After we’ve been officially renewed for season 7, it’s fitting to have a Galentine’s Day celebration, now isn’t it? Leslie hasn’t mentioned Ann in a while, but this week is all about finding Leslie a new Pawnee best friend. And the return of the magnificent Ann Perkins. The two haven’t been sticking to their daily phone calls, and Leslie has gone a bit overboard with her cork boards full of topics of conversation, ranging from “Gum or Mints” to “Snuggie Debacle.” Obviously, talking to Ben is out of the question, mostly because of his cute butt.
The Parks Department is still putting the Unity Concert together, which apparently means all other work totally comes to a stop. Ron volunteers to survey the Park where they are holding the Concert, to literally everyone’s surprise. Ron wants to get out on his own, since having a baby is not exactly conducive to Ron Swanson’s usual lifestyle of silence, bacon grease, and guns. But mostly silence. Instead of letting Ron go alone, Leslie sends Andy, aka the world’s largest child who is also now guarding our galaxy, with him.
Ben and Tom are headed out to Tent World, where they are renting tents for the Unity Concert. Ben invites Larry (sp?) along and admits in a talking head that he actually likes Larry. That doesn’t stop him from calling him Larry instead of Jerry or, heaven forbid, Gary, his real name, but it’s the nicest thing that’s been said about they poor guy in six seasons.
Ann left Leslie a voicemail after she bails on a 1-7 hour phone call because “something came up,” and Leslie spirals out of control. Without a best lady friend in Pawnee, Leslie sets up an impromptu GALENTINE’S DAY, aka the best day of the year. Move over, Treat Yo Self Day, lady friends having food and drinks is the greatest. This all really turns out to be a cover story for her to get all her lady friends together and decide which one will be her new best friend (in Pawnee).
Andy and Ron are at the park having a lovely time with Andy hanging upside-down on the jungle gym and asking ridiculous questions while Ron grunts monosyllabically in his direction. That is until Andy falls and knocks one of his teeth out. Ron rushes him to the dentist.
At Tent World, Tom leaves Larry in the parking lot doing paperwork. He and Ben meet with the owner of Tent World, Harvey, and they find that the contract for their tents has been expanded without warning. Harvey decided to jack up the price and add all sorts of fees and clauses onto their original one-page contract. They walk out and plan to take their business elsewhere.
Leslie’s Galentine’s Day brunch assembles some of the greatest ladies in history: Donna, April, Shauna Malwae Tweep, Edna Beavers, and someone who looks like Ann but isn’t Ann. Shauna is recently returned from a trip to Rome, and we find out that Donna has secretly been running off to Kuala Lumpur and has a jacuzzi. I mean, I’m just saying Leslie being best friends with Edna Beavers would be golden comedy. Give me that buddy cop movie, please.
Leslie asks the important questions, starting with “What’s your favorite TV show?” Donna’s answer is obviously Scandal, because she knows what’s up and this is a universe where Parks is real life and not the best show. April likes playing children’s music at the wrong RPM and watching traffic accidents on YouTube, which is actually both hilarious and terrifying. Shauna likes beauty pageants (hey, April was in one of those a few seasons ago).
In the waiting room for the dentist, Ron discovers that Andy is definitely an actual baby, what with his impatience and his inability to fill out the paperwork himself. Ron tries to leave Andy there by himself, but ends up having to stay to be the “parent.” Later, Ron reminds Andy that he is an adult and he can decide what he wants to do. They leave, since Andy’s fine with not visiting a dentist. His tooth, however, needs fixed.
The Galentine’s Day brunch comes to an abrupt end when Donna and April see that Leslie is ranking all the ladies in terms of friendship in her journal while they share things about themselves. Everybody leaves, except Shauna, who wins Leslie Knope’s best friendship by default. If only I were at that brunch, I would sit through all of that to be Leslie Knope’s best friend happily.
The guys stop at the gas station, and while Tom runs inside, Ben and Larry have a nice conversation. When Tom comes back to them laughing together, Larry covers up and makes fun of himself to save Ben from being lumped in with him as the… well, the Larry. At the next tent-renting place, they find out that Harvey actually owns all the tent renting places in Southern Indiana, and he plans to overcharge them at every single one.
Shauna and Leslie try to force a friendship, but they are interrupted when Leslie gets a text saying that Ann had her baby!!! Leslie quickly recommends Chris’ therapist, Dr. Richard Nightguard, before she runs off to meet Baby Perkins-Traeger and see Ann. She tells her how she tried to use Galentine’s Day to find a new best friend, and Ann talks her down, praises April and Donna’s strengths, and outs herself as a Riggins girl. This is the most I’ve ever liked Ann (just kidding, I love Ann). It didn’t take long for Ann to reappear, and hopefully this won’t be the last time we get Special Gust Star Rashida Jones to grace our screens.
Andy finally agrees to go back to the dentist with Ron’s help. In the most adorable Ron Swanson moment to date, he calls home while he waits for Andy to ask Diane what kind of ice cream he should bring home for the girls. Dad!Ron is kinda the best thing ever.
Larry comes to the rescue this time when he shows Tom and Ben that while he was in the parking lot waiting for them at Tent World, he noticed that they have a ton of code violations. When they confront Harvey about them, they use it to get the tents with the original deal and a fair price.
Leslie apologizes to Donna and April with coffee, and Donna and April give her a stuffed bunny with a recorded message from Ann that plays when you squeeze its paw. She says “Hi Leslie! It’s Ann. I love you, and everything’s going to be okay.” April and Donna pass on the 5 minute hug Leslie wants to give them, but she remains confident that they will forge ahead with their friendships in different and unique way.
Everyone returns to the office for the usual hijinks at Larry’s expense, but Ben rises to his defense and admits that he likes Larry. Dead Poet Society-style. It’s frowned upon, and ends in a classic Larry-fart. Ben admitting to liking Larry and realizing that everyone is cruelly mean to him is like watching this show become even more self-aware than it was.
What did you think of the episode? Of Ann’s sudden return? Let us know in the comments!
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Post tags: adam scott, Amy Poehler, aubrey plaza, Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation, Retta
The post Parks and Recreation Recap 6×17: Galentines Day Redux appeared first on LeakyNews.