government employee, but that doesn't mean that everybody else is, right?

Right. Throughout the half-hour, we see repeated evidence of this, as Ann struggles to serve as Leslie's campaign manager, and Ron, Tom, Andy and April attempt to set up her latest rally, but seem to make a mistake at every turn. The only person who succeeds in his task is Jerry/Gary, and even then he does so with a very Jerry-like timing. This all leads to a slapstick sequence that as hilarious as it uncomfortable, as we see the entire lot of them trying – and failing – as a team to pull off what is already a ruined event. And even when their secret weapon of Pistol Pete manages to agree to dunk, he slips on the ice, ruining what could have been the one saving grace. Clearly, this is not the most capable campaign team. 

As funny as all of these moments were, this isn't to say that show completely left it's heartfelt moments out. (This a show that know on which side its bread it buttered.) Even though these moments are mostly played for laughs – and they do work, as bleak as the above description makes it all sound – there's also an undercurrent of despair mixed with some underdog spirit. This is a decidedly darker viewpoint from a show that tends to deal mostly in brighter moments, but it's smartly tempered by the scene in the locker room where the entire team decided to try and make a clearly hopeless situation work. It will be interesting to see how long the show can balance the darker moments with the sunnier ones, but for now it's just nice to have that little emotional boost.

The B-plot of the episode was slight by necessity, but it gets us to an important, if somewhat predictable place, with Ben now serving as Leslie's campaign manager. I'm not really sure if there's going to be any real truth to the idea that Ben is toxic to Leslie's campaign, and while I think that would create some interesting parallels with all the problems that Leslie's experienced before Ben took the position, I don't particularly care, since I'm almost positive that she will eventually win the election.

What I was more interested in, and wished was given more time to play out, was the idea of Chris and Ben getting a chance to interact one-on-one with each other in what I'm sure is the first time in a long time. There's bound to be something of a shared history between them – remembering how when they showed up at the end of season two, there was a sort of established rhythm to their work? - and I wish the show would have used that while exploring Ben's depression. (Or at least allowed Chris to get excited about Ben's claymation. Now that would have been entertaining.)

Quotes and Other Thoughts:

Leslie trying to breakdance is the most adorable thing EVER.

“Ann, you beautiful tropical fish.”

“Leslie, I tried to make Ramen in the coffee pot, and I broke everything.”

“Okay, I have to ask this: How many legs did that dog have when you found him?”

“See, there's a lot more to look at on the internet than naked guys, Ann.” “What?” 

“Tom, we're already late. So be a man and sit on the girl's lap.”

“Okay, we have a philosophical difference at what constitutes a law.”

“I'm kind of tearing this claymation a new one right now.”

“Dammit Jerry, you just had to do your job, didn't you?”

“He's peeing. He is now peeing.”

“And, your hair does not that rigid and upright Ben Wyatt sense of fun.”

“Together we can defeat...obese children.”

“Ew, don't make out. It's making Champion sad.”