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

[Brandi Maxxxx]

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?

Leslie mentioned the kids when Ron visited her office, which was in November 2014. Wikipedia tells me that triple pregnancies only last an average of 32 weeks, so that makes sense. She should still have been heavily pregnant at April's party though.

[RustbeltWriter]

The second episode was a gift to the fans. We got to see Leslie and Ron bump heads for an episode and there were so many call backs to earlier episodes I'll need a scorecard next time. The janitor listening to Shania Twain's "I feel like a woman", the mural, the landmine and the breakfast food poster all made me laugh.

 

I have to admit, this episode also went right to the heart. We know Ron is wealthy but he's not going to sit at home all day. For him, work is necessary to feel useful and accepted, whether he wants to admit it or not. I had no problem with him planning to ask Leslie for a job and I completely understand why he would go build his own company. The Morningstar feud storyline paid off.

 

And Food and Stuff! Off course Leslie would find a way to mess with that.

[Traveller519]

More Craig was really needed. Maybe he's matured in three years, but c'mon, the Craig we all know would have had a flip out coming into the office in that state.

[peeayebee]

I think he was properly miffed by the office changes (and Ron stretching the elastic in his yoga outfit), but I too would love to see more Craig.

[CMH1981]

 

I do wonder what happened to Diane and the kids.

 

I figured he was still married and we would eventually see Diane w/their son and the two other girls...recast obviously.  Has it been stated otherwise that he is no longer married.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

It was a good week for bringing back obscure characters: the janitor from "Li'l Sebastian", Manrico Della Rosa from "The Debate" and Bill Haggerty from "94 Meetings". Annabel Porter was slightly less obscure and thankfully she wasn't as annoying this time.

[jww]

It is a violation of  the national  fire code to have doors that can not be opened from the inside in any public building other than a prison or mental facility.   You can not even have double cylinder dead bolt locks (require a key on both sides) on a residential door.  April has an executive director position that likely pays close to $100k and is unhappy?  Not only that she seems to have the mentally maturity level of a six year old (or of Andy) in not understanding most positions require extensive education/training.  But then if she had been  accepted to vet  school she must have a BS in microbiology, chemistry  or other hard science with close to a 4.0 gpa..

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Clearly the fire code will have changed by 2017. April has had the same job for three years, that's practically a lifetime for this show.

[stopeslite]

I tried to make out what was on Leslie's whiteboard (on my laptop). I got these: 

 

June 2014 I called to wish you Happy ½ Year’s Day. Left message and you never responded.
You lost to Jamm at “Strike It Rich” night at bowling
December 2015 I wanted a festive breakfast with Mr. KOC, never responded
July 2016 I wasn’t allowed (something) festival of bears
Lil’ Sebastien Giddy-Up Classic I (something) you (something) from me WHY????
Turned down flu shot
March 2016 (something) Hunt For Red October
US Post Office Raid
August 2013 Sweetums Trial

[biakbiak]

April has an executive director position that likely pays close to $100k and is unhappy?

Money doesn't correspond to happiness or a fulfilling career. Everyone she loves is doing what they love she just fell into a career. I also don't think its weird that animals aren't her dream. She ran Pawnee's animal shelter she might have realized though she loves animals that isn't her calling.

[peeayebee]

December 2015 I wanted a festive breakfast with Mr. KOC, never responded

Do we know who Mr KOC is?

[BoogieBurns]

while he was eating lunch (pre-lunch? post-breakfast? Lunch #2?

 

"I haven't had lunch since yesterday" - Ron Swanson

[panthergirl13]

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." 

 

That's also the tagline for Mad Magazine (or was in the '70s, the last time I bought an issue.)

 

I loved the 2nd episode but thought the first one fell flat. I'm completely willing to suspend any and all disbelief, so it's not that. The first one just wasn't funny to me at all (plus we've been rewatching "Friends" and peeing in our pants, so there's been kind of a "bar" set around here). But then the bottle episode made up for it and all was right with the world. I hate that freaking Billy Joel song so they couldn't have picked a better one to butcher!

Edited January 22, 2015 by panthergirl13

[VCRTracking]

Ron still has his wedding ring so I'm not worried about Diane.

 

Another great line from Ron:

"One day Magnus, I will wear you as a jacket."

Edited January 22, 2015 by VCRTracking

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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.

That has to do with what your agent can negotiate for you, not how many scenes you are in. But it's nice that they made him a regular cast member instead of a guest star for the final season!

[MelsW]

Ron still has his wedding ring so I'm not worried about Diane.

 

Same here. Quite honestly, I don't care about Ron's kids or the triplets. So far, I like the way that they aren't addressing any of that directly and instead are focusing on the central characters I want to see. The series is winding down and I don't need precious minutes of the final season wasted on toddlers and kids that aren't central to the show.

[peeayebee]

I agree, MelsW. Yet it kind of stood out to me that there's been no mention of Diane or his family, esp since he was locked up overnight in the office. I mean, I'm not really nitpicking. It's just that I suddenly thought of her and wondered what was going on. My son has been watching Xena, so maybe that brought her to mind too.

 

Oh, and wasn't she pregnant at the end of last season? Am I misremembering?

 

I'm sure we'll see her and the kids before the end. The end. *sniff*

[Brandi Maxxxx]

Oh, and wasn't she pregnant at the end of last season? Am I misremembering?

She was pregnant at the end of season 5. John [middle name redacted] Swanson was born midway through last season.

[peeayebee]

Thanks for the reminder. (I want a new brain.)

[DrSpaceman]

Leslie and Ron was easily the best episode of the season so far

Great writing on their background together before the show started. It emphasized both their strengths and was completely believable. Plus it tied in nicely, coming full circle with the break up being due Ron wanting to ask Leslie for a job

Loved Ron whittling a key to his old office.

[SoothingDave]

I loved the "beef milk" gag.

 

Leslie was completely unreasonable about building apartments near her park.  The park was only the size of one lot, remember?  

[morgankobi]

I'm just gonna be 5 for a moment...I totally lost it when the gang came back at 8 am and Leslie got up on the chair, leaned over, and Ron played a note on the sax. It was so stupid, but I laughed and laughed!

[Quickbeam]

OMG the yoga outfit..."you're stretching it out!". 

[biakbiak]

Leslie was completely unreasonable about building apartments near her park. The park was only the size of one lot, remember?

She wasn't just upset that they built the apartment building, they built it on Ann's house which would totally change the feel of the park; however, she was mostly pissed because Ron knew it and didn't tell her about it.

[whiporee]

I thought it was great that there was an actual reason they were upset with each other, that it wasn't something as silly as bacon or a minor disagreement. It was something that was important to both of them -- Leslie for disrespecting their friendship and Ron for disrespecting all Leslie's work on the park, undoing all the zoning and deflating the purpose of Leslie's signature accomplishment. That really was the kind of thing that would end a relationship, especially once Leslie went barging into his office and insulting him for doing what he considered to be the right thing. 

 

My minor nitpick, though, is that there's no way Morningstar could be developed that quickly. It would be in zoning hearings for at least a couple of years -- you don't build multi-family in residential areas without major hassles. That was my job for a while. At best, Morningstar might be breaking ground in 2017, not already up and completed. 

 

Just minor nit, though. Great episode and great resolution. 

[NoWillToResist]

Well thank God they've patched up Ron and Leslie. I did not want to witness them screeching at each other for the final season.

 

And so, THANK YOU BEN. I cheered when he basically locked them up and instructed them to fucking get over it. Their feud was ANNOYING as hell. I also cheered when Donna chastised Ron for giving Ben grief over locking them up. I always enjoy seeing glimpses of the 'side' friendships in this show.

 

Leslie's lyrics to WDSTF were fucking hilarious.

 

Since the Ron/Leslie feud is no longer on the table to bitch about, I will simply express my last annoyance: that Leslie can apparently just hand out jobs to her friends. I mean, hell, even RON was going to ask her for a job. Pretty sweet gig to just be able to manufacture gov't jobs for your buddies. You don't have to advertise the position or interview qualified candidates...just "hey pal, want a sweet gov't job? Come work for me!"

[HoodlumSheep]

Random question because I don't know if I missed it:

Has Ron mentioned his wife and kids at all this season?

[VioletMarx]

Ron has not mentioned then but he is wearing his wedding ring.

[peeayebee]

So I finally rewatched. So good. I didn't cry the first time, but I did this time.

 

Ron said there were only two celebrities in his mind, one of which was Garry Knox Bennett, who made the notorious 16-penny nail cabinet. Of course that's a real thing.

[Eeksquire]

The thing I loved was Ron playing the saxophone.  Like, of course DUKE SILVER would play the sax, but I don't recall whether everyone knows about that now, or if it's only Tom still? (Started a rewatch and only got to the first appearance of Duke Silver and now I cannot for the life of me remember who else knows!)

[colster]

The thing I loved was Ron playing the saxophone.  Like, of course DUKE SILVER would play the sax, but I don't recall whether everyone knows about that now, or if it's only Tom still? (Started a rewatch and only got to the first appearance of Duke Silver and now I cannot for the life of me remember who else knows!)

 

He plays at the Unity Concert

[Eeksquire]

THANK YOU.  Lost my mind for a minute there. :)

[BoogieBurns]

that Leslie can apparently just hand out jobs to her friends.

 

There was a scene in the Season 6 finale that explained this. They said they are bringing in 4 people from Omaha to be her staff, and she could hire any two people she'd like. They were trusting her judgement and experience. She did at least hire people with Parks experience. It may be far-fetched, but they laid the groundwork beforehand. 

[NoWillToResist]

There was a scene in the Season 6 finale that explained this. They said they are bringing in 4 people from Omaha to be her staff, and she could hire any two people she'd like. They were trusting her judgement and experience. She did at least hire people with Parks experience. It may be far-fetched, but they laid the groundwork beforehand. 

 

But if those two jobs were handed out, what was Ron expecting Leslie to do for him? Maybe it's just a matter of the wording that bothers me. It comes off that Leslie is Oprah (You get a job, and You get a job...), rather than her simply putting in a good word for someone or making a recommendation or keeping her eye out for any openings...

[BoogieBurns]

But if those two jobs were handed out, what was Ron expecting Leslie to do for him?

 

Ron is a better catch than Jerry. Maybe they would have suggested she fire Jerry.

[small potatoes]

I think Leslie and Ron was a tribute to The Suitcase episode of Mad Men.

[Veruca Assault]

Fun fact: Mr. Assault is a direct descendant of William Henry Harrison. Us non descendants of the family like to make coat wearing jokes to the descendants.

[paramitch]

I loved the Ron and Leslie episode and may have cried when she hugged him at the very very end. The two of them are just wonderful together, and it's such a complex friendship.

 

Since the Ron/Leslie feud is no longer on the table to bitch about, I will simply express my last annoyance: that Leslie can apparently just hand out jobs to her friends. I mean, hell, even RON was going to ask her for a job. Pretty sweet gig to just be able to manufacture gov't jobs for your buddies. You don't have to advertise the position or interview qualified candidates...just "hey pal, want a sweet gov't job? Come work for me!"

 

This didn't bother me -- Leslie was shown to have specific job openings, and beyond that, she knows firsthand what the people she works with are capable of accomplishing. Leslie is a person who would move heaven and earth to bring her same people with her where possible, so Ron belatedly realizing he missed his office and wanted to rejoin in some way was (sniffle) believable to me, even if it didn't happen.

 

But if those two jobs were handed out, what was Ron expecting Leslie to do for him? Maybe it's just a matter of the wording that bothers me. It comes off that Leslie is Oprah (You get a job, and You get a job...), rather than her simply putting in a good word for someone or making a recommendation or keeping her eye out for any openings...

 

Leslie was still in a position with a lot of power, and I find it very believable that a person with Ron's expertise and government experience might believe he could go to Leslie with the idea of rejoining her team in some fashion. After all, he doesn't even really need the money and could conceivably take a more junior position. He just missed his friends and has the luxury financially of wanting to join them every day without necessarily getting another senior position.

 

So it worked for me. And hit me right in the heartstrings.