Hunting Trip
Encyclopedia
"Hunting Trip" is the tenth episode of the second season
of American
comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the sixteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on November 19, 2009. In the episode, Leslie
tries to prove she can hang out with the guys by attending Ron
's annual hunting trip, where Ron is accidentally shot.
The episode was written by Daniel J. Goor
and was directed by series co-creator Greg Daniels
. It also introduced a romantic subplot between the characters Andy
and April
which continued throughout the second season and into the third
. Series co-creator Michael Schur
said the pairing was not previously planned, but grew when it was discovered actors Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt
had strong comedic chemistry together.
According to Nielsen Media Research
, "Hunting Trip" was seen by 4.61 million viewers, a slight drop from the previous week's episode, "The Camel
". The episode received generally positive to mixed reviews, with commentators particularly praising the Andy and April subplot, as well as the continued development of the Leslie Knope character.
(Chris Pratt
) giving piggyback rides to everyone in the parks department. Later, Ron
(Nick Offerman
), Jerry (Jim O'Heir
) and Mark
(Paul Schneider
) look forward to their annual "trail survey", which is actually a yearly secret hunting trip. Determined to prove she can be just like one of the guys around the office, Leslie insists the ladies of the parks department attend the trip this year, as well as Tom
(Aziz Ansari
), who has also never been invited. Ron is visibly disappointed.
Leslie asks April
(Aubrey Plaza) to check on a budgeting request while they are gone. What should be a simple chore, however, has April waiting on hold at the phone for hours. When she desperately has to use the restroom, Andy agrees to wait by the phone. When she returns, the two start to bond by making up their own lyrics to the hold music, playing a non-water game of Marco Polo
around the office, and seeing who can make the best spit-take
. When Andy says he is jealous that his ex-girlfriend Ann
(Rashida Jones
) is going to the hunting trip with Mark, April offers to give him a hickey to make Ann jealous, which Andy accepts.
Meanwhile, the others arrive at the cabin for the hunting trip. Leslie proves to be an excellent hunter and bags the first quail. Growing increasingly agitated, Ron agrees to a challenge that Leslie cannot shoot more birds than he can, and they split up. After a few hours of hunting, Ron screams and the others rush to his side and find he has been shot in the head. Ann, a nurse, takes Ron back to the cabin, where he is absolutely furious even though the injury is not serious. Ron asks whether Leslie shot him, but she insists she did not. Ron takes several pain pills and washes it down with scotch
, which forces Ann and Leslie to hold his mouth open and induce vomiting, despite fierce opposition from Ron himself.
The others discuss who shot Ron, and Mark creates a minor panic when he suggests perhaps an outsider is hunting them. Ann takes Leslie aside and says she knows who shot Ron, and a few minutes later Leslie admits to the group that she was the shooter, even though Ann knows this is not the case. A park ranger (Jay Johnston
) arrives and interrogates Leslie, implying that the accident is the result of her femininity. Leslie knows that she is a good hunter, but goes along with the ranger's sexist implications in order to appease him. Later, a bandaged Ron repeatedly berates Leslie, prompting Ann to insist Tom come forward. Tom admits he shot Ron, and that Leslie covered for him because he did not have his hunting license
, which could have resulted in a $25,000 fine and prison time. Ron is impressed with Leslie, whom he calls a "stand-up guy". The episode ends with a get well party for Ron, where Ann is unimpressed with Andy's hickey, and the whole party is horrified by Ron's head wound.
and directed by series co-creator Greg Daniels
. The episode introduced a romantic subplot between the characters Andy and April which continued throughout the second season and into the third
. Series co-creator Michael Schur
said the pairing was not previously planned, but grew when it was discovered during the filming of "Hunting Trip" that actors Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt
had strong comedic chemistry together. However, Schur also said the idea to pair them together in "Hunting Trip" stemmed in part from a line Plaza improvised in the first season
finale "Rock Show
", when Andy explained his style of music and April replied that she completely understood him. Schur said, "At the time, it was this little nothing, throwaway thing, but when we watched it, we thought there might be something there."
During a November 2009 panel at the Paley Center for Media in New York City
, Plaza said, "You're going to see more scenes with Andy and April. There could be a love connection for them." Daniels said some of his favorite moments from the series were in "Hunting Trip" and he particularly loved the "interpersonal stuff" between Andy and April, who he described as "two characters that you didn't know had any interest in one another". Pratt specifically sought to make Plaza laugh during their scene together and was ultimately successful. He told Daniels before filming, "I'm gonna get something out of her." "Hunting Trip" included a scene in which Leslie tells the state trooper multiple reasons or excuses for why she apparently shot Ron, all of which were edited together in a series of jump cut
s. The technique has been commonly used throughout the Parks and Recreation series to condense multiple takes of improvisation
from Poehler.
. "Hunting Trip" drew a 2.0 rating/6 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49. It constituted about a five percent drop in viewership from the previous week's episode, "The Camel
", which itself was a five percent drop from the previous episode, "Ron and Tammy
". The episode received generally positive reviews, with several particularly praising the subplot between Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt. Reviewers also praised the continued developed of the Leslie Knope character, who proves to be intelligent and capable in "Hunting Trip", rather than the clueless protagonist she appeared to be in earlier episodes. In 2011, New York
magazine writer called it "one of the breakout episodes that saw the show finding its momentum and figuring out how to transfer the dynamic outside of the office".
Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
said "Hunting Trip" was not as funny as the previous episode, "The Camel
", but that it included excellent physical comedy like Ron's refusal to throw up, and Andy's piggyback rides throughout Pawnee town hall. Sepinwall also praised Leslie's intelligence and savvy, which he said differentiates the show from Greg Daniels' other show, The Office and its protagonist Michael Scott
. IGN
writer Matt Fowler particularly praised the pairing of Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt, which he called simultaneously funny, naturalistic and sweet. Fowler said the main hunting plot was funny, but "I'm not a huge fan of horrific personal injury as a vehicle for humor". Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
said he liked the episode, but that the main hunting subplot was messy because there was too much action involving too many supporting cast members. Heisler said the Andy and April subplot was more effective. Slate
magazine writer Jonah Weiner praised "Hunting Trip", especially the scene in which the characters become convinced they are being stalked by the Predator
, the alien antagonist from the 1987 film of the same name
. Weiner called it a "detour into an inspired absurdity that tugs against and tweaks the show's bureaucratic backdrop". Time
magazine television critic James Poniewozik
said "Hunting Trip" demonstrated how far Leslie Knope had developed since the first season
. Poniewozik praised the "ultra-deadpan" pairing of Andy and April, which he said was another in a continued line of "interesting combinations for its side players". Steve Penner of The Portsmouth Herald
said the sequence of Poehler's statements to the park trooper was "worthy of her absolutely best SNL
impressions".
set in the United States on November 30, 2010. The DVD included deleted scenes for each episode. It also included a commentary track for "Hunting Trip" featuring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Jim O'Heir, Retta, Aubrey Plaza, Michael Schur and Greg Daniels. "Hunting Trip" was also included in the DVD box-set for the sixth season
of The Office.
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
of American
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
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 sixteenth 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 November 19, 2009. 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:...
tries to prove she can hang out with the guys by attending 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...
's annual hunting trip, where Ron is accidentally shot.
The episode was written by Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor is an Emmy award winning writer, who has written for several comedy talk shows including The Daily Show, Last Call with Carson Daly and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is currently serving as producer of the NBC primetime series Parks and Recreation. He writes for Power Rangers...
and was directed by series co-creator Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
. It also introduced a romantic subplot between the characters 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...
and 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...
which continued throughout the second season and into the third
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...
. 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...
said the pairing was not previously planned, but grew when it was discovered actors Aubrey Plaza and 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...
had strong comedic chemistry together.
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...
, "Hunting Trip" was seen by 4.61 million viewers, a slight drop from the previous week's episode, "The Camel
The Camel (Parks and Recreation)
"The Camel" is the ninth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fifteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 12, 2009...
". The episode received generally positive to mixed reviews, with commentators particularly praising the Andy and April subplot, as well as the continued development of the Leslie Knope character.
Plot
The episode opens with AndyAndy 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...
) giving piggyback rides to everyone in the parks department. Later, 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...
(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:...
), Jerry (Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir is an American actor. He was active in the Chicago theater during the 1980s and 1990s as part of the theater group White Noise, and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group...
) and Mark
Mark Brendanawicz
Mark Brendanawicz is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is the city planner for Pawnee, Indiana, one of Ann Perkins's ex-boyfriends, and Leslie Knope's colleague. He is portrayed by Paul Schneider...
(Paul Schneider
Paul Schneider (actor)
Paul Andrew Schneider is an American film actor.-Early life and career:Schneider was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. He graduated from the North Carolina School of Arts...
) look forward to their annual "trail survey", which is actually a yearly secret hunting trip. Determined to prove she can be just like one of the guys around the office, Leslie insists the ladies of the parks department attend the trip this year, as well as 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....
), who has also never been invited. Ron is visibly disappointed.
Leslie asks 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) to check on a budgeting request while they are gone. What should be a simple chore, however, has April waiting on hold at the phone for hours. When she desperately has to use the restroom, Andy agrees to wait by the phone. When she returns, the two start to bond by making up their own lyrics to the hold music, playing a non-water game of Marco Polo
Marco Polo (game)
The children's game marco is a form of tag played in a swimming pool.One player is chosen as "It". This player closes their eyes so they can't see and tries to tag the other players. The player who is "It" shouts out "Marco" and the other players must respond by shouting "Polo", which "It" uses to...
around the office, and seeing who can make the best spit-take
Spit-take
A spit-take is a comedic technique in which someone spits a beverage out of his or her mouth when he or she reacts to a statement. In this context, the word "take" is used in the sense of taking in information. It is similar in construction to the phrase "double-take."Example: Two characters sit...
. When Andy says he is jealous that his ex-girlfriend 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...
) is going to the hunting trip with Mark, April offers to give him a hickey to make Ann jealous, which Andy accepts.
Meanwhile, the others arrive at the cabin for the hunting trip. Leslie proves to be an excellent hunter and bags the first quail. Growing increasingly agitated, Ron agrees to a challenge that Leslie cannot shoot more birds than he can, and they split up. After a few hours of hunting, Ron screams and the others rush to his side and find he has been shot in the head. Ann, a nurse, takes Ron back to the cabin, where he is absolutely furious even though the injury is not serious. Ron asks whether Leslie shot him, but she insists she did not. Ron takes several pain pills and washes it down with scotch
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, which forces Ann and Leslie to hold his mouth open and induce vomiting, despite fierce opposition from Ron himself.
The others discuss who shot Ron, and Mark creates a minor panic when he suggests perhaps an outsider is hunting them. Ann takes Leslie aside and says she knows who shot Ron, and a few minutes later Leslie admits to the group that she was the shooter, even though Ann knows this is not the case. A park ranger (Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...
) arrives and interrogates Leslie, implying that the accident is the result of her femininity. Leslie knows that she is a good hunter, but goes along with the ranger's sexist implications in order to appease him. Later, a bandaged Ron repeatedly berates Leslie, prompting Ann to insist Tom come forward. Tom admits he shot Ron, and that Leslie covered for him because he did not have his hunting license
Hunting license
A hunting license is a regulatory or legal mechanism to control recreational and sports hunting.Hunting may be regulated informally by "unwritten law", "self restraint", or "morality" and by laws "enforced by government authority."...
, which could have resulted in a $25,000 fine and prison time. Ron is impressed with Leslie, whom he calls a "stand-up guy". The episode ends with a get well party for Ron, where Ann is unimpressed with Andy's hickey, and the whole party is horrified by Ron's head wound.
Production
"Hunting Trip" was written by Daniel J. GoorDaniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor is an Emmy award winning writer, who has written for several comedy talk shows including The Daily Show, Last Call with Carson Daly and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is currently serving as producer of the NBC primetime series Parks and Recreation. He writes for Power Rangers...
and directed by series co-creator Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
. The episode introduced a romantic subplot between the characters Andy and April which continued throughout the second season and into the third
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...
. 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...
said the pairing was not previously planned, but grew when it was discovered during the filming of "Hunting Trip" that actors Aubrey Plaza and 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...
had strong comedic chemistry together. However, Schur also said the idea to pair them together in "Hunting Trip" stemmed in part from a line Plaza improvised in 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...
finale "Rock Show
Rock Show (Parks and Recreation)
"Rock Show" is the sixth episode and season finale of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. It was written by Norm Hiscock and directed by Michael Schur...
", when Andy explained his style of music and April replied that she completely understood him. Schur said, "At the time, it was this little nothing, throwaway thing, but when we watched it, we thought there might be something there."
During a November 2009 panel at the Paley Center for Media in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Plaza said, "You're going to see more scenes with Andy and April. There could be a love connection for them." Daniels said some of his favorite moments from the series were in "Hunting Trip" and he particularly loved the "interpersonal stuff" between Andy and April, who he described as "two characters that you didn't know had any interest in one another". Pratt specifically sought to make Plaza laugh during their scene together and was ultimately successful. He told Daniels before filming, "I'm gonna get something out of her." "Hunting Trip" included a scene in which Leslie tells the state trooper multiple reasons or excuses for why she apparently shot Ron, all of which were edited together in a series of jump cut
Jump cut
A jump cut is a cut in film editing and vloging in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit causes the subject of the shots to appear to "jump" position in a discontinuous way...
s. The technique has been commonly used throughout the Parks and Recreation series to condense multiple takes of improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
from Poehler.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on November 19, 2009, "Hunting Trip" was seen by 4.61 million 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...
. "Hunting Trip" drew a 2.0 rating/6 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49. It constituted about a five percent drop in viewership from the previous week's episode, "The Camel
The Camel (Parks and Recreation)
"The Camel" is the ninth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fifteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 12, 2009...
", which itself was a five percent drop from the previous episode, "Ron and Tammy
Ron and Tammy
"Ron and Tammy" is the eighth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fourteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 5, 2009. In the episode, the library department tries to take control of a vacant lot where Leslie plans...
". The episode received generally positive reviews, with several particularly praising the subplot between Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt. Reviewers also praised the continued developed of the Leslie Knope character, who proves to be intelligent and capable in "Hunting Trip", rather than the clueless protagonist she appeared to be in earlier episodes. In 2011, 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 writer called it "one of the breakout episodes that saw the show finding its momentum and figuring out how to transfer the dynamic outside of the office".
Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
said "Hunting Trip" was not as funny as the previous episode, "The Camel
The Camel (Parks and Recreation)
"The Camel" is the ninth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fifteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 12, 2009...
", but that it included excellent physical comedy like Ron's refusal to throw up, and Andy's piggyback rides throughout Pawnee town hall. Sepinwall also praised Leslie's intelligence and savvy, which he said differentiates the show from Greg Daniels' other show, The Office and its protagonist Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
. 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...
writer Matt Fowler particularly praised the pairing of Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt, which he called simultaneously funny, naturalistic and sweet. Fowler said the main hunting plot was funny, but "I'm not a huge fan of horrific personal injury as a vehicle for humor". 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 he liked the episode, but that the main hunting subplot was messy because there was too much action involving too many supporting cast members. Heisler said the Andy and April subplot was more effective. Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
magazine writer Jonah Weiner praised "Hunting Trip", especially the scene in which the characters become convinced they are being stalked by the Predator
Predator (alien)
The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
, the alien antagonist from the 1987 film of the same name
Predator (film)
Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Kevin Peter Hall. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox....
. Weiner called it a "detour into an inspired absurdity that tugs against and tweaks the show's bureaucratic backdrop". 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 television critic James Poniewozik
James 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...
said "Hunting Trip" demonstrated how far Leslie Knope had developed since 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...
. Poniewozik praised the "ultra-deadpan" pairing of Andy and April, which he said was another in a continued line of "interesting combinations for its side players". Steve Penner of The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Herald is a seven-day daily newspaper serving greater Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Its coverage area also includes the municipalities of Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye, New Hampshire; and Eliot, Kittery, Kittery Point and South Berwick, Maine.News Corporation acquired The...
said the sequence of Poehler's statements to the park trooper was "worthy of her absolutely best SNL
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
impressions".
DVD release
"Hunting Trip", along with the other 23 second season episodes of Parks and Recreation, was released on a four-disc DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on November 30, 2010. The DVD included deleted scenes for each episode. It also included a commentary track for "Hunting Trip" featuring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Jim O'Heir, Retta, Aubrey Plaza, Michael Schur and Greg Daniels. "Hunting Trip" was also included in the DVD box-set for the sixth season
The Office (U.S. TV series) season 6
The American television comedy The Office was renewed by NBC for a sixth season on January 15, 2009. The season premiered on September 17, 2009 and concluded on May 20, 2010. The episodes aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EDT as part of Comedy Night Done Right...
of The Office.
External links
- "Hunting Trip" at the official Parks and Recreation site
- "Hunting Trip" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...