In the midst of flu season, a sick Leslie and Andy struggle to book performers for the Unity Concert. Meanwhile, Tom heads to a wine competition in search of a sommelier for his new restaurant, and Ben seeks drunken help from Ron with a personal problem.
"Flu Season" is easily the funniest episode Parks and Recreation has ever done. It created so many memorable moments for many of the characters. Chris' "Stop pooping" line is an instant classic and gets me to laugh every time I see it online. You can bet the series wanted to go back to the well that made that episode such an insta-classic ever since it aired. They've shown some great restraint by not going back to that story if they didn't have a good enough reason to. Lately, the show has gone back twice to plots of former episodes - the other one being "Galentine's Day." The show smartly doesn't just copy the success of the prior episodes. The sequels are their own things."Flu Season 2" is basically that title in name only. It's a great red herring to the true "illness" going on with Leslie Knope. It builds up our expectations for one thing and then completely shifts into something completely different yet equally great. The episode opens with some flu-based jokes - Larry's forced to work in a tent! But then, Leslie discovers that her flu symptoms may actually be morning sickness and the show turns into this really great sentimental thing. She and Andy are trying to book talent for the Unity Concert but her condition and her enthusiasm at the prospect of being a mother overwhelm her. But a quick duet between Andy and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy as the Land Ho lead singer make everything come together in the end.
Plus, a drunken Ben is a very nice and welcome parallel to the sick condition Leslie was in during that great third season episode. He gets to be fun and wacky while also being confused over his feelings of his parents selling the family vacation house. It's all of course leading up to him being in the same mindset as Leslie about their growing family. But it's a very funny journey - guided along by the return of Eagleton Ron - that he goes on here.
And so much of this episode works simply because of the relationships the characters have built with each other over the years. Of course, Donna would give April the money to see what would happen. She's a riot at the wine competition. It's nice that everyone tells Craig that he needs to take it down a notch or 12. Ron doesn't want to hear personal details about his co-workers. And yet, he always knows exactly what to tell them when the moment calls for it. He's a great friend. The episode closes with Leslie and Ben coming together to start a family. She doesn't even have to say the words for the joyfulness to be felt. We know what's coming and it's immensely satisfying to see the two of them continue to grow together.
Some more thoughts:
- "Flu Season 2" was written by Megan Amram & Dave King and directed by Nick Offerman.
- I knew when Andy was delivering the speech about life's curves that he would be talking about something else. But that puppy joke was pretty great.
- Of course, Eagleton Ron would drive a smart car. Because of course!
- A Leslie Knope baby could really shake up the show. Much more so than Ann or Ron's new offspring. This will probably keep her in Pawnee and not take that great job in Chicago. But if next year really is being set up as the final season, it's a wonderful character arc for her to go out on.
