Leslie decides to give the Animal Control Department a much-needed makeover. Ann tries to get Ron the medical attention he needs. Ben, Tom, and Andy recruit donors for their charity foundation.
Leslie decides to give the Animal Control Department a much-needed makeover. Ann tries to get Ron the medical attention he needs. Ben, Tom, and Andy recruit donors for their charity foundation.
[8.1/10] A very good episode. Solid A-story with the attempts to find a new head of animal control and Leslie trying to fight Jamm's cronyism. I have, once again, quickly grown tired of Jamm as a cartoonishly evil antagonist, but I like the story of Leslie pushing April too far too fast, while April comes up with an unorthodox solution. The stoner animal control guys are hilarious; injured Chris is a treat with Leslie wheeling him around, and April is her usual amusingly caustic self. The resolution, where April suggests animal control be folded into the parks dept., is a nice middle ground that gives April her victory and a bit of a promotion, prevents Jamm from giving the job to his buddy, and once again puts Leslie back a bit for being a bit to forceful with her friends' lives.
The B-story with Ben, Tom, and Andy trying to schmooze Dennis Feinstein is generally funny. There's great humor to be wrung from Feinstein's over and unabashed terribleness about pretty much anything, and Ben grinning and bearing it. It's cathartic when after all of his efforts to be silent, Andy cannot help but call him a dick. There's not much of an ending to it (beyond Ben reaffirming that Feinstein is, in fact,a major dick, and saying it to the guy's face no less) but it's still good stuff.
My favorite bit though is probably the C-story with Ron feeling sick and Ann encouraging him to get medical help. Ron shivering to death shows Nick Offerman's talents as a physical comedian. His interactions with Ann and the doctor, particularly his answers to the intake questions, were pretty hilarious. And there's even a touch of heart, with Ann telling him to take care of himself since he has Diane and her kids to think about now. The ensuing scene, where Ron struggle to eat a banana, eventually smashing it into a burger, while looking at a photo of his nascent new family, is the right combination of physical comedy and sweetness.
Overall, it's a nice episode, where the plots aren't as tight as might be preferred, but the comedy and the character work is still there in spades.