From: The Scene Blog
“Parks and Recreation” Recap: For the love of all that is Meagle
KRISTIN DOS SANTOS, FLICKR
Note: The following recap contains spoilers for season seven, episode seven of “Parks and Recreation,” entitled “Donna and Joe.”
Love is in the air. It’s finally Donna Meagle (Retta, “Fracture”) and Joe’s (Keegan-Michael Key, “Key and Peele”) wedding and April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza, “About Alex”) is Donna’s maid of honor, in charge of controlling the melodramatic, grudge-holding Meagles.
Meanwhile, Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari, “Bob’s Burgers”) is preparing for his role of butler of Honor, a term and position he made up himself, of course. He and his girlfriend, Lucy (Natalie Morales, “Girls”) are going strong. Even Ron Swanson, (Nick Offerman, “Gilmore Girls”) can see it. And since Ron doesn’t know how to do anything but spit out the straight-up truth, he tells Lucy that Tom said that he would marry her tomorrow. Lucy freaks out a bit and Tom freaks out on Ron, and Ron just freaks everyone out else more.
Ron, if you didn’t know, actually loves weddings. They’re a celebration of romantic love, good food and fine architecture (if you’ll excuse him, he was having a very fascinating conversation on Michigan limestone.)
We finally get more than a glimpse of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, “Mean Girls”) and Ben Wyatt’s (Adam Scott, “Step Brothers”) three kids. Leslie and Ben’s lives are completely caught up in their kids and their work, and they are looking forward to just one night away from all of it. But then Jennifer Barkley (Kathryn Hahn, “Transparent”), the intense, straight-forward campaign manager that ran Bobby Newport’s (Paul Rudd, “Anchorman”) failed city council campaign, returns and announces that she wants Ben to run for Congress.
At Donna and Joe’s rehearsal dinner, Ben thinks about what it would be like to run but still isn’t sure. But ever since having kids, both Leslie and Ben get drunk after just one sip of wine and end up calling Jennifer in a drunken stupor to tell her that Ben wants to agree to her offer and run for Congress. Oops. Or not?
Despite the craziness, Donna and Joe’s wedding ends up being beautiful and even makes Ron cry. April “handled” the trouble-making Meagles and makes Donna’s cousin, Ginuwine (himself), cry.
Stray thoughts…
*Donna was a bit upset that there wasn’t ANY drama. So April does what she does best. And guess who shows up? QUESTLOVE AS DONNA’S ESTRANGED BROTHER. (He didn’t let her make popcorn one time when they were little.)
*Jerry is finally Garry.
*Rachel Dratch as yet another great addition to the long-list of Poehler’s “SNL” guest stars. Dratch shows up as Leslie and Ben’s stressed-out and super anxious nanny.
*Those vows though. Did you know a Pearl Jam album was written about Donna?
Tune in to “Parks and Recreation,” Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on NBC.
