Parks and Recreation. Episode 8, Season 7.

Parks and Recreation: Episode 8, Season 7

Picture Credit: NBC

"Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington"

Synopsis:

Ben has figured out that April wants to leave government work and is pressuring April to tell Leslie during their work trip to D.C. While they are away Andy has enlisted the group to find April a new job. One of the main ideas is to have her work with Ron. Who apparently works with his brothers that nobody knew he had. Leslie freaks out April by showing her the binder she made that plans out April's next five years career-wise in the government (it came with matching "Gov Buds for Life" shirts). Ben, Andy, and Ron try Ben's old accounting firm for a job for April next. They try to charm Barney into giving April the job once Andy realizes that the consultant job is for her. Unfortunately they have finished taking applications.

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Meanwhile Leslie is offered a DC job as Deputy Director of Operations. She immediately accepts. When Leslie tells April (who she wants to come to DC with her) about it April snaps and says that she is leaving government work. Leslie doesn't take it well and storms off. Madeline Albright convinces Leslie that she is overlooking April's feelings. Leslie takes April to the American Service Foundation (an organization that pairs people with careers in public service) to have them help April find her new career. It turns out that April wants to work there! Nobody tells Ben, Andy, and Ron this. After Andy scared Barney by approaching him wearing an April mask with fireworks Ben and Ron make a presentation and get Barney to consider meeting with April. That's when they get the call that April got the job in D.C. Awkward...

Review:
This episode seemed to just be to move the minor plot (April's job choice) along. The only major plot point they touch is Leslie taking the job in D.C., but not much time was spent on it. I did love the part with Ron's brothers though.

MY GRADE: B-

Reviewer's Quotes:
The first half hour of P&R made for great TV. It actually wound up giving April a whole new direction in life that makes sense for her character and also promoted Leslie to a new power position in the nation’s capital. This season is doing a fantastic job in setting up the futures for these characters throughout the season instead of just finishing everyone’s arc in the series finale like most shows. -  Tajaye Williams

Ratings/Share: 1.1/3          Viewers: 3.06 million

Parks and Recreation: Episode 7, Season 7

Parks and Recreation: Episode 7, Season 7

Picture Credit: NBC

"Donna and Joe"

Synopsis:

Donna and Joe's wedding is approaching. April is the maid of honor and her main job is to keep Donna's family in line. The Meagle's hold grudges and start fights wherever they go. Lucy gets freaked out by Ron telling her that Tommy said that he would marry her tomorrow. Jenn Barkley, a high powered Washington player, shows up at Leslie and Ben's door after they've been dodging her calls. She wants Ben to run for Congress. Ben can't decide what he wants. Craig is taking no prisoners as the wedding planner.

Gif Credit: PhD in TV Watching

April is shutting down the Meagle family drama like a drill sergeant while Ron tries to clean up his Lucy blunder. Ben is seeing if he would be a congressmen so he tries to give a toast at the rehearsal dinner. In the morning he realizes that he drunkenly told Jenn he would run.

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Before the wedding starts Ron forces Lucy and Tom to fix their problems. Ben gets ambushed by reporters and gives a great speech about running for Congress. Donna misses the Meagle drama so April releases the crazy. Also Terry/Jerry/Garry is finally going to be called by his real name, Larry. Her estranged brother appears to yell about a feud over a microwave.

 Gif Credit: PhD in TV Watching Tumblr

Review:
The episode was "meh" for Parks and Rec. I feel like there was so much they could do with Donna's wedding. Instead they tried to shove so many extra things in that many opportunities were lost. Donna's family is a goldmine that they did not utilize! While I appreciate QuestLove playing her estranged brother I wanted to know more. The same sentiment applies to Craig's position as the wedding planner. The time hop wasn't referenced as much in this episode as well. The best part of the episode? Ben and Leslie's pajamas. They match and the shirts say "Willy Wonka and the Policy Factory".

Pic Credit: Confessions of a Pawnee Citizen Tumblr

MY GRADE: B

Reviewer's Quotes:
"Donna and Joe" not only brought everyone together for one event, but it opened up a whole new seasonal story with Ben's congressional run. There's been a lot of campaigning on this series so I hope the show finds a way to keep it fresh." - Matt Fowler, IGN

Ratings/Share: 1.2/4               Viewers: 3.45 Million

Parks and Recreation: Episode 6, Season 7

Parks and Recreation: Episode 6, Season 7

Picture Credit: NBC

"Save J.J.'s"

Synopsis: 

     Tom surprises Donna with "Treat Yo Self 2017" in Beverly Hills. They bond over guilt-free shopping and spa treatments, but Tom is still focused on his problems with recently single Lucy. Meanwhile Leslie, Ron, Ben, and April continue the fight against Gryzzl over the land Leslie wants for a national park. Gryzzl is trying to win over Pawnee after data mining all of their texts/emails/web history with failing PR stunts. 

Gif Credit: Hulu Tumblr

     Elsewhere in Pawnee J.J.'s Diner is going out of business due to someone, Pawnee's cologne empire's Dennis Feinstine, buying out the lease. The Parks & Rec group try to save it with a rally but are outdone by Feinstine's use of cologne hoses on the crowd. They revise their plan. The solution is to move J.J.'s Diner to the affordable (bad/raccoon infested part of town) Beach View Terrace, which they will clean up and make safe. 

Gifs Credit: gerperdy Tumblr

     Leslie and Ron find a way to kill 2 birds with one stone by convincing Gryzzl to buy Beach View Terrace to build their new campus on. It's cheaper and a great PR move would be donating the land in the forest to make a park. Tom also comes to a conclusion about his feelings with Lucy, after Donna's advice, and is taking Lucy to Donna's wedding as his date.

Review: 

     I loved this episode. It brought back the fan favorite "Treat Yo Self" and the talented Jason Mantzoukas to play over-the-top Dennis Feinstine. This episode also tied two big plot points up quite nicely. Whatever residual split was left over after Ron and Leslie's feud is now healed. The Gryzzl conflict is now resolved as well. All while they advanced Tom and Lucy's relationship, had April figuring out her professional life, and gave us another teaser of Donna's future husband Joe . 

Gif Credit: shawnasgonnagif Tumbler

#BFFs

     With every time hop episode they poke fun at the future in both real and funny ways. They had Will Smith's son starring in Hitch 2: Son of a Hitch, Lebron going back to Miami, and a collection of weird spa treatments (nail liposuction and elbow bedazzling). What was too real was the data mining. It makes you think how much of your life you are signing away to companies like Google and Facebook.

MY GRADE: A+

Reviewer's Quotes: "Hopefully future episodes give the time jump more of a heft, but, at the end of the day, Parks and Recreation is still Parks and Recreation." - Mitchel Broussard, We Got This Covered

Ratings/Share: 1.4/4               Viewers: 3.47 million