Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 7 The Treaty

"The Treaty" is a good reminder that Parks and Recreation has a heck of a lot more continuity and overall story than The Office these days. The episode continues from last week's episode with plenty of Leslie and Ben drama as well as Tom getting his old job back after the crash of Entertainment 720. I like Tom in a more serious role, being semi-useful, in contrast to constant Entertainment 720 hyping.

The main thing I wanted to comment on was Chris. He's the most problematic character on the show--oblivious yet not as heartwarming as Andy, visible yet not contributing to the main stories. In "The Treaty," he feels more complete. He's able to notice sarcasm and, for once, is able to sit down and have a meaningful conversation. As a plus, the person he sits down with is Ann, who was in a relationship with him and is still troubled.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 6 End of the World

An episode about end times probably would have been more fitting back in May when Harold Camping was getting more attention relative to how much he got two weeks ago, but "End of the World" is still a fun episode, mixing the kookiness of the people with some great character beats--Ron profiting from them, Chris discussing reincarnation, and Leslie trying to deal with her feelings for Ben.

Entertainment 720 goes out with a bang as Tom and Jean-Ralphio blow the rest of the their money on a lavish party. I'm pretty sure they spent more than the 10K they actually had, so their finances are in even worse shape than they think. Generally, Entertainment 720 added nothing of value to the show and was there only to show Tom and his lavish parties. It didn't really affect anything going on in the Parks Department. Now that Tom will presumably be back with the rest of the characters, hopefully he'll be better integrated into the show.

April and Andy are off in their own end of the world events as they try do as many items on Andy's bucket list. Most of the stuff is funny and April's involvement beyond her usual passive self is very sweet.

Score: 8.6/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 5 Meet 'n' Greet

Tom is usually self-centered guy, taking everyone else for granted and making himself look much better than he actually is. But he can be a normal guy at times, sympathetic even, so he's still likable. He's probably at his least likable moment yet in "Meet 'n' Greet," when he completely takes advantage of Leslie and hijacks her campaign to promote Entertainment 720, his mismanaged, misguided business. Leslie notices this immediately and it surely took great restraint for her not to hurt him.

The writers salvage Tom's character with the reveal that Entertainment 720 is broke, which makes us feel bad for him and the predicament he's in. Still, it feels a bit like the boy who cried wolf. Tom has been a dick, especially when it comes to his company, like when he invited Ben to look around. How will Tom act the next time he's back in a corner? Probably the same way he's always acted.

Completely divorced from Leslie and Tom was a Halloween episode which had a little of everyone. There are good moments when Ron and Ann fix up Andy and April's place, but the rest of it just played up the usual character beats.

Score: 8.6/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Seaosn 4 Episode 4 Pawnee Rangers

Ron and Leslie are such different characters that putting them at odds pretty much ensures a funny outcome. On the trip into nature, there are the obvious differences--Ron's pack eating beans from cans while Leslie's group eats Korean food. Then there's the puppy party which everyone, except Ron, loves. (And by everyone, that's including every viewer in the world.) Like every Leslie vs. Ron story, there is always a good ending: Leslie's group may have had the amenities to draw in all the boys, but Leslie makes it up by getting Ron a group of true outdoors kids.

Tom and Donna's treat yo self plot was fun, as they go on a shopping spree for random things that aren't useful. Of course, Ben is disturbed by this behavior, and I'm sure he was wondering more than once where all this money came from. But even he gets in on the action, getting a Batman costume, which was very funny. In addition, we see that Ben hasn't been doing great since he broke up with Leslie, a condition temporarily relived by the shopping, but sure to come back.

The writers squeezed in a subplot for Jerry and Chris, with Chris beginning to date Jerry's daughter. There isn't much to the plot, but their roles are well-defined and funny so it works.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 3 Born & Raised

Seeing Leslie productive and working is always a joy and it's no exception in "Born & Raised." In an obvious parallel to the Birther movement, Leslie is accused by Joan Callamezzo of not being born in Pawnee, a revelation that can not only sink her book but also derail her city council campaign. This leads to lots of Joan in the episode and the return of Bert Macklin, both funny characters/personalities that pop up once in a while. Chris is awesome in the episode, his somewhat crazed spirit helping Leslie. He teaches her that it doesn't matter where she was born but where she is from, Pawnee, and Leslie makes a great speech at the end of the episode.

Ann trying to interact with Ron and April didn't have anything to do with the rest of the episode--and her plot with Chris last week didn't either--but I found it funny, especially Ron calling people different names. It would be cool if she got more to do, though.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 2 Ron & Tammys

Any plot revolving around Ron Swanson is bound to be good, and it's no exception in "Ron & Tammys." It actually goes beyond the usual Ron being awesome plot, kicking him down a notch--losing his mustache and manhood to the creature from Hell, his first ex-wife Tammy One. Played by Patricia Clarkson, she's one cold bitch and has this ability to command people. The episode has tons of laughs, from the way the others react to Tammy One to Ron's new look and demeanor. And lastly, we get to see Tammy Zero, Ron's mother, who is also cut from the same cloth. It culminates in a glorious final scene where Tammy Zero, Tammy One, and Leslie face off to decide Ron's fate, competing to drink Swanson home brew alcohol. Amy Poehler does some hilarious faces and then Ron saves the day after returning to normal.

The other plots mostly fills in the blanks, but the stuff with Chris and Ann was a little unnecessary. While Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones are great, it just stood still with Chris repeating the PSA over and over while Ann wondered over and over why she dated him. We get to see what's been going on at Entertainment 720, and if you the way Tom described it sounded sketchy, then you were definitely right. They aren't making any money at all and throwing it all away on useless things. I have no clue how they got so much capital in a place like Pawnee, but Tom finally realizes the truth and maybe we'll see the company do something tangible.

Score: 9.4/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 4 Episode 1 I’m Leslie Knope

The last conversation between Leslie and Ben, in which Ben opens to box to reveal a "Knope 2012" pin, highlights one of Parks and Recreation's greatest assets. It can be dopey at times, with silly antics and behavior, but it can also be keenly self-aware of these characters and how great they are. The scene is heartbreaking and sweet, as Leslie moves forward in her professional life while leaving behind part of her personal life.

There was a substantial amount of plot development in the season premiere, with Andy hired as Leslie's assistant, Leslie officially running for office, and Tammy One's arrival. There wasn't enough time for funny things to happen, though the penis pictures and Ron Swanson were very funny. The episode sets up the plotlines for the season and I'm sure glad the show is back.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 15 The Bubble / Lil' Sebastian

The third season of Parks and Recreation ends with a pair of hilarious episodes, and the show certainly has met our expectations after returning at midseason. The two episodes focus largely on Leslie and Ben's burgeoning relationship, and even if you aren't that invested in them (I'm not), you have to appreciate what the writers do with them.

With Chris's policy still in place, they have to tip-toe around and Leslie's mother showing up only makes it worse. Leslie gets Ben in shape, though, and Leslie's mother approves--but only after hitting on Ben. The rest of "The Bubble" is spent on changes in the office due to Chris's meddling. He has good intentions, but he doesn't know how to optimize this specific group of people who respond to things much differently than Chris does. Luckily, Ron Swanson is the man and fixes things.

"Lil' Sebastian" works amazingly well because Lil' Sebastian is practically a legend already. We saw a while back how everyone venerates the horse, so it was no surprise that there could be a large funeral thrown for the horse with many in attendance. The whole proceeding is moving, epic, and hilarious. The last few minutes of the episode lead naturally in the fourth season and several potential stories. Leslie is courted for political office, which is a big deal since she's the main character and heart of the show. And Ron's first wife shows up--and even Tammy (the second one) is freaked out!

Score: 9.5/10

All missed reviews

Here are the short reviews for shows I missed through the week. I included reviews for shows I've stopped reviewing to balance things out. Also, you might have notice that reviews for Breaking In and The Good Wife are still missing. Blogger still hasn't restored them, but since the Glee review was restored, I assume the other posts should follow. If that does not happen by Monday, I repost them. (If you really want to read them, they're on Insidepulse TV.)

Body of Proof Season 1 Episode 8 Buried Secrets: "Buried Secrets" is a reminder that Body of Proof is a mash up of different shows. Every part of the episode has been done before in large amounts, but Body of Proof does them well, which makes the show worth watching.

Modern Family Season 2 Episode 22 Good Cop Bad Dog: I normally find plots of Modern Family to be somewhat realistic, but Jay and Gloria’s plot with Guillermo and the dog seemed like it belonged on Breaking In instead of Modern Family. But Phil and Claire were great in the episode, and realistic, so it mostly balanced out.

The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 11 Black Sox: I’m not particularly interested in Jarek and his lady problems, especially since it’s been one of the least developed plots. It looks like Gibbons is finally making his move, whatever that they be. We originally thought he put a hit out on Teresa, but that turned out wrong. Is he capable of ordering her murder if she gets too close?

House Season 7 Episode 21 The Fix: It was really out of the blue for House to suddenly decide to fix himself with an experimental rat drug. But this contrivance does put House in some kind of danger. That’s better than nothing, right? OK, maybe not, but we should see what the writers do first before casting too much judgment.

The Big Bang Theory Season 3 Episode 23 The Engagement Reaction: Priya wasn’t mean in this episode for once. She talks to Penny without being bitchy and is actually fine with Leonard being near Penny. The Raj stuff was again weak and random, but that’s to be expected. As far as the main story goes, the stuff between Howard and his mother was hilariously creepy, especially when Bernadette yelling reminded me of Howard’s mother while Howard thought it was sexy.

Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 13 The Fight / 14 Road Trip: Two episodes of Parks and Recreations!! And if that wasn't good enough, next week has two more episodes! While I enjoyed both episodes, I would give the edge to “The Fight.” There were so many great moments with the actual fight, Snake Juice, and Ron. Ben and Leslie finally make out in “Road Trip,” so there was development on that front for once.

The Office Season 7 Episode 24 Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager: Dwight is a guy who often expresses wacky ideas, but since he’s never in a position of power, nothing really comes of it. Well, this was Dwight’s chance to shine. Unfortunately, his excessive regulation in the office ends up with him shooting a gun in the office and eventually being demoted. The episode has the Dwight and Jim dynamic that was been lessened over the years, so that was nice to see. And as Jim tells Dwight, Dwight did one good thing in making all the orders on time.

The Mentalist Season 3 Episode 22 Rhapsody in Red: Before the two-hour season finale next week, The Mentalist dished up a fairly standard episode. Jane solves the crime while the rest of the team fills in the background. I did like, however, the increased attention on Cho, who is easily the funniest character other than Cho, and he got to tackle something close to home for once.

The Event Season 1 Episode 20 One Will Live, One Will Die: This new plot device the writer are using is the one where they show us part of what’s going on to mislead us. In the previous episode, it was the cocaine trafficker who turned out to be irrelevant, and in this episode, we only hear half of the phone call. To be honest, it’s plain stupid.

Hawaii Five-0 Season 1 Episode 23 Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau: "Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau" heads directly into the season finale, mixing a standard standalone plot with the only search for Wo Fat and Chin Ho’s admission of guilt to stealing the money. The episode is tense, with the whole island potentially in danger, but as always, the day is saved.

Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 22: The first season of Blue Bloods ended with a resolution to the Blue Templar plot, which chugged slowly along as the season went. It is resolved as expected, with the acknowledgement that the Blue Templars are just a couple of bad eggs in the basket. As always, the Reagans and police department come out looking like the greatest heroes ever.

Camelot Season 1 Episode 7 The Long Night: After last week’s snoozer, Camelot came back with a fairly strong episode. Morgan had some really nefarious schemes up her sleeves, deceiving Arthu and the rest of them, while stealing Igraine’s place at the end of the episode, using her shapeshifting ability. Oh, and gratuitous nudity!

Breakout Kings Season 1 Episode 10 Paid in Full: “Paid in Full” puts all the dirty laundry out there. The cons find out that Ray is not actually a Marshall and the audience and other cons learn that Lloyd was sent to prison for writing a fake prescription which ended in a girl dying. Charlie’s big speech at the end is a tinge disingenuous with his big “revelation” of a congenital heart defect, but it makes a point: everyone has their secrets and problems, but they have to trust each other. Considering what Shea was doing in the previous episodes, there is still a lot to be resolved.

Treme Season 2 Episode 3 On Your Way Down: In an episode riddled with crime, there is an obvious standout, the rape of Ladonna, which was harrowing to say the least. The fallout is executed brilliantly with Khandi Alexander coming through. As the visible crime affects several characters, there is also an undeniable crime in the background being perpetrated against all New Orleans, Nelson’s slimy dealings with the city’s money.

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 12 Eagleton

After watching "Eagleton," I wondered what would have happened if Michael Scott were in the place of Leslie Knope. He probably would throw a huge hissy fit, and followed through with the idea to toss garbage into the Eagleton side instead of finding a creative solution to get back at them. For Ron's party, it would be overblown and silly. This distinction between Michael and Leslie is part of what makes Parks and Recreation so great.

Leslie Knope is fucking awesome. She funny, charming, enthusiastic, and best of all, a character you can get behind fully. She's competent at her job and does a fine job explaining why the fence shouldn't be there. Unfortunately, the snobby Eagleton citizens, with their iPod Touch gift bags (so jealous), weren't going to listen to anything she had to say.

There wasn't any Ben and Leslie stuff this week, which was a welcome change.

Score: 9.1/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 11 Jerry's Painting

Parks and Recreation has established a rich setting through the seasons, which allows the writers to really put the characters in familiar but funny situations. Faced with the fundamentalists, Leslie defends Jerry's painting which depicts her as a bare-breasted goddess and Tom as a fat baby. It all makes for a fun time, especially when the porn star shows up and joins Leslie's side, partially confirming what the fundamentalists think. And best of all, Leslie gets the last laugh even though the painting was supposed to be burned.


April and Andy getting married may have been very sudden and they're as dopey as ever. Still, under Ben's instruction, they realize that with marriage comes a needed maturity and they buy some of the necessary items.

Leslie and Ben are still circling each other like they have been since this thing started. Nothing is new about it, but it doesn't take up too much of the episode, so the repetitiveness doesn't bother me. However, it is reaching the point where you either want the writers to make a move or just not approach the subject.

Score: 8.9/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 9 Soulmates

Leslie and Tom? The writers know how confounding and gross this combination would be to the viewers, and they exploit that perfectly in "Soulmates," having Leslie and Tom become soulmates on an online dating site. It's disturbing and very funny. Meanwhile, the Ben and Leslie thing will be dragged out longer because Chris has a no office dating policy.

Beef prevails over turkey. Fuck yeah!

Score: 9.2/10

Review - Parks & Recreation Season 3 Episode 9 Fancy Party

I still have a bazillion shows to watch, so this will be very short.

April and Andy's wedding was random, if not unexpected, and it works out for the best. We get to see the characters out of the office, which is always fun, and April and Andy continue to be great together. There is also plot progression, as Ben decides to stay and Pawnee and the signs of him and Leslie getting together are all too clear.

Score: 9.3/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 8 Camping

Like everyone else, I was surprised Parks and Recreation would be wrapping up the Harvest Festival story so soon since there seemed to be plenty that could still happen. But the writers decided to move on to the next project with the remaining 9 episodes of the season. So does "Camping" provide an answer to the question of the next project? Not exactly.

The Harvest Festival proves to be a huge success, bringing the city back to solvency and giving Leslie leeway for her next big idea. She takes the time for the office to go camping and brainstorm ideas. This is all well and good, but no one seems to have anything viable. "Camping" has a plethora of camping related humor--Ron trying to fish in peace while Jerry keeps talking, Tom with his Sky Mall tent, Andy in the wrong place, Leslie keeping everyone awake--and it's all well and good, except that's all the episode is, people not having the best time while camping.

The only progress in the episode comes when they spend the night at the bed and breakfast, the epitome of an old people place. Ron finally gets Leslie to sleep and she comes out full of random ideas. Ann talks to Chris, who is unwilling to restart their relationship.

Perhaps I was expecting too much from the episode since I kept waiting for something substantial to happen. The episode was very funny, utilizing the characters and their traits to the fullest in an unfamiliar environment, so I really shouldn't be as hard on the episode as I am.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 7 Harvest Festival

Like Community, Parks and Recreation was renewed earlier today and we'll probably see an entire season versus the shortened third season. I want to bring up the shortened third season, because production did stop after the six episode after NBC did not put the show on its fall schedule.

What's interesting is that is "Harvest Festival" not some kind of reacclimation episode for everyone to settle back into their roles and get ready for the next part of the arc, but in fact it fully dives into the Harvest Festival arc with the festival actually beginning. Of course, this means there are greater problems than starting the festival itself, which should be fun.

With the opening of the festival, the media sinks its claws into Leslie and Ben, probing about an Indian curse and Ben's confidence. It is Leslie's diplomatic skills which save the day, as she borrows a generator from the Indian casino as well as getting a fake ceremony to alleviate concerns of the curse.

There are several great subplots underneath the main plot. April declares her love for Andy, who doesn't reciprocate, leading to April not talking to him. Tom and Jerry argue over who let Sebastian escape. These are all inconsequential, however, as all the problems are solved by Ron, who barks out orders and tells everyone exactly what went wrong. Just like that, the small personal problems are resolved, and Ron also spots Sebastien from the ferris wheel. I like how the writers aren't afraid to do things with April and Andy. Since they aren't the center of the show, their romantic tension never seemed that dragged out and now that they are together, the writers continue to make them interesting.

The final shot of the Harvest Festival is a good indication of how far Parks and Recreation has come. It's not about ridiculous people doing ridiculous things in an office. It's about a group of competent public employees who are funny while being productive.

Score: 9.2/10

NBC renews Community, Parks and Recreation, and The Office

NBC renewed three of their Thursday comedies. While Parks and Recreation and The Office have been doing well, Community has averaged only 2.1 18-49 adults, according to the press release, but it's a reflection on the sad state of NBC.

It's worth noting that NBC has not renewed Outsourced or Perfect Couples, both of which have been struggling even relative to NBC shows. 30 Rock was already renewed last year.

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 6 Indianapolis

"Indianapolis" begins with two separate plots and then merges them to great effect, as the group, Ben included, come together in the end. Leslie and Ron head off to Indianapolis to receive a reward--and stop by Chris's house, which Leslie, on Ann's orders, searches for evidence of cheating and finds a woman's razor and swimming cap. Then, Ann arrives to confront him. The kicker? Chris had already broke up with her, except he was too enthusiastic for Ann to realize that.

Meanwhile, Tom tries to promote his cologne, which smells like Chinese food (though Tom is clueless to this), and fails miserably. It allows for Tom and Ben to bond, and it makes sense since Ben will probably be around for a long time. April and Andy are off doing their own thing, scamming people of money as a competition. They put the ill-gotten cash into the tip jar, so it's okay in the end--kind of.

Ron Swanson and no meat becomes a complete disaster. Get him some protein ASAP! Does anyone know how much eggs and bacon restaurants have on hand?

Score: 9.2/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 5 Media Blitz

Ben is a train wreck in "Media Blitz," flubbing lines all over the place from the start. We saw signs that he might not be the best with people when he was talking with the cops, but he breaks down in the episode and it only gets worse once The Douche asks him about bankrupting his old city. It's actually a fair point outside of the comedic value, and is worth explaining to the community why there's this guy who seems to not know how to handle money.

Leslie is the great savior, with her uncanny ability to talk about anything, and manages to save the day by delivering a bombshell interview. In the end, Leslie and Tom can have a good laugh over Ben and not feel bad about their jobs.

Meanwhile, Ron helps Andy with April, and they kiss in the end, concluding a season of teasing. However, Chris remains oblivious to the hints Ann continues to drop, and it's getting to the point where it's getting stale. Chris is a good guy, but he's a little too dopey when he clearly can't see the big picture.

All in all, "Media Blitz" is a solid episode with lots of jokes during the interviews and a good call back of Ben's driving motivations, his bankrupting of his hometown.

Score: 9.0/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 4 Ron & Tammy: Part Two

Oh my God. Ron Swanson. Corn rows.

The return of Megan Mulally as Ron's ex-wife proves to be as spectacular as the first, possibly even overshadowing it. This time, Ron and Tammy goes to pure insanity in a series of incredible events, culminating with Ron sporting a new haircut in jail trying to have sex with Tammy. But Parks and Recreation knows exactly when to pull back, and we see the character we love, Ron coming to save Tom from Tammy.

Meanwhile, the awesome team of Leslie and Ben are courting the police to be volunteer security at the harvest festival. This time around, differentiating from previous instances, Ben plays the role of the bumbler while Leslie steers him away from troubling conversations.

Score: 9.3/10

Review - Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 3 Time Capsule

I don't know about you, but I'm over Twilight. I haven't read the books or watched the movies, but I enjoyed seeing the reactions of the fans, especially after reading summaries of the books (which seem to be quite deranged from what I've read). These days, however, Twilight is one of those things that can go away quietly. After a while, it's not that funny, and a large part of "Time Capsule" is spent discussing the franchise, and most of it descends into predictably, as all the parks employees love the book while others in the community vehemently oppose it.

But even if the Twilight stuff didn't work, "Time Capsule" still has plenty of heart. The Twilight fanatic is actually trying to be a hero for his daughter, and the capsule truly encapsulates Pawnee, using modern technology to record the town hall proceedings.

As far as long-term developments go, there wasn't any development for the harvest festival, but it does solidify a friendship between Andy and Chris, which should be a good duo for the future. And now that April's Venezuelan boyfriend is gone, April and Andy can go ahead (if the writers choose to).

Score: 8.7/10