‘Central Park’ Recap: ‘A Killer Deadline’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 309 of ‘Central Park’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There are a great many things that the Apple TV+ series, Central Park, excels at from a storytelling perspective. After all, it is one of the few animated shows that feels realistic in nature, courtesy of its dynamic and engaging plots. Not to mention, it often features a lot of heart in its storytelling and of course… it tackles some of the toughest topics out there. To the point where we are left in silence and awe over what it had to say. But above all, this is a series that understands the importance of balance from a storytelling perspective… so that it never strays from its comedic roots and so that it respects what its already accomplished on the screen, and for proof… look no further than this week’s episode.
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Because rather than try to outdo the powerful and poignant story we enjoyed and pondered upon deeply last week… the series opted to just return to its goofy comedic roots. So that the story that came before would remain in high standing and not diminished in the slightest by an unnecessary follow-up. Which means that ‘A Killer Deadline’ was nothing more than good ol’ fashioned fun. The kind that just reminded us of how much we love spending time with these characters and how silly and fun this show can be at times, and it accomplished that particular feat, by offering up a bevy of unique storylines through and through involving all of the characters in this dynamic world.

For instance, there was a delightful and fun plot involving Abby. Where she tried to get her schedule changed to take an important acting class involving accents. But alas, Helen would not bulge on the schedule, that is until… a surprise took place. In that, a random guest basically called Bitsy old and that broke her psyche. Because she truly worried about her appearance and it not being youthful in the slightest. So, in order to keep Bitsy happy before she exploded emotionally and to get Wednesdays off, Abby went the extra mile to make that happen, including bringing in some talented actors to finally make Bitsy feel beautiful again. Giving Abby everything she needed, and it helped her gain a new ally in Helen, since she was impressed with her actions.

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Meanwhile, Owen and the kids were dealing with some popularity and confidence issues at school. For it was Owen’s turn to work at the school for the day and monitor recess, and while he was there… he was in charge of a big kickball game. One that everyone was taking part in for the chance to garner some bragging rights. Everyone except Molly that is. Since she wasn’t cool with potentially being embarrassed by her father or through sports. And despite some ups and downs during this day, where she went back and forth on playing and using a new kickball skill set her dad taught her… she eventually realized she had nothing to lose in playing the game and trying her best, and her best was good enough and helped her team to win the day over a loudmouth opponent. Making Owen proud while of course reminding us that you have to be brave in this life, and you should always try new things.
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As for Paige… well… she was dealing with a pair of scary deadlines. Because an important article for the paper was due, as were the first few chapters of her book and she was badly behind and seemingly unable to get anything done with the house being a temptation, and the problem only got worse when she checked into a seedy motel from her news article, to try and just get some work done. For she quickly found herself embroiled in a dastardly plot involving a mysterious box and some shady characters and well… just when it seemed Paige was in a horrible situation and that her boss was somehow involved… it turned out we were just hanging out in her mind, and this was nothing more than her book come to life.

Which meant, she met her deadlines and we got to enjoy one heck of a psyche out and in the end, this was nothing more than a fun and engaging tale. One designed to respect its predecessor and just let us enjoy this universe through and through and well, it is mission accomplished regarding that. For this was indeed just a fun ride that reminded us of the joy this series brings our way, and it really did offer up a story that didn’t leave us comparing it to the powerhouse one that debuted last week, and you really cannot ask for much more than that from an animated comedy series, that also features some wonderful musical numbers and depth now and again. If anything, all this episode does is leave us curious and eager to enjoy next week’s episode. All so we can see if the show is planning to wow us with something deep again or have a ton of fun… or both. Until next time.   

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