BLOGS

Parks and Recreation: Who Earned Which Badge Last Night?

This is exactly why I've been holding out and grading so harshly these past few weeks: "Pawnee Rangers" nailed every single character -- I even laughed at Ann's dialogue! Instead of literally giving every single Pawnee resident an A, let's switch things up with a Parks and Recreation badge ceremony.

Chris
Badges: Lab Rat Tumor Knowledge Badge, Retroactively Accepting Invitations Badge, Uncomfortably Forward Badge, Literal Facebook Likes Badge, Kale Salad Passing Badge, Most Promising Storyline of a Minor Character Badge
Best moment of the night: Not used to hornball Chris, and I've got to say that I'm a big fan. I laughed out loud when he startled Jerry.

Jerry
Badges: Forgotten Pawnee Ranger Badge, Respectful Dad Badge, Tender Hug Enjoyer Badge, Horrified Face Badge
Best moment of the night: Anyone else feel a sense of joy to find out that Jerry's daughter Millicent is a stone-cold fox? It was not unlike the scene in "I'm Leslie Knope" when we learned that the old man is well-endowed. Sure, they're cheap little additions to his character that don't actually matter, but go Jerry!

Andy
Badges: Brother Nature Badge, Glorious Female Warrior Badge, First Annual Leslie Knope Remote Control Speedboat Race Winner Badge (probably)
Best moment of the night: If you didn't catch it the first time, go back and watch him give his Goddess initiation pledge. His facial expressions are glorious.

April
Badges: Violent Tattoo Badge, Creative Tattoo Badge, Best Performance for One Minute of Screentime Badge
Best moment of the night: Her laptop's background image... aww.

Ann
Badges: Corn Husk Monster Badge, Warmth Provider Badge, Rejected Peanut Brittle Badge, I Love Lucy Fan Badge, Desperate Fisherwoman Badge, Long Overdue Exploration of a Character's Inner Psyche Badge
Best moment of the night: "Feels pretty good to have a bunch of little boys be super into me... that came out wrong."

Donna
Badges: Rubber Band Outreach Badge, Fine Leather Goods Badge, Nubian Princess Badge, Acupuncture Advocacy Badge, Expensive Crystal Beetle Badge
Best moment of the night: Could Donna have killed it more in this episode? Three cheers for her fashion show with Tom and the look on her face when she saw Ben's version of treating himself.

Tom
Badges: Magnificent Entrance Badge, Selfish Cupcake Badge, Plaza Eagleton Burberry Badge (all three!), Cashmere Velvet Candy Cane Badge, Chickenhead Catching Badge, Dark Knight Quoting Badge
Best moment of the night: Three words: "Why so serious?"

Ben
Badges: Game of Thrones Fantasy-Crossover Badge, Expired Free Meatball Sub Card from Ray's Badge, Pathetic Soup Eating Badge of Sadness, Anti-Acupuncture Advocacy Badge, Rare Coin Lover Badge, Sock Bankruptcy Badge, Treat Yo Self Badge, Broken Heart Badge, Router-Adjusting Badge
Best moment of the night: If I have to pick, it was the acupuncture trembling or anything said/done in the Batman costume, but Ben's performance was simply outstanding last night.

Ron Swanson
Badges: Internet Pad Banning Badge, Handbook Writing Badge, Falling Silent at One's Own Wedding Badge, Multipurpose Canvas Sheet Badge, Beans Reward Badge, Opening Statement in a Public Forum Badge, Lonely Camper Badge, No Fun At All Badge
Best moment of the night: The tears collecting in his eyes when he read Leslie's ad for the Swansons.

Leslie
Badges: Freaking Awesome Badge, Badge Hander-Outer Badge, Annabelle Van Der Graff Little Lady Badge, "Say It" Badge, International Cuisine Appreciation Badge, Creative Presentation of the Bill of Rights Badge, 70/30 Annoyed/Proud Badge, Equality Preservation Badge, Candy Selection Badge, Puppy Party Planner Badge, Ad Posting Friendship Badge
Best moment of the night: The tension between her and Little Leslie Knope Monster/ Pawnee Goddess Lauren. And she totally deserves the Prettiest Eyes Badge she awarded herself -- and then some.

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13 Comments

October 14, 2011 10:27 AM
Rachel
Reply

This was hands down one of the best episodes EVER. And not just of this show... of all television. Every single character killed it!

October 14, 2011 11:40 AM
Trace
Reply

I really wanted Ron's former child protege, Lauren, to show up in this episode. Was she there and I missed her? I bet she'd be a great Swanson. She knows Government doesn't matter!

October 14, 2011 11:58 AM
Dallen
Reply

Good episode, but I found it a little disturbing and cruel how Leslie went all out to completely destroy Ron's outing/group through excessive temptations and then had the gall to secretly create a new club on his behalf. I would be seriously pissed with her.

October 14, 2011 12:10 PM
michkabibbles
Reply
replied to comment from Trace

I thought she was the little girl who was the main devil's advocate, arguing with Leslie to let the boy into their group. And I thought she was in the Swanson's group later on.

October 14, 2011 2:52 PM
Dea
Reply

The Gertrude Stein needs to be a real thing. And I need to have one. And, to be fair across genders, perhaps their needs to be a Ben Stein?

October 14, 2011 3:27 PM
Dea
Reply
replied to comment from Dallen

I thought she was attacking the Rangers kind of hard because she wanted to prove that, if there was going to be a club that excluded girls, she was going to show that a girls-only club would blow the boys-only club out of the water. She didn't see, until the end, that this would hurt her good friend. So, she got him a club that was better than the Rangers - and included both girls and boys. It was the Council, not Ron, who wouldn't let a girl join. Ron's "Be a Man" rule isn't really about gender. He would totally work with a girl who could Be a Man.

October 14, 2011 4:35 PM
Clarice
Reply

I thought Jerry's daughter was only 16. Or does he have more than one daughter?

October 14, 2011 7:53 PM
EJ
Reply

I'm sick of everyone crapping on Jerry. It was kinda funny at first but now it seems out of character for Leslie and Chris, 2 people who are unfailingly nice to everyone else in the world are jackasses to him.

He's a good dad who raised a good kid who clearly adores him. He's got a better personal life than anyone else on the show.

Or maybe that's the joke?

October 14, 2011 11:13 PM
Jonah
Reply
replied to comment from Trace

Are you talking about the girl Ron gave his land mine? and when asks why he gave it he said "It seems appropriate" just remembering that scene make my belly ache from laughing.

October 15, 2011 1:49 PM
Jim Wilson
Reply

Isn't it _Dark Knight_? Of course, I may be distracted, because I am still trying to think of a non-gay way to ask Ron Swanson to go camping with me.

October 15, 2011 10:34 PM
Nathan
Reply

@EJ

"Or maybe that's the joke?"

It's definitely the joke. When P&R got good was when it figured out what to do with its background characters, and for some reason for Jerry they settled on everyone hating him. It's essentially the same as Michael Scott on The Office loving everyone, including (especially) borderline sociopath Ryan, but hating Toby, the most mild-mannered character in the history of television. For these shows its the equivalent of having a catch phrase. And I would take it over "Bazinga!" any day.

What's great on P&R is every time they indulge in Jerry hate, they also ratchet up how well-rounded he secretly is. Accomplished pianist, accomplished painter, raiser of beautiful women. Before the show is over I expect him to have gone to Harvard and to have spent a year or two at NASA.

October 17, 2011 10:33 PM
joy
Reply

First off: I love this series. However, I think this episode was very sad. Leslie was cruel to Ron, which is very unLeslie-like. She seems to have completely dumped Ben, with no regrets. He looked so pathetic in that costume. I love Adam Scott. I hope he doesn't leave the show.

October 20, 2011 4:16 AM
diablo 3 forums
Reply

Fantastic submit. I'm dealing with a few these difficulties.

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