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S07.E03: William Henry Harrison / S07.E04: Leslie and Ron


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I hope "Leslie and Ron" closes out that plotline because I don't want it taking over the entire season.

 

 

When I saw the episode description, I figured that it would.

 

However, this points out the problem with the 2 episode/week burnoff. In a normally scheduled season, the Leslie/Ron feud would take place over a month. If "Leslie and Ron" turns out to be the end of that arc, it ends a week after we find out about it.

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Aw. The look of such supreme sadness on Ron's face during April's going away party totally made me cry. Then finding out that he was going to ask Leslie for a job, but Leslie forgot about their lunch date. Ugh.

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ALL THE FEELS. They work so well together. I know it was kind of rushed, but I was happy to see it, and I think that their characters are the type that once they cracked, it would all come out and be dealt with that quickly. 

 

I did like that they played with the two episode format: "To be continued... right now!" 

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Great pair of episodes, the last being a top ten episode; a perfect mix of drama and comedy...

 

My only issue with this season, now that Leslie and Ron are together and I know what happened to the Parks department....April's storyline. It makes zero sense and it's been done already. We've seen this with Andy already and it was established that April had a passion for animals and now that they need to do a storyline for her, she doesn't. Suddenly she's interested in doing one on one things with people.....because? Why? 

 

Anyone catch the things on the board? There was something about A Greg Patikiss scandal(want to know what that's about), Ron missing Ann's half-birthday(which I love because it shows despite the years and the distant, Leslie and Ann still celebrate all her crazy holidays), and the Sweetums Trial.

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That joke about the Morgan Freeman/Shailene Woodley rivalry had me randomly laughing throughout the rest of the episode every time I thought of it. All of the jokes about the future killed me. I'm going to love the flashforward after all. Who knew?

 

Rolled my eyes at "Terry." Not funny last season, continues to be unfunny. The rest of the first half was gold, though. I was confused at times at the way we were just shoved into things but it was also weirdly comforting because of the familiarity. That poor Harrison museum curator.

 

Most embarrassingly loud laugh of the night for me was Leslie's performance of "We Didn't Start The Fire" because my 7th grade reading teacher made us perform it and about half the class ended up doing the same thing as Leslie. I found Leslie's rendition much more hilarious that our teacher did ours, however.

 

Gonna savor this last season, for sure.

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"Leslie and Ron" was so great. I definitely cried a little during that montage of them making the office look like it used to. I am so so happy that the whole Ron/Leslie/Morningstar wasn't resolved at the end of the season, like I feel most shows would've done. 

 

Also, "We Didn't Start The Fire" being a big part in an episode is kind of hilarious, considering it was also a thing in an episode of The Office.

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I will definitely be rewatching to catch the fake "historical" references.   I howled at the Freeman Woodley bit.

 

I liked the first episode tonight much more.  I think in huge part the random silly bits April revealed as to what else the Harrison museum offered.

 

I was actually hoping we would get the feud stretched out a bit more.  And I would have been fine if Morningstar was left unanswered.  As long as the rest of the season was strong.  And I did think it was.  It just felt too neat and I enjoy when the writers and the actors get to play something out.  Being the last I like the fact this is one of the few sitcoms to consistently write storylines that carry over multi episodes and almost have a religious awe and duty to give some of the most silly and delightful nuanced bits to characters and backgrounds that pop back up in the oddest and yet best places.

 

I think the show made a huge leap after the two initial episodes.  Looking back at last week's and I feel in some ways this it was a bit like watching a long jumper in slow motion.  Last week was the leaping run to get momentum.  Tonight's two were seeing the athlete take air.

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I really think "Leslie & Ron" would have been a great series finale.  Those two are truly the heart and soul of this show, and I loved that Ron humbled himself to want to work w/the people he loved and missed like that, even if it didn't happen.

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Man P&R...you really know how to make me happy. Ron and Leslie being mad at each other was worth it just because this episode's payoff was so nice.

 

ALL THE FEELS. They work so well together. I know it was kind of rushed, but I was happy to see it, and I think that their characters are the type that once they cracked, it would all come out and be dealt with that quickly. 

 

I did like that they played with the two episode format: "To be continued... right now!" 

 

"Leslie and Ron" was so great. I definitely cried a little during that montage of them making the office look like it used to. I am so so happy that the whole Ron/Leslie/Morningstar wasn't resolved at the end of the season, like I feel most shows would've done.

 

I agree to pretty much all of this. But I still can't believe Leslie forgot about a lunch date at JJ's!

 

Yes, I wouldn't have minded if we never found out what Morningstar was, but the actual reveal managed to punch me right in the gut. It was an apartment building that razed Ann's house?! No wonder Leslie was mad at Ron. I'll admit I almost teared up over the ending. And Ron's gift. And Leslie and Ron making up. And Ron admitting he was willing to ask Leslie for a job, in the federal government no less. And Ron's face at April's going away party.

 

Rolled my eyes at "Terry." Not funny last season, continues to be unfunny. The rest of the first half was gold, though. I was confused at times at the way we were just shoved into things but it was also weirdly comforting because of the familiarity. That poor Harrison museum curator.

 

At least Terry had one of the best workdays in his life.

 

 

I really think "Leslie & Ron" would have been a great series finale.  Those two are truly the heart and soul of this show, and I loved that Ron humbled himself to want to work w/the people he loved and missed like that, even if it didn't happen.

 

This show feels like it's had like four or five "series finale" episodes already, and each of them have been fantastic. It sets a really high bar for the actual finale (and if everyone on the crew's twitter feeds imply, it just might be passed).

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Okay I cried finding out Leslie was mad because Ron tore down Ann's old house and finding out he left the Parks Department because he missed everybody that moved up to the third floor or gotten other jobs.

 

Jerry/Terry favorite song is "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel ex wife of Christie Brinkley who plays Jerry's wife on the show

 

Love that Ron still refers to Ann as "the nurse"!

Edited by VCRTracking
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I lol'd at the "Lil Sebastian" janitor callback:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHNUSxA3AL4

 

I was  cackling SO hard at that. He still listens to that same damn song, all those years later.

 

 

Speaking of Lil Sebastian, the fact that the gift they passed between them is a picture of them with the mini horse in question is just so perfectly them. And the fact that he made a frame of Ann's door and KEPT IT for two years in hopes that they would make up? Killed me. 

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The callouts in "Leslie and Ron" were just wonderful. The mural, the janitor who listens to Shania Twain, the landmine. And to end it with Leslie and Ron's conversation about breakfast, in reverse? An episode like this is such a valentine to longtime fans. 

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Add me to the lovefest re this episode. As I am from Tippecanoe county in Indiana, and our rival high school was Willian Henry Harrison High, those parts were so funny- other famous Harrisons- snort. One flaw, Leslie would have had some kind of present for Ron, knowing one day, they'd make up- that's just who she is.

Edited by jacksgirl
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There were, as always, some good and funny moments- the alternate future paper at the Harrison Museum that mentions "The Wire" sweeping the Emmys, and yes, the Ron/Leslie bonding was adorable- but man, it still feels really badly written, like some hack comics imitating previous more successful comedies.  Even the once reliable Aziz is sounding checked out and wooden.  The dialogue was written stilted and forced, and the premises were threadbare and implausible- not the least that Type-AAA Leslie would forget a brunch date at JJ's with one of her closest friends. :) 

 

Was the idea that notoriously Libertarian Ron Swanson was going to beg Leslie for a federal job, just to be close to his workplace proximity associates who still live in the same town anyway?  We know in canon that Ron was fairly wealthy even before starting his construction company- he made that one attorney gasp or something in a previous season when he wrote his net worth on a piece of paper- so he doesn't need any job unless the current "crack" writing team forgot all about that.  He definitely doesn't need a government job now, if per the timeline Morningstar was his first project after quitting P&R and starting his own company- even as a GC, he'd have made quite a bit doing construction for a 110-unit building!

 

Other than at the end when they made up, which was pretty sweet... Leslie is basically a disturbed sociopath at this point.  I hope that with the quick completion of MorningstarGate, we can go back to a more normal Leslie.  I mean, I used to laugh at Ron as the humorously droll caricature of anti-government types... now he just seems like the completely rational, sane, and calm voice of reason.  By the timeline given, Ann had moved away 3 years before Morningstar was started, so who cares if the house she rented was later torn down?  And why wouldn't people want to live next to a great park anyway, those looked like pretty nice apartments.

 

The whole "Bottle Episode" was at least true to one cliche: they could have left at any time.  I mean, Ron doesn't work there anymore, when the claymore failed (or ideally, before!) just throw a chair through one of those glass doors and walk on out; it's Ben's problem now.  Or just wait 15-20 minutes, and the dancing janitor will have moved on to your section for cleaning.

 

 

Lastly: if the secret to comedy is at heart the element of surprise, then the most surprising thing I've seen on this show in years was Larry/Gerry/Jerry/Terry remarks after the dueling press conferences that "They don't hate each other, they've just drifted apart now that they don't work closely together.  People change"... and there was no follow-up snark or insults, just a cut to the next scene.  Did... did the writers really just let Jim O'Heir say something mature and insightful without being cruelly mocked and pilloried?!?! :)

Edited by hincandenza
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I'm glad that the Ron/Leslie feud was resolved so quickly (and in a way that was both wonderfully funny and poignant) because I was having trouble accepting Ron as a bad guy. Up to this season's premier, he was a prickly, opinionated guy, but one with an obvious respect and affection for Leslie, and it just didn't work for me that they could suddenly be bitter enemies. Now knowing the background of how things fell apart makes it a little more plausible -- Ron's pride being what it is, his decision to approach Leslie about a job and then feeling that he was snubbed was a big blow -- but I'm still glad the feud didn't drag out all season.

 

As a longtime April fan (yes, I know some here differ) I loved her asides last night and I'm also into the story of her quest for a job and lifestyle that she's comfortable with. And of course I love that she and Andy are still tight. Andy is a goof but a great husband.

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This set of episodes was excellent.

I loved Leslie singing. And I loved the tidbits about the future (Elton John owns Chick-fil-a!)

 

Morning Star turned out to be something stupid that Leslie would be incredibly upset over, so that seemed realistic to the story too.

I felt bad for Ron, but man- that is not how federal jobs happen; there is no way Leslie would have been able to poach the entire Parks staff.

 

 

Also, what was wrong with Amy's voice.  It sounded horrible this episode. She must have been sick.

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For some reason I laughed uncontrollably for 5 minutes at Tom's baby cologne pitch "Baby...(spritz spritz) you smell GOOD!" 

 

Also loved:

  Leslie's "We Didn't Start the Fire" rewrite. It took me a while to learn all those Billy Joel lyrics, and now I fear I will never sing them his way again. 

  The WHH Museum's "What if he'd worn a coat?" exhibit is exactly what is missing in a lot of historical museums in my opinion.

  Yay!  Craig showed up!

 

I'm over the April needs a passion/career storyline.  Every.Damn.Season. I want to get off that treadmill.

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The WHH Museum's "What if he'd worn a coat?" exhibit is exactly what is missing in a lot of historical museums in my opinion.

It's apparently WHH's fault that The Wire never won any Emmys.

 

Billy Eichner had a "Starring" credit in "Leslie and Ron" even though we're four episodes in and he's been in one scene so far.

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Another good future history item:   Leslie saying that Cersei was marrying Jack Sparrow in that night's episode of Game of Thrones and Ben replying that it makes sense if you've read the books.  I loved that.

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Loved both episodes! All the feels! Loved all the callbacks, especially the Lil Sebastian janitor. Loved Ben's growing exasperation. Loved Ron and Leslie.

Loved the bit where Ron and Leslie almost coaxed Terry into letting them out. Never change, Terry, never change.

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Another good future history item:   Leslie saying that Cersei was marrying Jack Sparrow in that night's episode of Game of Thrones and Ben replying that it makes sense if you've read the books.  I loved that.

Khaleesi, not Cersei.  I can tell you haven't read the books! (joke!)  What were some of the other future-isms--as already mentioned, Elton John and Chick Fil A, Shailene Woodley and Morgan Freeman are fighting--were there others?

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Man I was about ready to break down at the end of Leslie & Ron.  They are killing it.

 

Here's how I know Leslie & I would be great friends, and even Ron would tolerate me:  90% of the food I eat is breakfast food.  If there was a way to make a salad with breakfast food, which I guess there is, ie eggs, turkey bacon, etc. I would eat breakfast for lunch.  Just don't tell Leslie I eat salad.  Or put spinach in my omelets.  That could be our Morningstar.  I'm hoping for at least an invite to the annual Galentine's Day event. 

 

I love how they're bringing back all the peripheral characters this last season. 

 

Loved the Wire shout out.  I think Ron would like Omar.  Both men do have their codes. 

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especially the Lil Sebastian janitor.

 

 

OMG This!! I almost fell on the floor when they reveal he's still listening to "Feel Like A Woman". 

 

Did... did the writers really just let Jim O'Heir say something mature and insightful without being cruelly mocked and pilloried?!?! :)

 

 

Well don't we think it's about time Terry/Gary/Jerry/Larry be shown a little respect?  He can't live off of being married to Gail and having the largest penis anyone ever saw forever.   Speaking of Gail, I do hope they finally reveal how Gail & he met, and why she was attracted to him, if only to reassure Ben that Gail wasn't hypnotized into marrying him or whatever other reasons Ben thought could have caused it. 

Edited by teddysmom
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I'm really glad that the Leslie/Ron feud wasn't actually about their ideological differences. One of the best themes of the show for me is that the bonds of friendship should be strong enough to withstand squabbles over politics, so having their rift be based on completely personal reasons felt very true to the core of the series. And while Leslie Knope is often seen as superwoman who excels both in ambitious work projects and competitive gift giving, it was a very nice and realistic beat that she'd eventually mess up somewhere along the way now that she has a much more demanding job and triplets at home.

 

And I agree with everyone who's sad that the series is going to be over that much faster with the back-to-back episodes but that these two worked better in one viewing. I don't think that NBC's intention was to burn them off, however. I just don't think they have anything to pair it with. My feeling (and this is totally a guess) is that it was originally supposed to be paired with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, capitalizing on the Poehler/Fey connection, but NBC's no longer airing that one, leaving them with a hole in the schedule. They've only got two more midseason comedies ready to go, and they understandably want to show those two as a block to try out as replacements for Marry Me/About a Boy. So the choices are to show one ep of P&R a week with a 30-minute void in their lineup or double up.

Edited by kennyab
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I paused on some of the headlines of the fake Pawnee Papers they flashed on the "If He'd Worn a Coat" exhibit. Some highlights (all best paraphrased from my memory): The papers tagline is "All the news that fits, we print." There's another headline further down the page on the "Great Depression Avoided" paper, that reads "People worried about economic Turmoil" and all the papers were listed as "Final edition." These little bits, like the Sabermetrics stats name law firm are little bits of joy for me.

 

I agree that the writing does feel a bit jilted. Megan Anram is very talented, and wrote the heartfelt Farewell Anne episode last season, but her episodes do feel a bit like some fan fiction for the show at times. They're popular stories that are giving the characters good wrap ups, but it was always the nuance to the characters that I truly loved, and like a few have observed, that's just not quite there anymore. But I don't think that's uncommon for a comedy show at this stage, and it's still an enjoyable swan song.

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Is the makeup department getting paid per pound of cosmetics used?! I usually don't even notice makeup, but it's really been distractingly heavy these past few seasons and somehow still feels a little out of character for me that characters like Leslie and April would spend that much time every morning to put on all that makeup. 

 

And that's...pretty much the only thing I can snark and complain about, because otherwise these episodes hit all the right notes for me.

 

How is it that I always end up loving and appreciating Ben's Game of Thrones references despite never seeing a single second of that show or reading the books?! And I'm starting to think that Andy/April have the most awesome relationship on TV. 

 

So I'm guessing Amy Poehler was suffering from some sort of sore throat/cold when this one was filmed? As someone else said, her voice sounded really off to me. 

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Really got a kick out of all the stuff about William Henry Harrison.  Honestly, this episode alone almost had more historical humor then the season two of Sleepy Hollow so far.  Really cracked up over the museum and how it somehow blamed his early death for all The Wire snubs.

 

So, according to the future, apparently, not only is Daenerys going to be still alive in Game of Thrones, but Jack Sparrow joins the show?  Hee... I love that Ben said it makes sense in the books.  But it sure sounds like George R.R. Martin ends up going a bit crazy when he is writing these final books!

 

Glad they already resolved Leslie and Ron.  I still wonder if they are competing for the land still, but at least they won't be at each other's throats.

 

I do hope they are going somewhere good with April, because right now it feels like it's just treading familiar ground.  And Andy is currently stuck supporting her.  I want more Andy/April being fun, please.

 

Dammit, "Terry."  At least you were the one to figure out the real issue between Leslie and Ron, but quit letting Ron play you like a fiddle.

 

The final moment was nice, and I did like how they brought back Ann and her house.  It's true that a lot of big stuff in this series did happen at her place. 

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So, according to the future, apparently, not only is Daenerys going to be still alive in Game of Thrones, but Jack Sparrow joins the show?  Hee... I love that Ben said it makes sense in the books.  But it sure sounds like George R.R. Martin ends up going a bit crazy when he is writing these final books!

People have been saying that the most ridiculous thing about the Game of Thrones joke is that George R.R. Martin will have finished writing the books by 2017.

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I obviously really like April, but I am having a hard time sympathizing with her this season. She is under 30 and has a job that pays well in the federal goverment where she seems to hold a fair amount of clout and she doesn't actively hate it. And has an awesome husband and her perfect house. Sounds pretty freaking great to me. Maybe the economy has changed a lot in 2017 in their version of the future or I am just bitter, haha. I get that Parks is a very career oriented show but I wish she maybe decided to volunteer at the museum while keeping her job, since a lot of people find that their "passion" isn't their job, sometimes a job is just good enough and things outside of your career may be your passion.

I loved the second episode. At first I thought Leslie was being a bit overboard about Morningstar and Ann's house, but it is Leslie. All the stuff with Ron missing April and Leslie really got to me, and I am so glad they made up. I really think the finale is going to deliver.

I am also glad that they are not showing the triplets.

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Speaking of the kids, why wasn't Leslie showing as pregnant in the flashbacks. Those events (April's party and Ron quitting Parks) were supposed to just months after she took the National Parks job, weren't they. Shouldn't she have been Pregnant as all get out?

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Speaking of the kids, why wasn't Leslie showing as pregnant in the flashbacks. Those events (April's party and Ron quitting Parks) were supposed to just months after she took the National Parks job, weren't they. Shouldn't she have been Pregnant as all get out?

I was wondering about that too! Maybe Leslie's industrial size uterus is really really good at concealing pregnancies.

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Khaleesi, not Cersei. I can tell you haven't read the books! (joke!) What were some of the other future-isms--as already mentioned, Elton John and Chick Fil A, Shailene Woodley and Morgan Freeman are fighting--were there others?

I really think it was a sly Euron reference, myself. Knowing Leslie she would totally call him Jack Sparrow. This is making me laugh even now.

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In those deleted scenes-

color me shocked that Ron would leave behind a bottle (of scotch?) in a hidden board in his old room.

I thought if anything, he'd still have the remote for the doors to his old office. Also, why would Jerry/Terry who works on the 3rd floor, have a key/fob to open the Parks & Rec office?

 

Wouldn't Ron be beyond uncomfortably squeezed into Craig's yoga clothes?  With some gut hanging out? Nonetheless, seeing Ron Swanson in bright yellow yoga clothes was hilarious. And, it was sad how Ron "looked up one day and didn't recognize anyone" but I loved that this recognition came while he was eating lunch (pre-lunch? post-breakfast? Lunch #2?) at his desk.

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Ron, I love you but questioning Leslie's scrapbooking skills was crossing a line.

It seemed to me that even Ron thought he'd gone too far.

 

 

I paused on some of the headlines of the fake Pawnee Papers they flashed on the "If He'd Worn a Coat" exhibit. Some highlights (all best paraphrased from my memory): The papers tagline is "All the news that fits, we print." 

 

Oh man. That's great. I'll need to rewatch.

 

Very much enjoyed these eps. The William Henry Harrison Museum was hilarious, and I loved the curator.

 

Leslie and Ron trapped together was gold. Loved Leslie trying to get Ron to speak. Seeing him completely covered with Post-Its was hilarious.

 

I do wonder what happened to Diane and the kids. 

 

So many great jokes. All the references to the future, Annabel Porter and Bloosh, toddler cologne, Tom translating for Ron, the art Craig put on the walls, Leslie having sent 60 veggie pizzas to Ron's house, Ben telling Leslie they can rename the kids Ruth, Bader, and Ginsburg. And on and on.

 

I'm actually curious what April will find to satisfy her for a job. 

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