tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post3925032497766743779..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Parks and Recreation, "94 Meetings": But a rich ain't oneAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11202770885882097372010-05-03T10:42:44.265-04:002010-05-03T10:42:44.265-04:00Decent episode, but I'm getting less and less ...Decent episode, but I'm getting less and less enthused about Parks & Rec with every episode. For me it's all about Ron, April and Andy, and this episode's Ron-April plot should have been great. I loved the idea and April's reactions (Aubrey Plaza is perfect in every scene), but I didn't feel they really communicated Ron's anger and annoyance at the meetings, and it didn't feel organic for him to blow up at her.<br /><br />It seems to me that the show has lost its way a little bit. Several other commenters have noted that Mark and Ann feel superfluous, and I don't really know what Tom wants now that his marriage is over. Ron and Leslie only seem to want the status quo (when Leslie should really be trying to get elected for something very soon - perhaps running in liberal opposition to Ron's libertarian campaign), and the April-Andy storyline is beginning to drag. I appreciate that they at least had Andy acknowledge the situation, but it's beginning to feel like the Andy-Erin saga on The Office, where it's drawn out a little too long. Maybe the producers really think the age difference is inappropriate (I don't) and don't want to go down that path, but then they need to address it very fast without killing these characters that offer the only real heart to this show right now.<br /><br />In more concrete complaints, I didn't care for the Gazebo-plot at all. I thought the idea of the mural was stupid (I've never liked those murals and I absolutely hate those jokes where the camera pulls out to show the context - there was a really horrible one in the Arrested Development pilot that I've never really been able to forgive) and it annoyed the hell out of me that Newport, Sr., was supposed to be 85 when the actor clearly was under 60. Was there a point to that?<br /><br />It's still a very funny show, but for me, it's not nearly in the same league as Community, which for me is probably the second best show on television right now (after Breaking Bad, obviously), and it's not even consistently better than The Office, which makes up for its many flaws with an abundance of heart. I really hope the writers have a solid gameplan for season 3, because while they've proven they can bring the laughs with this season, they haven't really been able to make the whole more than the sum of the parts yet, and I really fear the show's going to become as irrelevant as 30 Rock if they don't begin to bring some more story and heart to the table.Eriknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86446365134342007832010-05-02T15:24:10.822-04:002010-05-02T15:24:10.822-04:00"Thirty days hath September, April, March, an..."Thirty days hath September, April, March, and November" Hilarious! Best episode of anything I have seen in a while...definitely worth not studying to watch this!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10704617767252409015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-62434776688491526492010-05-02T09:46:39.885-04:002010-05-02T09:46:39.885-04:00Haha..great episode. AND April's sister was hi...Haha..great episode. AND April's sister was hilarious and adorable?? hoping they'll be writing her in again!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-67538942987876974542010-05-01T19:29:14.442-04:002010-05-01T19:29:14.442-04:00I thought the most brilliant part of the brilliant...I thought the most brilliant part of the brilliant episode was that her name is April and she doesn't know how many days March has.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60207618716843225192010-05-01T19:19:27.146-04:002010-05-01T19:19:27.146-04:00This episode made me actually laugh out loud ten t...This episode made me actually laugh out loud ten times. I love this show!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47064255527777248382010-05-01T17:02:49.804-04:002010-05-01T17:02:49.804-04:00This was the best of NBC's four comedies last ...This was the best of NBC's four comedies last night. I wouldn't say it was hilarious, many of the jokes weren't that funny, such as the Leslie/Gate gag. But it was a very enjoyable, pleasant half hour. It was a place I wanted to visit. At least this time.Tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10808430634708259813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-41545177230532927572010-05-01T12:39:20.963-04:002010-05-01T12:39:20.963-04:00Media Mindset said...
How can this show not be mor...Media Mindset said...<br />How can this show not be more popular, it's excellent.<br /><br />I have a couple of thoughts to explain the ratings.<br /><br />First, it's on NBC...<br /><br />Second, the first few episodes of Season 1 were terrible. I would imagine many people either tuned it out, or never tuned in because of this (I know I watched the first episode and didn't come back until a friend suggested I do so during the middle of this season...I've since gone back and watched all of Season 2). <br /><br />Third, and probably most controversially, it's still not that great of a show. It seems to have become trendy to call P&R the best comedy on television, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the Office and 30 Rock aren't as funny as they were in previous seasons, maybe it's because a certain segment of the television viewing public likes to have "favorites" with low Nielsen ratings and limited appeal to the public at large. Anyhow, P&R is a decent show, but isn't even close to the show that the Office and 30 Rock were in their heyday. With one notably exception (Offerman as Swanson), the cast is pretty average. I've found myself mentally tuning out of episodes where Offerman gets less airtime. Anyhow, like I said, it's still a solid sitcom, and better than most of what's out there, but it's still amazing to read reviews where people talk about laughing for all 30 minutes or the "brilliance" of the writing and performances.mrtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5375082965875831092010-05-01T05:43:37.764-04:002010-05-01T05:43:37.764-04:00Oh, show. I loved this ep.
Marchtember Oneteen...Oh, show. I loved this ep. <br /><br />Marchtember Oneteenth was pure brilliance. As was April's credible shoptalk about making an end run to the commissioner.<br /><br />Poehler's pregnancy was painfully obvious in several scenes, but I will gladly handwave that away because the show is hitting its marks so well.David Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09335200873939884814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-87387913441381312922010-05-01T00:51:04.954-04:002010-05-01T00:51:04.954-04:00loved the use of the title card, leaving us wonder...loved the use of the title card, leaving us wondering what the 94th meeting was going to be<br /><br />so glad to have the show back - the meetings being scheduled for march 31st just rubbed in how freakin' long it's been since the last episode<br /><br />i was also sure you'd be going with "just as soon as I spend a minute in my cologne cloud".par3182https://www.blogger.com/profile/03647653154201086767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72543408299619754572010-04-30T22:45:23.897-04:002010-04-30T22:45:23.897-04:00Among the abundance of funnies, Ron's "pl...Among the abundance of funnies, Ron's "please take your balls off my desk" was KING..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90398411245106760462010-04-30T20:10:17.682-04:002010-04-30T20:10:17.682-04:00Oh, Ann. There is no such thing as a "benign...Oh, Ann. There is no such thing as a "benign melanoma."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80060794821017855512010-04-30T19:21:15.681-04:002010-04-30T19:21:15.681-04:00Of NBC's four Thursday comedies, this is now t...Of NBC's four Thursday comedies, this is now the one I look forward to the most. So glad to (presumably) have a run of new episodes. <br /><br /><b>Alan</b> works Jay-Z into a Parks and Rec review. Well done, sir.Tom Farleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02587541338219405553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5701351967905220452010-04-30T17:19:16.974-04:002010-04-30T17:19:16.974-04:00I'm not sure if they're all there, but the...I'm not sure if they're all there, but the Murals of Pioneer Hall are online.<br /><br />http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/exclusives/murals/<br /><br />Also, I can't let a rundown of recurring peripheral characters go by without Joan Colamezzo of "Pawnee Today."Chalmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2816767929978794302010-04-30T17:16:05.260-04:002010-04-30T17:16:05.260-04:00How can this show not be more popular, it's ex...How can this show not be more popular, it's excellent. I did a post on my own blog about it too, hopeing to get some more people watching it. <br /><br />"I saw your penis"...lolAuthor https://www.blogger.com/profile/02460431730972843105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88328863861794773192010-04-30T16:09:15.613-04:002010-04-30T16:09:15.613-04:00I'm so glad to have a new episode of Parks. I ...I'm so glad to have a new episode of <i>Parks</i>. I was starting to wear out the <a href="http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/6-bee-episode-2-4810/1218512/" rel="nofollow">video</a> of the cast's appearance on <i>Late Night with Jimmy Fallon</i>.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/exclusives/aprils-calendar/" rel="nofollow">calendar</a> is a pretty amusing read in itself. For example: "Complaint: Park bathroom sinks don't work as bidets (no name given)." There are so many recurring peripheral characters (Dennis Feinstein, Jessica Wicks, Nick Newport Sr., Shauna Malwae-Tweep, Councilman Howser, etc.) that I'm not sure if I should recognize any of the names on the list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55819943292734626382010-04-30T15:37:41.832-04:002010-04-30T15:37:41.832-04:00The legendary Duke Silver is a saxophone player, n...The legendary Duke Silver is a saxophone player, not a singer. (He may sing, but he's known for his smooth saxamaphone stylings.) That is all.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16206260167586222129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10248388370316791882010-04-30T14:52:10.028-04:002010-04-30T14:52:10.028-04:00Nobody wants to comment on the new mural Leslie wa...Nobody wants to comment on the new mural Leslie was standing in front when she explained who Trumbell was? Every one of those has been comedy gold and this one was no exception. I would love to see them online.<br /><br />"Unfortunately, they were both horses."Col Bat Guanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701639208292077115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-46469353154581966622010-04-30T14:47:01.052-04:002010-04-30T14:47:01.052-04:00I missed this show, so glad its back! I think Andy...I missed this show, so glad its back! I think Andy could do absolutely anything and he'd crack me up. But the biggest laugh for me was when Leslie chucked the keys at Tom. Didn't expect it and loved it. I really enjoy all the relationships between all the characters on the show. So much fun to watch. 30 Rock use to be my favorite Thursday night show, but P&R tops it now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61722878455179167152010-04-30T14:35:01.573-04:002010-04-30T14:35:01.573-04:00April's mom probably was excited to meet Duke ...April's mom probably was excited to meet Duke Silver, but she seems like the type to be excited over meeting ANYBODY.<br /><br />Anyone else notice this episode had a title card? I wonder if this will become a regular thing. Sitcoms typically don't give episode titles (on the air, anyway), and only a handful of dramas do this.<br /><br /><br />I wanted to see more of the party. The wedding picture was one of the best murinals...uh, murals at Town Hall yet.<br /><br />Poor Jerry.<br /><br />The Ann and Mark thing would have made more sense if we'd seen more of the characters hanging out outside of the workplace. Leslie's worries are logical, but not fully developed in the context of the show. And she's already moved on from Mark with two pretty cool guys, so he's not worth getting hung up over (no offense to Paul Schneider, who is a good actor and awesome person).<br /><br />Aw, Andy's still fighting his feelings for April! <br /><br />Ron Swanson: Nothing needs to be said. I hope Ty Burrell enters his name as lead actor at the Emmys, because for supporting, Nick Offerman has it tied up. Piven be damned!Zack Smithhttp://www.zswriter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88867202296835059422010-04-30T14:23:31.206-04:002010-04-30T14:23:31.206-04:00I laughed for about five minutes at the throwaway ...I laughed for about five minutes at the throwaway line by the beauty queen golddigger about how she met Newport at the hospital because "his blood dudn't work."barefootjimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02619403344304134318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76331920927683513732010-04-30T14:04:13.691-04:002010-04-30T14:04:13.691-04:00What was the 94th meeting supposed to be?
The &qu...<i>What was the 94th meeting supposed to be?</i><br /><br />The "one more" with April, in which she tells Rons she quits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45698287319728628632010-04-30T13:51:55.533-04:002010-04-30T13:51:55.533-04:00Okay, maybe I'm really dense, but at the begin...Okay, maybe I'm really dense, but at the beginning of the episode Ron tells Leslie there are 93 meetings. But the episode is called 94 meetings. What was the 94th meeting supposed to be? Ron and April's parents?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-91170575114762413402010-04-30T13:39:40.955-04:002010-04-30T13:39:40.955-04:00Actually April's mom did seem overly excited t...Actually April's mom did seem overly excited to meet Ron, so I'm assuming April had already told her that her boss is Duke Silver, but to never bring it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42350866560841405132010-04-30T12:50:35.780-04:002010-04-30T12:50:35.780-04:00why didn't April's mom seem more excited t...why didn't April's mom seem more excited to meet Duke Silver?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55891610864267895092010-04-30T12:44:21.255-04:002010-04-30T12:44:21.255-04:00Wow, thanks for your comment blinky. No one cares ...Wow, thanks for your comment blinky. No one cares what you think. I thought the moment with April's sister was executed perfectly, it was such a spot on impression I had to watch it several times. And I think Mrs. Ludgate didn't freak out about Duke Silver being at her door is April probably told her that Duke Silver was her boss, and the general double life situation there.Fidelity Castrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09373177884969595675noreply@blogger.com