PARKS AND RECREATION: Canvassing
April 18, 2009 by Erik Wilkinson
My apologies to Erik and PARKS & RECREATION fans for just posting this now. Still in L.A. and as luck would have it I have no internet connection in the hotel. Posting is almost impossible…not entirely impossibly (as you are reading this now), but it’s not easy. Thanks for your patience.
With last week’s pilot receiving mixed reviews, the Parks & Recreation staff must have felt a tinge of pressure leading into their sophomore effort. Though I enjoyed the premiere, my expectations were that another visit with the folks from Pawnee would provide funnier moments and a clearer direction for each of the primary characters. In the spirit of subcommittee lingo, I am happy to report that progress is being made on both those fronts, and ask that we reconvene in seven days to gather additional information!
The decision to send the P&R team on canvassing missions exposed a schism that can be used to produce humorous moments each week. In one corner, we feel Leslie Knope’s steadfast belief in the power of public service. In the other corner, we hear the citizens of Pawnee express their skepticism about local government’s capacity to effect change in a positive way. When those two forces collide, hilarity ensues.
With Greg Daniels and Michael Schur at the helm, I was confident that P&R would find the funny in the most uncomfortable moments. Beginning with the cold open, when Tom conveniently forgot to supply the most important ingredient for an Easter Egg Hunt, there were several unforgettable scenes. My mouth literally dropped open when Mark, Tom, and April discovered that they were interviewing a registered sex offender. Paul Schneider’s delivery of the line, “April, please stand behind me,” made me double over in my chair. Later, Leslie’s decision to question Kate Spivack’s affection for her children showed that Ms. Knope’s world view omits any respect for people who oppose parks!
Along with a funnier script, this episode provided better material to develop Amy Poehler’s supporting cast. Though Ron Swanson and Tom Haverford are vastly different people, both characters are accurately seen as opportunists. After a scathing indictment of the usefulness of government last week, Mr. Swanson jumped on the fast track bandwagon when the City Manager dropped by to seek his approval. Regardless of his personal opinion that, “It’s horrifying,” to see taxpayer dollars used for projects like the park, Ron will not put his neck on the line over principle. At the other end of the hall, I was amused by Tom’s Bluetooth-driven quest to find contractors who could offer him gifts, perks, or other considerations. After a disastrous first week, when I found his character mean spirited and unfunny, Aniz Asnari stepped up his game and embraced the caricature of Tom as a brash networker, focused on personal gain.
The critical town hall meeting was executed perfectly, and offered the best evidence yet as to why Amy Poehler can be a top notch sitcom star. To follow the character of Leslie Knope each week, we must have reasons to root for her. Leslie’s uneven relationship with her mother is a great start. After meeting Mrs. Knope for just a few minutes, who isn’t rooting for Leslie to exceed her mother’s expectations and build the proposed park? Later, as the angry mob began to stir, Leslie’s filibuster became an instant classic, worthy of saving to your DVR. As someone who appreciated Amy Poehler’s range of characters on Saturday Night Live, I thought it was brilliant to make Leslie deal with her anxieties by plowing forward, galvanized by her sense of what is right. The history (and future) of Pawnee, Indiana has never been told with such pluck! I thought Leslie might have been deterred by the barrage of negative feedback. Instead, we heard this:
Citizen: Hey park lady…you suck!
Leslie: Hear that? He called me park lady.
Since it is still early in the P&R run, I would encourage you to stop by the City of Pawnee home page at www.pawneeindiana.com. The writers have clearly spent a lot of time fashioning this tribute to inefficiency and indifference to one’s constituents.
What made you laugh in this episode? Who are your favorite characters? Did this week’s town meeting change your feelings about Leslie Knope? Has Tom already bitten off more than he can chew with his bribery schemes? With two episodes down, I am curious to hear what you think of P&R.
How does Erik combat writer’s block? He indulges in Adam Carolla’s new daily podcast at carollaradio.com and reads Bill Simmons’ columns on ESPN.com. Along with covering Parks & Recreation and House for GMMR, Erik is currently searching for the secret recipe for Dippin’ Dots.
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I liked this episode more then the pilot (hilarious cold open), but at the same time the Lisa Knope / Michael Scott characters became more similar then less similar. The whole “Park Lady, you suck” exchange was 100% a Michael Scott reaction. During canvassing the “if you don’t want this park, you don’t love your children” would have been classic Michael Scott as well. I find that bothersome and possibly a little lazy.
I’m still loving Ron Swanson and i’m hoping he’ll get more screen time in the coming episodes. I thought the Tom character really shined this episode. He brought more of the funny and less of the mean spirited this time around. At this point i’m finding the supporting characters more enjoyable and entertaining then Ms. Knope. I don’t think Amy Poehler is at fault. I think its the material retread child-like adult with a big heart material she’s been given.
I thought overall though it was a great episode–had me laughing from beginning to end.
I thought this episode was a vast improvement over the pilot, and I was laughing out loud throughout as well. I thought that they did a great job expanding the supporting characters (particularly Tom and Mark who were both awesome), and bringing in more complications/involvement related to the park project (Leslie’s mother and the City Manager). I was wondering how this project could be long-term enough to carry the show for a while, but I see that they’ll be dragging it out and inserting new but realistic complications and I like where it’s going.
I thought the pilot was funny but didn’t see a show with a group that I cared about (but is it even realistic to expect that from a pilot?). The canvassing ep did a great job in cementing the group of Mark, Leslie, Tom, Ann and even the reluctant April and the goofy Andy as a united force in their mission.
I enjoyed the whole episode overall, but my biggest laugh came when Ann and Leslie arrived at Ann’s house after canvassing and opened the door to see Mark, April and Andy playing Rock Band: “Please tell me, please tell me why!!!!!!” That whole scene, from the caught expressions on everyone’s faces to Pratt’s wailing to Leslie throwing her clipboard down in anger, was so great. Also, I loved the exchange at the town hall meeting between Andy and the neighbour who lives with his grandmother about Andy’s loud music which keeps waking the neighbour’s expensive birds at night. I understand that Andy doesn’t work for the City or have any kind of involvement other than breaking his legs, but I’d love to see him stick around (maybe Leslie gets him a job in her office???) because Pratt is funny as hell. I would love to see the Andy and Tom antics that would be sure to ensue if the two of them worked in the same office.
Anyhow, I’m really glad you’re covering the show Erik! After episode 2 I’m definitely excited to see more. BTW – did you catch SNL last night? Best of Poehler!! Funny stuff.
My new motherly mantra… “In or out Leslie, doorway is creepy.”
Oh man, that Rock Band scene WAS golden.
I think that’s the problem for me–there are one or two hilarious moments and the rest are kind of boring. And at the top of the boring list for me? Rashida Jones. Sorry.
I have to agree with Ryan’s comment above. There is far too much Michael Scott in Leslie Knope. I do my hardest to put The Office out of my head when I watch P&R, but the similarities are too glaring. The writing and directing credits for this episode were given to people who have no affiliation with TO, so it doesn’t make much sense to me that Leslie became more like Michael Scott in this episode. It’s interesting that Greg Daniels was able, by the time the second episode of season 1 aired, to make Michael very different than the original David Brent character, but he has not been able to create a character different from Michael. I did love the supporting characters and the Rock Band scene though! And I’m not giving up on the show!
Ryan: The comparisons between Leslie Knope and Michael Scott, both as people and as professionals, can be interpreted in different ways. With such a small sample of scenes to choose from, I would agree that the producers & writers of P&R have offered parallels that stand out to the audience.
There is no question that launching a new show requires a number of trade-offs in the battle between art and commerce. When Greg Daniels & Michael Schur sit down with NBC executives to map out this program, it is difficult to imagine that they were not encouraged to rely on a compelling, yet flawed main character, as well as the tone and style that brought success to The Office. Otherwise, the advertising blitz for the show would be impossible to implement. “From the producers of The Office, but containing absolutely no similarities to our most successful show among the most affluent segment of the viewing public, Parks & Recreation!”
For now, it is a necessary evil to insert a mix of “Michael Scott-like” moments, because Amy Poehler’s star power will sink or swim the P&R boat. Hopefully, that cruise will not involve Steve Carell screaming that the ship is sinking 🙂
The most important factor for this week was your comment that the show “had me laughing from beginning to end.” I agree that the funny factor was increased by a significant factor, and that trend must continue for the remaining four chapters.
Ryan: The comparisons between Leslie Knope and Michael Scott, both as people and as professionals, can be interpreted in different ways. With such a small sample of scenes to choose from, I would agree that the producers & writers of P&R have offered parallels that stand out to the audience.
There is no question that launching a new show requires a number of trade-offs in the battle between art and commerce. When Greg Daniels & Michael Schur sit down with NBC executives to map out this program, it is difficult to imagine that they were not encouraged to rely on a compelling, yet flawed main character, as well as the tone and style that brought success to The Office. Otherwise, the advertising blitz for the show would be impossible to implement. “From the producers of The Office, but containing absolutely no similarities to our most successful show among the most affluent segment of the viewing public, Parks & Recreation!”
For now, it is a necessary evil to insert a mix of “Michael Scott-like” moments, because Amy Poehler’s star power will sink or swim the P&R boat. Hopefully, that cruise will not involve Steve Carell screaming that the ship is sinking 🙂
The most important component for this week was your comment that the show “had me laughing from beginning to end.” I agree that the funny factor was increased by a significant factor, and that trend must continue for the remaining four chapters.
Before I respond to Nicole’s observations, I offer my humble apologies for the double post above. I used the term “factor” twice in the last paragraph, and my desire to improve my use of synonyms compelled me to take a stab at stopping my first post from getting through.
Nicole: You did a superb job of describing the character arcs that appear to be vital in broadening the show’s focus beyond The Pit. Though the relationship between Leslie Knope and her Mom will offer ammunition to those who argue that Leslie shares too many characteristics with Michael Scott, I believe that the Mother/Daughter dynamic has been explored far too rarely in a sitcom format. Amy Poehler has a unique opportunity to tell these stories from a feminine perspective, and the combination of nerves and anxiety that she injects into Leslie’s reactions to her mother are spot-on.
Andy’s role in P&R appears to be as an unexpected nuisance to Leslie’s plans, as demonstrated by his failure to successfully play the “cute FDR” at the public forum and his recruitment of Leslie’s staff to temporarily join Just The Tip (love that name). Chris Pratt is making the most of his screen time, and is in danger of completely overshadowing his on-screen love (more on that below).
It’s great to read your comments here and on other threads at GMMR! Keep writing, and we’ll keep chatting…
CFO: Has a new character ever crystallized her personality faster than Mrs. Knope? Delivering that line, to her own daughter, told us right away that their relationship was not the stuff of gossip and unconditional love.
SB: I think we share a spirit of optimism for our favorite shows, which come out in your brilliant Chuck discussions, but your point about Rashida Jones is fair. The character of Ann Perkins was relegated to that of “straight man” this week, and that role diminishes Jones’ ability to showcase her comedic skills. Though Karen Filippelli was never the funniest character at Dunder Mifflin, there were numerous moments when Rashida was able to use subtle and understated methods of humor. The clock is ticking for similar instances from her on P&R…
Totally, Erik. And I DO like the show–I actually think Aziz Ansari is HILARIOUS, I love him in everything, and drunk Leslie cracks me up and I even am entertained by that douchey boyfriend. I think the nice guy on the committee (I forget his name, the planner guy) is different enough from Jim and I like him too. I think they have a lot of quality elements, and I’m still hoping that they can make it all come together. The boss guy (again with the not remembering of the names) had a great David Brent moment too. Total optimism. But Rashida’s character does need some work.
Angela: I would suggest that P&R has one production element that will help it become disjointed from The Office over time, that being the use of alternate sets and outdoor locations. We rarely catch the Dunder Mifflin folks in unusual places, and I feel like P&R could use the town of Pawnee in a more defining role than Scranton plays in The Office.
Beginning with The Pit, the most unusual centerpiece of a sitcom that I can remember, and including Ann & Andy’s “Raggedy” house (sorry, I just love that play on words, lazy as it is) of horrors, the physical options available to the P&R crew could be a secret weapon in their struggle to forge an identity.
If they keep bringing the funny, and allow Aniz Asnari to grow into a more appealing character, I think we could see the audience grow slowly and steadily, 30 Rock style!
SB: I just saw a matinee of “Observe & Report” yesterday, and Aniz Asnari completely steals the movie during his exchanges with Seth Rogen. If the opportunities to nail a one liner continue to show up in P&R scripts, Tom Haverford will deliver. As for Andy, am I alone in wishing that they could produce a webisode version of “Behind The Music: Just the Tip?”