PARKS & RECREATION and the Mural of Shame

I have neglected my duties to the public servants of Pawnee and the loyal readers of GMMR. My day job has been as painful as the large mass in Ron Swanson’s foot lately, so I have been woefully short on time. Though I do not have access to a decent shoe shine vendor, I have made alternative plans to ensure that my Parks & Recreation recaps will be delivered on time from this point forward.

Before jumping into this week’s mural-intensive story, let me share a few thoughts about the “Ron & Tammy” episode. Before NBC’s marketing machine sent Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman for press interviews, I had no idea that Ron & Tammy were married in real life. Their onscreen interactions were hilarious, uncomfortable, and captivating. If you have ever loved someone a little too much (for much too long), it was easy to find some truth in the exaggerated histrionics between the two. Ron Swanson became, if only for one week, the personification of an alpha male desperate to hide a thick layer of sensitivity.

To Mike Schur and the P&R creative team, I ask one little favor. It would be hilarious to see Tammy attempt to break up Leslie’s team by recruiting one of her staff members. April would be the obvious choice, considering her non-traditional approach to work. However, Jerry makes the most sense. In fact, I would love to see Leslie try and convince Jerry that he is important to her team, considering the abuse that has been inflicted on the quiet bureaucrat all season. Would Jerry leave the department that spoiled his parents’ secret, ridiculed his criminal past, and demeaned his use of the term “murinal?” I do not know where he would end up, but that’s must-see TV!

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HOUSE: Teamwork

WARNING! The first paragraph of this post contains spoilers for last night’s episode of HOUSE.

As millions of viewers watched Allison Cameron leave Princeton Plainsboro behind, EW.com’s TV guru Michael Ausiello obtained actress Jennifer Morrison’s first public comments about her departure from the show. With news of her exit having flooded gossip sites for weeks, I was eager to hear the full story. What insider scoop came out of Morrison’s mouth, you ask?

“I find the entire situation sort of confusing,”

If I did not know that Jennifer Morrison had drawn paychecks for her contributions to House, I would have sworn that she was leaving a comment here on GMMR. As I watched tonight’s episode unfold, I was astounded at the rapid-fire string of events that precipitated Cameron’s decision to leave both her husband and her career behind. While the credits rolled, and I looked back at my notes, I wondered aloud what many readers have been typing for weeks.

Why Cameron? Why now?

The immediate impact of a Cameron-free diagnostic team appears to be a retread of familiar Season Five territory. Thirteen and Foreman exchanging longing looks while going about their job, Taub attempting to balance his personal and professional lives, all under House’s micro-managing eye. If you enjoy watching reruns of House on USA, this does not present a problem. For the rest of us, it is time to hit the panic button. In the absence of progress, these characters are either treading water or regressing. Faced with those kinds of creative potholes, many viewers may find themselves changing the channel.

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HOUSE: Known Unknowns

House returned to Fox’s primetime lineup this week after a baseball-induced hiatus, a delay that grew even more tiresome as the New York Yankees celebrated their 27th world championship. (Go Red Sox!) Despite my enthusiasm for new adventures in the world of Princeton Plainsboro, I spent the first half of the episode wondering if it was being shown out of order. No progress on Chase & Cameron? Wilson coaching House on how to get the “woman of his dreams?” I simply could not place this episode in the context of Season Six.

All was forgiven, however, when P.I. Lucas Douglas showed up as Cuddy’s secret admirer/babysitter. Veteran viewers will remember Lucas from his four episode arc early in Season Five, contracted by House to investigate friends and foes alike. Actor Michael Weston gave Lucas a lovable dash of honesty and forthrightness, filling the friendship void left by Wilson’s resignation following Amber’s death. Lucas Douglas was a hard working, yet quirky guy, fascinated by the machinations in House’s head. It was fair to say that Lucas was equally intrigued by House’s boss, a detail left stranded until this week’s payoff.

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PARKS AND RECREATION: Greg Pikitis

In the midst of a breakthrough second season, I have had very few complaints for the cast and crew of Parks and Recreation.  My biggest wish for P&R’s sophomore year was that the Pit debacle be replaced by a long term storyline that focused on the personal lives of Pawnee’s public servants.  Though stars Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones have onscreen romances to navigate, I have become fascinated by the unrequited love story between a man and his green card wife.

Aziz Ansari has shown considerable acting chops in Season Two.  Armed with a barrage of memorable one-liners and opportunities to show vulnerability, the young comedian adds more dimensions to Tom Haverford each week.  Tonight’s episode was Ansari’s best yet, particularly the revealing look at Tom’s true feelings for Wendy.  Hints of Tom’s affection may have been sprinkled into earlier episodes, but Ansari’s face said more than any indulgent monologue could have.  Tom Haverford is the life of the party, but we now understand who he is truly trying to impress.  Kudos to P&R’s creative guru Michael Schur for writing this scene and to director Dean Holland for letting the lens do the talking.

We may be entering new territory in TV fandom, as I cannot recall rooting for an onscreen husband and wife to consummate their marriage.  I am already looking forward to seeing more Tom/Wendy drama in the weeks ahead.  If they ever got married for the right reasons, imagine the size of the dance floor!

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PARKS AND RECREATION: Kaboom

I bought a car last week.  After my previous vehicle was stolen in the dead of night, I thought it wise to find something safe, sound, and affordable.  The best deal I found was on a used luxury sedan, priced far more reasonably than the tanks driven by my neighbors.  I am not a “car guy” by nature.  I could not tell you the difference between 4WD, AWD, and WD-40.  Though I began my search looking for a simple car to get from point A to point B, I am having great fun with the extra bells and whistles paid for by the original owner.

When Parks & Recreation premiered last year, Amy Poehler was enough “car” to get me to test drive the show.  Little did I know that the supporting cast would turn out to be the sitcom version of heated seats, keyless entry, and a Bose sound system!  This week’s episode featured the P&R crew in their full sports package.

Leslie Knope has become more endearing each week of Season Two, and I attribute the fuller character realization to Amy Poehler’s gift for dancing with different comedic partners.  Need to see Leslie struggle to figure out how to manage people effectively?  Plug in Aziz Ansari, whose playful demeanor with Poehler makes him the ideal example of a perplexing, yet impossibly likable, subordinate.  Want some girl talk from your female lead?  Call on Rashida Jones, who is never funnier than when Ann & Leslie are dealing with the ills of their personal lives.  Care for a little temper tantrum from your Deputy Director?  Schedule a meeting with Nick Offerman, because…..well, because he’s “Ron F’N Swanson,” that’s why!

Special recognition must be given to this week’s cold open.  The interplay between Leslie and her credit card company was vintage SNL Amy Poehler, aimlessly spinning her wheels to explain the array of “unique” purchases.  Is there anything cuter than a career woman who is obsessed with Gossip Girl?  Until Leslie confesses to watching Tool Academy on VH1, I think not!  Not to be outdone, Aziz Ansari has mastered a facial expression that mixes genuine surprise with childlike joy.  Any suggestions on a name for this trademarked look?  Tom welcomed the news of Leslie’s Harry Potter club membership as if he had just become a father for the first time.  Magical stuff!

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HOUSE: Brave Heart

The entertainment world has been short on big news lately. While showbiz insiders and bloggers whispered stories about how Jay Leno’s 10pm show is crippling the American economy, the average person has had little to get excited over. In this vacuum, a low-budget horror movie, “Paranormal Activity,” has given audiences a reason to jump from their seats. Playing to sold out audiences all across the country, the little flick has defied Hollywood’s norms and achieved “Blair Witch”-like cult status.

This week’s episode of House made me jump from my couch on several occasions. Unfortunately, it was to scream “NO!” in a panic, concerned that the show would take a disappointing turn for the worse.

My biggest source of fear was the looming presence of Amber in Wilson’s guest room, and House’s possible relapse. Hugh Laurie is always enjoyable to watch, but I almost hid my eyes during those critical moments, afraid that Anne Hudek would reappear as Wilson’s lost love. I was not a huge fan of last season’s closing arc, particularly the bait and switch tactics stemming from House’s hallucinations. Though my greatest fears were calmed by episode’s end, I shudder to think how mind-numbing this season would be if the writers had hit the reset button on House’s cognitive ailments.

Next on my list of fright-inducing scenes: the completely unnecessary “resurrection” of our patient of the week. Much like last season’s promos, the preview for this episode gave away a “shocking” moment for House and Foreman, so I anticipated Donny’s new lease on life. Instead, I was turned off by director Greg Yaitanes’ insistence on shooting that scene in the style of Eli Roth. Medical shows frequently tread the line between realism and appropriateness. In this case, I thought we could have done without the gratuitous use of the surgical drill.

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PARKS AND RECREATION: Sister City

My college years were spent in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to playing host to the 1996 Summer Olympics, the ATL is home to approximately six million Waffle House restaurants. If you have ever had the pleasure (and by pleasure, I mean the joy of punishing your internal organs with copious amounts of comfort food) of visiting the little diner with the big yellow sign, you may have learned a special phrase. Instead of ordering hash browns with specific toppings, longtime customers know to order them “Scattered, Covered, & Smothered.”

In breakfast terms, that expression indicates that your breakfast potatoes should be spread on the grill and topped with cheese and onions. In TV terms, it describes why my recap of this week’s Parks & Recreation took days to assemble. Despite a clever premise and a number of standout scenes, I cannot give this episode an enthusiastic thumbs up. Instead, I feel scattered, covered, and smothered by Fred Armisen’s overpowering presence as the leader of the Boraqua delegation.

As an admirer of the institution of Saturday Night Live, it pains me to direct any criticism at Fred Armisen, a genius at sketch comedy who has made me laugh out loud for years. His unique work during “Weekend Update” as Governor David Paterson, political comic Nicholas Fehn, and musician John Oates is the stuff of legend. Amy Poehler had the best seat in the house at the Update desk for those gems. The idea of reuniting the SNL veterans seemed like a no-brainer.

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