Through the years and the subsequent seasons, we’ve seen many sides to April Ludgate-Dwyer. She started off as the young girl desperate to be different but still loved, and now she’s evolved into a (slightly more) mature woman facing the very real reality of upping sticks and moving on. Aubrey Plaza has done a magnificent job in finding the balance between sarcastic and sincere, but in Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington she truly excels herself. There’s a vulnerability within April that exceeds only being able to profess her love for people if they aren’t looking directly at her. For the first time we see April experiencing honest anxiety about not just her life, but how the decisions she makes will influence the lives of her nearest and dearests.
You’re ridiculous, and men’s rights is nothing.
After all the waiting, it appears that April has finally found her dream career, no thanks to Andy, Ben and Ron. With Leslie and April in Washington, the boys take it upon themselves to seize the day and help set April on the right career path. Hilarity ensues when they rock up at the now infamous accounting firm that Ben nearly worked for on a number of occasions. Barney, Ben’s number one fan, is quickly becoming a favourite recurring character amongst fans (we’re planning on befriending someone called Ted just to have an excuse to yell “Ted, get in here” all day) and he doesn’t disappoint in the humour department. Back in Washington, there’s binders galore as Leslie reveals her five year plan for April, much to the disappointment of a disheartened April who is struggling to break the news of her imminent departure. The Parks and Rec crew manages to find a lovely balance between humour and honesty this week, with a barrage of political guest cameos somehow managing to ground the insane show in reality.
But it’s not just April who’s moving on up in the world- Leslie is presented with a job offer that she simply cannot turn down, and it links in nicely with Ben’s plans to run for congress and April’s new job in Washington. After all, with all the sadness surrounding the imminent ending of the show’s seven season stint, it would be comforting for fans to know that not everyone will be going their separate ways.
Pie-Mary switches its focus back to Ben and his political campaign. Jennifer Barkley makes another appearance as the child-hating heavy-drinking business woman who is not at all envious of Leslie and Ben’s current familial situation. Despite the heavy focus on our resident calzone-lover, the real most valuable player here is the group of men’s rights activists protesting against the unfair treatment of men in society. At a time when the utterly ridiculous ‘meninist’ phenomenon (it hurts just to write it) is making rounds on the internet, Pie-Mary couldn’t feel any more relevant if it tried. There are many points when this episode blurs the lines between fiction and reality; sometimes it feels as if Amy Poehler has stepped in front of a stage of actual MRAs and given them a slice of truth-flavoured pie, forgetting that the cameras are rolling along the way, but that’s what gives this particular episode most of its charm.
Following the heart-warming gift to Garry of being referred to by his actual name in Donna and Joe, our favourite newly-wed reminds us yet again why we should all be a little bit like Donna Meagle. After losing his wedding ring in the drain (not for the first time, lest you should forget), Garry lets Donna in on the darker times of his marriage, leaving her, and us, howling in amazement. The running joke surrounding Garry and Gayle’s marriage is one that always promises to offer plenty of laughs and is one of those rare gems that gets funnier the longer it goes on. There have been many moments when the teasing has been pushed a bit too far by certain characters, but Donna is the exception. She just seems to ooze love, and she crucially knows when to draw the line between banter and bullying.
Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington and Pie-Mary build upon the foundations that have been steadily building since the premiere of the seventh season. Plans are beginning to fall into place for our beloved characters, and the end is well and truly in sight.
Words by Sophie Mace.