PARKS & RECREATION: The Practice Date

I feel obligated to reveal a few fun facts about myself before recapping this week’s PARKS & RECREATION. On my first attempt to drive, I totaled a car and almost killed an innocent horse. During college, I sold popular toys like Tickle Me Elmo and Power Rangers to pay for cheap pizza and Mountain Dew. While I enjoy a variety of live music, I have seen Dave Matthews Band in concert 35 times. Finally, there is an image floating online of me wearing a Tweety Bird hat, a fashion faux pas that I cannot explain or justify.

Now cleansed of a few embarrassing foibles, I can get back to business. In the midst of a gigantic night of comedy on NBC, the P&R team offered a fast-paced and hilarious lead-in to Jim & Pam’s nuptials.

Harris Wittels may not be a household name, but his script for “The Practice Date” provided moments for each cast member to shine. There were hosts of moments to celebrate, but I want to focus on the cold open. The 24 hour cable networks have been fed a steady diet of political confessionals recently. It would be easy to attach a left or right leaning tilt to the P&R creative team, were it not for an absurdly entertaining speech given by Councilman Bill Dexhart:

“And to my wife, I apologize. All I can say is, I wasn’t just having sex. I was making love to a beautiful woman…and her boyfriend…and a third person whose name I never learned! Furthermore, it was wrong of me to say I was building houses for the underprivileged when I was actually having four-way sex in a cave in Brazil.”

Rather than laugh during Dexhart’s statement, I felt my jaw drop alongside those of Leslie Knope and her team in Pawnee. Though the speech itself was outrageous, it was a brilliant piece of writing, simultaneously humoring the audience and setting the plot of the show in motion. By episode’s end, each of our favorite P&R characters had faced down their own personal and political failings.

Surprisingly, the episode’s two most intriguing characters were unknown by audiences just days ago.

Jerry, the department’s lone holdout in participating in the dirt game, ended up as the big loser. In episodes’ past, Jerry was simply a background bureaucrat, who only spoke up when gift baskets arrived in the Parks & Recreation office. This week, we learned (along with Jerry) that he was an adopted child, incapable of making good choices about public urination, and recovered from a fire engine accident only with the skilled hands of a plastic surgeon. Unlike most sitcoms, who live and die by being obsessed with their main characters, the P&R writers have mined comedy gold by showcasing the team behind the desks at City Hall. Veteran TV actor Jim O’ Heir was responsible for putting Jerry’s reactions together, and I would welcome a future story where he can seek revenge on those who have verbally assaulted him.

With all due respect to Jerry, this episode may always be remembered as “The Duke Silver Show.” Ron Swanson was already a fan favorite, and America’s favorite Libertarian was in fine form this week, describing his 10 point scale of human beauty, simply stating, “I’ll have your wife tonight,” and eliciting a spit take from me with his discovery of Tom’s “Taliban Robes.” However, Ron’s jazzier alter ego is an instant classic. Beginning with Mark’s mysterious clues to find Duke Silver, and Tom’s wide smile as the legend hit the stage, the payoff of seeing a bar full of cougars “loving the Duke” was timeless. If the TV gods exist, we must see Nick Offerman don the Duke’s duds again. The NBC Store needs to add some Duke Silver merchandise to its shelves immediately, or they may be missing the boat on the biggest piece of product placement since the Dwight Schrute Bobblehead.

Need more of the Duke? Visit his website at www.dukesilver.com.

There were plenty of other fun moments, including Leslie Knope’s ill-fated practice date and subsequent visit to Officer Dave’s house. Rashida Jones had her best episode of the season, bringing the funny in her scenes with both Amy Poehler and Paul Schneider. I am still not sold on the Ann/Mark pairing, but their vibe tonight was far more flirty and believable than in weeks past.

Parks & Recreation is the most consistent and fast-paced sitcom on television this season. Tired of shows that get bogged down with endless plot twists and unfunny dialogue? Try P&R. Bored with other sitcoms that never let their main character be the butt of the joke? Try P&R. Disappointed that the reality show you are watching is giving you a jungle-sized feeling of deja vu? Try P&R.

For the love of Amy Poehler, give the people of Pawnee a chance. Then come back to GMMR and share your comments!

Do you have any secrets to share? When is the new Duke Silver CD dropping? Will Jerry go postal over the litany of personal attacks he endured this week? What do you think about the chemistry between Amy Poehler and Louis C.K.?

Wasn’t it nice to have Rashida Jones back on the comedic side of the table?

Erik’s summer was wasted with marathons of The Next Food Network Star and MTV’s 16 & Pregnant. After weeks of comparing risotto dishes and dishonest baby daddies, he is thrilled to be writing about House and Parks & Recreation for GMMR again.