Maybe it’s just because I spent last weekend watching rom coms on my HBO free preview, but this episode of Parks and Recreation felt like a 30 minute ensemble romantic comedy. Everyone was completely adorable and not even bizarre obstacles could stand in the way of the stars getting together at the end.
I’m kind of obsessed with the Ben/Leslie relationship, mainly because it’s so underplayed. Also because I enjoy watching Adam Scott spread his hotness around Pawnee like the syphilis blankets the first settlers gave to the Native Americans, but that goes without saying (note: that will not make me stop saying it).
This week, everyone is still making fun of Ben hardcore, but he’s becoming a little more overt about his crush on Leslie, and she seems to finally be warming up to him a little bit. I do, however, find it odd that she’s so inscrutable when it comes to him. We had Tom tell them to get a room, but I would have expected a Leslie/Anne heart-to-heart on the matter by now.
April and Andy had their own heart-to-heart, and once again, I love the fact that Ron had to get involved. Andy may be immature, but April truly is a child, as Ron points out. Andy definitely gets the cutest line award though, when he tells April that he does love her: “That’s what makes the sauce so awesome.”
My complaint with the episode is the same one Anne has: no bionic man. I miss Rob Lowe. He and Adam Scott have been beyond fantastic additions to this season and I miss his unrelenting optimism (and lady razors). Now that he’s moved on from Pawnee and broken up with Anne though, I’m interested to see what exactly the catalyst for him coming back is going to be.
I can’t see him coming back to shut down the Parks department, since everything seems to be going so swimmingly. Not only do Leslie and Ben make a great team, but it’s been fun seeing Tom actually be good at his job, in his own creepy way. First there was the spa day with the old men that led to car donations to the Harvest festival, and in this episode, his creepy banter about giving foot massages to completion led to some positive media coverage. Of course, he later ruined it by losing Little Sebastian, but it was still pretty impressive.
Also impressive? Parks and Rec has been picked up for a fourth season! That means at least one more season of me being a total creeper when it comes to Adam Scott!
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Mar 17, 2011 @ 22:13 EST5EDT
The disease blanket hotness metaphor just blew my mind.
Totally stealing it.
This was a great ep. But, after watching Leslie single-mindedly pursue her co-worker last year, it’s nice seeing her overlook the signs here. And, I enjoy the slow burn. Last year Anne bothered me with her seeming straight-man perfect-ness. However, I loved her in this episode as the crazy girl who streaks her hair and can’t stop talking about how she is over a break-up she clearly isn’t. I’d love to see a bit more of that in her character.
P.S. My local county’s carnival back in the 90s featured a miniature horse. But, evidently it was such a money maker that they kept him in a corral shielded from view, unless people paid. Eerily, it was cheaper to pay to visit the bearded lady/psychic than to see our own “Little Sebastian” –
*POST AUTHOR*
Yes! Poor Anne was so boring last season when she was with Mark Brandanowitz, so it’s great to see her actually get to have some funny moments. Her rundown of all of her problems to Donna was hilarious.
The “Dude! That is AWESOME-SAUCE!” had me laughing for a good ten minutes. So good. And I agree about Adam Scott’s hotness. Keep up the creepy.