What Happened, Yo!:
-Leslie and Ben disclose their relationship to Chris, who even though he believes they are exemplary employees, has no choice but to set up ethics trials for the two of them to figure out how to proceed.
-Leslie's trial is first and while Ben can't be there, he tells her he'll be right outside, adjacent to an ugly portrait of a Pawnee Judge whose face was exploded by dynamite.
-As the trial begins, Leslie admits to having an illicit relationship, and insists that's the only rule she's broken. She's shocked however, when Chris announces he believes the relationship started sooner than she claimed, she got special treatment over it, and that she's guilty of bribery, and that he's bringing in 14 witnesses to prove it. This makes her decide to fight back.
-As she goes through all the witnesses, she disproves every one of Chris' claims. He still supposedly has a killer witness though. This seems to be Tammy 2 until Chris points out that she will be fired and prosecuted if she lies, causing her to leave.
-It then turns out that the killer witness is the maintenance worker that Leslie and Ben bribed in the season 3 finale.
-Leslie knows she's sunk now and has half an hour to find something to help her case. She gets everyone to help look and even sends Donna to get Ben. But Ben is no longer where he said he would be for some reason.
-As she worries to Ron that she's a bad person, Ron tells her that a good person can still do bad things. But a good person owns up to what they've done. Leslie stops searching for a loophole and decides to take the punishment.
-Ultimately she is given a two weeks paid suspension, because Ben has accepted full responsibility for everything and has resigned, despite Chris' protests.
-Chris tells Leslie once again that she is a great government worker, but he also adds that she is the only woman he knows who is worthy of dating Ben. He advises she hear the last page of Ben's testimony and we find out he declared his love for her.
-That night, she comes home to him with the court stenographer who reads Leslie's own court-recorded declaration of love to Ben. They kiss.
-In the end, we see Jerry's testimony, and learn that Jerry's name is really Gary, but the first park's director he worked for called him Jerry, and Jerry didn't bother to correct him. Leslie is still going to call him Jerry, but she and Chris can't get over this revelation and end his testimony prematurely.
I Liked This: Boom. This episode finally brings the story of Leslie and Ben's secret romance to a conclusion, and what a conclusion it was. It was full of heart and lots of comedic moments. In fact the seriousness of the situation was pretty underplayed until the big second act reveal. I liked how it alluded to the events of past episodes (and cut to clips from them when necessary), but still made it so a first time viewer could understand what was happening. I was also a fan of Chris this episode, who got to struggle with his duty as City Manager, and was only the bad guy because he was forced to be. For a guy who can be ultra over-the-top at times, it was good to see his more human side come out (though his over-the-topness was still there, through the insane amount of vitamin supplements he was taking and his jumping up and down during Ben's resignation, followed by his uncontrollable sobbing in Ben's arms). And of course, the rest of the ensemble also got their chance to shine. I also liked how the episode limited the use of Ben, making his final scenes that much more powerful. And anytime where we learn tidbits/see murals of the history of Pawnee is a good time, and this episode was loaded with them (My favorite tidbit being that it's still illegal for black people to use the sidewalk apparently.).
But...: One quibble. If Jerry really is Gary, than how come his mother referred to him as Gerald in her diary in the episode Time Capsule. Explain that Gar/Jerry.
The Bottom Line: Smallest Park didn't have a long reign as best episode of the season. The Trial of Leslie Knope truly shines as one of the series best.
Grade: Holy BLANK! (Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-The cold open with Ron learning about Google Earth was pure shiny gold.
-Leslie: "Marcus Everett Langley was Pawnee's greatest lawyer at the turn of century. His nickname was Old Stoneface because of his steely demeanor… and because he got in an accident at the rock quarry and dynamite blew up his face."
-Leslie: “Sarah Nelson Quindle exposed her elbow outdoors which was a class A felony. Although she felt the law unjust, she acknowledged that she had broken it and she nobly accepted her punishment: to be set adrift on Lake Michigan like a human Popsicle.” Honestly, this may be my new favorite mural Parks has done, right up there with the secret wedding one from 94 Meetings and the one of the Magician being burned at the stake in 1974 from the Harvest Festival Producer's cut.
-On the night Leslie and Ben first hooked up, Leslie also discovered iMovie, made a ridiculous trailer, and sent it to Ann.
-Leslie kissing Tom is brought up again, but Tom insists dating Leslie would be like dating his older sister's elderly aunt. "No it wouldn't", says Leslie, distracted for a moment.
-Ron refusing to let the address of his cabin be spoken, despite it being important to Leslie's case was also great.
-At one point, Pawnee outlawed every sex position except Missionary. Two years later, Missionary was also banned.
-Another great old law. Any woman caught laughing is a witch.
-Chris: “Your actions wounded me to my core. Which is not easy since the bulk of my workouts are focused on core strengthening.”
-Ethel in the midst of Leslie and Ben's kiss: "Can I get a ride home? It's freezing out!"
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