Remember last week when I said Parks and Recreation was donezo until the New Year? I was wrong! There was one more episode left! It’s a Christmas miracle! “Citizen Knope” is P&R doing what P&R does best: Taking Leslie to eleven right out of the gate and pulling the people in her orbit up to eleven along with her.
AFTERELLEN BAIT
I know a lot of you guys are Ann/Leslie shippers, so it must have warmed your heart like a crackling fire to see that Leslie’s email word cloud featured “Ann” in much larger font than “Ben.” Also, the look on Ann’s face when Tom pointed it out, and then the look on her face when Leslie gave her speech at the end of the episode, all, “I love it and I love you guys and Ann specifically and all of you.”
And we finally saw a gay lady in Pawnee. I guess in terms of visibility I should be bummed that she’s on her way out now that she’s out, but honestly, I’d rather see April Ludgate be a political adviser than some random lesbian lady any day of the week.
FEELINGS, FEELINGS, FEELINGS
Oh, the feelings! So many feelings! Everyone knows that Parks is the sweetest sitcom on TV, but what makes it so wonderful is that it doesn’t swim around in sentimentality. Here’s a perfect example: While she’s on suspension, Leslie decides to start her own private citizen’s brigade to effect change at the Parks Department. She sics her entire PCP gang on Chris – from phone bombs, to stalking him along his jogging path, to hanging out at every GNC in Indiana – and when he finally realizes that Leslie is behind the madness, he agrees to meet with them and listen to their demands. She gives him his Christmas gift and when he gives her a genuine, heartfelt hug of gratitude, she goes, “My pleasure; see you in hell!”
That’s just so Parks and Recreation. Just when things are getting close to the edge of adorable, they bring it back with absurdity.
Of course, most of my feelings last night were awe over Leslie Knope’s gift-giving ability. For Andy, a gold plated Mouse Rat album For Donna, a silk leopard print robe with pink fur cuffs and glitter embroidery on the back that says, “You can get it!” For Tom, a pocket watch that just reads “Baller Time!” Office doors that close at the push of a button for Ron. Socks for Jerry.
LUDGATE-ISMS
But April’s gift was the best one of all: A painting of her slaughtering The Black Eyed Peas. (Look at Andy in the background.)
POEHLER PUPPET PALS
In an episode full of awesome one-liners, the best one has got to be “CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN’T LOSE.”
Also, I love that “Ben” is barely bigger than “Hogwarts” on Leslie’s word cloud.
What did you think of “Citizen Knope”?
