Leslie and Tom's strong partnership is one that doesn't get enough attention, and is frequently overshadowed by many of the other relationships on the show. And yeah, sometimes Tom has a tendency to be a little bit selfish and put his own interests ahead of everyone else. But when it works, it really works. Leslie provides the hard numbers, and Tom brings the showmanship. In Fluoride, the town is split over whether or not to add fluoride to their drinking water. Leslie, being a rational human, notes the benefits of having it, while her opposition uses fear-mongering buzzwords to turn everyone in town against the idea. What follows is a classic example of Tommy Haverford style public relations: 80% swag, 15% reverse psychology, and 5% never underestimating how stupid the average person is. Fluoride is a fantastically clever episode that brings joy to the occasionally tedious standoff between Leslie and Councilman Jamm.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
