The Fight (Parks and Recreation)
Encyclopedia
"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 intoxicated during a bar outing, where Leslie
and Ann
have their first major fight. Meanwhile, Chris
tells Tom
he must sell his shares in the bar due to a conflict with his government job.
The episode was directed by Randall Einhorn
and written by Parks star Amy Poehler
, the second script she wrote for the series. "The Fight" originally aired back-to-back along with "Road Trip
". 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 show would conclude by the end of the television season. Scenes that portrayed the characters' intoxication at The Snakehole Lounge included a great deal of improvisation
by the cast, and Poehler called filming them "the most fun I've ever had".
"The Fight" featured several appearances by recurring guest stars, including Ben Schwartz
as Jean-Ralphio
, Andy Forrest as Kyle and Nick Kroll
as radio personality "The Douche". Immediately after the episode aired, NBC made a longer "Producer's Cut" version available on its website. "The Fight" received generally positive reviews, particularly for the scenes where the characters are drunk at the Snakehole Lounge. Commentators also praised the decision to give Ann a part-time job at city hall. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "The Fight" was seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, a drop from the previous original episode, "Eagleton
".
(Rob Lowe
) has fired Dennis Cooper, the former health department public relations director, who hung posters around city hall to publicly condemn his adulterous wife. Leslie
(Amy Poehler
) suggests Ann
(Rashida Jones
) replace him, mainly because they can spend more time together, since Ann has been so busy dating numerous men. Although reluctant to leave her job as a nurse, Ann agrees to attend the job interview, and Leslie provides her with an overwhelming amount of reading material to prepare for it. Meanwhile, Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) encourages the parks department to attend the Snakehole Lounge, a nightclub he partially owns, for the unveiling of his new line of alcoholic beverage, Snake Juice. Tom also encourages them to spread the word about the drink through word of mouth
guerilla marketing. April
(Aubrey Plaza) shows little interest in attending, until Andy
(Chris Pratt
) suggests they make a game of it by role-playing
as different people at the bar. April pretends to be Janet Snakehole, an aristocratic widow with a dark secret, while Andy poses as his frequent alter-ego, FBI
agent Burt Macklin.
That night, at the Snakehole Lounge, Leslie is surprised and annoyed to find Ann partying on the dance floor instead of preparing for the job interview. Ann introduces Leslie to her latest boyfriend, local radio host "The Douche" (Nick Kroll
). As Leslie and Ann become increasingly drunk from Snake Juice, Leslie insults Ann's current dating lifestyle. This prompts Ann to insult Leslie for moving too slow with Ben
(Adam Scott
), whom Leslie is attracted to. The fight escalates throughout the night, and Leslie ultimately claims she always has to keep Ann motivated or she would not go anywhere. Both declare it best that Ann not work with Leslie after all and they storm off. Meanwhile, the Snake Juice proves delicious and popular with the rest of parks employees, all of whom become extremely intoxicated. Chris arrives to warn Tom that using government employees to promote his own personal ventures is a breach of ethics. He tells a disappointed Tom that he must sell his shares of the Snakehole Lounge if he wants to keep his job.
The next morning, everyone who drank Snake Juice is extremely hungover (except Ron), and Leslie deeply regrets how she treated Ann. Ben visits Ann at her home and asks her to forgive Leslie. Ann, who also regrets the fight, is touched by Ben's gesture and reveals that Leslie likes him. Ann decides to attend the job interview, during which she and Leslie apologize to each other. After a second interview with Chris, Ann is given the job in a part-time basis, which also would allow her to continue her work as a nurse. Tom reluctantly decides to sell his Snakehole Lounge shares. Ron
(Nick Offerman
) attempts to convince Chris to let him keep the shares, and defends Tom's efforts to branch out by claiming the move was not unethical, but Chris is not persuaded. Instead, Ron comforts Tom by building him a special case to hold a bottle of Snake Juice.
and written by Parks and Recreation
star Amy Poehler
, the second script she penned for the series after "Telethon
" in the second season
. Filmed in December 2010, "The Fight" was originally broadcast on May 12, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the episode "Road Trip
", which aired immediately afterward. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because the third season
premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the series' season would conclude at the end of the television season. The filming of "The Fight" involved a particularly large amount of improvisation
among the actors, a common technique among Parks and Recreation episodes. Each actor spent about two days on their own filming their Snakehole Lounge scenes, which included the shots used in a montage sequence that showed how drunk each character had become by the end of the night. Poehler described the filming as "the most fun I've ever had".
Although Ann Perkins was initially conceived as a character outside of city hall who became involved with Leslie and her political world, series co-creator Michael Schur
said he believed it made sense that she would take a city hall job because "we just decided that Leslie’s pull would be strong enough to get her to make a move, career-wise". Schur also said it would make it easier for the character to become involved in stories with the others. "The Fight" featured several appearances by actors who had appeared in previous Parks and Recreation episodes, including Ben Schwartz
as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio
, who helps him promote Snake Juice throughout the night. Andy Forrest appeared as Andy's shoeshine customer Kyle, who is often insulted and mocked by Andy and the other characters during his shoeshines. Nick Kroll also appeared as "The Douche", the host of the Pawnee morning zoo
-style radio show "Crazy Ira and The Douche", which was previously featured in the episode "Media Blitz
".
During one scene, Ron says, "I won't publicly endorse a product unless I use it exclusively and I really believe in it. My only official recommendations are US Army issued mustache trimmers, Morton's Salt, and the C.R. Lawrence fine two inch style oscillating knife blade." That line was written by Schur, and the scene used in the episode was Nick Offerman's first take, with no mistakes made with the complicated dialogue. Immediately after "The Fight" first aired, a "Producer's Cut" version was made available on the official NBC.com website. It included an additional four minutes of material, that include a previously-unaired cold open
in which Ron sternly demands to know which employee has broken the parks department's coffee machine; this prompts a fight as the staff make accusations against each other. Ron secretly reveals to the camera that he broke the machine himself, but questioned the other employees anyway to deliberately start the arguments.
novel Freedom, claiming she wants to discuss the protagonist Patty Berglund with her. While drunk at the Snakehole Lounge, Ben says the words "baba booey" and starts laughing. The phrase is a nickname for Gary Dell'Abate
, a radio producer with The Howard Stern Show, and became a common catchphrase among Howard Stern
fans.
, 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. "Road Trip", which aired immediately after "The Fight", was seen by an estimated 3.54 million households. Both ratings constituted a drop over the previous episode, "Eagleton
", which was seen by an estimated 5.06 million household viewers. In its 9:30 p.m. timeslot, "The Fight" was outperformed by the CBS
forensic crime series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, which was seen by 11.77 million households; the Fox crime drama series Bones
, which was seen by 10.48 million household viewers; and the ABC
medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, which was seen by 9.63 million household viewers. Parks and Recreation outperformed an episode of the CW Television Network
drama series Nikita
, which was seen by 1.94 million households.
writer Hillary Busis said she loved the episode and called the Snakehole Lounge scenes a "tour-de-force" that highlighted the comedic skills of the entire cast. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com enjoyed the silliness of the episode, and claimed that the characters are so well-developed and likable that watching the Snakehole Lounge scenes felt like hanging out with real-life friends at a bar. Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
called it a "stellar" episode that was "loose, silly, rich with details and heart". He praised the fast pace and comedic timing of the jokes, and wrote, "it felt like the director was having as much fun as possible in 'The Fight.'" Scott Meslow of The Atlantic called "The Fight" a very funny episode which offers a "great solution" to why Ann Perkins spends so much time in city hall, which he called one of the show's "last nagging questions".
Joel Keller of TV Squad said the cast did a good job of playing drunk without being overly exaggerated. He also believed Ann's part-time job was a good way to integrate her into the case, as she had "seemed adrift this season". Zap2it
writer Rick Porter felt the episode was "a little light on plot" but included many funny scenes, particularly Andy and April's role-playing, and Ron's chipper attitude the morning after the bar visit, while everyone else remained hungover. Porter also praised Rashida Jones's performance during her hangover scenes. Matt Fowler of IGN
said he enjoyed Tom's efforts to "become a high-roller this season", and said Andy and April were fantastic during their role-playing scenes. Fowler also described Ron's defense of Tom's actions as "heart-warming". He gave the episode a 9 out of 10. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic said he believed Ann's new part-time job would help better integrate her into the cast. McHatton said the sweet scenes between Leslie and Ben are "quickly becoming my favorite scenes in the series", and said a shot of Ron dancing while drunk at the Snakehole Lounge was "easily one of the funniest things he’s done yet".
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 43rd 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 12, 2011. In the episode, the parks department employees become very intoxicated during a bar outing, where 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:...
and 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:...
have their first major fight. 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...
tells 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...
he must sell his shares in the bar due to a conflict with his government job.
The episode was directed by Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...
and written by Parks 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...
, the second script she wrote for the series. "The Fight" originally aired back-to-back along with "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...
". 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 show would conclude by the end of the television season. Scenes that portrayed the characters' intoxication at The Snakehole Lounge included a great deal 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...
by the cast, and Poehler called filming them "the most fun I've ever had".
"The Fight" featured several appearances by recurring guest stars, including Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz is a writer, actor and comedian. His feature film credits include Peep World with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman as well as Everybody's Fine with Robert DeNiro...
as Jean-Ralphio
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is a fictional character played by Ben Schwartz in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. He is the cocky friend of Tom Haverford and, like Tom, believes himself to be a playboy and pickup artist, although he is looked upon with contempt by most people...
, Andy Forrest as Kyle and Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
as radio personality "The Douche". Immediately after the episode aired, NBC made a longer "Producer's Cut" version available on its website. "The Fight" received generally positive reviews, particularly for the scenes where the characters are drunk at the Snakehole Lounge. Commentators also praised the decision to give Ann a part-time job at city hall. 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...
, "The Fight" was seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, a drop from the previous original episode, "Eagleton
Eagleton (Parks and Recreation)
"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...
".
Plot
ChrisChris 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 fired Dennis Cooper, the former health department public relations director, who hung posters around city hall to publicly condemn his adulterous wife. 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...
) suggests 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...
) replace him, mainly because they can spend more time together, since Ann has been so busy dating numerous men. Although reluctant to leave her job as a nurse, Ann agrees to attend the job interview, and Leslie provides her with an overwhelming amount of reading material to prepare for it. Meanwhile, 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....
) encourages the parks department to attend the Snakehole Lounge, a nightclub he partially owns, for the unveiling of his new line of alcoholic beverage, Snake Juice. Tom also encourages them to spread the word about the drink through word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
guerilla marketing. 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) shows little interest in attending, until 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...
) suggests they make a game of it by role-playing
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
as different people at the bar. April pretends to be Janet Snakehole, an aristocratic widow with a dark secret, while Andy poses as his frequent alter-ego, FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agent Burt Macklin.
That night, at the Snakehole Lounge, Leslie is surprised and annoyed to find Ann partying on the dance floor instead of preparing for the job interview. Ann introduces Leslie to her latest boyfriend, local radio host "The Douche" (Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
). As Leslie and Ann become increasingly drunk from Snake Juice, Leslie insults Ann's current dating lifestyle. This prompts Ann to insult Leslie for moving too slow with 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....
), whom Leslie is attracted to. The fight escalates throughout the night, and Leslie ultimately claims she always has to keep Ann motivated or she would not go anywhere. Both declare it best that Ann not work with Leslie after all and they storm off. Meanwhile, the Snake Juice proves delicious and popular with the rest of parks employees, all of whom become extremely intoxicated. Chris arrives to warn Tom that using government employees to promote his own personal ventures is a breach of ethics. He tells a disappointed Tom that he must sell his shares of the Snakehole Lounge if he wants to keep his job.
The next morning, everyone who drank Snake Juice is extremely hungover (except Ron), and Leslie deeply regrets how she treated Ann. Ben visits Ann at her home and asks her to forgive Leslie. Ann, who also regrets the fight, is touched by Ben's gesture and reveals that Leslie likes him. Ann decides to attend the job interview, during which she and Leslie apologize to each other. After a second interview with Chris, Ann is given the job in a part-time basis, which also would allow her to continue her work as a nurse. Tom reluctantly decides to sell his Snakehole Lounge shares. 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:...
) attempts to convince Chris to let him keep the shares, and defends Tom's efforts to branch out by claiming the move was not unethical, but Chris is not persuaded. Instead, Ron comforts Tom by building him a special case to hold a bottle of Snake Juice.
Production
"The Fight" was directed by Randall EinhornRandall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...
and written by 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...
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...
, the second script she penned for the series after "Telethon
Telethon (Parks and Recreation)
Telethon is the 22nd episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 28th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 6, 2010. In the episode, Leslie volunteers to host a charity telethon and is given the...
" 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...
. Filmed in December 2010, "The Fight" was originally broadcast on May 12, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the episode "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...
", which aired immediately afterward. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because 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...
premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the series' season would conclude at the end of the television season. The filming of "The Fight" involved a particularly large amount 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...
among the actors, a common technique among Parks and Recreation episodes. Each actor spent about two days on their own filming their Snakehole Lounge scenes, which included the shots used in a montage sequence that showed how drunk each character had become by the end of the night. Poehler described the filming as "the most fun I've ever had".
Although Ann Perkins was initially conceived as a character outside of city hall who became involved with Leslie and her political world, 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 he believed it made sense that she would take a city hall job because "we just decided that Leslie’s pull would be strong enough to get her to make a move, career-wise". Schur also said it would make it easier for the character to become involved in stories with the others. "The Fight" featured several appearances by actors who had appeared in previous Parks and Recreation episodes, including Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz is a writer, actor and comedian. His feature film credits include Peep World with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman as well as Everybody's Fine with Robert DeNiro...
as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is a fictional character played by Ben Schwartz in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. He is the cocky friend of Tom Haverford and, like Tom, believes himself to be a playboy and pickup artist, although he is looked upon with contempt by most people...
, who helps him promote Snake Juice throughout the night. Andy Forrest appeared as Andy's shoeshine customer Kyle, who is often insulted and mocked by Andy and the other characters during his shoeshines. Nick Kroll also appeared as "The Douche", the host of the Pawnee morning zoo
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
-style radio show "Crazy Ira and The Douche", which was previously featured in the episode "Media Blitz
Media Blitz
"Media Blitz" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 35th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 17, 2011...
".
During one scene, Ron says, "I won't publicly endorse a product unless I use it exclusively and I really believe in it. My only official recommendations are US Army issued mustache trimmers, Morton's Salt, and the C.R. Lawrence fine two inch style oscillating knife blade." That line was written by Schur, and the scene used in the episode was Nick Offerman's first take, with no mistakes made with the complicated dialogue. Immediately after "The Fight" first aired, a "Producer's Cut" version was made available on the official NBC.com website. It included an additional four minutes of material, that include a previously-unaired cold open
Cold 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...
in which Ron sternly demands to know which employee has broken the parks department's coffee machine; this prompts a fight as the staff make accusations against each other. Ron secretly reveals to the camera that he broke the machine himself, but questioned the other employees anyway to deliberately start the arguments.
Cultural references
While providing Ann with reading material to prepare for her job interview, Leslie also gives her a copy of the 2010 Jonathan FranzenJonathan Franzen
Jonathan Franzen is an American novelist and essayist. His third novel, The Corrections , a sprawling, satirical family drama, drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction...
novel Freedom, claiming she wants to discuss the protagonist Patty Berglund with her. While drunk at the Snakehole Lounge, Ben says the words "baba booey" and starts laughing. The phrase is a nickname for Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
, a radio producer with The Howard Stern Show, and became a common catchphrase among Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
fans.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "The Fight" was seen by an estimated 4.55 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 2.4 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. "Road Trip", which aired immediately after "The Fight", was seen by an estimated 3.54 million households. Both ratings constituted a drop over the previous episode, "Eagleton
Eagleton (Parks and Recreation)
"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...
", which was seen by an estimated 5.06 million household viewers. In its 9:30 p.m. timeslot, "The Fight" was outperformed by 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 11.77 million households; 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 10.48 million household viewers; 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 9.63 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 1.94 million households.
Reviews
"The Fight" received generally positive reviews, and several commentators noted that Ann's new part-time job at city hall provides a good explanation for why she is always spending time around the parks department despite working at the hospital. The scenes at the Snakehole Lounge were also praised as particularly funny, especially a shot where Ron Swanson dances drunkenly while wearing April's small woman's hat. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix said the episode was a good character study of the relationship between Leslie and Ann, and that the bar scenes "gave the whole episode a chaotic yet welcoming feel, like it was the show's drunken greatest hits". Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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 Hillary Busis said she loved the episode and called the Snakehole Lounge scenes a "tour-de-force" that highlighted the comedic skills of the entire cast. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com enjoyed the silliness of the episode, and claimed that the characters are so well-developed and likable that watching the Snakehole Lounge scenes felt like hanging out with real-life friends at a bar. 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 it a "stellar" episode that was "loose, silly, rich with details and heart". He praised the fast pace and comedic timing of the jokes, and wrote, "it felt like the director was having as much fun as possible in 'The Fight.'" Scott Meslow of The Atlantic called "The Fight" a very funny episode which offers a "great solution" to why Ann Perkins spends so much time in city hall, which he called one of the show's "last nagging questions".
Joel Keller of TV Squad said the cast did a good job of playing drunk without being overly exaggerated. He also believed Ann's part-time job was a good way to integrate her into the case, as she had "seemed adrift this season". 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...
writer Rick Porter felt the episode was "a little light on plot" but included many funny scenes, particularly Andy and April's role-playing, and Ron's chipper attitude the morning after the bar visit, while everyone else remained hungover. Porter also praised Rashida Jones's performance during her hangover scenes. 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 he enjoyed Tom's efforts to "become a high-roller this season", and said Andy and April were fantastic during their role-playing scenes. Fowler also described Ron's defense of Tom's actions as "heart-warming". He gave the episode a 9 out of 10. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic said he believed Ann's new part-time job would help better integrate her into the cast. McHatton said the sweet scenes between Leslie and Ben are "quickly becoming my favorite scenes in the series", and said a shot of Ron dancing while drunk at the Snakehole Lounge was "easily one of the funniest things he’s done yet".
External links
- "The Fight" at the official Parks and Recreation site