or:
"The One Where Shit Gets All Sentimental"
The cold open has one of the best Ron Swanson moments of the series, with Ron pretending to pull a tooth in order to impress his colleagues. Nick Offerman has tapped into something truly wonderful with his character, where the quality of the writing combined with the subtlety with which he plays Ron Swanson creates instant comedy gold.
Andy and April have decided to throw a dinner party, as it combines two of their favorite things. They've invited everyone from the parks department, as well as friends, relatives, and extras. Jerry shows up in a fancy new party shirt, which is a gaudy piece of shit, and for once, Jerry seems to deserve the abuse. But the party is not just a party, it's a wedding between Andy and April.
Writing about the last episode, my main complaint was April's character having gone stagnant over the course of two seasons. The writers seemed to think so, as well. She's still very set in her ways, but progressing much as a person. Andy can stay the way he is forever, and he probably will, which is fine, but something had to change with April, and clearly something has.
Most approve of the wedding, including April's parents, who seem genuinely touched by Andy's ridiculous wedding vows, but Leslie is greatly concerned. She thinks the wedding is a disastrous idea, despite the fact that she likes them as a couple, but doesn't see how something so carelessly planned and sudden could be a good thing. Mostly, I think, she's taken aback that April is getting married at such a young age, while she, in her thirties, is unmarried and has had a romantic life consisting of nothing but tragedy.
The wedding is surprisingly touching, as April walks down the "aisle" to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel. Her vows are tinted with apathy, his are overburdened with idiotic masculinity, but the kids truly love each other. April's sister gives a brief speech that makes April's vows seem impassioned, and it brings April to tears, which was a fun sight gag.
Aside from the wedding, we get a bit more of the Leslie/Ben story, with Ben deciding to take a job in Pawnee. I didn't initially like Adam Scott's character, but I think most of that was just me being burned on Party Down's cancellation and feeling somewhat that his taking a job on Parks was at fault. Of course, as the relatively recent Oral History of Party Down tells us, this is not the case, and it was impossible not to like his character after the Perd Hapley interview.
The only thing that really hampers this episode is the B-story, which has Anne Perkins awkwardly attending a singles mixer. She spots Donna sitting at the bar, and when she approaches her for advice, Donna gives her a sassy send-off. But after seeing just how hopelessly awkward Anne is, she intervenes, giving Anne enough advice to, as they say, score some digits. They still say that, right? It's not a bad B-story, but its lack of riotous humor stands in stark contrast to the rest of the episode, which is some of the best work this show has done so far.
Potent Quotables
- "Damnit, I was so close! It's a terrible shirt!"
- "So not only does this thing exist, but you have deprived everyone of cake."
- "Wow, my Brita filter is older than their relationship. Wait a second, should I change my Brita filter?"
- "I vow to protect you from danger. I don't care if I have to fight an Ultimate Fighter...or a bear...or him...your mom....I would take 'em down. I'm getting mad right now even thinking about it."
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