[8.3/10] A lot to like here. For one thing, I like the place they went with Mark and Ann and even Andy. I barely remember Justin from my first watch of the show, but it’s nice that he’s used as a way to (a.) Make Ann the bad guy and (b.) give her a moment of growth. The notion that she’s “saving” Justin, in a way that freezes out Leslie from a guy she clearly likes, makes Mark uncomfortable as her boyfriend, and made Andy feel bad when they were dating, provides a lot of strong material for Rashida Jones and company. Her realizing the way she hurts all three of her friends via her keeping Justin on the backburner adds dimension to her and to them.
Leslie’s blind date with Will Arnett is amusingly awkward and terrible (and holy crap that oven line). I have to admit, as funny as I find Will Arnett, and as much as it’s funny to see him playing up horrible chemistry with his then-real life wife, he has a particular energy as a performer and I don’t know if it’s a great fit for Parks and Rec. Still, it’s a small part of the episode, and it’s good for some great reaction shots of Leslie.
The B-story sees Ron trying to find an assistant in order to keep the taxpayers from bugging him. It has some great laughs, via Ron’s annoyance at having to interface with the locals. It has some less great laughs, with Tom self-servingly interviewing possible assistants. But the humor levels out with the introduction of Jean Ralphio, who splits the difference between the two. I also love the resolution of it, with April choosing to seek out the job so that she can keep spending time with Andy, but also being perfect for the job because she and Ron disdain people in the same way. It’s the start, or at least shot in the arm, for two of the show’s great friendships.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-07-18T16:22:52Z
[8.3/10] A lot to like here. For one thing, I like the place they went with Mark and Ann and even Andy. I barely remember Justin from my first watch of the show, but it’s nice that he’s used as a way to (a.) Make Ann the bad guy and (b.) give her a moment of growth. The notion that she’s “saving” Justin, in a way that freezes out Leslie from a guy she clearly likes, makes Mark uncomfortable as her boyfriend, and made Andy feel bad when they were dating, provides a lot of strong material for Rashida Jones and company. Her realizing the way she hurts all three of her friends via her keeping Justin on the backburner adds dimension to her and to them.
Leslie’s blind date with Will Arnett is amusingly awkward and terrible (and holy crap that oven line). I have to admit, as funny as I find Will Arnett, and as much as it’s funny to see him playing up horrible chemistry with his then-real life wife, he has a particular energy as a performer and I don’t know if it’s a great fit for Parks and Rec. Still, it’s a small part of the episode, and it’s good for some great reaction shots of Leslie.
The B-story sees Ron trying to find an assistant in order to keep the taxpayers from bugging him. It has some great laughs, via Ron’s annoyance at having to interface with the locals. It has some less great laughs, with Tom self-servingly interviewing possible assistants. But the humor levels out with the introduction of Jean Ralphio, who splits the difference between the two. I also love the resolution of it, with April choosing to seek out the job so that she can keep spending time with Andy, but also being perfect for the job because she and Ron disdain people in the same way. It’s the start, or at least shot in the arm, for two of the show’s great friendships.