Parks and Rec: "Indianapolis"

Once I figure out how someone become credited with “creating” a fragrance, I'll offer up a review of tonight's episode, after the jump.....

So I guess I am eating my words all over this blog tonight.

Much like with Community, I didn't quite catch exactly what had happened at the end of last week's episode, and I lashed out unfairly at the episode because of it.

And yet, it appears that Ann Perkins didn't fully understand everything either. As it turns out, because Ann is just attractive enough to have never been dumped, and Chris is such a positive person, that she never realized he broke up with her in order to avoid the difficulties of a long distance relationship. Not only was this perhaps the most logical way for this relationship to resolve itself, but it also helps to make sense of everything that didn't make sense last week. Since we know that Chris ultimately broke up with Ann for good reason (that's pretty sweet of him, right?), it kind of releases him of any blame about stringing Ann along. As well, since we know the two still care for each other, but aren't going to be in a real relationship, this creates far more realistic and workable drama than any sort of long distance relationship would. (Plus I'm sure it will bring Chris back to Pawnee that much sooner.)

But was this biggest plot in a fairly low-key episode. (Actually, most P&R episodes are definitely operate in the lower-key, but this was low-key even for this show.) Back in Pawnee, the show continues the Ben Bonding Tour, as tonight he discovers his social side, as well as his (non-sexual) affection for Tom. (Though when is Ben supposed to leave Pawnee? Why didn't leave the same time as Chris? I thought that those two were a packaged deal. And is Ben pulling back because he knows he going to be leaving, or is it just is default mode?) While I like that the show is continuing to show Ben finding his niche in the group– Ben, unlike Chris, isn't charismatic enough to endear himself to people nearly as quickly – I hope that this isn't going to a weekly recurring element. As sweet as it was tonight, it would quickly lose its charm over multiple appearances.

The same could be said about Andy/April subplot, though these kind of stories have a longer shelf life. At this point in their relationship, it is understandable that the show wants to spend time exploring how they work as a happy couple. And it should, as long at their stories work like they did tonight. While I wasn't happy for the show to be delving into something so troublesome as “Andy doesn't have any money,” I was glad when it turned into a contest between the two of them trying to collect the largest amount of free stuff. (I also liked that they “paid forward” the tips they earned, as them keeping the money would have been far too mean. Basically, the show kept surprising me by pulling out of possibly disastrous directions.) But I also liked that it showed us how right they are for each other, both will April's declaration that she too understands being broke, and seeing how much they enjoyed playing this silly little game. The show has shown us the two being sweet to each other, but it never really proved that they were compatible – because there is a difference. So it was nice for the show to give us this, and to let us know that it has a sense of how these two will work as a couple.

There was one other plotline tonight, that of Ron's quest to eat at a certain Indianapolis steakhouse, but it was mostly a runner, an excuse for Nick Offerman to exude manliness, a mode that I am perfectly okay with. For it is good to know that while P&R can tell storyline with a strong emotional component, once in a while they are going to have to deliver a lower key episode, and it's reassuring to know that they show can give us that kind of episode as well.

What did everybody else think?


Additional Thoughts:

“Oh, am I wearing an ascot? I didn't notice.”

Did not need to picture Jerry taking a bath. Ew.

“Doug from Bloomington is thinking about buying a shirt. Com'on Doug. Nobody cares.”

“Different kinds of lube that warm up when you rub them on stuff.”

“What? That lying bastard! Wait...how do you know?”

“In high school they used to call me Angela Landsbury. But that was because of my haircut.”

Chris likes coats.

“Allergic: Cause A Reaction.”

“They just bordered her up like she was just a common warehouse.”

“Ask her to bring some garlic salt. I'm afraid Chris doesn't have any.”

“Ann is my best friend, and anyone who hurt her I would murder, probably.”

“We are like Robin Hood. We steal from the

“I'm a human being. Sometimes I get blemishes. I'm not embarrassed.”

“And honestly? They smell fucking terrible.”

“Oh, so that's why you tried to kiss him. We were all seriously confused about that.”

P&R will be off the next two weeks, but it (and this blog) will be back on March 17th!