look to the pasta (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
annakovsky) wrote2012-02-02 04:11 pm
annakovsky) wrote2012-02-02 04:11 pm
Entry tags:
Parks and Recreation and Mediocrity
I wrote this whole thing after last week's Parks episode, and it might be a really unpopular opinion but whatever, I'm going to post it now before tonight's because I am pretty concerned about the direction the show is going and I don't knowwwwwww, you guys. There hasn't been an episode I super loved and instantly wanted to rewatch since The Treaty back in November, and even before that there was a lot more mediocrity than last season, and with the campaign I'm worried they've painted themselves into a corner they won't be able to get out of. HOPEFULLY TONIGHT'S EPISODE WILL BE BETTER, BUT I AM WORRIED.
First of all, established relationships are boring, and all this focus on Leslie/Ben has been super boring. I thought once they were back together we could all move on with our lives and get back to the regular ensemble show, but Leslie is still spending most of her time interacting with Ben and ughhhhhhhhhhh. THEY'RE LIKE THE SAME PERSON, THERE'S NO TENSION HERE, LET HER TALK TO RON OR ANDY OR SOMETHING.
Then to GET tension in that relationship they keep -- like, okay. Full disclosure, I HATED Ben in the episode with the negative campaign ad. I did not see both sides. Most people did, and that's fine, but I REALLY DID NOT. I feel like going negative as the FIRST THING a campaign does is a shitty thing to do in the first place (especially when you're spending all your money on it, so it's the ONE THING that people will see about your candidate), and then wanting to go negative for LESLIE KNOPE is just like, have you ever met Leslie Knope? And then when Leslie said she would never do that in a million years, to keep pushing it? Uh, it was a pretty clear statement of what she wanted, and she's the candidate -- it's her name on the ad. So if she doesn't want to go negative, YOU DON'T GO NEGATIVE. And it didn't help that his first ad sounded like Gob Bluth's negative ad against Steve Holt. Like, I was fine with the compromise ad they eventually got to, but omg, so unacceptable before that.
Last week's episode wasn't as bad, because obviously Leslie was being obsessive (which was adorable as always) -- but. Basically Leslie was being the way she always is in that kind of situation, and Ben spent the whole episode being like, "BAD DOG. NO." It's not HELPFUL. You're never going to stop Leslie by acting like that! Ron Swanson would know never to act like that with her because it's pointless! And I just feel like lately Ben thinks things are wrong with Leslie ALL THE TIME. You're a steamroller, Leslie! No, wait, you have to be tougher, Leslie! Stop being so fixated, Leslie! That's not sexy fighting, that's just being kind of awful, even when you have a point. YOU'RE HER BOYFRIEND AND YOU USED TO THINK SHE WAS GREAT, WHY AREN'T YOU ON HER SIDE ANYMORE. And why is it always Leslie who has something wrong with her to manufacture tension between them? I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH YOU, BEN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO START ENUMERATING THEM. 1) YOU'RE A WET BLANKET AND A NEGATIVE NELLY.
I mean, whatever, sometimes I still like them, and the kissing last week was super hot, but overall, Leslie/Ben is just getting old and there's too much of it and Ben is going to have to be a lot nicer/more delightful to win me back.
So that's a problem. And then overall I seem to come out of every episode feeling like the whole thing just didn't quite hang together, in a way I can't put my finger on. I think maybe with the campaign they just have too many balls in the air? Everyone feels scattered and not that funny, and I don't know what they should do to fix it, but it's just not quite working.
I think also maybe a lot of characters have gotten kind of one-note, so it feels more repetitive than great. Like... Tom hasn't done anything new and delightful since Treat Yo Self, just the same old schtick. April has had barely any storylines, and they all seem to revolve around her and Andy as a unit. Andy is sometimes literally too dumb to function. Donna NEVER gets storylines. Chris for some reason is still around, being a shallow insincere dbag and taking up screentime that should be given to Donna, who is funnier and more interesting.
And I am REALLY worried about the campaign issue. I feel like they brought the campaign into the mix as an obstacle for Leslie/Ben, without thinking through the implications. And now I worry that we're in a Pam Beesly situation, where we have brought up Leslie having big dreams, and raised the possibility of her getting those dreams, but because of the PREMISE OF THE SHOW, AS SEEN IN ITS TITLE, she cannot get those dreams while remaining on the show, so she will have to fail at them. And I swear to God, if Leslie fails at her dreams, I am going to burn Utica to the ground. IT WILL BE TEN TIMES WORSE THAN PAM FAILING AT HER DREAMS, AND THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY MY #1 TV DISAPPOINTMENT OF ALL TIME.
And it's not going to be better if Ron gets to be assistant city manager so Leslie can be promoted, because if Ron and Leslie and April aren't in the same department I am going to SCATTER UTICA'S BURNT ASHES TO THE WIND AND PEE ON THEM, and so then I don't know how they're going to get themselves out of this one in a satisfactory manner, and if I think about that I basically go into a depression spiral. DDDDDDDDD:
Ugh, I might be stating this all a little strongly, because the episodes, with the exception of the negative ad one, have mostly been... fine. And maybe it's too much to ask that I should have a joysplosion every week like during season 3. But it is really sad to me that the show is going from joysplosion to just fine! It being Parks Day doesn't cheer me up anymore! BUMMER CITY. It's only season 4, and two of those seasons weren't even full seasons, WE SHOULD NOT BE HITTING THE SITCOM DECLINE YET.
First of all, established relationships are boring, and all this focus on Leslie/Ben has been super boring. I thought once they were back together we could all move on with our lives and get back to the regular ensemble show, but Leslie is still spending most of her time interacting with Ben and ughhhhhhhhhhh. THEY'RE LIKE THE SAME PERSON, THERE'S NO TENSION HERE, LET HER TALK TO RON OR ANDY OR SOMETHING.
Then to GET tension in that relationship they keep -- like, okay. Full disclosure, I HATED Ben in the episode with the negative campaign ad. I did not see both sides. Most people did, and that's fine, but I REALLY DID NOT. I feel like going negative as the FIRST THING a campaign does is a shitty thing to do in the first place (especially when you're spending all your money on it, so it's the ONE THING that people will see about your candidate), and then wanting to go negative for LESLIE KNOPE is just like, have you ever met Leslie Knope? And then when Leslie said she would never do that in a million years, to keep pushing it? Uh, it was a pretty clear statement of what she wanted, and she's the candidate -- it's her name on the ad. So if she doesn't want to go negative, YOU DON'T GO NEGATIVE. And it didn't help that his first ad sounded like Gob Bluth's negative ad against Steve Holt. Like, I was fine with the compromise ad they eventually got to, but omg, so unacceptable before that.
Last week's episode wasn't as bad, because obviously Leslie was being obsessive (which was adorable as always) -- but. Basically Leslie was being the way she always is in that kind of situation, and Ben spent the whole episode being like, "BAD DOG. NO." It's not HELPFUL. You're never going to stop Leslie by acting like that! Ron Swanson would know never to act like that with her because it's pointless! And I just feel like lately Ben thinks things are wrong with Leslie ALL THE TIME. You're a steamroller, Leslie! No, wait, you have to be tougher, Leslie! Stop being so fixated, Leslie! That's not sexy fighting, that's just being kind of awful, even when you have a point. YOU'RE HER BOYFRIEND AND YOU USED TO THINK SHE WAS GREAT, WHY AREN'T YOU ON HER SIDE ANYMORE. And why is it always Leslie who has something wrong with her to manufacture tension between them? I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH YOU, BEN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO START ENUMERATING THEM. 1) YOU'RE A WET BLANKET AND A NEGATIVE NELLY.
I mean, whatever, sometimes I still like them, and the kissing last week was super hot, but overall, Leslie/Ben is just getting old and there's too much of it and Ben is going to have to be a lot nicer/more delightful to win me back.
So that's a problem. And then overall I seem to come out of every episode feeling like the whole thing just didn't quite hang together, in a way I can't put my finger on. I think maybe with the campaign they just have too many balls in the air? Everyone feels scattered and not that funny, and I don't know what they should do to fix it, but it's just not quite working.
I think also maybe a lot of characters have gotten kind of one-note, so it feels more repetitive than great. Like... Tom hasn't done anything new and delightful since Treat Yo Self, just the same old schtick. April has had barely any storylines, and they all seem to revolve around her and Andy as a unit. Andy is sometimes literally too dumb to function. Donna NEVER gets storylines. Chris for some reason is still around, being a shallow insincere dbag and taking up screentime that should be given to Donna, who is funnier and more interesting.
And I am REALLY worried about the campaign issue. I feel like they brought the campaign into the mix as an obstacle for Leslie/Ben, without thinking through the implications. And now I worry that we're in a Pam Beesly situation, where we have brought up Leslie having big dreams, and raised the possibility of her getting those dreams, but because of the PREMISE OF THE SHOW, AS SEEN IN ITS TITLE, she cannot get those dreams while remaining on the show, so she will have to fail at them. And I swear to God, if Leslie fails at her dreams, I am going to burn Utica to the ground. IT WILL BE TEN TIMES WORSE THAN PAM FAILING AT HER DREAMS, AND THAT IS QUITE POSSIBLY MY #1 TV DISAPPOINTMENT OF ALL TIME.
And it's not going to be better if Ron gets to be assistant city manager so Leslie can be promoted, because if Ron and Leslie and April aren't in the same department I am going to SCATTER UTICA'S BURNT ASHES TO THE WIND AND PEE ON THEM, and so then I don't know how they're going to get themselves out of this one in a satisfactory manner, and if I think about that I basically go into a depression spiral. DDDDDDDDD:
Ugh, I might be stating this all a little strongly, because the episodes, with the exception of the negative ad one, have mostly been... fine. And maybe it's too much to ask that I should have a joysplosion every week like during season 3. But it is really sad to me that the show is going from joysplosion to just fine! It being Parks Day doesn't cheer me up anymore! BUMMER CITY. It's only season 4, and two of those seasons weren't even full seasons, WE SHOULD NOT BE HITTING THE SITCOM DECLINE YET.
no subject
As mad as I might be about Leslie deciding she'd rather serve her town/country as an employee instead of an elected representative... unless she stays in a shitty job with a bunch of people she hates in a town she doesn't like and Ben buys his parents' depressing and terrible house and they get knocked up twice in two years by accident and Ben also hates his job and they just make smug jokes about their coworkers (who they hate) all day...NOTHING could be as bad as the Pam Beesley travesty.
no subject
unless she stays in a shitty job with a bunch of people she hates in a town she doesn't like and Ben buys his parents' depressing and terrible house and they get knocked up twice in two years by accident and Ben also hates his job and they just make smug jokes about their coworkers (who they hate) all day...NOTHING could be as bad as the Pam Beesley travesty.
Ahahahahaha, y-you make a depressingly accurate point. And you didn't even add that the show was character assassinating her and ret-conning that she's not funny and she's bad at pranks!!! UGH. STILL SO ANGRY AND SO SAD.
no subject
The last time I tuned in Pam was crying because now she was "JUST A FAT MOM." Then my brain exploded and I died and I'm writing this from heaven. Women get pretty good roles on TV here in the afterlife, more people should check it out!
no subject
OH MY GOD I KNOW, THE FAT MOM THING, THAT WAS TOTALLY MY LAST STRAW WITH THAT SHOW. Thanks for going ahead and putting a cherry on top of your Pam humiliation sundae, show!
no subject
The terrible thing is that I hadn't even watched the show in a couple of years at that point but my husband kept trying to get me to watch, so I was like fine, just one cold open AUGH GOD NO WHY. Even he was like "oops, okay, sorry, god, what the hell was that" and never made me watch it again.
no subject
no subject
This is the saddest thing I have ever read. RIP PAM.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I haven't actually watched The Office since -- wow, I think since Jim proposed? It's been forever, anyway. They got married and had a baby, that was all I'd heard, and I don't know what I was hoping for, but it was something a hell of a lot better than that.
I am legit bummed out now. :(
no subject