Last night’s Parks and Recreation, “Born and Raised”—in which Leslie Knope encountered the Pawnee version of birtherism—was the strongest yet of the new-season episodes and one that gives me great hope for what it can do with her campaign storyline. It also expanded more on the show’s fictional media world (giving Crazy Ira and The Douche their counterparts in Wamapoke County public radio) and brought back the town’s rivalry with upscale Eagleton. (My favorite callback to the earlier Eagleton episode—Leslie grabbing a scone while storming out of the records office.)
The floor is open for your comments on the episode, or the rest of NBC’s Thursday comedy block: Community (which has avoided high-concept episodes so far, but which I like best when, as last night, it’s just the study group striking sparks off one another in a room), The Office (which seems to be evolving into a weirdly centerless ensemble show, albeit at least last night, a fairly funny and emotionally perceptive one) or Whitney (sorry; I checked out after “SpongeBoobs SweatPants”). Is comedy night doing it right?