Every
now and then P+R likes to repay its small, yet fiercely loyal fan
base by giving us an episode with so many hilarious lines and moments
it reminds us exactly why we’re fans. “The Fight” may cause you
to hyperventilate with laughter, but it’s worth investing in an
oxygen tank, and with P+R you know you’ll get your money’s worth
down the line.
Amy
Poehler deserves double credit for not only putting up a hilarious
performance in front of the camera, but also for writing this
fantastic episode. It was a wise decision on her part to focus “The
Fight” on Leslie and Ann’s relationship, providing Ann’s character
some much needed progression. In fact, Ann being devoid of any kind
of development was actually worked into the plot and was part of what
led to their argument. Ann’s lack of drive, casual dating, and
refusal to go after a job at city hall, all have Leslie fuming at her
and results in their first fight of their friendship. Adding
to
the realism of their dispute was Leslie’s overblown expectations
of Ann being as excited by the prospect of working in city government
as she would be, meaning Ann wasn’t the only one in the wrong. (There
was also Leslie’s refusal to do anything about her own feelings for
Ben.)
Managing to turn the negative of Ann being so stagnant in the
past few episodes into a positive with a believable and well-executed
storyline was not only impressive but refreshing for broadcast
comedies since so many of them don’t seem concerned with having their
characters grow and change. It also made Leslie’s line, “If I
don’t push you in the right direction you end up standing still,”
and the fact that Poehler wrote
the episode where Ann finally stopped standing still, eerily
coincidental. While their fight itself wasn’t a big source of
humor, it was well written and helped build on their relationship.
Luckily, just about everything else was an excellent source of
comedy.
