If there’s one particular aspect worth applauding It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for as it makes its way through what will likely be its final seasons, it’s that its creators have responded to the struggle of running out of ideas for a premise as simple as a hangout show by making the context of each week’s hangout as weird as humanly possible.
Five seasons in, the staff of Parks and Recreation have proven they have such a firm grip on the show’s characters, and how to go about writing for them, that something as criminal as blowing through all the potential of a Halloween episode in one act doesn’t seem like some missed opportunity.
Sex and robots: two things that pretty much have nothing in common, and probably aren't the first things that come to mind when you think of rural Indiana. That wasn't the case tonight on Parks and Recreation, as plenty arguing over the former, coupled with insight into everyday versions of the latter, made "Sex Education" an early contender for the season's best episode. Were it not for Leslie's new responsibilities as city councillor affecting her role in Pawnee's war on contraception, you might mistake "Sex Education" as being a lost script from the golden run between mid season two and mid season four.
Episode two of Arrow delivered on all the short term beats promised by the pilot, while also suggesting they'll become Arrow's bread and butter for the rest of the season. Oliver Queen had to balance being the heir to Starling City's biggest fortune and company, while also moonlighting as a bow-wielding vigilante (who has yet to be referred to as Green Arrow).
"How a Bill Becomes a Law" is about as shticky as we've seen an episode of Parks and Recreation get. Leslie spends most of the episode butting half-permed heads with a fecal-obsessed fellow councilmen, Ben and April have the world's most inert road trip, Gerry answers 9-1-1 calls, and Ron puts on princess makeup. You know things are heading into crazy-town when Anne, one of the few voices of reason in Pawnee, doesn't so much as make an appearance.
It's strange times for Parks and Recreation, as what was once the red-headed stepchild of The Office, has quickly become the best, and soon to be last, show in NBC's Thursday night comedy block as we know it. Both The Office and 30 Rock are finally closing down at the end of this season, and even though NBC gave Community another 13-episode order, replacing the showrunner and moving it to Friday night's was like promising a slow death instead of outright execution. With Up All Night the only newish replacement with any sort of prospects, the pressure for Parks & Recreation to step up and fill the coming void in Nielsen family viewing schedules is greater than ever.
