Tag Archives: parks and recreation

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.18

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Let’s welcome back everyone’s favorite beautiful tropical fish, Heather, who was kind enough to share her thoughts on this week’s episode of Parks and Rec (since I was busy watching Captain America and Black Widow save the world last night).

parks prom

Title Prom

Two-Sentence Summary Organizing a high school prom brings back memories of the Parks Department family’s own prom experiences and brings up uncomfortable feelings for some. Leslie is determined to mold a promising high school student into a future Parks and Rec employee, while Ron attempts to stop her before uncovering the real reason for her obsession.

Favorite Line “Blueprints for the future are a fool’s errand. They’re like blueprints for a house—nice to have, but any foreman with a brain doesn’t need to look at them. One day—this year or maybe the next—you’re gonna be somewhere else, so enjoy yourself now.” (Ron)

My Thoughts As a whole, this wasn’t my favorite episode of the season. It wasn’t as funny as previous episodes have been and, despite the episode being shaped around and largely taking place at the prom, it felt disjointed to me. However, it did have Ron giving life advice to Leslie and a good look at Andy and April’s relationship, so I still ultimately enjoyed it.

While much of Leslie and Ron’s interactions with Allison felt like a rehashing of their many arguments over their ideological differences, it served a purpose. Ron has always been there to give advice to Leslie (and Ben) when they are uncertain about their futures. He is very good at knowing what they need to hear, and that largely comes out of his respect and understanding of Leslie as a person.

A scared Leslie is one we haven’t seen much of before. She’s always been very good at what she does and has gotten used to that feeling. She knows that the Parks Department runs smoothly because she is there, and she worries about what will happen to it if she’s not. Even if she’s outgrown it, she loves it and wants it to be in good hands if she leaves, but because she is Leslie Knope, she expresses that in ridiculous ways. She doesn’t like uncertainty, but it’s a part of taking chances. I think Ron gave her some good advice, and I love that she recognized it.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (3/16 – 3/23)

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This week in television kicked off with another great episode of Once Upon a Time that brought some self-aware humor to balance out the show’s emotional storylines, as well as an episode of The Good Wife that flashed back to Alicia’s struggles before Will hired her at Lockhart/Gardner. Monday’s Castle reminded everyone that Castle and Beckett could never be boring, and Tuesday’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine gave us a jealous Jake and showed us why Amy’s dedication to dental health turned out to be her downfall. On Thursday, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland shocked everyone with the death of a major character, Ann had her baby on Parks and Recreation, Louis and Scottie squared off on Suits, and Scandal made everyone cry by revealing who was on the receiving end of the shot from last week’s cliffhanger. 

There were some great moments for TV fans to experience this week—some depressing, some joyful. My favorite was a decidedly happy scene: Leslie visiting Ann in the hospital after little Oliver was born on this week’s episode of Parks and Rec. There was such a real sense of warmth, comfort, and familiarity in that scene. Sometimes it’s fun to watch huge plot twists unfold, and sometimes it’s incredible to watch brutally emotional moments. But often, I’m drawn to the simple moments between characters who love each other. Leslie and Ann curled up on a hospital bed—talking about TV and using that to talk about what makes each friendship in our lives special—was one of those simple, beautiful moments. The fact that it was between two female friends was the icing on a warm and wonderful cake.

Leslie Ann 617

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.17

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Leslie Ann 617

Title Galentine’s Day

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie’s hosts an impromptu Galentine’s Day brunch to try to find a replacement for Ann, only to find herself learning from new-mom Ann that she has room in her heart for many female friends—even if none of them can ever fill Ann’s shoes. Meanwhile, Ron helps Andy after the latter knocks out his own tooth, and Ben discovers that he genuinely likes Jerry/Larry.

Favorite Lines
Leslie: Now it’s lady time.
April: You sound like a tampon commercial.

My Thoughts No television show honors friendship with the same honesty, warmth, and sense of importance as Parks and Recreation. If “Ann and Chris” was this season’s love letter to friendship, then “Galentine’s Day,” was the perfect little P.S. to that letter. And it had the added bonus of not making me weep into my sweatshirt sleeve like “Ann and Chris” did. Instead, “Galentine’s Day” was one of Parks and Rec’s funniest episodes of the season.

Besides being primarily about friendship, there was another uniting factor between “Ann and Chris” and “Galentine’s Day”: Neither episode was burdened with Leslie’s career struggles. These episodes were about character-driven stories rather than plot-driven ones, and that’s always been when Parks and Rec is at its best.

The unity concert was still a springboard for the action in one part of this episode, but it was Ben, Tom, and Jerry/Larry (Seriously, what should I call him?) who took the reins in that storyline instead of Leslie. And the plot didn’t even matter very much. Yes, the fedora bits with Tom were funny, and the tent company names were even funnier. (My favorite? Tent Offensive) But the real reason those three characters were put in a storyline together was to bring about a huge character epiphany for Ben: He genuinely likes Jerry and thinks he’s a good friend.

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.16

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Source: NBC.com

Source: NBC.com

Title New Slogan

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie uses a public forum over the new town slogan as a chance to practice delegating, a skill she will need if she’s going to take the job she was offered by the National Parks Service. Meanwhile, Andy discovers Duke Silver, and Tom’s search for a good location for his restaurant is nearly sabotaged by April and Donna.

Favorite Lines
Ben: We can just sit back and take it easy.
Leslie: No, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to sit forward and take it hard.

My Thoughts Parks and Recreation is a show where characters often act in extreme ways for very normal reasons. Behind every outrageous scheme or impassioned outburst is usually a motivation grounded in real, relatable emotions. The comedy on this show often comes from those over-the-top reactions, but the heart comes from the love and friendship that drives those reactions. When that ratio of comedy to heart is off, the show feels off, and that’s been the case more than a few times this season. However, when the ratio is perfect—as it was in “New Slogan”—there’s no better way to spend a half-hour of your week than in Pawnee. Because when your you’re here, than then your you’re home.

When you think about the heart that drives Parks and Rec, it all comes back to Leslie and Ben. When these two and their supportive, stable, quirky marriage take center stage in an episode, it’s almost a guarantee that I’m going to adore it. There is no healthier, more enviable marriage on television than the one between Leslie and Ben. As characters, Leslie and Ben are perfect compliments, and as actors, Amy Poehler and Adam Scott are as well.

“New Slogan” was such a strong episode for Leslie and Ben. There have been times this season when I’ve grown annoyed with Leslie’s ridiculous responses to situations in Pawnee, but this episode reminded me that even her dumbest ideas (like fraternizing with Crazy Ira and The Douche) can be made bearable when she has someone who actually tells her that her ideas aren’t always the best ones. Ben’s logic is the perfect compliment to Leslie’s often-blind enthusiasm, and I like that—even though he is clearly (and wonderfully) turned-on by her strength and ambition—he isn’t afraid to tell her when he thinks she’s gone too far.

Ben’s honesty, practicality, and supportive nature were on full display in “New Slogan,” and that was a good thing—because Leslie needed all of those things to help her work through her concerns about the National Parks Service job offer. Of course I found her binders full of questions hilarious (and wonderfully in-character), but I was initially worried about going deeper into this storyline. My concern was its realism. Why would Leslie turn down this job? What could possibly keep her from moving on to a job where she was actually appreciated like we all want her to be appreciated? Didn’t Jen Barkley’s excellent advice to “dream bigger” mean anything?

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.15

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Let’s all welcome back our favorite beautiful tropical fish, Heather, who was kind enough to review this week’s episode of Parks and Recreation while I finished my latest Once Upon a Time essay!

parksandrect—the wall

Title The Wall

Two Sentence Summary Leslie encounters some problems with the Pawnee-Eagleton merger and receives an interesting job offer, while Tom finds an investor who believes in his ideas. Meanwhile, Ron volunteers to fix a floor of City Hall while his newborn son watches.

Favorite Line “You like fixing this town, Leslie, you always have. You know it’s an uphill battle, but you love the struggle. I would also add that you’ve already done a hell of a lot to make this town better, and people like this young man here will benefit from your hard work.” (Ron)

My Thoughts What a beautiful and hilarious episode. I cracked up at multiple points during the episode—not necessarily because the lines or reactions were so funny on their own, but because they were so perfect for the character. From Leslie’s response to Ron getting a fish to literally all of Ben’s reaction faces to Craig demanding that someone follow him because he was distraught, this episode used our knowledge and love of the characters to produce some genuinely funny moments, and I think that’s pretty good for a show in its sixth season.

It was also an episode of successes. We have been watching Tom bounce from idea to idea and increasingly become less satisfied with his job as a government employee. He has so much passion and energy, but it’s not always accompanied by sound business ideas. I actually really love the idea of him as a fundraiser, especially for something that he can be passionate about. My office’s goal is to raise money for a university, so I am surrounded by fundraisers and see a lot of similar qualities in him.

That being said, fundraising will never be Tom’s dream. He wants to see his business ventures succeed and to feel proud of what he’s done to make them succeed. I am thrilled to see someone recognize his passion and be willing to really invest in Tom as a person to make those dreams a reality. I wish he would recognize the value that Ben adds to business discussions a little more, but that’s partly my love for Ben speaking.

After a disappointing week trying to get people excited about the merger, Leslie received one of the biggest compliments of her career. She was told that her grant proposal was used as an example and praised for its thoroughness by the “bad boy” of the Department of the Interior, and she was offered a job with the National Parks Service. Though she ultimately decided to stay in Pawnee for now, I am so proud that it was offered to her.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (2/23 – 3/2)

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After the Sochi Olympics ended with their stirring closing ceremonies last Sunday, many television shows returned from their hiatuses to join shows that were still airing in competition with the Winter Games. Monday’s Castle gave much-needed depth to Beckett and Alexis’s developing relationship. Tuesday’s New Girl continued to explore the effects of Abby’s presence on Jess and the rest of the characters, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine featured revealing performance evaluations and a great look at Jake and Gina’s friendship. Nashville returned on Wednesday with some amazing musical performances. Thursday’s Parks and Recreation gave us competing anniversary gifts from Ben and Leslie, and Scandal was back with more twists and turns than ever.

There were some really great TV moments that aired this week—from Nashville‘s newest band playing their first gig at the Bluebird to the introduction of a much-needed romantic interest in Mellie’s life on Scandal. But the best of the best came from Parks and Rec. Leslie’s anniversary gift to Ben was perfect, but not even the gift could top Ben’s reaction to it. I’m not sure anything will ever be better than Adam Scott sitting on a replica Iron Throne.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.14

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Parks-And-Recreation-Anniversaries

Title Anniversaries

Two-Sentence Summary Ben’s elaborate wedding anniversary plans fall apart when Leslie spends the day before their anniversary (the day of Ben’s big surprise) trying smooth over the Pawnee-Eagleton merger, so he spends a romantic day with Jerry/Larry instead. Meanwhile, April struggles with being Donna’s boss, and Ron tries his hand at his own version of Internet reviews.

Favorite Line “Dear frozen yogurt: You are the celery of the dessert world. Be ice cream or be nothing. Zero stars.” (Ron)

My Thoughts Every time Parks and Recreation goes on a brief hiatus, I survive  without it. But as soon as it returns, I wonder how I managed without its weekly dose of genuine laughter and positivity in my life. In terms of television shows that simply make me feel good when I watch them, nothing holds a candle to Parks and Rec. Some may argue that the show is losing steam as it gets older (and I will admit to being one of those people on occasion), but then an episode like “Anniversaries” reminds me of how much fun I can still have watching Parks and Rec.

If I were making of list of reasons why “Anniversaries” was such a strong episode, its use of Ben Wyatt would be at the top. I always love episodes that focus on all of Ben’s gloriously nerdy quirks, and this episode put them in the spotlight once again. I can’t adequately express how much I love the way Ben’s nerdy qualities feel real. Ben is passionate about the media he invests in—he cares about the new Star Wars sequel so much that he needs a massage to release the tension he carries around from thinking about it; he watched Enchanted multiple times simply because he enjoyed it. There’s something so endearing about Ben’s enthusiasm and the way Adam Scott plays it. It never becomes a caricature of nerdy people; it’s never about making fun of people like Ben. It’s one of the reasons Leslie loves him so much—he’s just as passionate about the things he enjoys as she is.

Ben’s storyline was also such a joy to watch because it was one of the few times a character on this show has been genuinely nice to Jerry for more than just a few minutes. (I just can’t call him Larry.) It may have been by default, but the fact that Ben let Jerry accompany him on all of his excursions was the kind of inclusive gesture I’d expect from Ben Wyatt. They seemed to have fun together, and it was such a nice change of pace to see Jerry having fun with another character besides his own family. I’ve said for a while that the insults towards Jerry were becoming a little too mean-spirited for my taste, and this storyline was a good remedy for that.

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Ladies Celebrating Ladies

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Courtesy of the official Parks and Rec Twitter account.

Courtesy of the official Parks and Rec Twitter account

Happy Galentine’s Day, everyone! This wonderful fictional holiday was created by my personal hero Leslie Knope as a day to honor all of the beautiful and talented women who make our lives special. Valentine’s Day may be traditionally about romance, but Galentine’s Day is all about female friendships.

The idea behind Galentine’s Day—ladies celebrating ladies—is still such a rare thing in the media. I was looking back through my Top 3 Female Friendships on TV that I compiled last year, and I was saddened to see that two of those three are no longer really a part of their respective shows due to cast departures. And there aren’t very many friendships I would add to that list, either, despite the huge increase in the number of shows I watch nowadays.

For most of the mainstream media, it’s still common practice to feature one woman who’s friends with a group of men (see The Mindy Project or the Harry Potter series) or a female friendship that exists solely for exposition purposes in terms of the show’s romantic relationships (see Donna and Rachel on Suits or Lanie and Beckett on Castle). There aren’t too many examples of women forming deep, lasting relationships with other women based on factors other than needing a sounding board for their romantic problems. And that needs to change.

Women are often seen as superficial, backstabbing, petty, and prone to jealousy towards members of their own gender. If you were to make assumptions based solely on the media (a horrible way to form opinions, if I’m being honest), female friendships are mostly a series of interactions between “frenemies” instead of the supportive, inclusive, and warm relationships they usually are in the real world. Female friendships are all-too-often portrayed as being far less meaningful than the ultimate relationship goal: romance. Having friends is great, but what would a woman talk about with her friends if there were no romantic prospects to discuss?

The answer: Quite a lot, actually. You see, women can and do actually have conversations about things other than their romantic relationships (or lack thereof). We can form meaningful relationships with people of our own gender that often last longer and fulfill us on more levels than romantic relationships at any given point in our lives. As I said in my review of Parks and Recreation’s ode to friendship, “Ann and Chris,” our first soul mates are often our best friends. Women (especially young women) don’t have to be catty, petty, and suspicious of other women just because the media says that’s how we often are. Instead, let’s change the narrative and celebrate the fact that women are often incredibly generous, affectionate, and supportive towards other women. We don’t have to be each other’s biggest rivals and enemies; we can be each other’s biggest cheerleaders and most trusted confidants.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (1/26 – 2/2)

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This was a relatively slow week in terms of new episodes of my favorite shows, which was fine with me—because one episode used up an entire week’s worth of feelings for me. Sunday’s Grammy Awards showcased some memorable performances—from Beyonce and Jay Z’s too-hot-to-handle opening to what was quite possibly my favorite Taylor Swift performance ever. Wednesday’s episode of Nashville pushed Scarlett to her limit and brought Avery and Juliette together at last. Thursday’s Parks and Recreation allowed us to say goodbye to Ann and Chris. And last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live brought back the incredible Melissa McCarthy for yet another hilarious turn as host.

If you thought anything I saw on television this week would be better than Parks and Rec‘s perfect little tribute to the love stories we create with our friends, then you must be new to NGN. From Ben and Chris’s heartfelt farewell to April admitting she loves Ann, everything about the way this episode handled the friendships between the show’s characters was perfect. And then there was Leslie and Ann’s perfect sunflower of a friendship, getting one last glorious moment in the spotlight—a place where it has been much more often than female friendships on most other television shows. Their conversation while waiting to break ground on Pawnee Commons was such a beautiful, honest look at female friendship and the way our platonic soul mates can change us for the better just by being our friends. Even more than the episode’s conclusion, this moment—when Leslie tells Ann, “You totally changed me, you know?”—makes me cry every time I watch it (which has already been more times than I should probably admit).

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 6.13

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leslie-ann-goodbye

Title Ann and Chris

Two-Sentence Summary As Ann and Chris prepare to leave Pawnee, their friends try to find the perfect way say goodbye. For Ben, that means getting Chris a gift that’s as thoughtful as his goodbye gifts to all his friends, and for Leslie, that means trying to finally break ground on Pawnee Commons and make good on a pinky promise she made Ann at the very beginning of their friendship.

Favorite Line “Oh Ann Perkins, you perfect sunflower. You totally changed me, you know?” (Leslie)

My Thoughts This season of Parks and Recreation has been about big changes: Leslie got recalled, Ben became city manager, Ron got married, Tom took on a new role as business liaison, Andy spent time working in Europe, and even Pawnee itself underwent a huge change by merging with Eagleton. And then there were Chris and Ann—starting a family, getting engaged (and un-engaged), and deciding to move to Michigan.

Many of those big changes didn’t amount to much in terms of emotional impact for the audience, which is strange considering Parks and Rec’s ability to shoot for the heart unlike any other show on television. But I should have known better than to doubt this show—even after a weak episode like “Farmers Market.” When Parks and Rec swings for the fences in terms of emotional impact, the result is never a strikeout. In fact, it’s usually a homerun. And in some cases, like “Ann and Chris,” it’s a walk-off grand slam.

(Sorry about all the baseball references. Sometimes I just really like extended sports metaphors.)

“Ann and Chris” was—like the best episodes of Parks and Rec—an episode about love. But what made it so unique was that it focused on the kind of love that the media ignores way too often: the life-altering, soul-bonding love between friends. There is a special kind of joy in finding a best friend, and there is a special kind of grief in losing one (even if you do plan to call each other whenever you have thoughts on Jennifer Aniston’s future). For as much focus as the media places on romantic relationships, it shouldn’t be forgotten that our first soul mates in life are often our best friends. Before we find “the one,” our best friends are the people who help us to change for the better, to see the best in ourselves and to harness it, to balance our desires for personal happiness with our desire to make someone else happy, and to never settle for less than what we deserve.

Parks and Rec has never forgotten that. Even though Leslie and Ann (and even Ben and Chris) didn’t share a lot of screen time this season, it all culminated in this beautiful little love letter to power of friendship. When it really mattered, Parks and Rec delivered, and, as a fan, that’s all I can ask for.

The episode’s plot was really just a way to get all of the important characters (both regular and recurring) to say goodbye to Ann and Chris. Like “Leslie and Ben” did so successfully last season, “Ann and Chris” let the characters drive the plot rather than vice versa. The result was an episode that featured emotional highpoint after emotional highpoint, until I was left sobbing on my couch long after the final credits rolled.

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