I've been saying it since January, but Parks and Recreation is honestly the best show on television right now, and is getting about one micron of the credit it so deserves. I will be sad to see it go after only 16 installments this season, but I am overjoyed that it is (rightfully) coming back for season 4 in September. Four months isn't that long....right?
Anyway, I've been anticipating the finale a lot, as anyone who reads this blog or has had to endure my endless musings will tell you, and I thought in anticipation of tonight's wrap-up I would put all my thoughts out there for consideration (not to mention I like having all my predictions outlined so I can check later to see if I was right).
First let me say that this is all speculation based on my analysis of the show and the sources I've read teasing what might happen in tonight's concluding episodes, so no all-out spoilers here. I will warn though, without trying to sound arrogant, that I'm fairly confident in some of my predictions. Most of my thoughts are in response to this article on Entertainment Weekly's website in which Mike Schur goes into some of what might be going on in the finale.
Let's start with Tom. As much as I adore Aziz Ansari (and barring a big career jump for him, feel pretty confident they'd be able to work him back into the show in some capacity), I'm fairly certain that this is the end of Tom's run with the Parks Department, or at least the finale will leave it looking that way. We saw in "The Fight" that Tom's attempts at entrepreneurship aren't simply gimmicks for attention; he really wants to make a name for himself, and believes he can do it. Chris' oppression of Tom's creativity is very likely going to come up again tonight, and based on the scoop about Jean Ralphio's business proposal, I think it's probable that Tom will decide that now is the time to cut his government ties and strike out on his own.
What about Ann? This season has seen her devolve a little bit (although it has been nice to see Rashida Jones break from exclusively playing the straight-man to Leslie's crazy), and we haven't gotten as substantial a story for her as I would have liked to see (in a near perfect season, this was one of the few minor flaws). I'm intrigued, though, by what Schur has to say about her finally coming to terms with her relationship with Chris. I think the idea of Ann getting closure opens the door for her to communicate with Chris again, and I think we may see her either stand up for Leslie and Ben outright, or else say something to fundamentally change his mind. The more I think about it, the more I think I like the idea of Ann being the unsung hero(ine) of the hour.
Ron (and Tammy) seem to have a lot coming up in this episode as well, though I'm more hesitant to speculate on this one because Ron is a much more difficult character to read. I'm getting the impression, though, that while most of us would expect him to be the first to help Leslie out of whatever mess she manages to get herself and Ben into, the personal issues he's dealing with will take center stage and will either prohibit him from helping or simply make him dismissive to any concerns beyond his own.
From what I can tell, Andy and April are going to be very much the "B" storyline during these two episodes, which I think will be very fitting. Their relationship was a critical thread at the end of season 2 and the first half of season 3, and they've been on such a fast track since reconciling that I think giving them a slow, steady series of bumps in the road, teaching them how to take care of one another, is really the best approach.
And of course we have to talk about Leslie and Ben. I think I'm finally done squealing and giggling over the last minute of "Road Trip," but from the sound of it "The Bubble" (at least before the conflict ensues) is going to have me turning to mush all over again. I hope they'll give us a few moments of giddy happiness before Ben and Leslie inevitably turn the situation into a disaster. I'm interested to see how the news of their relationship spreads, and how other people react. I'm most intrigued to see if Chris will be as much of a douche about the revelation as we've been set up to expect (at this point my money's still on 'yes'). It seems that their decision to be together is going to leave one (possibly both) of their careers hanging in the balance, and I was sure it would be Ben's until I read the article mentioned above.
Schur says that there will be an "out of nowhere curveball" for Leslie in the final scene, and my gut is telling me, against (almost) all logic, that we are going to see Leslie Knope step down as the Deputy Director of the Parks Department. There are really only a couple of scenarios in which I could see this happening, so let me outline it as best I can:
*If it came down to one of them (Leslie or Ben) having to quit their job to keep their relationship (assuming they're committed enough to do that), my money would be on Ben 98% of the time. He's not as attached, his skills are probably more transferable, and Leslie is much more established in Pawnee. Additionally, I just don't think Leslie is serious enough about Ben to quit her job for him.
HOWEVER...
*There is this nagging plot point of Chris trying to drastically restructure the department, and it sounds like he's going to be pretty aggressive about it. Let's suppose he wants to alter the Parks Department in such a way that Leslie's job and perhaps her staff will be very different, to its detriment. The fact that Chris is actively preventing her relationship in conjunction with him making her beloved job virtually unrecognizable may well prompt her to issue her resignation by the episode's end.
I have to stop here; there are already way too many thoughts in this for one post. But I am so excited to watch tonight, and even if I'm wrong about absolutely everything, I know the show will deliver like it has been all season, and leave me wishing September could start tomorrow.
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