The Bubble (Parks and Recreation)
Encyclopedia
"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on May 19, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
becomes nervous when her new boyfriend Ben
has a business meeting with her tough mother, Marlene
. Meanwhile, Chris
tries to make some changes in the parks department, much to the chagrin of the staff.
Written by Greg Levine and Brian Rowe, and directed by Troy Miller
, "The Bubble" originally aired back-to-back along with "Lil' Sebastian". The two are stand-alone episodes not originally meant to run together, but because the third season premiered late, they had to be shown together so the series' season would conclude by the end of the television season. The episode featured a guest appearance by Pamela Reed
as Leslie's mother Marlene, her first appearance since the second season
episode "Galentine's Day
".
"The Bubble" marked a major progression for the character Tom Haverford
, who starts considering if he should leave his city hall position, which sets the stage for him to leave the position in "Li'l Sebastian". "The Bubble" received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research
, was seen by an estimated 4.27 million household viewers. Combined with an estimated 3.72 million household viewers with "Li'l Sebastian", the two episodes' ratings were about even with the previous week's episodes, "The Fight
" and "Road Trip
".
scene, the parks department welcomes Ann
(Rashida Jones
) to her new office in city hall and fill it with balloons, much to the chagrin of her cranky officemate Stuart (Jim Jansen). Leslie
(Amy Poehler
) and Ben
(Adam Scott
) are dating, but they are keeping their relationship a secret due to a no-dating policy at work. They are enjoying what Leslie calls "the bubble", or the beginning of a relationship when everything is simple and fun. It is suddenly threatened, however, when Ben has a meeting with Leslie's mother Marlene
(Pamela Reed
), a notoriously tough politician in the Pawnee school system, who wants Ben to approve the purchase of four new school buses despite a difficult budget season. Afraid of ruining the bubble, Leslie initially tells Ben she is not related to Marlene. Right before Ben's meeting, however, Leslie admits Marlene is her mother, making him nervous and causing him to capitulate to all of her demands during the meeting. Marlene considers Ben weak, so Leslie becomes determined to prove that he is a tough boss to impress Marlene.
Meanwhile, Chris
(Rob Lowe
) has enacted numerous changes to the parks department; he promotes Jerry (Jim O'Heir
) to public relations director, appoints April
(Aubrey Plaza) as everyone's assistant, places Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) on the nightmarish fourth floor with Andy
(Chris Pratt
) as his temporary assistant, and makes Ron
(Nick Offerman
) sit in the middle of a circular desk after the removal of his office, to force him to interact with people. Ron believes everything will eventually go back to normal as it has with past city managers that implemented drastic changes. However, Donna
(Retta) is concerned the overly-determined Chris will not do so and demands that Ron talk to him. On the fourth floor, Tom's attempts to charm some of the elderly women into doing his work fails miserably, as they ignore him and all adore Andy.
Leslie trains Ben for his next meeting with her mother. He impresses Marlene so much with his tough negotiation skills that she becomes flirtatious with him. An uncomfortable Ben tells Leslie they should tell her about their relationship, but Leslie does not want to lose the bubble. Fed up, Ben storms into Marlene's office and tells her that he is dating her daughter and asks her to keep it secret. Marlene laughs off the situation and tells Leslie that she approves of Ben. Meanwhile, Ron tells Chris the changes do not play to his staff's strengths and decides to compromise: if Chris returns everything to the way it was, he will remain in the desk for another week. Chris complies. Nevertheless, Tom is frustrated with the experience and begins to contemplate leaving his city hall job to pursue his own entrepreneurial interests.
, and written by Brian Rowe and Greg Levine, the latter of whom regularly works as a writers assistant on the series. The episode was originally broadcast on May 19, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the Parks and Recreation
episode "Li'l Sebastian
", which aired immediately afterward. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because the show premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the third season
could conclude at the end of the television season. The concept of the fourth floor of Pawnee's town hall as a dark and horrifying place was introduced in the second season
episode "Tom's Divorce
", and has been a running joke with the show ever since.
"The Bubble" featured a guest appearance by Pamela Reed
as Leslie's mother Marlene Griggs-Knope, her first appearance on the show since the second season "Galentine's Day
". Comedian Dana Gould
, who previously worked as a producer on Parks and Recreation, made an uncredited cameo appearance as a man on the fourth floor who enters Tom's fourth floor office looking for a man named Mort, then smashes a coffee pot and says, "Tell Mort I said, 'Your move.'" "The Bubble" marked a progression of the Tom Haverford that had been building throughout the third season, in which the character begins to consider leaving his city hall position to pursue his own business ambitions. That storyline is advanced in "The Bubble" through Tom's frustration with his assignment by Chris, and culminates in the season finale "Li'l Sebastian", in which he ultimately quits the parks department.
for Ben that included five straight songs by singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan
. Leslie prepares Ben for her meeting with Marlene by describing some of her favorite conversation topics, including industrialist Andrew Carnegie
and Calvin and Hobbes
cartoonist Bill Watterson
. Leslie claims her mother loves actor Daniel Craig
and Mark Sloan
, a character from the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy
nicknamed "McSteamy", and she makes a music box with a picture of the latter character in it for Ben to give her as a gift.
", the one-hour seventh season finale of comedy series The Office, Parks and Recreation was not shown in its regular 9:30 p.m. broadcast on May 19. "The Bubble" aired at 10 p.m., while "Li'l Sebastian" immediately followed it at 10:30 p.m. In its original American broadcast, "The Bubble" was seen by an estimated 4.27 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research
, with a 2.4 rating/6 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. Viewership for Parks and Recreation progressively dropped for the night, as "Li'l Sebastian" was seen by an estimated 3.72 million households. Combined, the ratings were about even with the average ratings for the previous week, in which two Parks and Recreation episodes were also shown back-to-back, although from a 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. time block: "The Fight
" had been seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, while "Road Trip
" was seen by 3.54 million households. In its 10 p.m. timeslot, "The Bubble" was outperformed by the fourth season
finale of the ABC
medical drama series Private Practice, which was seen by 7.45 million household viewers.
called it a very funny episode and said scenes of Ron swiveling around his circular desk to avoid talking to members of the public were "masterfully executed". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix said he enjoyed Marlene's attempts to seduce Ben, and especially loved the subplot with Chris making changes to the parks department. He praised Nick Offerman's "marvelously minimalist" performance, especially while trying to avoid people in his swivel desk. Matt Fowler of IGN
said the episode was hilarious and demonstrated "how marvelously great this series is at creating a truly lovable ensemble". He also praised the subplot with Pamela Reed and the "ridiculous filthiness" of the fourth floor.
Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com called it a "great little episode" and strong setup for the season finale. Although Sundermann initially had reservations about Leslie and Ben getting together, he now said it felt real because Leslie was willing to give risk a job she loved so much to be with him. Paste
magazine writer Garrett Martin said although the idea of pairing two co-workers felt like a conventional television move, he did not mind with Leslie and Ben because they are such a "charming and well-matched pair". Martin also said Pamela Reed "absolutely kills it" as Leslie's mother. Rick Porter of Zap2it
said Parks and Recreation was at the "top of its game", and that "The Bubble" worked well paired along with the season finale "Li'l Sebastian". He praised the comedic and romantic chemistry between Amy Poehler and Adam Scott, and said the subplot with Chris imposing changes on the parks department was "great fun".
Joel Keller of TV Squad said he enjoyed seeing Ron stand up for the parks department, which proved that despite his hatred of government, he knows his co-workers well and is a good boss. Keller also praised Pamela Reed's performance and said she works well with Amy Poehler. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic said although he believed the no-dating policy was little more than an unnecessary device meant to create friction between Leslie and Ben, he enjoyed the lengths with which they were going to keep their relationship secret. Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
called "The Bubble" an excellent episode that went a long way in fleshing out the Leslie and Ben romance, but primarily set the scene for the superior "Li'l Sebastian". Time
magazine writer James Poniewozik
said "The Bubble" was not as funny as some of the better third season episodes like "Harvest Festival" or "Andy and April's Fancy Party
", but was nonetheless enjoyable and "perfectly funny".
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 45th 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 19, 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 nervous when her new boyfriend 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...
has a business meeting with her tough mother, Marlene
Marlene Griggs-Knope
Marlene Griggs-Knope is a fictional character played by Pamela Reed in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. She is the mother of the show's protagonist, Leslie Knope, and an important political figure in the school system at the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee, where Leslie...
. Meanwhile, Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
tries to make some changes in the parks department, much to the chagrin of the staff.
Written by Greg Levine and Brian Rowe, and directed by Troy Miller
Troy Miller
Troy Miller is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. Miller is best known for his work in directing.- Stand-up comedy :Miller has produced and/or directed comedy shows and specials for a variety of comics including Robin Williams, Martin Short, Katt Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Brian...
, "The Bubble" originally aired back-to-back along with "Lil' Sebastian". The two are stand-alone episodes not originally meant to run together, but because the third season premiered late, they had to be shown together so the series' season would conclude by the end of the television season. The episode featured a guest appearance by Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed is an American actress. She is known for playing Ruth Powers in various episodes of TV's The Simpsons, as Arnold Schwarzenegger's hypoglycemic partner in the 1990 movie Kindergarten Cop and as the matriarch Gail Green in Jericho...
as Leslie's mother Marlene, her first appearance since the second season
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...
episode "Galentine's Day
Galentine's Day
"Galentine's Day" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 22nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 11, 2010. In the episode, Leslie and her boyfriend Justin seek to...
".
"The Bubble" marked a major progression for the character Tom Haverford
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...
, who starts considering if he should leave his city hall position, which sets the stage for him to leave the position in "Li'l Sebastian". "The Bubble" 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 4.27 million household viewers. Combined with an estimated 3.72 million household viewers with "Li'l Sebastian", the two episodes' ratings were about even with the previous week's episodes, "The Fight
The Fight (Parks and Recreation)
"The Fight" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011. In the episode, the parks department employees become very...
" and "Road Trip
Road Trip (Parks and Recreation)
"Road Trip" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 44th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011...
".
Plot
In a cold openCold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
scene, the parks department welcomes 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...
) to her new office in city hall and fill it with balloons, much to the chagrin of her cranky officemate Stuart (Jim Jansen). 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:...
(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...
) 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....
) are dating, but they are keeping their relationship a secret due to a no-dating policy at work. They are enjoying what Leslie calls "the bubble", or the beginning of a relationship when everything is simple and fun. It is suddenly threatened, however, when Ben has a meeting with Leslie's mother Marlene
Marlene Griggs-Knope
Marlene Griggs-Knope is a fictional character played by Pamela Reed in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. She is the mother of the show's protagonist, Leslie Knope, and an important political figure in the school system at the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee, where Leslie...
(Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed is an American actress. She is known for playing Ruth Powers in various episodes of TV's The Simpsons, as Arnold Schwarzenegger's hypoglycemic partner in the 1990 movie Kindergarten Cop and as the matriarch Gail Green in Jericho...
), a notoriously tough politician in the Pawnee school system, who wants Ben to approve the purchase of four new school buses despite a difficult budget season. Afraid of ruining the bubble, Leslie initially tells Ben she is not related to Marlene. Right before Ben's meeting, however, Leslie admits Marlene is her mother, making him nervous and causing him to capitulate to all of her demands during the meeting. Marlene considers Ben weak, so Leslie becomes determined to prove that he is a tough boss to impress Marlene.
Meanwhile, Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
(Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) has enacted numerous changes to the parks department; he promotes 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...
) to public relations director, appoints 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) as everyone's assistant, places 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....
) on the nightmarish fourth floor with 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...
) as his temporary assistant, and makes 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:...
) sit in the middle of a circular desk after the removal of his office, to force him to interact with people. Ron believes everything will eventually go back to normal as it has with past city managers that implemented drastic changes. However, Donna
Donna
-Fictional characters:*Donna Duck, character from the 1937 Disney short Don Donald*Donna Freedman, character from Neighbours*Donna Hayward, character from Twin Peaks*Donna Martin, character from Beverly Hills 90210...
(Retta) is concerned the overly-determined Chris will not do so and demands that Ron talk to him. On the fourth floor, Tom's attempts to charm some of the elderly women into doing his work fails miserably, as they ignore him and all adore Andy.
Leslie trains Ben for his next meeting with her mother. He impresses Marlene so much with his tough negotiation skills that she becomes flirtatious with him. An uncomfortable Ben tells Leslie they should tell her about their relationship, but Leslie does not want to lose the bubble. Fed up, Ben storms into Marlene's office and tells her that he is dating her daughter and asks her to keep it secret. Marlene laughs off the situation and tells Leslie that she approves of Ben. Meanwhile, Ron tells Chris the changes do not play to his staff's strengths and decides to compromise: if Chris returns everything to the way it was, he will remain in the desk for another week. Chris complies. Nevertheless, Tom is frustrated with the experience and begins to contemplate leaving his city hall job to pursue his own entrepreneurial interests.
Production
"The Bubble" was written directed by Troy MillerTroy Miller
Troy Miller is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. Miller is best known for his work in directing.- Stand-up comedy :Miller has produced and/or directed comedy shows and specials for a variety of comics including Robin Williams, Martin Short, Katt Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Brian...
, and written by Brian Rowe and Greg Levine, the latter of whom regularly works as a writers assistant on the series. The episode was originally broadcast on May 19, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the 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...
episode "Li'l Sebastian
Li'l Sebastian
"Li'l Sebastian" is the sixteenth episode and season finale of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 46th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 19, 2011...
", which aired immediately afterward. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because the show premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the third season
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...
could conclude at the end of the television season. The concept of the fourth floor of Pawnee's town hall as a dark and horrifying place was introduced in the second season
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...
episode "Tom's Divorce
Tom's Divorce
"Tom's Divorce" is the eleventh episode of the second season of American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the seventeenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 3, 2009. In the episode, Tom gets a divorce and Leslie tries to...
", and has been a running joke with the show ever since.
"The Bubble" featured a guest appearance by Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed is an American actress. She is known for playing Ruth Powers in various episodes of TV's The Simpsons, as Arnold Schwarzenegger's hypoglycemic partner in the 1990 movie Kindergarten Cop and as the matriarch Gail Green in Jericho...
as Leslie's mother Marlene Griggs-Knope, her first appearance on the show since the second season "Galentine's Day
Galentine's Day
"Galentine's Day" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 22nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 11, 2010. In the episode, Leslie and her boyfriend Justin seek to...
". Comedian Dana Gould
Dana Gould
Dana John Gould is an American comedian and comedy writer born and raised in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His upbringing and his extended family lent themselves to his stand-up routine, which has been seen on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, among other places.-Career:After high school, he studied...
, who previously worked as a producer on Parks and Recreation, made an uncredited cameo appearance as a man on the fourth floor who enters Tom's fourth floor office looking for a man named Mort, then smashes a coffee pot and says, "Tell Mort I said, 'Your move.'" "The Bubble" marked a progression of the Tom Haverford that had been building throughout the third season, in which the character begins to consider leaving his city hall position to pursue his own business ambitions. That storyline is advanced in "The Bubble" through Tom's frustration with his assignment by Chris, and culminates in the season finale "Li'l Sebastian", in which he ultimately quits the parks department.
Cultural references
Leslie refers to the cable television network History while she describes why she enjoys the early part of romantic relationships: "White wine, cuddling, and crazy amounts of History Channel documentaries." In one scene, Leslie refers to a mixtapeMixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
for Ben that included five straight songs by singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
. Leslie prepares Ben for her meeting with Marlene by describing some of her favorite conversation topics, including industrialist Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
and Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. It follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his...
cartoonist Bill Watterson
Bill Watterson
William Boyd Watterson II , known as Bill Watterson, is an American cartoonist and the author of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes...
. Leslie claims her mother loves actor Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
and Mark Sloan
Mark Sloan (Grey's Anatomy)
Mark Sloan is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by Eric Dane.-Storylines:Mark first appears in season two, introduced as a highly-respected otolaryngologist sub-specialized in plastic surgery and the former best friend of neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd...
, a character from the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
nicknamed "McSteamy", and she makes a music box with a picture of the latter character in it for Ben to give her as a gift.
Ratings
Due to the 9 p.m. broadcast of "Search CommitteeSearch Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
", the one-hour seventh season finale of comedy series The Office, Parks and Recreation was not shown in its regular 9:30 p.m. broadcast on May 19. "The Bubble" aired at 10 p.m., while "Li'l Sebastian" immediately followed it at 10:30 p.m. In its original American broadcast, "The Bubble" was seen by an estimated 4.27 million household viewers, 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...
, with a 2.4 rating/6 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. Viewership for Parks and Recreation progressively dropped for the night, as "Li'l Sebastian" was seen by an estimated 3.72 million households. Combined, the ratings were about even with the average ratings for the previous week, in which two Parks and Recreation episodes were also shown back-to-back, although from a 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. time block: "The Fight
The Fight (Parks and Recreation)
"The Fight" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011. In the episode, the parks department employees become very...
" had been seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, while "Road Trip
Road Trip (Parks and Recreation)
"Road Trip" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 44th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011...
" was seen by 3.54 million households. In its 10 p.m. timeslot, "The Bubble" was outperformed by the fourth season
Private Practice (season 4)
The fourth season of Private Practice premiered on September 23, 2010 and concluded on May 19, 2011. The season consisted of 22 episodes.-Addison:...
finale of 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 Private Practice, which was seen by 7.45 million household viewers.
Reviews
"The Bubble" received generally positive reviews. The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called the episode "a fine example of Parks and Recreation at its funniest" and along with "Li'l Sebastian" served as an "ideal capper to a remarkably strong third season of the series". Meslow added that Ron's intervention on behalf of his co-workers demonstrates he is a "much better manager than he lets on". Henry Hanks of CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
called it a very funny episode and said scenes of Ron swiveling around his circular desk to avoid talking to members of the public were "masterfully executed". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix said he enjoyed Marlene's attempts to seduce Ben, and especially loved the subplot with Chris making changes to the parks department. He praised Nick Offerman's "marvelously minimalist" performance, especially while trying to avoid people in his swivel desk. 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...
said the episode was hilarious and demonstrated "how marvelously great this series is at creating a truly lovable ensemble". He also praised the subplot with Pamela Reed and the "ridiculous filthiness" of the fourth floor.
Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com called it a "great little episode" and strong setup for the season finale. Although Sundermann initially had reservations about Leslie and Ben getting together, he now said it felt real because Leslie was willing to give risk a job she loved so much to be with him. Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine writer Garrett Martin said although the idea of pairing two co-workers felt like a conventional television move, he did not mind with Leslie and Ben because they are such a "charming and well-matched pair". Martin also said Pamela Reed "absolutely kills it" as Leslie's mother. 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 Parks and Recreation was at the "top of its game", and that "The Bubble" worked well paired along with the season finale "Li'l Sebastian". He praised the comedic and romantic chemistry between Amy Poehler and Adam Scott, and said the subplot with Chris imposing changes on the parks department was "great fun".
Joel Keller of TV Squad said he enjoyed seeing Ron stand up for the parks department, which proved that despite his hatred of government, he knows his co-workers well and is a good boss. Keller also praised Pamela Reed's performance and said she works well with Amy Poehler. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic said although he believed the no-dating policy was little more than an unnecessary device meant to create friction between Leslie and Ben, he enjoyed the lengths with which they were going to keep their relationship secret. 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...
called "The Bubble" an excellent episode that went a long way in fleshing out the Leslie and Ben romance, but primarily set the scene for the superior "Li'l Sebastian". 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 writer 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 "The Bubble" was not as funny as some of the better third season episodes like "Harvest Festival" or "Andy and April's Fancy Party
Andy and April's Fancy Party
"Andy and April's Fancy Party" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 39th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 14, 2011...
", but was nonetheless enjoyable and "perfectly funny".
External links
- "The Bubble" at the official Parks and Recreation site