TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.7, "The Treaty"

rating: 3.5

It was bound to happen. The Leslie and Ben conflict has been boiling under the surface for much this whole season. This week, that strife took the form of an (almost) literal conflict. The show went back to its formulaic, hysterical pairings with some solid resolution and comical gestures galore. I am impressed with the show's continued ability to weave together a few tangential stories into some absurd web of chaos. Honestly, it's kind of why I was drawn to the show in the first place, and it's certainly what keeps me coming back for more. Let's get real. There have been times when Leslie and Ben's shaky relationship has irritated me a bit. There's just a little too much Ross and Rachle going on for my taste, and no one likes those guys any more. So I lost track of how adorably affectionate Ben and Leslie are when they crank the nerd up to 11, even when they're at each others throats. Staging an elaborate model U.N. international war is exactly the kind of thing that you might expect from Leslie, and Ben has to be the only dude that would take that seriously enough to retaliate (isn't that cute?). Ok, the episode borrowed a bit from Community a little bit, but how awesome was it seeing Andy amass an army of lions and Ben drop the mic like a rock star? By the end of the episode, again as you might expect, Ben and Leslie managed to settle their tension fairly well, but that's not the only conflict resolution this week. Chris and Ann also got a strange retrospective of their relationship, told through the grievances of Ann, which we've heard before but not so spelled out. God knows I don't want to give too much away but I will give you a hint: Chris is madly in love...with himself. Oh, and Tom's coming back (as if you didn't see that coming) so that's cool. I think Ron might actually have a heart too. Now, I know that his more, let's say, sensitive side comes out here and there. That doesn't mean I'm not surprised when he gets a tad bit emotional with Tom. It's a little bit like how Scar was so accepting of those damn hyena's even though they pissed him off all the time. Obviously Tom was going to come back, and I was pretty sure it was going to happen this episode, but I was still delighted by the how. Of course, there are hundreds of unemployed kids I know, who scrape a living writing pop culture reviews, who would love Tom's job, even if it is in Pawnee. But I digress. A little lost love mixed with some high school nostalgia and just a pinch of political allegory (is that a bit too far) makes for an excellent combination in my book. It occurs to me that there is a strand of predictability strung throughout this review. Parks and Recreation can be predictable, but that's all part of its charm. Who's not rooting for Leslie and Ben (be honest)? Who didn't want Tom to come back? Who delights in Andy and April's ridiculously perfect marriage? The answer you're looking for is me. Sure, the series is a tad predictable but the staff knows how to exploit this predictability without completely undermining it or becoming a complete slave to it (hint hint Office). I watched the credits roll with a smile, what more could a guy ask for?