BY: ORANGECHAIR
While watching Parks and Recreation I often find myself wondering how they possibly continue to make Ron Swanson funnier. I feel like every new episode gives us a new, hilarious Ron Swanson scene that becomes my new favorite Swanson moment. A week later a new episode comes out and I have yet another new favorite moment. Well, this week Ron Swanson’s hilarious moment gives Parks and Recs its first funniest moment of the week.
This week, Parks and Recs aired their Valentine’s Day themed episode. The episode features lonely, single Ann, a Valentine’s Day mixer, a depressed Chris Trager, Orin (creepy), Ann and Tom on a date (WHAT????) buy most importantly, riddles. To figure out where he is supposed to meet Leslie for their Valentine’s Day evening, Leslie has left Ben a series of 20 to 30 elaborate riddles to solve. Enlisting the help of Andy (because April hates Valentine’s Day) and the seemingly begrudging Ron, Ben spends the episode traveling across Pawnee solving riddles.
At first, Ron tries to convince the camera that he hates riddles. Convincing everybody they encounter that he is only helping because he has nothing better to do, Ron can’t hide the truth for long. Ron Swanson, though he wants no one to know it, loves riddles. As they uncover more riddles, Ron grows giddy (it’s honestly the best word to describe it) with excitement. He is instrumental in solving the riddles and when the three men split-up, Ron comes back having solved the most riddles. The situation itself is highly amusing the funniest part comes with the episode closer. Ron, knowing Leslie’s tendency to give extravagant birthday presents, shyly asks for a long involved riddle for his birthday.
Close seconds for last week’s funniest moment came from the Office and 30 Rock. I thought Andy dancing to footloose was great and Jack Donaghy calling his negotiation with himself a “Jack off” had me rolling on the ground laughing. As funny as those moments were, Ron Swanson and his puzzle obsession came out victorious.
