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S07.E10: The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show / S07.E11 Two Funerals

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Parks & Recreation [V]

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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

I'll give them credit for the first episode: the idea of it just being all a "Johnny Karate" show was an intriguing idea.  But, I was a bit mixed with the overall episodes.  I loved the commercials (I wished more commercials were like Ron's), the return of "Bert Macklin" (so awesome, that Batman works for him!), and especially the return of Edward Covington.  The whole knighting scene was fantastic, especially how excited Ben was.  At the same time, I just didn't laugh as much as I hoped, the John Cena cameo wasn't as amusing as I hoped it would (as my screen-name entails, I use to be a big WWE/Cena fan), and I felt the big "conflict" was overblown and unnecessary.  The way April was acting, I thought something truly bad happened.  Like "death in the family" bad.  Or even she wanted a divorce for some reason.  So, for it all to be she was just upset that her new job was taking Andy away from Pawnee/his job, and he just needed to calm her down and tell her he loves her the most (again), it just felt anti-climatic and silly.

 

The second episode though, I loved.  I heard they always wanted to get Bill Murray as the mayor, so great job on making it happen!  And, I loved that the "finding a interim mayor" was just a way to get a few more famailar faces back, which was a treat.  Look, it's Bobby Newport!  And the Douche!  Saperstein and Mona Lisa!  Having it end with Ben giving it to Garry was a bit much, but, hey, good for him.  I'm sure he's competent enough to hold it together for two months.

 

Actually really liked the Leslie/Tom stuff.  I kind of figured it was going to end with Tom tossing how the big, extravaganza plan, but I liked how it played off.  Tom can be a bit much, but I did think that showing that he still remembers what he and Lucy did on their first date, shows he really does love Lucy.  And the actual proposal was well done; not too dramatic, but sweet enough.  Still, the best part was easy: Jean-Ralphio!  I ain't going to hide it: he is one of my favorite obnoxious characters ever!  He is such a jackass, but so, so awesome!

 

Also liked the stuff with Ron, and Donna helping him out at the end, by introducing him to Typhoon.  Aw, they are already bonding over their hatred for bikes and Europeans!  And, I'm glad they brought back Hippy Ron too.  Nice to see Good Guy Sam Elliot again, after he's been scaring the crap out of me over on Justified.

 

I do admit that this entire season feels like it's just been a big love letter for the characters and total fan service.  And, yet, I really don't mind.  For this show, I'm glad everyone is getting a happy ending, and seeing everyone again.  Since next week is the end, dare I hope this means 

Anne and Chris might return?

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Traveller519

Traveller519

  Having it end with Ben giving it to Garry was a bit much, but, hey, good for him.  I'm sure he's competent enough to hold it together for two months.

 

Maybe that's the whole set-up for the finale. Gary's gross incompetence screws up the town so bad in the interim, they all have to stay. Ron's not re-abandoned, and the old gang's all back together.

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JayInChicago

JayInChicago

Ok, so I didn't like the Johnny Karate episode but I liked the second one.

 

But I LOVED the fake ads. So...I think if I ever rewatch, i'll just rewatch the fake ads.

So, was the J.K episode supposed to be trippy and surreal, or was that just my meds kicking in? 

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biakbiak

biakbiak

(edited)

to be trippy and surreal, or was that just my meds kicking in?

Having had to watch a ton of children's programming when watching my niece and goddaughter, I would say it was supposed to be trippy and surreal just like many children's shows.

Maybe that's the whole set-up for the finale. Gary's gross incompetence screws up the town so bad in the interim, they all have to stay. Ron's not re-abandoned, and the old gang's all back together.

I doubt it because as they have established and this episode reiterated the mayor does nothing.

Edited by biakbiak
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pennben

pennben

(edited)

 

ETA: Ethel Beavers!!

 

I love that you edited your post to add Ethel Beavers!

 

It sums up part what I love about the show:  this elderly court reporter, who maybe had 4 minutes of screen time in the entire series, must not be forgotten. Who'd of thunk it.

 

P.S.  I also read "Ethel Beavers!" in Chris Traeger's voice....which always makes things better.

Edited by pennben
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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

This season is basically a big victory lap...and I love every second of it. I love the parade of past characters coming through. I was especially thrilled to see Other Ron. The hansom spiritual cowboy! And Bill Murrey is the Mayor! Bill Murrey is the king of random cameos.

 

I feel like the Johnny Karate episode will be controversial, but I loved it. The commercials were hilarious, and I cracked up at the "Animals Loose in the Studio!" segment. And Ben's excitement about being knighted, especially when he was just standing in shock in the background through the whole scene, staring at his hands!.  

 

I`m going to be a mess when this show ends. 

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Galileo908

Galileo908

(edited)

The party/balloon ride/all of that was already set up for Tom & Lucy's engagement when Tom decided to blow it off.  So she didn't go to that much trouble other than making the sign and flipping the party over to celebrate Garry. I think it adds a layer to the joke that the big celebration for Garry was never intended to be a celebration for Garry.

 

This was also supposed to be Garry's retirement...and he botched that, too.

 

EDIT: Ben said "Winter is coming for Ser Ben Lightstorm" after getting knighted.

Edited by Galileo908
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arc

arc

(edited)

For me, the Johnny Karate episode was a huge disappointment.  Just a big pile of self-indulgent nonsense I didn't like at all.  It didn't help that I saw Glark's tweet ("This Parks and Rec episode is making me appreciate 30 Rock’s gimmick episodes a lot more.") before I watched.  Heck, Community's gimmick / super-meta episodes were much stronger.

 

I liked Two Funerals a lot, though I was dreading them killing off Garry/Jerry all the same.  Like, right up until the fade to black, I was still slightly slightly worried that he'd fall to his death from the balloon or something.  Sure, it would have been tonally off for the show, but then again, the show is a little too often too mean to Garry so it was almost in the realm of possibility.

Edited by arc
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peeayebee

peeayebee

I know people like different things, but I loved the Johnny Karate ep so much that I can't help being surprised at all the dislike. Andy + kids = fun. I loved the silliness of the show and that to Andy it probably wasn't really silly. I love that this could be a real show. Anyway, I found it hilarious and completely entertaining.

  • Love 10
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AdorkableSars

AdorkableSars

Count me in as one who loved both episodes..."The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show" was ridiculous and cheesy, but I loved every second of it! And didn't even notice that Tom wasn't in it until the end. And as for "Two Funerals", I LOVED all of the characters who came back (Ethel Beavers! The Sapersteins, especially Jean-Ralphio! Bobby Newport! The Douche with his "My Oral Office"!) And I though Tom's proposal was so sweet, and I love that Garry is the interim mayor! 

 

I'm going to miss this show so much :( I'll be relying on my Parks and Rec DVDs a lot to get me through this...

 

(Please tell me I'm not the only one who immediately thought of Serial when they were singing "All My Life"?)

  • Love 2
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April Bloodgate

April Bloodgate

I think the Johnny Karate episode was a cool concept, but the execution was meh. The only parts I liked were Burt Macklin's scene with Donna as the chief and the commercials.

I'm glad we got to see Jean Ralphio. I could have used more of him.

I agree with a previous poster that Ethel Beavers would have been a good pick for interim mayor.

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JayInChicago

JayInChicago

(edited)

I really wish I could explain why, I, parks and rec superfan, hated the Johnny Karate episode so much i turned it off.  but i don't think i can. 

i just didn't buy it. 

 

but i'm happy for chris pratt. so there's that.  also with their dramatic cuts to April, I really did think she was gonna storm out or say she was dying or something. Honestly with Chris and Ann leaving there's been this relying on April as a central character when I don't think she is a very compelling character.

i dunno, this sounds kind of bad. but unlike say HIMYM I am not terribly disappointed by this episode or season. it's icing on the cake that we almost didn't get. but to me this season is an alternate future that probably didn't/isn't going to happen. 

 

what's weird about this show is...unlike so many where you WISH things would change, this show has had almost too much change. i kind of wish we could have just had Leslie be a councilwoman for a few seasons. I know her ambitions would naturally push her to much bigger things. but i liked it when it was parks and rec in parks and rec.

Edited by JayInChicago
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DrSpaceman

DrSpaceman

I would totally watch that Johnny Karate show.  Such a perfect and well done rendition of a kids show.  Its just the type of over the top cheesiness from kids shows that were on when I grew up.  Maybe its a generational thing between those that did and did not like it. 

 

I loved Ron laughing at the new "barber" hating on bicycles and Europe as well. 

 

I liked the 2nd episode OK, but seemed like a nice excuse to bring back some old characters and again with the "happy endings all around"......which is fun, but I think its been over the top this season. 

 

Loved The DOuche, though, and "Mayoral"/"My Oral".....never would have thought of that.  And Bill Murray, didn't see that coming. 

 

Bobby Newport is such a fantastic tertiary character.  So often, the uber rich guy has to be shown as miserable inside, bereft of depth and contentment, etc. so we peons don't rise up en masse (I don't even WANT to be rich if it means I'd be so unhappy!).

 

In Bobby Newport, we have a character who blissfully acknowledges at every turn how fantastic it is to be rich (and think about it, in Bobby Newport's world EVERYBODY is as rich as he is!  What's not to love about a world like that?!).

Yeah I always liked how they portrayed Bobby.  He is still rich and clueless, but just likeable, not arrogant.  I always thought if he actually tried and didn't just rely on his family name, he could be a good politician

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Skittl1321

Skittl1321

 

 i kind of wish we could have just had Leslie be a councilwoman for a few seasons. I know her ambitions would naturally push her to much bigger things. but i liked it when it was parks and rec in parks and rec.

 

 

 

What's kind of funny though is the path they have her taking now actually has more 'parks' than if she was a councilwoman.  She works for the national parks service.  As council woman, she wasn't in the parks department (though I think they had her holding two jobs, which makes sense because I don't think many city counselors are full time.)

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April Bloodgate

April Bloodgate

also with their dramatic cuts to April, I really did think she was gonna storm out or say she was dying or something. 

I knew what she was going to be upset about, but I agree that they made it super over-dramatic. It was really annoying. Either bad acting or bad directing for telling her to play it like that. For sure bad directing for showing her make that same face so many times.

 

I loved Ron laughing at the new "barber" hating on bicycles and Europe as well. 

This was one of my favorite parts of the second ep.

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kennyab

kennyab

I knew what she was going to be upset about, but I agree that they made it super over-dramatic. It was really annoying. Either bad acting or bad directing for telling her to play it like that. For sure bad directing for showing her make that same face so many times.

 

I think a lot of it has to do with jump from sparkly kid TV format to the standard Parks format -- it just intensifies any foreboding already being conveyed. Had everything looked like the show normally does, I think it would have just come off more as April's typical hyper-anxiety she has when conflicted, but the tonal shifts exaggerated to an unfortunate degree. So a combo directing/editing thing, I'd say.

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BubblingKettle

BubblingKettle

If there was a show about the serious-faced kid dressed as Burt Macklin who was sitting in the front row of the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, I think I would watch it.  

 

All of the aforementioned parts of that episode really gave me laughs.  Oh, I just love this show!

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theatremouse

theatremouse

I think for me what bugged about the Johnny Karate episode was they kept switching back and forth, even when it was clearly supposed to be that show (not P&R), they kept periodically calling him Andy, and not Johnny, and that whole thing. I mean, not that I expect massive professionalism from Andy on that show, but they seemed to have established it seemed to really be popular if local? So it threw me out of it that they didn't consistently keep up the conceit of it being a real episode of his show in that universe. When they felt like making it about Andy, instead of just about Andy but wink-winky still in the context of the JKSAMES it annoyed the crap out of me. Sure it was self-indulgent but I actually think if they'd gone farther with the Johnny Karate aspect of it, it would've been less self indulgent than getting all maudlin and wishy washy. I think if it'd been a solid whole episode that was JUST that show, it would've been better.

And I can handwave Ben's appearance as impacts his run for Congress as "he was playing a character; Reagan played plenty of characters" since he wasn't presented as being Ben, but Professor whateveritwas.

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Falafel

Falafel

This show is just so unfunny now. Please, put it out of its misery. The Johnny Karate stuff is just dumb and we had an entire episode of it? They are out of ideas. The only semi-amusing line from this doubleheader was Leslie's about "the high-stakes world of banner-making." I will forever long for season four, which is when this show peaked.

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Tetraneutron

Tetraneutron

I think for me what bugged about the Johnny Karate episode was they kept switching back and forth, even when it was clearly supposed to be that show (not P&R), they kept periodically calling him Andy, and not Johnny, and that whole thing.

You know what else? The season premiere established that the gang had lost touch, and Leslie and Ron in particular hadn't spoken in 2 years. But they did this show together every week? They would have seen each other all the time.

 

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biakbiak

biakbiak

(edited)

You know what else? The season premiere established that the gang had lost touch, and Leslie and Ron in particular hadn't spoken in 2 years. But they did this show together every week? They would have seen each other all the time.

Ron's segment wasn't filmed in the studio but in a workshop, so it is entirely possible that they never crossed paths, and while everyone else didn't see each other as often they were the only two people who had a falling out.

I might have to go back and re-watch but I thought the only time they called him Andy on the show is after April and Leslie hijacked the show to do a "This is Your Life Andy" goodbye which would make sense that they would call him by his name.

Edited by biakbiak
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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

I'm going to miss the hell out of this show, so I don't care if the season is full of callbacks. I loved the "Johnny Karate Show" and "Two Funerals". I loved that there was only one kid in the audience who was a "Professor Smartbrain" fan and that he was rolling his eyes at Johnny/Andy not knowing what 'phenomenon'. I knew April was upset because Andy was giving up this job that he loved for her. I still love the characters. They can make me laugh as well as cry.

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Tabbyclaw

Tabbyclaw

I think my eyes got all big and sparkly when I realized they were actually doing an entire episode of Johnny Karate. It was all the joyful ridiculousness that I love about Andy. I was worried for a minute that they were actually going to have April give up the DC job, and I'm glad Andy wouldn't let her.

 

I spent Mayor Gunderson's entire video message waiting for his dog to make an appearance. Fortunately, there was at least a photo of him on the desk when the camera pulled back.

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arc

arc

I didn't get it until you wrote it out like that, theatremouse, but calling one of the last victory lap episodes of the show "JKSAMES" is a nice touch.  Even if it was unintentional, I will take it.

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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

Mike Schur in an interview a few years ago said to think of that problematic first season as one long pilot for the series.  I think of this whole season as one long finale, and so far I like it a LOT better than most other series finales.

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biakbiak

biakbiak

I re watched the Johnny Karate episode with my best friend and her almost four year old. Typically when we do this she draws or reads a book as she did with two funerals, during JKSAMES she was literally enthralled and recognized Pratt's voice from the Lego Movie!

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NoWillToResist

NoWillToResist

You know, considering that everyone's lives are getting an upgrade, I was honestly expecting that Andy would receive some kind of tv deal regarding Johnny Karate. Like, a big network was buying the show from Pawnee's local station, so that he could keep doing the show once he moves to Washington. I knew that April was feeling bad that her job was ending his, so I was kind of hoping that they'd find a way to have them both emerge with their dream jobs. But instead, we just had Andy say that he'd be happy anywhere as long as he was with April. Which is sweet and all, but makes me a little uncomfortable, to be honest. If the genders were reversed, I don't think people would be so fine with that outcome.But equally, this is Andy, who is basically a live action Dug from the movie Up. :) He'll always see the silver lining.

 

I think Johnny Karate would actually have a big audience if it had better distribution. It hits all the great hallmarks of kids' entertainment. Loved that he incorporated so many of his friends into roles which suited them (Ben in nerdy learning, Ron in construction, Garry in punching bag etc.)

 

Ben being knighted was fucking gold. Thanks to whomever transcribed what he said. I made out "Winter is coming" but couldn't make out the rest of the line. I was impressed that, even though he really wanted to be knighted, he refused because he didn't want to take anything away from Andy; but as soon as it's clear that Andy didn't mind, Ben couldn't get on his knees fast enough. :)

 

The mayoral search was a brilliant way to bring back all the Pawnee characters for one last hurrah. That said, ugh, Jean Ralphio's sister is noxious. I fucking HATE her. Her simpering "money, pweeese!" is not amusing on any level whatsoever for me. She's not amusingly annoying like Jean Ralphio is; she's just fucking terrible and I'm glad to see the back of her.

 

Sam Elliot's hippie schtick will never get old though. The tension between him and Ron has always been so damned amusing to me. Love it.

 

Ron physically collapsing at hearing that his barber had died was amusing. Good thing they had him fall into Andy's arms rather than Ben's. Although watching Ben struggle to hold him up might have been amusing. :)  So happy that we got another opportunity to hear Ron's giggle.

 

Guess they couldn't get Christie Brinkley again and that's why Gail was absent from Garry's coronation ceremony?

 

Tom's proposal was adorable. Nice to see the superficiality removed from Tom for a change so that we can see his softer side.

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April Bloodgate

April Bloodgate

(edited)

Ben couldn't get on his knees fast enough. :)

 

The mayoral search was a brilliant way to bring back all the Pawnee characters for one last hurrah. That said, ugh, Jean Ralphio's sister is noxious. I fucking HATE her. Her simpering "money, pweeese!" is not amusing on any level whatsoever for me. She's not amusingly annoying like Jean Ralphio is; she's just fucking terrible and I'm glad to see the back of her.

"Ben couldn't get on his knees fast enough." hehe 

 

I agree; where Jean Ralphio is the right mix of obnoxious, funny, and endearing, Mona Lisa is just terrible. I cringe whenever she shows up. And it's too bad, because I like Jenny Slate otherwise.

Edited by Denay
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RustbeltWriter

RustbeltWriter

While I enjoy Andy, I think wasting an entire episode of a shortened season the Johnny Karate show was a bad move. It just wasn't that interesting to me.

 

Two Funerals was wonderful. Ron and Typhoon will be friends for years and Donna continues to be an excellent problem solver.

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Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

I would like for them to wrap things up well for Ron somehow. When they were all talking about how they were moving away, all I could think of was that in a way, it's MorningStar all over again for him. He fell apart the last time he lost all of his friends, and he's about to lose them again. Everyone is moving away except for Tom and Jerry (hey, wait!), and he never really liked either of them. I would assume that this time Leslie takes more care in maintaining her relationship with Ron, but still. Doesn't matter how hard you try, long-distance is never as good as being right there every day. 

Does it really count as everyone moving away? I mean assuming that Ben wins his congressional seat, wouldn't he and Leslie have to maintain a house in Pawnee? I would imagine he would have to spend sometime in his constituency rather than living in DC permanently. 

 

The Gary thing was pretty funny. The only thing missing was some kind of disappointment about the fact that he wouldn't be able to notarize his own signature on the mayor oath.  

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Quickbeam

Quickbeam

Just caught up and watched last night. I adored the Johnny Karate send off. I thought it was pitch perfect. I grew up on live kids variety shows and something was always going wrong or seat-of-the-pants awkward. Pratt rose to it and it was a lovely send off. 

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Eeksquire

Eeksquire

 

also with their dramatic cuts to April, I really did think she was gonna storm out or say she was dying or something.

I am just catching up on these this weekend, and I really thought she was going to have been bitten (stung?) by the missing spider.  (NB: I would not have been that sad if that had been the case.)

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