Parks and Recreation “Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington” Spoilers Ahead
April has finally figured out what she wants to do for the rest of her life and it’s perfect for her.
Episode Summary: Andy, Ben, and Ron continue to help April find her dream job. And during their trip in Washington, April tells Leslie she wants to leave the Parks Department. Leslie gets a promotion.
Review: “Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington” did a gorgeous job of showcasing Leslie and April’s relationship. Its core focus was on the two of them and the journey they’ve been on since they’ve met. Packed with outstanding performances and a fantastic script, this has quickly become one of my favorite episodes. And as always it was lovely to watch Andy’s unwavering love for April brought to life in the most inimitably stunning and hilarious manner.
First things first, after reading Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, and her thoughts on Aubrey Plaza I kept asking myself throughout the episode was this “Poehler and Plaza or Leslie and April?”
“Aubrey is my devil child and my girlfriend in crime. She will do anything for me, and me for her” (Poehler 264).
Both women are so incredibly gifted, they’re a delight to watch individually and even more great together. I cannot choose which part of their scenes I loved most: April telling Leslie she wants to quit as she faces her back or the two of them job hunting for April followed by the epic – “ugh, mom!” There’s so much warmth between these two and April’s journey truly is an inspiring one. You cannot work alongside Leslie Knope and be aimless. She’ll effortlessly help you grow into a person who wants to do better and there’s nothing more beautiful than that. Both these scenes literally made me cry because they provided further proof that everyone deserves a mentor/boss like Leslie Knope. Everyone deserves to have their dreams understood and encouraged. It also substantiated the fact that possibilities are endless – if you want something done, there are ways.
Amy Poehler’s heartfelt reactions to April’s confession were an absolute marvel to witness – there’s always a profound warmth in her eyes and you know that in that moment, whatever is being said to her isn’t taken lightly. Leslie will carry April’s love with her for as long as she lives; we could easily witness the simultaneous presence of sadness and her pride in April as she carefully listened to every word. And as always, Plaza is a genius when it comes to showcasing sincerity through April’s inimitable ways. Again as Poehler states in her novel and everyone on the show has already said, “she’s a softie on the inside”. There’s always so much love resting in her eyes even when her words say otherwise.
I wish that I had written it down somewhere because my number one prediction for April’s future was a counselor. It’s so fitting and bold for such an amazing woman and I can only imagine how happy she’d be doing such a selfless job that requires bossing people around.
Andy is the perfect husband, but this isn’t news to anyone. It was adorably idiotic of him to use fireworks in a demonstration but at the end of the day, the effort is what matters. At the end of the day, when it comes to Andy Dwyer, his heart’s in the best place.
The moral of the story, I wish I knew people like Leslie, Ben, Andy, and Ron in my career world because they can get any task done for the people they love. In other words, it’s a shame my local Parks Department isn’t hiring because I’d want to be their Leslie Knope.
Top Three Favorite Quotes:
1) “When I started working for you, I was aimless. And just thought everything was stupid and lame. And you turned me into with goals and ambition.” April to Leslie
2) “Does she get the summer off? Is this like school?” Andy
3) “In today’s fast-paced society national parks are still the best place for a full moon werewolf transformations.” April to Leslie
What are your thoughts on Parks and Recreation’s “Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington?”