[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.
That's good. Especially Tom is awesome. He's so not into hunting.
Shout by SLionsCricketBlockedParent2020-03-26T08:55:57Z
This is a great episode even if I like it less than its reputation among fans. Everything with Andy and April here is PURE magic in my eyes and the emotions that storyline stirs up in me as well as that sense of anticipation going forward is too great to measure. Aubrey Plaza is at her very best yet and the chemistry between her and Chris Pratt is absolutely undeniable. Even more remarkable is the fact that this is the very first time the two characters have interacted (outside of their meeting in the pilot) and it could not be more natural.
The hunting trip storyline is good but its secondary to the emotional apex of the story, which for me is the April/Andy stuff. There's some great moments such as the joyous camaraderie between Ron, Jerry and Mark and how it is offset by the addition of the other co-workers. There's the great moment where Donna tackles Leslie in a fit of rage and there's the resolution to the Ron/Leslie conflict in this episode that is absolutely beautiful. It's a good storyline but in a sense, I'm perfectly content with just the April/Andy storyline here.