In my mind, I have a list of favorite Parks and Recreation episodes. Since it doesn't have as many episodes as The Office yet, it's easy for me to figure them out. Some of my choices are obvious (Practice Date, Ron and Tammy) and some are less obvious (Telethon, Eagleton). It's also easy for me to know when an episode is going to make that list. I knew Ron and Tammys (which is also the first show to get the new rating I'm putting between Great and Perfect so I only use Perfect in special cases.) was going to make that list as soon as Ron entered the Parks department without a mustache. And if I didn't know at that moment, I definitely would've known by the end of it. It was a heck of an episode.
Part of the reason I enjoyed it so much, was because it was focused on one of my favorite television characters, Ron Swanson. Everytime we learn new details about his life and his past, it's hysterical and there was plenty of details in Ron and Tammys. First and foremost, we finally got more than a glimpse or brief scene of Tammy One and she definitely proves to be worse than Tammy Two could ever possibly be. Cold and controlling, she enters Ron's life again by claiming he's being audited for the IRS, where she works and she wants to help him out. After Leslie, Andy, and April look through Ron's tax records (in another great scene where we learn that in place of real receipts, he has things like notes that say "I bought supplies 2007" and photo's of gentlemen agreements), Tammy comes in and takes over. This can't be good.
The next day, Ron enters the room Mustache-less and attitude-less. He even has a positive attitude about government. As Leslie puts it, Tammy One has turned him into a "neutered wimp". He also won't do anything without the approval of Tammy One. When Leslie goes to lunch with him to try to talk sense into him, Tammy accompanies him. She reveals to Leslie while Ron isn't there that the IRS Audit is a fake and she just wanted to check out Ron's assets before getting back together with him (He has lots of gold buried around Pawnee. Another great moment.). Something has to be done. But Tammy Two is unable to do anything (Tammy One once threw acid at her foot) so they go to the only other person who might stand a chance: Tamara "Tammy" Swanson, Ron's Mother.
Tammy Zero doesn't get that much interaction with Ron, so it's hard to tell how she affects his life, but from our look into the house Ron grew up in (There's a room full of guns for some reason that Tammy Zero refuses to indulge because this is America and they're on her property.), it's easy to see that Ron's mother made a big impact on shaping him into the man he became. So she goes to challenge Tammy One to a drinking contest. But when she decides she wants Ron to return to the family farm, Leslie steps in and also enters the contest, fighting for Ron. Of course the only legal purpose of what they're drinking is to strip varnish off of speed boats and Leslie quickly goes nuts, while the Tammys of Ron's life aren't even affected. April tries to sub in, but can't even get a swallow down before spitting out and shouting expletives.
In the end though, moved by what Leslie and April are willing to do for his freedom, Ron puts a stop to the contest by downing the rest of the moonshine himself and demands his mother and first ex-wife go back to the farm and hell, respectively. They may have raised him (Oh yeah. Tammy One delivered him when he was born, babysat him and taught him Sunday School, Middle School Math, Driver's Ed and sex. Ron grew up in a very small town.) but at the end of the day, Ron Swanson is Ron Swanson and he's not going to let them control him anymore. He evens stops Tammy One from claiming victory of finding the gold, by declaring that all she found was the decoy. Ron Swanson, you truly are one of the best television characters ever.
If that was all there was to the episode, it would still be a classic, but there was a whole other story about Tom getting Ben to look over the books for Entertainment 720. And it was hilarious, as we watched Ben realize what bad shape this company was in. They have Roy Hibbert and Detlef Schrempf there for 75% of their NBA salary. They're paying models 100,000 dollars a year plus full medical to sit around reading magazines. They're giving away iPads and they bought a printing press to print their own money. This story is funny, plus allows for Jean-Ralphio to be at his douchey best, nicknaming Ben Angel, before changing his mind and nicknaming him Jello Shot (or J-Shot). It even had a nice ending when Tom, who had rejected Ben's warning that they would die if they didn't start downsizing and making money earlier, asks for Ben's help after hearing the same thing from five accountants (Ben: "First, fire four of those accountants. You don't need five accountants.) and giving him an iPad he bought with his own money.
If the episode had a weakness, it was the third story with Chris obsessing over a PTA Ann was shooting, with him as the star. It was funny, but not as memorable as the other two, though I liked Ann wondering why she ever dated Chris, before he compliments her nicely and she remembers. So all-in-all, this episode is an instant classic and while not quite at the level of the Holy (BLANK) perfect rating (to see what constitutes a perfect rating, stay tuned for my season opinion of Breaking Bad, which is dangerously close to getting this and will unless the last two episodes are a massive disappointment.), it is deserving of this:
Grade: Zounds! (Incredible)
Memorable Moments
-“First of all, income tax is illegal!” The first of many great Ron lines this week.
- “You won’t find any bank statements either. I’ve heavily invested in gold, which I’ve buried in several different locations around Pawnee. Or have I?" Another great line and we're only a couple minutes in.
-“My first ex-wife’s name is Tammy. My second ex-wife’s name is Tammy. My mom’s name is Tamara. ...She goes by Tammy."
-Tom: "It's almost too easy". Ben: "I can hear you." Tom: "That's how easy it is".
-"My Guess is they'll be bankrupt by the end of... this sentence."
-New Ron: "Back to the old grindstone. These emails aren’t going to send themselves." Also he calls Jerry Buddy and says Cool Beans at least once.
-“Listen. Tammy One was my Sunday school teacher, too. She can pinpoint your weaknesses and then destroy you with just one word. And a jar of acid.” Tammy Two has been traumatized obviously.
-Other uses for the moonshine: burning warts of mules and melting shells off of garden snails.
-“That’s decoy gold. You think I’d leave my gold in a locked safe buried underground where anyone could find it? You don’t know me at all.”
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