Tonight's P&R continued on the same two paths that is have been traveling over the past five weeks: it both expanded it's world, and mix-mashed its characters through a few different plots.
Tonight's focus was on Ben, on of the two newest arrivals to Pawnee. Whereas last week's episode helped to solidify the Ben/Leslie pairing (and there were hints towards that tonight), that still doesn't change the fact that we don't really know Ben. Sure, we know a variety of biographical data, and we know what Ben's standard demeanor is, we don't really know what it is that makes him tick, and we don't know what he's like with this back against the wall, like we do with the rest of the characters. This is through no fault of the show; we've only seen Ben for a six episodes before tonight, and there is only so much time the show could devote to Ben while dealing with the ongoing plots. (Given this short time frame, they've actually given us a good deal). Before the show can handle a Ben/Leslie relationship (or a least a realistic one), the shows needs to know how he would react to such a situation, so consider this episode another step in that direction.
As brilliant and funny as this plot was – I especially enjoyed how the show kept finding ways to mix up Ben's reactions to the mayor-centric questions – I do have one minor quibble, one that bothered me, but wasn't enough to sink the whole episode. While I appreciated that the show ended up giving Ben a victory at the end – when he declared how he brought seven towns out of bankruptcy (see the connection?) - I'm not sure it was a big enough moment. Yes, too big of a moment would have seemed unrealistic, and P&R tends to deal in smaller moments, it didn't seem big enough to negate all of the shit he had to go through in this episode. It's an issue of balance, essentially.
Elsewhere, we saw the resolution of the Andy and April kerfuffle, as Andy undertook her menial tasks in an effort to make him stay, and April, with some help from Ron, realized that she could no longer treat the man she loves that way. While the story itself was sweet (as all the stories of Andy trying to impress April have been), I am glad that the show ended their estrangement in a fairly timely manner, as it was starting to wear down my patience. In the opening minutes I had rolled my eyes at April's talk of moving to the capitol in order to punish Andy, and wished the show would just cut it out already. Looks like they were already ahead of me.
Yet their was another plotline that has yet to reach a resolution, much to my chagrin. The more I think about Ann and Chris' relationship, the less sense it makes to me. Chris being the genuinely good guy that he is, I have to wonder why he would pursue a relationship with Ann if he knew he was going to be returning to Indianapolis, and then some other small town, some time in the near future. (Presumably at this point, the two have had sex, and Chris is not only still around, but he seems to enjoy Ann's company, so I have to assume he wants a real relationship.) I am aware that some time has passed between the season 2 finale and the season 3 premiere, but even then the two weren't going out, so why would Chris keep up his advances at that point? Did he have a plan? Does he have one now?
I know that was a bit rambling, but here's my point: I don't think the show has thought through this relationship as much as they have the other ones on this show. It almost seems as if Chris' return to Indianapolis is just a plot point that exists just to create some drama, that exists apart from the actual relationship we see on screen. Nor does tonight's closing moments on the issue seem to tell us what is going on, as Chris failed to offer any real thoughts on how he was going to keep the relationship going.
Oh well. Maybe they have an answer in next week's episode.
What did everybody else think?
Additional Thoughts:
For those of you wondering, that was Nick Kroll as The Douche. I don't know who played Crazy Ida, but I doubt you care as much about who played him.
“Electronic Bay Dot Com.”
“Rectangle. America. Megaphone. Butthole.”
“And why was the child clubbing your nuggets?”
“You embarrassed me in front of The Douche.”
“Oh really? Cause Brook Bros. Boys doesn't sell garbage.”
A sad floor? What is this, Archer?
“Look? Who hasn't had gay thoughts?!”
“Ben Wyatt: Human Disaster”
“Okay, first of all, why does everyone in this town used Alta Vista? What is it, 1997?”
“More like Turd Craply.”
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