Parks and Rec ‘Bus Tour’: Finishing The Race

The Leslie Knope campaign has had its ups and downs, but ‘The Debate’ put most of its silly ancillary characters and side plots aside for the most political episode of the season. There were a lot of twists and a lot of laughs in last night’s Parks & Rec,  and it really made for a fantastic group effort. What I’ve really enjoyed about the campaign this season is how it handles two major storytelling tasks at once: first and foremost, it’s a great reminder of how much these people care about each other, and how far they’re willing to go for them.

It’s also the major plot arc of the season, and there hasn’t been a plot-heavy episode like ‘Bus Tour’ in quite a bit. Things begin rather innocently as the campaign trail is sprinting through its last 24 hours in an attempt to make up the 2 point-deficit Leslie is facing in the latest polls. The episode quickly sprawls out, spreading everyone out across Pawnee in different storylines all playing back into the fold.

The first of these to be introduced – and arguably, the least effective – is Andy’s investigation into the pie-throwing incident. Sure, a lot of the jokes are funny, but it all reeked of the show wanting to keep his goofiness out of the main story. While everyone is interacting with each other doing important tasks, Bert Maclin is dicking around, shoving pies into Jerry’s face. It was all a little obvious, but unfortunately, Andy and Jerry really isn’t the most entertaining pairing on the show, and felt like a throwaway batch of jokes.

The campaign itself was full of twists and turns, and encompassed Ron, Tom, and Donna’s side adventure to the auto shop. When they arrive, they find their contract and down payment for van rentals ripped up in favor of a massive $10,000 payment by the Newport campaign to prevent senior citizens from having transportation from the Knope campaign to voting booths. It all leads to Donna throwing her Benz in reverse and blackmailing the owner over insurance threats – which surpised the hell out of me. Remember the camping trip? It’s nice to see Donna take a little less stock in her car, and a lot more in the lives of her friends (did she even realize Ron got shot that time?). Even ancillary characters like Donna are allowed to grow on Parks & Rec, another reason why its a joy to watch.

Nick Newport’s death drives everything Leslie and co. do for the episode. In a nutshell, a lot of politicking takes place after Leslie calls the dead guy a jerk, and its revealed that Barkely isn’t going to end up getting paid for all the work she did on the campaign: there’s no reason her cell phone dialogue would’ve been in there had it not been the case (we’ll call it Chekov’s cell phone). More importantly though, all the wildness going on with Leslie shows us how much she’s matured since the early days of Parks & Rec, when the smallest issues brought on the biggest freak outs. She can handle herself under pressure much better than before, and whether she wins or loses, she’s obviously ready to be a leader.

But things are not as rosy as they seem. The episode ends with Barkely’s last ditch effort to save the campaign by zeroing in on poor Chris as her wild card. Chris has been in a downward spiral for the last half of the season – the lone dark spot in a sitcom full of sunshine-y moments and smiles – and Barkely has no idea what’s she taking advantage of. Chances are, he’s going to screw things up in some fashion by sleeping with her, and for him, his uphill battle against despair and depression could get a lot steeper if Newport wins.

Parks & Rec isn’t tipping its hand however, and things are going to continue to be ambiguous: the writers have already said that there’s been more than one ending filmed to the season, and critical/fan reactions (along with their still-unannounced fate for the 2012-13 season) are going to factor into the ending they pick. Either way, I’m sure it’ll be a hilarious finish to a pretty strong fourth season.

Grade: A-

Other thoughts/observations:

– The one scene Andy was in with everyone was hilarious: those code names had me rolling on the floor.

– not much for Tom to do in this episode but talk about a weird product and whine in the car. Hasn’t been a very strong season for his character… of all the main cast, he’s changed the least through its run, and his whining and childlike behaviors aren’t as endearing as they used to be.

– of course Joe from sewage was involved somehow.

– Chris and April have probably my favorite relationship on the show. They are a great comedic pair, but April genuinely cares about him, and their scene tonight was poignant and heartwarming, without feeling unearned or cheap.

– one of the best and funniest episodes of the season, penned and directed by none other than Amy Poehler. Hats off to her and her awesome talents.

What did you think of ‘Bus Tour’? Want to ride the SS Knope (not a sex joke)? Leave your thoughts/comments below!