In the episode, the parks department tries to draw media attention for the upcoming harvest festival, but the press becomes fixated on Ben's past political mistakes.
Written by Harris Wittels and directed by David Rogers, "Media Blitz" revolved largely around Ben's backstory as a child mayor who bankrupted his old town, which was originally a concept considered for series protagonist Leslie Knope.
Some reviews, however, found less effective a subplot about the uncertainty surrounding the romantic relationship of Ann and Chris Traeger, a state auditor played by Rob Lowe who is supposed to leave Pawnee for Indianapolis soon.
[1][2] "Media Blitz" featured guest appearances by Matt Besser and Nick Kroll as, respectively, "Crazy Ira and The Douche", the hosts of a Pawnee morning zoo-style radio show.
[10] Much of "Media Blitz" revolves around the backstory of Ben Wyatt, which was introduced in the second season episode "The Master Plan",[11] involving his attempts to rebuild his political career after a humiliating public spectacle as a teen mayor.
[10][14] In one scene, Leslie claims she unsuccessfully tried to contact Oprah Winfrey, the popular billionaire television host, to seek publicity for the harvest festival.
The night "Media Blitz" was broadcast, almost all of the comedy shows in NBC's Thursday lineup lost viewership compared to the prior week.
"Media Blitz" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators particularly praising the performance of Adam Scott,[5][6][8][19] although some said the subplot with Chris and Ann was less effective.
[8] Time magazine writer James Poniewozik said the episode continued the development of the town of Pawnee, which he said was like a character itself and compared it to The Simpsons' Springfield.
Poniewozik said "Media Blitz" also showed how well integrated Scott has become with the cast, and called the "Crazy Ira and The Douche" interview "maybe the most perfect scene P&R has put together yet".
[14] Zap2it writer Rick Porter, called the episode a "great showcase for Scott's deadpan gifts" and wrote, "This show hasn't had a real miss yet this season."
[6] Steve Kandell of New York magazine praised the episode for bringing Scott's character to the forefront, as well as for providing satire on small-town politics without coming across as preachy.
Kandell said of the April and Andy story, "If their kiss at the shoeshine stand, as expected and inevitable as it may have been, didn't make your heart soar just a little bit, then you're dead inside and probably just turned on NBC for Outsourced a few minutes early.
"[21] Joel Keller of TV Squad complimented Scott, calling him a "current-generation Bob Newhart" and "one of those actors who can just give someone a look and it conveys everything you need to know about what his character is thinking".
Meslow also liked that the April-Andy subplot was now resolved, as he called it the "weakest plotline of the season", but he felt the scenes between Chris and Ann in "Media Blitz" were a rehash of the previous episode.
[9] Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic praised Scott's performance, calling him a master at the straight man role, but said he was funnier the previous week in "Ron & Tammy: Part Two": "The laughs weren't as loud on "Media Blitz," as it was more of a squirm-inducing half hour of television.
"[15] Matt Fowler of IGN called it a fine episode that was "dominated, in a good way, by its softer, sweeter moments", particularly the kiss between Andy and April, which he said "was so damn sweet that I just couldn't resist it".
[22] Entertainment Weekly writer Hillary Busis also praised Scott's performance, adding, "Did anyone else's heart melt just a little bit at the proud smile that crept across Leslie’s face when Ben found his voice?"