Eagleton (Parks and Recreation)
Encyclopedia
"Eagleton" is the twelfth episode of the third season
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 42nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on May 5, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
becomes angry when her former friend, the current parks director of the more prosperous neighboring town Eagleton, builds a fence through a park that runs through both Pawnee and Eagleton. Meanwhile, Leslie plans a secret birthday party for Ron
, much to his chagrin.
The episode was written by Emily Spivey
and directed by Nicole Holofcener
. Parker Posey
guest starred as Leslie's rival and former best friend, Lindsay Carlisle Shay. A long time fan of Parks and Recreation and its star Amy Poehler
, Posey had expressed an early interest in appearing on the show, and reportedly became frustrated with how long it took to be asked.
A fight scene between Poehler's and Posey's characters among piles of garbage was performed with stuntwomen
during temperatures of more than 100 degrees. The subplot involving Ron's birthday had been conceived by the Parks staff early in the development of the show. Series co-creator Michael Schur
called a final scene with Leslie and Ron, in which the two voice their mutual admiration for each other, his favorite of the season. "Eagleton" also featured a guest appearance by Eric Pierpoint
as the Pawnee police chief and a cameo by Mike Scully
, a writer and producer with the Fox
animated series The Simpsons
who has also previously worked on Parks and Recreation.
"Eagleton" received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research
, was seen by an estimated 5.06 million household viewers, an increase over the previous original episode, "Jerry's Painting
".
(Amy Poehler
) suspects it is the work of Lindsay Carlisle Shay (Parker Posey
), Eagleton's parks and recreation director, a former Pawnee parks department employee and Leslie's former best friend. Meanwhile, Leslie has discovered Ron's
(Nick Offerman
) upcoming birthday, a date he has kept secret for years. Leslie promises a horrified and annoyed Ron that she will throw a surprise party for him.
In a typically rowdy and disorderly public meeting, the citizens of Pawnee demand the fence be removed. Leslie meets with Lindsay, who condescendingly refuses to remove the fence and insults Pawnee in the process. Leslie, Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) and Ben
(Adam Scott
) attend an Eagleton town meeting to plead their case to its citizens. The Eagleton meeting is much different than those of Pawnee: it is a catered affair at a country club, where the citizens are wealthy and civil. Citing the poor maintenance of Pawnee's side of Lafayatte Park, the Eagleton citizens prefer the fence stay up. Leslie reveals to Tom and Ben that she was offered the job of Eagleton parks director five years ago but turned it down, as she and Lindsay both made a promise to remain in Pawnee. However, Eagleton then offered Lindsay the job and she accepted, thus turning her back on Pawnee and Leslie. Meanwhile, Ron becomes increasingly paranoid of Leslie's birthday plans, especially after he overhears April
(Aubrey Plaza) and Andy
(Chris Pratt
) discuss outrageous party plans. Ron eventually becomes so paranoid that he resorts to sleeping in his office to avoid any potential surprises at home.
Leslie quickly seeks revenge against Lindsay, by getting her parks employees to throw garbage over the Eagleton side of the fence. When Lindsay arrives to stop it, the two get into a fight amid the garbage bags. The police arrive and arrest both women: Lindsay is jailed in Pawnee, while Leslie is jailed in Eagleton's pristine and hotel-like holding cell. After Ann
(Rashida Jones
) bails Leslie out, she tells her that Lindsay built the fence because she is jealous that Leslie was offered the Eagleton job first and wants to get a rise out of her. Ann suggests that Lindsay should be hit with a baseball bat, which gives Leslie the idea to turn Pawnee's side of Lafayette Park into a wiffle ball field, with the fence serving as the outfield wall. Lindsay is impressed by how fast Leslie turned the fence into something positive, and remembers why she and Leslie joined the parks department in the first place. With their relationship on the mend, the two agree to get a drink together. Later, Leslie returns to the office to throw Ron's party: she takes him to an empty room with steak, whiskey and his favorite movies waiting for him, and reveals that April and Andy's duties were false leads to trick him. Leslie explains she made a party that he would want and leaves a content Ron alone to enjoy his birthday.
, who previously worked with Amy Poehler on the 2009 comedy film Spring Breakdown
, described herself as a fan of both Poehler and Parks and Recreation, and had wanted to make a guest appearance on the series even before it first aired. Posey discussed it with Poehler at the Spring Breakdown premiere during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
in January 2009, a few months before the first season
of Parks debuted. She later met with the staff of the show about one year before "Eagleton" was filmed. After several months without an invitation to appear on the show, Posey said she became frustrated and stopped watching the show, but later changed her mind and started watching it again. Shortly after that, she received an e-mail message from Poehler inviting her to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay: "She said, 'You'll play my nemesis! We get to fight in a garbage dump!'" Posey said. "I remember reading that and thinking, 'Dreams do come true.'"
Posey was sent a script for "Eagleton" and enjoyed it so much she immediately agreed to play the part. She also said she was excited to work with director Nicole Holofcener. The episode was filmed in November 2010. Posey was shooting scenes for a film in Boston
at the time, and flew in to Los Angeles
for the Parks and Recreation filming just a few hours before the shots began. As a result, Posey was exhausted during the filming, including the Eagleton public forum scene, which was shot at the Toluca Lake Sports Center in Toluca Lake district of Los Angeles. The scene in which Leslie and Lindsay fight among piles of garbage was filmed during temperatures of more than 100 degrees. Although stuntwomen
were used, Poehler and Posey performed some of the fight themselves. Despite wearing wool blazers that made the heat even harder to endure, the two actresses said they enjoyed filming the scene. Poehler jokingly said it was included in the script "just because it's in Parker and I's contract, that that's how we will work together. It's the only way we'll work together, is fighting in garbage."
The staff of Parks and Recreation conceived the idea that Ron Swanson had his birthdate redacted from all government documents early in the development of the series, and it eventually developed into the subplot featured in "Eagleton" where Leslie finds out about his birthday and plans a surprise for him. Michael Schur
, co-creator of the series, said the scene when Leslie surprises Ron with a quiet evening alone was his favorite scene in the show. During the scene, Leslie and Ron declare their mutual admiration for one another. Schur said it was difficult to make such an outwardly emotional scene effective in a comedy, but he believed it ultimately worked because of Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's strong performances. Poehler said of the scene: "It's really sweet and it's just an example of how it's important to Leslie who she works with. It's just as important as the job itself. I completely relate to that." Rashida Jones also praised the scene, which she said made her cry during a cast read-through of the script.
Eric Pierpoint resumed his role as Pawnee Police Chief Trumple, a character he previously played in the earlier third season episode "Ron & Tammy: Part Two
". "Eagleton" features a cameo appearance by Mike Scully
, a writer and producer on the Fox Broadcasting Company
animated comedy series The Simpsons
, as a speakers at the Pawnee public forum who suggests the building of a second fence around the Eagleton fence. Scully has worked as a screenwriter and consulting producer on Parks and Recreation since the first season. He did not originally wish to take the part and only agreed to it reluctantly. Originally, he only had one line, but improvised additional dialogue after Amy Poehler asked him why he believed a second fence should be built.
, a 1958 film about British World War II
prisoners forced to build a bridge in Thailand
. The scene Ron watches on television is an actual scene from that film. The other film Leslie gives Ron is The Dirty Dozen
, a 1967 war film about a team of convicted murderers being trained for mission to assassinate German officers, also during World War II. Leslie only finds out Ron's birthday, which was a closely guarded secret, by bribing an employee from Baskin-Robbins
, an ice cream parlor chain that gives free scoops of ice cream to customers on their birthdays. Eagleton is such a rich town that, after their town meeting, they distribute gift bags that include an iPod Touch
, a portable music player by Apple, Inc. Lindsay Carlisle Shay also drives a Cadillac Escalade
, an expensive luxury sport utility vehicle brand by Cadillac
. During another scene, Ron declares that birthdays were made up by Hallmark
, a greeting cards company, to sell more cards.
, with a 2.5 rating/7 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. A rating point represents one percent of the total number of television sets in American households, and a share means the percentage of television sets in use tuned to the program. This constituted an increase over the previous episode, "Jerry's Painting
", which was seen by an estimated 4.71 million households. The ratings improvement came despite the fact that the lead-in episode of The Office that immediately followed Parks and Recreation – "The Inner Circle
", the first not to feature Steve Carell
as a regular cast member – dropped significantly in the ratings.
In its 9:30 p.m. timeslot, "Eagleton" was outperformed by the Fox crime drama series Bones
, which was seen by 10.94 million household viewers; the CBS
forensic crime series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, which was seen by 10.67 million households; and the ABC
medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, which was seen by 10.11 million household viewers. Parks and Recreation outperformed an episode of the CW Television Network
drama series Nikita
, which was seen by 2 million households.
of Time
magazine strongly praised Posey's performance, and said the garbage fight scene was one of the funniest of the season. He also complimented the show for giving Poehler's and Posey's characters a strong back story that helped further develop the history of Pawnee and the characters. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix said "Eagleton" strongly developed Leslie, particularly in the way she ends the feud with Lindsay by building something new rather than resorting simply to revenge. He also praised Nick Offerman's comedic performance, and said the episode continues the strong development between Leslie and Ron's characters. Steve Kandell of New York
magazine enjoyed the comedic chemistry between Poehler and Posey – and especially enjoyed the garbage fight scene – but said the sudden resolution to their feud felt forced. Kandell said Nick Offerman stole the episode, and that the final scene between Leslie and Ron about his birthday party could be the best scene of the series. Damian Holbrook of TV Guide
said Posey was perfectly cast in her guest role, and said of the episode: "Sometimes TV gets it right, and last night, Parks and Recreation got it uber-right." Matt Fowler of IGN
found Posey's character "somewhat one-note", but felt the episode was an improvement over the previous week's "Jerry's Painting", and with great comedy coming from the portrayal of Eagleton and Ron's paranoia about his surprise birthday party.
Entertainment Weekly
writer Ken Tucker said the pairing of Poehler and Posey led to great comedic scenes, but that the "heart of the episode" was Leslie's celebration of Ron's birthday. Tucker praised the show's optimistic tone, with characters who genuinely respect and love each other, even while many other comedies remained cynical. Hillary Busis, also of Entertainment Weekly, called Posey's performance "pitch-perfect" and called Leslie's construction of the baseball diamond "a sweet coda to a great, funny episode". Postmedia News writer Alex Strachan praised the episode not only for its likable and easily relatable characters, but for its willingness to address social issues like the divide between classes in Pawnee and Eagleton. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said "Eagleton" seemed less story-driven and more over-the-top than usual, but that it works for the series because those episodes are funny and only happen periodically. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic complimented Posey's performance, but especially praised Leslie's birthday surprise for Ron, and claimed it was the first time since the NBC
series Friends that he responded to a television comedy so emotionally. Rick Porter of Zap2it
said the episode handled the rivalry between Pawnee and Eagleton nearly as well as some of the classic Cheers episodes about that bar and its rival, the Old Towne Tavern. He also called Offerman "pitch-perfect" in what Porter described as an excellent B-story.
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
said "Eagleton" further added to the mythology Parks and Recreation has built for itself by fleshing out the neighboring town." He also praised Leslie's birthday surprise for Ron, claiming it "sets Parks & Rec even more ahead of its competitors. Us Weekly
writer John Griffiths gave the episode three-and-a-half out of four stars, and called it one of the show's "sharpest outings yet". He described Poehler and Posey's performance off of each other as "smart and feisty fun". USA Today
writer Whitney Matheson called "Eagleton" the best episode of television of the week, and noted that Posey's performance contributed to an "already-great series". Joel Keller of TV Squad said it was one of his favorite episodes of the season because the humor was driven by the characters Leslie and Ron had developed into throughout the series. However, Keller said he believed Eagleton seemed too unrealistic and exaggerated as parody of rich towns. Not all reviews were positive. The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called it a cartoonish and "strangely uneven" episode, and felt Posey's appearance was distracting and disruptive to the natural flow of the show. However, Meslow called the subplot about Ron's birthday "one of the season's best" and said it demonstrated the strength of the relationships between the characters.
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, and the 42nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on May 5, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
Leslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
becomes angry when her former friend, the current parks director of the more prosperous neighboring town Eagleton, builds a fence through a park that runs through both Pawnee and Eagleton. Meanwhile, Leslie plans a secret birthday party for Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
, much to his chagrin.
The episode was written by Emily Spivey
Emily Spivey
Emily Spivey was a winner of the 2002 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program and 2008 Writers Guild of America AwardsWriters Guild of America Awards...
and directed by Nicole Holofcener
Nicole Holofcener
Nicole Holofcener is an American film and television director. She has directed four feature films, most recently Please Give.-Career:...
. Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
guest starred as Leslie's rival and former best friend, Lindsay Carlisle Shay. A long time fan of Parks and Recreation and its star Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
, Posey had expressed an early interest in appearing on the show, and reportedly became frustrated with how long it took to be asked.
A fight scene between Poehler's and Posey's characters among piles of garbage was performed with stuntwomen
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
during temperatures of more than 100 degrees. The subplot involving Ron's birthday had been conceived by the Parks staff early in the development of the show. Series co-creator Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
called a final scene with Leslie and Ron, in which the two voice their mutual admiration for each other, his favorite of the season. "Eagleton" also featured a guest appearance by Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as George Francisco on Fox Network's Alien Nation. He has appeared on all of the Star Trek spin-offs. He played five characters in the four series from 1993 to 2005.He is the son of retired CBS news correspondent Robert...
as the Pawnee police chief and a cameo by Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
, a writer and producer with the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
who has also previously worked on Parks and Recreation.
"Eagleton" received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, was seen by an estimated 5.06 million household viewers, an increase over the previous original episode, "Jerry's Painting
Jerry's Painting
"Jerry's Painting" is the eleventh episode of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreations third season, and the 41st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 28, 2011...
".
Plot
Eagleton, a more prosperous neighboring town of Pawnee, has erected a tall fence in the shared Lafayette Park to keep Pawnee residents out of their side. LeslieLeslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
(Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
) suspects it is the work of Lindsay Carlisle Shay (Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
), Eagleton's parks and recreation director, a former Pawnee parks department employee and Leslie's former best friend. Meanwhile, Leslie has discovered Ron's
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
(Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an American actor best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a skilled woodworker.-Early life and career:...
) upcoming birthday, a date he has kept secret for years. Leslie promises a horrified and annoyed Ron that she will throw a surprise party for him.
In a typically rowdy and disorderly public meeting, the citizens of Pawnee demand the fence be removed. Leslie meets with Lindsay, who condescendingly refuses to remove the fence and insults Pawnee in the process. Leslie, Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
(Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
) and Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
(Adam Scott
Adam Scott (actor)
Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
) attend an Eagleton town meeting to plead their case to its citizens. The Eagleton meeting is much different than those of Pawnee: it is a catered affair at a country club, where the citizens are wealthy and civil. Citing the poor maintenance of Pawnee's side of Lafayatte Park, the Eagleton citizens prefer the fence stay up. Leslie reveals to Tom and Ben that she was offered the job of Eagleton parks director five years ago but turned it down, as she and Lindsay both made a promise to remain in Pawnee. However, Eagleton then offered Lindsay the job and she accepted, thus turning her back on Pawnee and Leslie. Meanwhile, Ron becomes increasingly paranoid of Leslie's birthday plans, especially after he overhears April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
(Aubrey Plaza) and Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
(Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
) discuss outrageous party plans. Ron eventually becomes so paranoid that he resorts to sleeping in his office to avoid any potential surprises at home.
Leslie quickly seeks revenge against Lindsay, by getting her parks employees to throw garbage over the Eagleton side of the fence. When Lindsay arrives to stop it, the two get into a fight amid the garbage bags. The police arrive and arrest both women: Lindsay is jailed in Pawnee, while Leslie is jailed in Eagleton's pristine and hotel-like holding cell. After Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
) bails Leslie out, she tells her that Lindsay built the fence because she is jealous that Leslie was offered the Eagleton job first and wants to get a rise out of her. Ann suggests that Lindsay should be hit with a baseball bat, which gives Leslie the idea to turn Pawnee's side of Lafayette Park into a wiffle ball field, with the fence serving as the outfield wall. Lindsay is impressed by how fast Leslie turned the fence into something positive, and remembers why she and Leslie joined the parks department in the first place. With their relationship on the mend, the two agree to get a drink together. Later, Leslie returns to the office to throw Ron's party: she takes him to an empty room with steak, whiskey and his favorite movies waiting for him, and reveals that April and Andy's duties were false leads to trick him. Leslie explains she made a party that he would want and leaves a content Ron alone to enjoy his birthday.
Production
Parker PoseyParker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
, who previously worked with Amy Poehler on the 2009 comedy film Spring Breakdown
Spring Breakdown
Spring Breakdown is a comedy film starring Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, and Rachel Dratch. Three years after principal photography, and after the film's owner, Warner Independent Pictures, was shut down by its parent company, it was released direct-to-video in 2009.-Plot:The film begins with Gayle,...
, described herself as a fan of both Poehler and Parks and Recreation, and had wanted to make a guest appearance on the series even before it first aired. Posey discussed it with Poehler at the Spring Breakdown premiere during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
in January 2009, a few months before the first season
Parks and Recreation (season 1)
The first season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between April 9 and May 14, 2009...
of Parks debuted. She later met with the staff of the show about one year before "Eagleton" was filmed. After several months without an invitation to appear on the show, Posey said she became frustrated and stopped watching the show, but later changed her mind and started watching it again. Shortly after that, she received an e-mail message from Poehler inviting her to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay: "She said, 'You'll play my nemesis! We get to fight in a garbage dump!'" Posey said. "I remember reading that and thinking, 'Dreams do come true.'"
Posey was sent a script for "Eagleton" and enjoyed it so much she immediately agreed to play the part. She also said she was excited to work with director Nicole Holofcener. The episode was filmed in November 2010. Posey was shooting scenes for a film in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
at the time, and flew in to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for the Parks and Recreation filming just a few hours before the shots began. As a result, Posey was exhausted during the filming, including the Eagleton public forum scene, which was shot at the Toluca Lake Sports Center in Toluca Lake district of Los Angeles. The scene in which Leslie and Lindsay fight among piles of garbage was filmed during temperatures of more than 100 degrees. Although stuntwomen
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
were used, Poehler and Posey performed some of the fight themselves. Despite wearing wool blazers that made the heat even harder to endure, the two actresses said they enjoyed filming the scene. Poehler jokingly said it was included in the script "just because it's in Parker and I's contract, that that's how we will work together. It's the only way we'll work together, is fighting in garbage."
The staff of Parks and Recreation conceived the idea that Ron Swanson had his birthdate redacted from all government documents early in the development of the series, and it eventually developed into the subplot featured in "Eagleton" where Leslie finds out about his birthday and plans a surprise for him. Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
, co-creator of the series, said the scene when Leslie surprises Ron with a quiet evening alone was his favorite scene in the show. During the scene, Leslie and Ron declare their mutual admiration for one another. Schur said it was difficult to make such an outwardly emotional scene effective in a comedy, but he believed it ultimately worked because of Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's strong performances. Poehler said of the scene: "It's really sweet and it's just an example of how it's important to Leslie who she works with. It's just as important as the job itself. I completely relate to that." Rashida Jones also praised the scene, which she said made her cry during a cast read-through of the script.
Eric Pierpoint resumed his role as Pawnee Police Chief Trumple, a character he previously played in the earlier third season episode "Ron & Tammy: Part Two
Ron & Tammy: Part Two
"Ron & Tammy: Part Two" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 34th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 10, 2011...
". "Eagleton" features a cameo appearance by Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
, a writer and producer on the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated comedy series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, as a speakers at the Pawnee public forum who suggests the building of a second fence around the Eagleton fence. Scully has worked as a screenwriter and consulting producer on Parks and Recreation since the first season. He did not originally wish to take the part and only agreed to it reluctantly. Originally, he only had one line, but improvised additional dialogue after Amy Poehler asked him why he believed a second fence should be built.
Cultural references
When Leslie leaves Ron with his favorite movies for his surprise birthday party, one of them is The Bridge on the River KwaiThe Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
, a 1958 film about British World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prisoners forced to build a bridge in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The scene Ron watches on television is an actual scene from that film. The other film Leslie gives Ron is The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
, a 1967 war film about a team of convicted murderers being trained for mission to assassinate German officers, also during World War II. Leslie only finds out Ron's birthday, which was a closely guarded secret, by bribing an employee from Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded by Burt Baskin and Irvine Robbins in 1953, from the merging of their respective ice cream parlors, in Glendale, California. It claims to be the world's largest ice cream franchise, with more than 5,800 locations, 2,800 of which are...
, an ice cream parlor chain that gives free scoops of ice cream to customers on their birthdays. Eagleton is such a rich town that, after their town meeting, they distribute gift bags that include an iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, a portable music player by Apple, Inc. Lindsay Carlisle Shay also drives a Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...
, an expensive luxury sport utility vehicle brand by Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
. During another scene, Ron declares that birthdays were made up by Hallmark
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
, a greeting cards company, to sell more cards.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "Eagleton" was seen by an estimated 5.06 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, with a 2.5 rating/7 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. A rating point represents one percent of the total number of television sets in American households, and a share means the percentage of television sets in use tuned to the program. This constituted an increase over the previous episode, "Jerry's Painting
Jerry's Painting
"Jerry's Painting" is the eleventh episode of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreations third season, and the 41st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 28, 2011...
", which was seen by an estimated 4.71 million households. The ratings improvement came despite the fact that the lead-in episode of The Office that immediately followed Parks and Recreation – "The Inner Circle
The Inner Circle (The Office)
"The Inner Circle" is the twenty-third episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 149th episode overall. The episode originally aired on May 5, 2011, on NBC...
", the first not to feature Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as a regular cast member – dropped significantly in the ratings.
In its 9:30 p.m. timeslot, "Eagleton" was outperformed by the Fox crime drama series Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, which was seen by 10.94 million household viewers; the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
forensic crime series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, which was seen by 10.67 million households; and the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, which was seen by 10.11 million household viewers. Parks and Recreation outperformed an episode of the CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
drama series Nikita
Nikita (TV series)
La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Brothers. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow...
, which was seen by 2 million households.
Reviews
"Eagleton" received generally positive reviews. James PoniewozikJames Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine strongly praised Posey's performance, and said the garbage fight scene was one of the funniest of the season. He also complimented the show for giving Poehler's and Posey's characters a strong back story that helped further develop the history of Pawnee and the characters. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix said "Eagleton" strongly developed Leslie, particularly in the way she ends the feud with Lindsay by building something new rather than resorting simply to revenge. He also praised Nick Offerman's comedic performance, and said the episode continues the strong development between Leslie and Ron's characters. Steve Kandell of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine enjoyed the comedic chemistry between Poehler and Posey – and especially enjoyed the garbage fight scene – but said the sudden resolution to their feud felt forced. Kandell said Nick Offerman stole the episode, and that the final scene between Leslie and Ron about his birthday party could be the best scene of the series. Damian Holbrook of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
said Posey was perfectly cast in her guest role, and said of the episode: "Sometimes TV gets it right, and last night, Parks and Recreation got it uber-right." Matt Fowler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
found Posey's character "somewhat one-note", but felt the episode was an improvement over the previous week's "Jerry's Painting", and with great comedy coming from the portrayal of Eagleton and Ron's paranoia about his surprise birthday party.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
writer Ken Tucker said the pairing of Poehler and Posey led to great comedic scenes, but that the "heart of the episode" was Leslie's celebration of Ron's birthday. Tucker praised the show's optimistic tone, with characters who genuinely respect and love each other, even while many other comedies remained cynical. Hillary Busis, also of Entertainment Weekly, called Posey's performance "pitch-perfect" and called Leslie's construction of the baseball diamond "a sweet coda to a great, funny episode". Postmedia News writer Alex Strachan praised the episode not only for its likable and easily relatable characters, but for its willingness to address social issues like the divide between classes in Pawnee and Eagleton. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said "Eagleton" seemed less story-driven and more over-the-top than usual, but that it works for the series because those episodes are funny and only happen periodically. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic complimented Posey's performance, but especially praised Leslie's birthday surprise for Ron, and claimed it was the first time since the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Friends that he responded to a television comedy so emotionally. Rick Porter of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
said the episode handled the rivalry between Pawnee and Eagleton nearly as well as some of the classic Cheers episodes about that bar and its rival, the Old Towne Tavern. He also called Offerman "pitch-perfect" in what Porter described as an excellent B-story.
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
said "Eagleton" further added to the mythology Parks and Recreation has built for itself by fleshing out the neighboring town." He also praised Leslie's birthday surprise for Ron, claiming it "sets Parks & Rec even more ahead of its competitors. Us Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
writer John Griffiths gave the episode three-and-a-half out of four stars, and called it one of the show's "sharpest outings yet". He described Poehler and Posey's performance off of each other as "smart and feisty fun". USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
writer Whitney Matheson called "Eagleton" the best episode of television of the week, and noted that Posey's performance contributed to an "already-great series". Joel Keller of TV Squad said it was one of his favorite episodes of the season because the humor was driven by the characters Leslie and Ron had developed into throughout the series. However, Keller said he believed Eagleton seemed too unrealistic and exaggerated as parody of rich towns. Not all reviews were positive. The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called it a cartoonish and "strangely uneven" episode, and felt Posey's appearance was distracting and disruptive to the natural flow of the show. However, Meslow called the subplot about Ron's birthday "one of the season's best" and said it demonstrated the strength of the relationships between the characters.
External links
- "Eagleton" at the official Parks and Recreation site