Moving on in life is a difficult thing to do, especially so for the people of Pawnee, the small town that’s been the one constant in all these characters’ recent adventures. Parks and Recreation‘s 100th episode deals with this idea in a funny, touching manner that serves as both a conclusion and a new beginning.
In fact, it seems like a lot of storylines have run their course, and we’re getting closer to the series’ inevitable end. For one, we definitely wouldn’t have needed to see Leslie running for city council again; that would’ve frustrated me beyond belief. Thankfully, the writers take a step back and zero in on Leslie and Ben, highlighting exactly what’s great about their relationship. It’s understandable that Leslie wouldn’t want to let go of her past, but Ben is a smart guy; he realizes that she’s destined for greater things, a greater future that elevates her beyond Pawnee’s borders. So, he brings in Kathryn Hahn’s Jen Barclay for a little motivational speech, so to speak. The “I don’t care enough about you to lie to you” line is very telling; Leslie’s often bogged down by her emotions and her interpersonal relationships, and she not only needs her husband to motivate her, but also someone with little emotional ties to the situation.
Elsewhere, the theme of moving on permeates the episode. We have Tom creating a new job for himself, which nicely ropes in Jerry/Lenny/Larry and Ron; in fact, his increased confidence and new direction parallels Leslie’s future. We also have a Chris-Ann storyline involving the sex of their baby and Henry Winkler’s Dr. Saperstein; it’s sweet and funny, but I do wish the two would interact a bit more with the rest of the cast. They’re moving on, but they’re tied to these other characters as well; their stories may be ending–a bit overdue, if you ask me, as much as I like the two–but people like Leslie were essential in their lives. Still, I’m going to miss Lowe and Jones when they leave.
Finally, Andy and his bear-jumping-on-trampoline-roads dreams are back! A regular Chris Pratt presence was sorely missed, and it’s so great to see him back and interacting with April. Here’s to more hilarious April-Andy storylines.
All in all, it’s a very effective 100th episode that celebrates what we know and love without descending into cliche, and I hope NBC doesn’t drag this out too long past this point; I love the show, but I want to love the ending.
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-“TextMexting: texting a picture of your junk from the bathroom of a Chili’s To Go.”
-Leslie and Ben’s trip to Paris is very sweet; it seems like they were just in Europe, which they were.
-Enrique Shockwave. Lee Harvey Teabag. Man, Councilman Dexhart gets around.
-“Do you know anything from the Requiem For A Dream soundtrack?”
-“It’s like what Sir Ian McKellen said to me the day I sold my boat to Karl Lagerfeld: ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
-“Do you think Domino’s delivers to this restaurant? I hope so.”
-“I believe luck is a concept invented by the weak to explain their failures.”
-“Time is money. Money is power. Power is pizza. Pizza is knowledge!”
-“I don’t like French words. I do like the word ‘business’. You may continue.”
-“A shockingly unshocking press conference in which a recently unemployed woman said nothing of importance. This is Perd Hapley, and I just realized I am not holding my microphone.”
Photo credit: NBC, Parks and Recreation
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