What I’m Watching: Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation: Season 6, Episode 14 “Anniversaries” (B)

This episode was fun, but I think some of it was a bit too literal and might have worked better had it been subtler. Much as it’s just like Leslie to always be too busy being out saving the world to actually be around for Ben’s marvelous day of surprises, it was a shame not to have her see the time and effort that he put into surprising her, his scrapbooking abilities notwithstanding. Spending the entire day with Jerry was far less satisfying, though I did enjoy Ben’s theory that Gail had been hypnotized and never woken up from her trance. Leslie’s plan to sway public opinion in her favor was just as well-meaning but ill-conceived as ever, and the Eagleton-Pawnee couple she found was almost as dysfunctional as the radio hosts who couldn’t get along on their newly merged show. The ultimate solution of a young people’s committee was great, and it’s fun to see the next generation contributing their ideas. April attacking Donna online and Donna subsequently messing with April was an enjoyable and therapeutic interaction for two people not superbly versed in how to humanly communicate their emotions. Ron’s latest discovery of twenty-first-century technology was just as typically antiquated as his ideals usually are, and his brief, rather vicious letters were very funny. I liked his brief conversation with the vegan restaurateur who came in to dispute his letter, and his simple but sharply-worded note to frozen yogurt as an entity and the entire country of Canada.