[7.5/10] Definitely enjoyed this episode. It feels weird to say about an episode where one character shoots another in the back of the head with a shotgun, but this one felt nicely down to earth. There was some understandable bristling from Ron and “the men” having their hunting trip invaded by the rest of the office, and it led to some amusing moments of Leslie trying to be “one of the guys” by getting in on toasts and chants and and other parts of the tradition.
Things got a little out of hand once Ron gets shot and Donna goes ballistic (no pun intended) about her car’s window being shot out. The madness and mystery of who shot who in the what now gets a little cartoony, especially with Ann and Leslie wrestling with Ron. But I love the resolution of the story, where Ron starts berating Leslie for infringing on his favorite government-related activity and then, you know, shooting him in the head, only to realize that she was taking the rap for Tom.
It’s one of the first times we see Ron really respecting and appreciating Leslie, and him calling her a “stand up guy” is a nice way to dramatize the notion that Leslie and Ron are two very different people but that they share some core values that unite them, something the show would explore in much greater depth as it would go on.
Plus, the B-story is a delightful spate of Andy and April pal-ing around together. I could be mistaken, but I think this is the first time the show really explores the two of them as a pairing. They are, naturally, straight up adorable together, whether it’s playing Marco Polo or playing out the crazy logic of April giving Andy a hicky to make Ann jealous and it not being anything. There’s an instant rapport between them that explains why the show would try out April’s burgeoning crush. It adds dimension to both characters, softening Andy and turning him into his loveable goofball type, and showing how April is more than just a caustic vessel of flat affect. Wonderful stuff.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-07-14T18:35:00Z
[7.5/10] Definitely enjoyed this episode. It feels weird to say about an episode where one character shoots another in the back of the head with a shotgun, but this one felt nicely down to earth. There was some understandable bristling from Ron and “the men” having their hunting trip invaded by the rest of the office, and it led to some amusing moments of Leslie trying to be “one of the guys” by getting in on toasts and chants and and other parts of the tradition.
Things got a little out of hand once Ron gets shot and Donna goes ballistic (no pun intended) about her car’s window being shot out. The madness and mystery of who shot who in the what now gets a little cartoony, especially with Ann and Leslie wrestling with Ron. But I love the resolution of the story, where Ron starts berating Leslie for infringing on his favorite government-related activity and then, you know, shooting him in the head, only to realize that she was taking the rap for Tom.
It’s one of the first times we see Ron really respecting and appreciating Leslie, and him calling her a “stand up guy” is a nice way to dramatize the notion that Leslie and Ron are two very different people but that they share some core values that unite them, something the show would explore in much greater depth as it would go on.
Plus, the B-story is a delightful spate of Andy and April pal-ing around together. I could be mistaken, but I think this is the first time the show really explores the two of them as a pairing. They are, naturally, straight up adorable together, whether it’s playing Marco Polo or playing out the crazy logic of April giving Andy a hicky to make Ann jealous and it not being anything. There’s an instant rapport between them that explains why the show would try out April’s burgeoning crush. It adds dimension to both characters, softening Andy and turning him into his loveable goofball type, and showing how April is more than just a caustic vessel of flat affect. Wonderful stuff.