Big changes were afoot on Parks and Rec last night. From temporary to permanent, big to small, nearly all of the main characters made life-changing decisions or have such decisions on the horizon. Yesterday’s second episode, “Li’l Sebastian,†left us with several huge cliffhangers — one I’m more interested in than the others — that are guaranteed to shake up the Parks and Rec universe come season 4.
Let’s start with “The Bubble,†which saw the aftermath of Leslie and Ben’s kiss last week. Since then, they’ve continued to see each other, sneaking around to avoid losing their jobs due to Chris’s silly “no office dating†policy. Ben’s meeting with Leslie’s mom, Marlene Griggs-Knope, threatened to burst the bubble of their still-fresh relationship, and Leslie quickly lied about Marlene being a Filipino woman she’s never met in a foolish attempt to hide Ben from her mother (and everyone else for that matter). This was Marlene Griggs-Knope’s first and only appearance this season. It feels like the writers intended to make her a much bigger part of the show initially, featuring her in three of the first season’s six episodes. She appears less and less each season, as the character works best when her appearances are spaced out.
The rest of the staff also had their bubbles burst last night, when recently-installed City Manager Chris Traeger got around to shaking the department up. He sent Tom and Andy to work on the creepy fourth floor in an office that’s still technically a crime scene, made April a multi-tasking executive aide, gave Jerry more responsibility than he should ever have, and best of all, took away Ron’s office and placed him in a circular desk right in the center of the bullpen, with a swivel chair for him to take on all comers from every direction. It’s always nice to see Ron out of his element, with this being perhaps the furthest we’ve seen him away from his comfort zone yet. Chris and Ron are two of the best characters on the show, and they’re such completely different people that it’s always great when they butt heads. Sure, it felt a little standard sitcom-y that everything went back to normal by the episode’s end, but it was still an entertaining little plotline that gave us some great moments from the show’s impressive supporting cast.
While the changes in “The Bubble†were mostly temporary, “Li’l Sebastian†brought about some major plot shifts, the consequences of which will be felt for seasons to come. Leslie’s political aspirations have been no secret since the show began, her office has long been adorned with portraits of prominent female politicians and she’s constantly speaking highly of Hillary Clinton. As the show’s gone on, it’s seemed strange that someone with her level of ambition would be content to remain second-in-command in Pawnee’s Parks Department when her mind is clearly on the bigger picture. That’s why it was a pleasant surprise to see Leslie has been selected as a potential candidate for political office. We’ll have to wait a few months to see what that means for her relationship with Ben though.
Tom Haverford was also put in a position to choose between his passion and his career. Tom’s struggle to balance his government job with his entrepreneurial efforts has been a thread running through the last few episodes. He was forced to relinquish his shares in the Snakehole Lounge to keep his job at Pawnee in “The Fight.†Missing out on being a part of Jean-Ralphio’s multimedia conglomerate Entertainment 720 proved too great a risk, causing Tom to leave his job at the Parks Department, once and for all. I can’t wait to see what direction the writers take Tom and this new business venture next season. This episode featured Jean-Ralphio more than any before, which was definitely welcome, but Ben Schwartz is set to appear in Showtime’s upcoming Don Cheadle series House of Lies, so I don’t know how much he’ll be able to be around in season 4. I’d like to see this Entertainment 720 thing continue for a while longer, as there’s a lot to explore there. I’m hoping the business doesn’t just blow up in Tom and Jean-Ralphio’s faces as it seems like it will, but I guess the company’s longevity depends on just how much money Jean-Ralphio really got from being hit by that Lexus.
Let’s get to what may be last night’s most shocking development. Just after having his eyebrows and prized moustache burned off by a “planned†fireball, Ron Swanson was paid a surprise visit by his ex-wife Tammy (played by Megan Mullally), who was scared off a few moments later by the presence of his other ex-wife: Tammy 1. The identity of Ron Swanson’s first ex-wife is something that I was assuming the writers were saving for the future, I just didn’t think they’d be bringing her on so soon. It’ll be interesting to find out who they cast as Tammy 1 next season, whether it’s a big-name actress or someone we haven’t seen a lot yet. Anybody have any guesses as to who will be playing Ron’s first ex-wife in the fall? I’m at a loss, not sure what direction they’ll go with the character. Obviously, we saw Ron and Tammy 2 tremble in fear at the mere mention of her, so she’s going to be a frightening lady; but beyond that, not much is known about this mysterious character. Just going off the cast’s personal connections to take a stab at guessing who’s going to play her, I could see Amy Poehler’s SNL mates Tina Fey or Kristen Wiig stepping into the role, but Chris Pratt’s real-life wife Anna Faris is another strong possibility. That is, if they’re going with a big-name actress. Time will tell, but I’ll be in suspense all summer.
Well, the seeds of season 4 have been sown, with Leslie poised to seek political office, her relationship with Ben hanging in the balance, Ron dreading a reunion with his first ex-wife Tammy (who we’ve yet to meet), Tom leaving the department to pursue his dreams with Jean-Ralphio, Ann settling into her new job in the Health Department, April agreeing to be manage Andy’s band, and Chris considering rekindling his relationship with Ann. Lucky for us, we won’t have to wait until January for the new run of episodes to start up, as NBC did the right thing this time around and scheduled Parks and Rec’s fourth season debut for the fall.
Stray thoughts and observations:
Bradford Evans is a writer living in Los Angeles who would love it if people really started putting American flags at half-mast tomorrow in honor of Li’l Sebastian’s passing.