Ron & Tammy: Part Two
Encyclopedia
"Ron & Tammy: Part Two" (sometimes referred to as "Ron and Tammy II") is the fourth episode of the third season
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 34th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on February 10, 2011. In the episode, Tom
tries to make Ron
jealous by dating Ron's ex-wife Tammy, causing the two to resume their unhealthy relationship. Meanwhile, Leslie
and Ben
ask the police to provide security for the harvest festival, and April
is assigned to be Chris
's secretary.
Written by Emily Kapnek
and directed by Tucker Gates
, the episode is considered a sequel to the second season
episode "Ron and Tammy
". Megan Mullally
, the real-life wife of actor Nick Offerman
, reprises her role as Tammy. Mullally and Offerman were permitted a great deal of improvisation
during their scenes. "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" also features guest appearances by Eric Pierpoint
as Pawnee Police Chief Trumple and Jama Williamson
in the last of several guest performances as Tom's ex-wife, Wendy.
When the episode first broadcast, NBC
ran a commercial advertising "April and Andy's wedding registry" on the official Parks and Recreation website. Although apparently a mistake intended to refer to Ron and Tammy's registry, some commentators suggested it could be indicative of future events in the series. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was seen by 5.03 million household viewers, a slight increase from the previous episode, "Time Capsule
". It received generally positive reviews, with several commentators praising the repairing of Ron and Tammy, as well as Nick Offerman's performance.
's (Nick Offerman
) ex-wife Tammy (Megan Mullally
) continues her efforts to sabotage his life, but the normally susceptible Ron easily resists her seductions because he is now in a solid relationship with Tom
's (Aziz Ansari
) ex-wife Wendy (Jama Williamson
), much to Tom's jealousy. Later, however, Wendy and Ron break up after she announces she is moving back to Canada
. Meanwhile, Leslie
(Amy Poehler
) and the parks department throw a party for the Pawnee police department, where they hope to ask them to provide security for the upcoming Harvest Festival. During the party, Ben
(Adam Scott
) awkwardly fails to get Chief Trumple's (Eric Pierpoint
) favor. Tom, unaware of Ron and Wendy's breakup, arrives at the party with Tammy to make him jealous. After bickering loudly, Ron and Tammy both decide to leave the party together to talk and try to make amends. However, a night filled with drunken sex and mayhem ensues, ending with the two getting re-married and ending up in jail.
After getting Ron released, the parks department holds an intervention for him about Tammy, even playing a previously recorded tape of Ron warning himself to stay away from her. Ron ignores the warnings and prepares to take Tammy to his cabin for a sex-filled honeymoon after her bridal shower. Leslie blames Tom for the dilemma and, although he initially claims to be unfazed, Tom later arrives at the bridal shower to stop Ron from going on the honeymoon. He reveals the whole marriage is a ploy by Tammy to once again make him miserable. Tammy attacks and mercilessly beats Tom, prompting Ron to remember what a monster she truly is and dump her. He literally carries Tom away, and the two later make amends. Despite the bad impression he made the day before, Ben asks Trumple for the Harvest Festival favor. The chief unconditionally agrees out of respect for Leslie, who he said always helps everyone, and because Leslie once dated his friend Dave (Louis C.K.
). Ben seems relieved Leslie and Dave are no longer together, and he later asks Leslie out to eat.
In the B story
, April
(Aubrey Plaza) is working as Chris
' (Rob Lowe
) assistant until he goes back to Indianapolis
. April's cynical personality clashes with Chris' relentless optimism and happiness. In an attempt to get fired, April purposely neglects to tell Ann
(Rashida Jones
) that Chris cannot make a lunch date. When Ann arrives to confront Chris, she quickly realizes April's ploy. Ann reveals she is very happy dating Chris, and would even probably move with him to Indianapolis if asked. Andy
(Chris Pratt
), who is still trying to win back April's affections, gives Chris an obviously forged letter from the FBI
claiming April must immediately return to the parks department. Chris sees through the ruse and tells April she can go back, but that remaining his assistant may provide her career opportunities. He invites her to return with him to Indianapolis and she seems interested, leaving both Ann and Andy stunned and jealous.
"Ron & Tammy: Part Two", sometimes informally referred to as "Ron and Tammy II", was written by Parks consulting producer Emily Kapnek
and directed by Tucker Gates
, who has previously directed episodes of The Office, another comedy series created by Parks co-creator Greg Daniels
. Like all of the first six third season
episodes, it was written and filmed almost immediately after the second season
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy. However, although finished early in anticipation of a September 2010 release date, Parks was ultimately placed on hiatus until early 2011, many months after production on "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was finished. The episode is considered a sequel to the second season
episode "Ron and Tammy
", which introduced the character of Ron Swanson's ex-wife, Tammy, and their unhealthy relationship with each other. Megan Mullally
, the real-life wife of actor Nick Offerman
, reprises her role as Tammy. "Ron and Tammy" was one of the most well-received episodes of the second season, so the writers immediately started contemplating ways to bring the character back.
Offerman said he worked well with Mullally, and that the two both enjoy "pushing the envelope and testing our boundaries, both of physical ability and good taste". He jokingly said of filming the episode:
Offerman and Mullally were allowed to improvise
a great deal during filming. The episode features a montage of various clips showing how Ron and Tammy gradually go from fighting with each other to getting married over the course of a particularly wild night. Long sequences of footage were shot — including Ron and Tammy loudly arguing on the sidewalk and the two making out atop a police car — but little more than a few seconds ultimately made the final episode. Offerman said it took about a half hour for the hair department to give him his cornrows haircut. He said he enjoyed the process, saying it "felt like a stiff head massage".
Mullally said Tammy is expected to appear again in future episodes: "It seems like it's sort of a once a season-ish kind of event. When Tammy shows up, it pretty much brings Ron to a screeching halt." Mullally and Parks co-star Adam Scott also starred together in the Starz comedy series Party Down
. "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" featured the last of several guest performances of Jama Williamson as Wendy, who revealed she was returning to her home country of Canada to care for her aging parents. Pawnee Police Chief Trumple was portrayed by Eric Pierpoint, who has played several police officers throughout his career, including an alien police officer in the science fiction series Alien Nation and a police chief in the superhero drama series The Cape.
Immediately after "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" first aired on February 10, 2011, NBC
ran a commercial advertising "April and Andy's wedding registry" on the official Parks and Recreation website. This seemed inconsistent with the show's storyline because, although April and Andy had previously expressed romantic interest in each other, the two had separated and were not yet reconciled at the time of the episode. Shortly after the episode aired, HitFix television reviewer Alan Sepinwall wrote that the commercial mistakenly used the wrong names and was actually referring to Ron and Tammy's wedding registry, which was mentioned in "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" and was indeed featured on the Parks and Recreation website. However, while images of both April and Andy were featured in the commercial, Tammy herself was not, and some commentators suggested the error could be indicative of future events in the series. Andy and April eventually did marry in the episode "Andy and April's Fancy Party
". Afterward, Parks co-creator Michael Schur
admitted the commercial was intended to run with that episode, but ran with "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" due to an error by NBC employees:
, with an overall 3.0 rating/5 share, and a 2.5 rating/7 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It marked a slight increase in viewership compared to the previous episode, "Time Capsule
". The night "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was broadcast, Parks and Recreation was outperformed in its timeslot by the CBS
crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, which was seen by 12.78 million households; the ABC
medical drama series Grey's Anatomy
, which was seen by 10.4 million household viewers; and the Fox
comedy-drama series Bones
, which was seen by 9.5 million households.
writer Hillary Busis said she feared Megan Mullally could not live up to her performance in "Ron and Tammy", but she said the follow-up episode "gave Parks and Rec fans everything they could hope for and more". Busis also praised the pairing of the enthusiastic Chris and the apathetic April. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix enjoyed that the script did not simply rehash the original "Ron and Tammy" story, but instead played it well off the Tom, Wendy and Ron love triangle. Sepinwall also praised the Chris/April pairing and the fact that Adam Scott got to do more than play his usual straight man
role. He added that he hoped each season would have a Ron and Tammy-centric episode, but limit it to once a year in the style of Cheers Bar Wars episodes.
The A.V. Club
writer Steve Heisler said the episode was "just about as good as it gets", with several great moments revolving around Nick Offerman's deadpan comedic delivery. Heisler also said making the police department part of the script was a good way to better flesh out Pawnee and its townspeople. New York
magazine writer Steve Kandell praised the performances of Offerman and Aubrey Plaza, and referred to Tammy as Pawnee's equivalent of Sideshow Bob
in The Simpsons
' Springfield
. Kandell also liked that the episode "had heart" because the Tammy subplot was resolved by Ron standing up for Tom. TV Squad writer Joel Keller said the episode did not reach the level of the original "Ron and Tammy", but that "it still had more than enough funny, cringeworthy and downright gross moments to be very satisfying". He declared Mullally "one of the best sitcom creations this side of Colonel Flagg on M*A*S*H". The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow praised Ron Swanson as the show's "breakout character", and said "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was so good that he hoped for another sequel episode in the next season.
Rick Porter of Zap2it
said the episode featured several great scenes between Ron and Tammy and called it a "tour de force" for Nick Offerman, but also appreciated that the episode featured strong moments outside that main plotline. He called it the best comedic showcase for Adam Scott so far in the season, and praised both the pairing of April and Chris, and the way that subplot led to Ann's confusion about her future with Chris. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said the subplot with April and Chris demonstrated how Parks often succeeds in pairing two characters that often seem to have little connection to each other. Sundermann also enjoyed how Ben's awkwardness around the police chief illustrated how "the show is becoming more and more clear on who understands and fits in Pawnee, versus who doesn't". TV Fanatic writer Matt Richenthal said the dynamic between Ron and Tammy worked well not only due to their real-life relationship, but also because of the balance between "the couple's over-the-top antics and the heart it showed in other areas". Richenthal also complimented the performance of Chris Pratt as the "sweet, well-intentioned, air-headed Andy".
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 34th 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 February 10, 2011. In the episode, 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...
tries to make 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...
jealous by dating Ron's ex-wife Tammy, causing the two to resume their unhealthy relationship. Meanwhile, 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 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...
ask the police to provide security for the harvest festival, 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...
is assigned to be 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...
's secretary.
Written by Emily Kapnek
Emily Kapnek
Emily Kapnek is an actress, television producer and three time Emmy Award nominated writer. She created the animated program As Told by Ginger and executive produced the short-lived television series Emily's Reasons Why Not...
and directed by Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates is an American television director and producer. He has directed several episodes of the J. J. Abrams shows, Alias and Lost, including the very last episode of Alias...
, the episode is considered a sequel to 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 "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...
". Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
, the real-life wife of actor 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:...
, reprises her role as Tammy. Mullally and Offerman were permitted 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...
during their scenes. "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" also features guest appearances by Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as George Francisco on Fox Network's Alien Nation. He has appeared on all of the Star Trek spin-offs. He played five characters in the four series from 1993 to 2005.He is the son of retired CBS news correspondent Robert...
as Pawnee Police Chief Trumple and Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson is an American actress. She was active in New York City theater throughout the early 2000s, during which she appeared in such shows as Avery Crozier's Eat the Runt, Hunt Holman's Spanish Girl, A. R. Gurney's Sylvia and Simon Mendes da Costa's Losing Louis...
in the last of several guest performances as Tom's ex-wife, Wendy.
When the episode first broadcast, 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...
ran a commercial advertising "April and Andy's wedding registry" on the official Parks and Recreation website. Although apparently a mistake intended to refer to Ron and Tammy's registry, some commentators suggested it could be indicative of future events in the series. 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...
, "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was seen by 5.03 million household viewers, a slight increase from the previous episode, "Time Capsule
Time Capsule (Parks and Recreation)
"Time Capsule" is the third episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 33rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 3, 2011. In the episode, Leslie tries to encourage civic pride through a...
". It received generally positive reviews, with several commentators praising the repairing of Ron and Tammy, as well as Nick Offerman's performance.
Plot
RonRon 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 (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:...
) ex-wife Tammy (Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
) continues her efforts to sabotage his life, but the normally susceptible Ron easily resists her seductions because he is now in a solid relationship with 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...
's (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....
) ex-wife Wendy (Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson
Jama Williamson is an American actress. She was active in New York City theater throughout the early 2000s, during which she appeared in such shows as Avery Crozier's Eat the Runt, Hunt Holman's Spanish Girl, A. R. Gurney's Sylvia and Simon Mendes da Costa's Losing Louis...
), much to Tom's jealousy. Later, however, Wendy and Ron break up after she announces she is moving back to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Meanwhile, 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 the parks department throw a party for the Pawnee police department, where they hope to ask them to provide security for the upcoming Harvest Festival. During the party, 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....
) awkwardly fails to get Chief Trumple's (Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint
Eric Pierpoint is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as George Francisco on Fox Network's Alien Nation. He has appeared on all of the Star Trek spin-offs. He played five characters in the four series from 1993 to 2005.He is the son of retired CBS news correspondent Robert...
) favor. Tom, unaware of Ron and Wendy's breakup, arrives at the party with Tammy to make him jealous. After bickering loudly, Ron and Tammy both decide to leave the party together to talk and try to make amends. However, a night filled with drunken sex and mayhem ensues, ending with the two getting re-married and ending up in jail.
After getting Ron released, the parks department holds an intervention for him about Tammy, even playing a previously recorded tape of Ron warning himself to stay away from her. Ron ignores the warnings and prepares to take Tammy to his cabin for a sex-filled honeymoon after her bridal shower. Leslie blames Tom for the dilemma and, although he initially claims to be unfazed, Tom later arrives at the bridal shower to stop Ron from going on the honeymoon. He reveals the whole marriage is a ploy by Tammy to once again make him miserable. Tammy attacks and mercilessly beats Tom, prompting Ron to remember what a monster she truly is and dump her. He literally carries Tom away, and the two later make amends. Despite the bad impression he made the day before, Ben asks Trumple for the Harvest Festival favor. The chief unconditionally agrees out of respect for Leslie, who he said always helps everyone, and because Leslie once dated his friend Dave (Louis C.K.
Louis C.K.
Louis Szekely , known professionally as Louis C.K., is a stand-up comedian, television and film writer, actor, producer, and director...
). Ben seems relieved Leslie and Dave are no longer together, and he later asks Leslie out to eat.
In the B story
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, 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) is working as 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...
) assistant until he goes back to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. April's cynical personality clashes with Chris' relentless optimism and happiness. In an attempt to get fired, April purposely neglects to tell 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...
) that Chris cannot make a lunch date. When Ann arrives to confront Chris, she quickly realizes April's ploy. Ann reveals she is very happy dating Chris, and would even probably move with him to Indianapolis if asked. 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...
), who is still trying to win back April's affections, gives Chris an obviously forged letter from the 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...
claiming April must immediately return to the parks department. Chris sees through the ruse and tells April she can go back, but that remaining his assistant may provide her career opportunities. He invites her to return with him to Indianapolis and she seems interested, leaving both Ann and Andy stunned and jealous.
Production
Emily Kapnek
Emily Kapnek is an actress, television producer and three time Emmy Award nominated writer. She created the animated program As Told by Ginger and executive produced the short-lived television series Emily's Reasons Why Not...
and directed by Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates is an American television director and producer. He has directed several episodes of the J. J. Abrams shows, Alias and Lost, including the very last episode of Alias...
, who has previously directed episodes of The Office, another comedy series created by Parks co-creator Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
. Like all of the first six 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...
episodes, it was written and filmed almost immediately after 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...
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy. However, although finished early in anticipation of a September 2010 release date, Parks was ultimately placed on hiatus until early 2011, many months after production on "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was finished. The episode is considered a sequel to 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 "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...
", which introduced the character of Ron Swanson's ex-wife, Tammy, and their unhealthy relationship with each other. Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
, the real-life wife of actor 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:...
, reprises her role as Tammy. "Ron and Tammy" was one of the most well-received episodes of the second season, so the writers immediately started contemplating ways to bring the character back.
Offerman said he worked well with Mullally, and that the two both enjoy "pushing the envelope and testing our boundaries, both of physical ability and good taste". He jokingly said of filming the episode:
"They tell me it's quite something. I honestly don't remember much of what took place during the filming of that episode because it was like a crazy peyote fever dream. I remember there was lots of howling, and I came away very sore and scarred. Parts of my anatomy were alarmingly chafed. They say it turned out well. I'm excited to see it."
Offerman and Mullally were allowed to improvise
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...
a great deal during filming. The episode features a montage of various clips showing how Ron and Tammy gradually go from fighting with each other to getting married over the course of a particularly wild night. Long sequences of footage were shot — including Ron and Tammy loudly arguing on the sidewalk and the two making out atop a police car — but little more than a few seconds ultimately made the final episode. Offerman said it took about a half hour for the hair department to give him his cornrows haircut. He said he enjoyed the process, saying it "felt like a stiff head massage".
Mullally said Tammy is expected to appear again in future episodes: "It seems like it's sort of a once a season-ish kind of event. When Tammy shows up, it pretty much brings Ron to a screeching halt." Mullally and Parks co-star Adam Scott also starred together in the Starz comedy series Party Down
Party Down
Party Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:...
. "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" featured the last of several guest performances of Jama Williamson as Wendy, who revealed she was returning to her home country of Canada to care for her aging parents. Pawnee Police Chief Trumple was portrayed by Eric Pierpoint, who has played several police officers throughout his career, including an alien police officer in the science fiction series Alien Nation and a police chief in the superhero drama series The Cape.
Immediately after "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" first aired on February 10, 2011, 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...
ran a commercial advertising "April and Andy's wedding registry" on the official Parks and Recreation website. This seemed inconsistent with the show's storyline because, although April and Andy had previously expressed romantic interest in each other, the two had separated and were not yet reconciled at the time of the episode. Shortly after the episode aired, HitFix television reviewer Alan Sepinwall wrote that the commercial mistakenly used the wrong names and was actually referring to Ron and Tammy's wedding registry, which was mentioned in "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" and was indeed featured on the Parks and Recreation website. However, while images of both April and Andy were featured in the commercial, Tammy herself was not, and some commentators suggested the error could be indicative of future events in the series. Andy and April eventually did marry in the episode "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...
". Afterward, Parks 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...
admitted the commercial was intended to run with that episode, but ran with "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" due to an error by NBC employees:
"In an effort to undo the spoiler, we publicly stated, in a number of interviews, that NBC had just accidentally gotten the character names wrong, and that there was no upcoming Andy-April wedding. We sincerely hope that fans of the show are cool with us gently lying to them, in an effort to maintain the surprise nuptials as much as we could. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go shoot the season finale surprise Jerry-Donna wedding scene."
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was seen by an estimated 5.03 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 an overall 3.0 rating/5 share, and a 2.5 rating/7 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It marked a slight increase in viewership compared to the previous episode, "Time Capsule
Time Capsule (Parks and Recreation)
"Time Capsule" is the third episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 33rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 3, 2011. In the episode, Leslie tries to encourage civic pride through a...
". The night "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was broadcast, Parks and Recreation was outperformed in its timeslot 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...
crime drama 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 12.78 million households; 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
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...
, which was seen by 10.4 million household viewers; and the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
comedy-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 9.5 million households.
Reviews
"Ron & Tammy: Part Two" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators praising the repairing of Ron and Tammy, Nick Offerman's performance and, in particular, the line in which Ron explains how part of his mustache became shaved off: "It rubbed off... from friction." 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 feared Megan Mullally could not live up to her performance in "Ron and Tammy", but she said the follow-up episode "gave Parks and Rec fans everything they could hope for and more". Busis also praised the pairing of the enthusiastic Chris and the apathetic April. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix enjoyed that the script did not simply rehash the original "Ron and Tammy" story, but instead played it well off the Tom, Wendy and Ron love triangle. Sepinwall also praised the Chris/April pairing and the fact that Adam Scott got to do more than play his usual straight man
Straight man
Straight man may refer to:* Straight Man, a novel by Richard Russo* A member of a double act who plays a stooge, feed, or comic foil in theatrical comedy...
role. He added that he hoped each season would have a Ron and Tammy-centric episode, but limit it to once a year in the style of Cheers Bar Wars episodes.
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...
writer Steve Heisler said the episode was "just about as good as it gets", with several great moments revolving around Nick Offerman's deadpan comedic delivery. Heisler also said making the police department part of the script was a good way to better flesh out Pawnee and its townspeople. 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 Steve Kandell praised the performances of Offerman and Aubrey Plaza, and referred to Tammy as Pawnee's equivalent of Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
. Kandell also liked that the episode "had heart" because the Tammy subplot was resolved by Ron standing up for Tom. TV Squad writer Joel Keller said the episode did not reach the level of the original "Ron and Tammy", but that "it still had more than enough funny, cringeworthy and downright gross moments to be very satisfying". He declared Mullally "one of the best sitcom creations this side of Colonel Flagg on M*A*S*H". The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow praised Ron Swanson as the show's "breakout character", and said "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" was so good that he hoped for another sequel episode in the next season.
Rick Porter of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
said the episode featured several great scenes between Ron and Tammy and called it a "tour de force" for Nick Offerman, but also appreciated that the episode featured strong moments outside that main plotline. He called it the best comedic showcase for Adam Scott so far in the season, and praised both the pairing of April and Chris, and the way that subplot led to Ann's confusion about her future with Chris. Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said the subplot with April and Chris demonstrated how Parks often succeeds in pairing two characters that often seem to have little connection to each other. Sundermann also enjoyed how Ben's awkwardness around the police chief illustrated how "the show is becoming more and more clear on who understands and fits in Pawnee, versus who doesn't". TV Fanatic writer Matt Richenthal said the dynamic between Ron and Tammy worked well not only due to their real-life relationship, but also because of the balance between "the couple's over-the-top antics and the heart it showed in other areas". Richenthal also complimented the performance of Chris Pratt as the "sweet, well-intentioned, air-headed Andy".
External links
- "Ron & Tammy: Part Two" at the official Parks and Recreation site