Farewell, Pawnee: The Essential Parks and Recreation

As the final season of NBC’s critically acclaimed comedy draws to a close (with more of a whimper than a bang, it must be mentioned, as the network has been churning out two new episodes per week in an incredibly transparent effort to clear the way for more reality TV), it’s more than worth taking a look back at some of the moments, the magic, and of course the laughter the show has provided in its seven season run.

I’m going to try and narrow it down my recommendations to one episode per season, for those who don’t have unlimited time to binge-watch (or re-binge-watch). 

Season 1: "The Banquet"

I think most people’s instinct for the sometimes painfully awkward first season is to ignore it completely, or to name “Rock Show” (the season-ender) as their favorite. But if “Rock Show” is the biggest indicator of the better show to come in season 2, that progress is because of the notes the writers and actors hit during “The Banquet.” This episode, number 5 of 6, has a little bit of everything we’ve come to know and love – Leslie’s early insecurity and need for her mother’s approval, Ron and his love affair with all things meat, Tom being his best schmoozy self, and even some character development thrown in for good measure (this is the episode where Ann begins to realize her relationship with Andy is headed for a dead end; when Mark seems to see the sadness of his bachelor lifestyle; and of course when Leslie and Ann realize that best friendship does come with the occasional dispute, and a need for honesty). It’s also got Leslie being mistaken for a man all night at the titular banquet because she’s gotten herself a “political powerhouse” hairstyle for the evening, so there’s that.

Season Two: "The Master Plan"

Loathe though I am to give Rob Lowe any kind of credit, the arrival of his Chris Traeger and Adam Scott’s Ben Wyatt really did complete Parks in a way  I hadn’t fully realized it needed. These two new characters show up in Pawnee right on the brink of Leslie’s anticipated triumph in this episode, wherein she is preparing a proposal for Pawnee’s “master plan” for the upcoming fiscal year. Unfortunately the two are state auditors, there to slash the very budget Leslie is hoping to utilize to build her park. She immediately can’t abide Ben in particular, which in obvious sitcom fashion must mean (spoiler alert!) they will eventually fall in love. Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that this episode also features some fantastic comedic moments with April and Andy (and Ben Schwartz’s Jean Ralphio).

Season Three: TIE – "Fancy Party", "The Fight"

Season three is when the show really found its groove, so obviously I can’t pick just one episode to recommend. "Fancy Party" features April and Andy’s surprise wedding, and apart from having a soft spot for them, it’s just a very unexpectedly charming event. Everyone comes together to celebrate without questioning the rushed nature of the nuptials – everyone except Leslie, but even she eventually comes around.

"The Fight", on the other hand, features a far less pleasant party. Everyone converges on the Snakehole Lounge (“The Sexiest and Most Dangerous club in Pawnee”) to support Tom, who has invented his own alcohol. As you might expect, this is a terrible idea, as the drink’s potency leads to a range of shenanigans, most notably Ann and Leslie’s biggest fight to date. It’s played both hilariously and relatably by Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones, and the supporting cast provides just enough comic relief to take the edge off.

Season Four: "Win, Lose, or Draw"

I’m recommending the season finale for the 4^th season not because it’s the most standout episode, but because Parks’ fourth season is the most cohesive, narrative-wise, with each episode building on the last, chapters in an overarching story following Leslie’s campaign for city council. Thus it all culminates in “Win, Lose, or Draw” wherein we see all of the hard work and support put in by Leslie’s team pay off in a big way. I won’t lie to you, I cried at the end of this episode, and you might too.

Season Five: "Emergency Response"

While it’s very tempting to pick “Ben and Leslie” (I just love everything about the two of them together, okay?!), I didn’t think this list needed TWO wedding episodes. I’ve therefore selected the episode preceding their wedding, “Emergency Response.” This episode has Leslie at her finest crazy, aided and abetted by the gang as they try to cope with a hypothetical city-wide emergency situation. It also features Ron's fabulous turn on Joan Calamezzo's show, doling advice out to Pawnee's citizens.

Season Six: "Moving Up"

Picking the season finale again, not because every episode of the sixth season is equally strong, but because most of them are a little weak, in a way I have some trouble articulating. There was just something missing from the back half of season six, and it took the finale (both the storyline and the rebooting time jump) to really pull me back in. "Moving Up" has a bunch of blink-and-you'll-miss-them call back to earlier moments in the show's history, and an intriguing scene from 2017 that bucks the show's usual tradition of tying things up neatly at season's end. This is an episode that could've been a series-ender itself, but instead became the framework for season seven, which has proven both innovative and heartwarming. 

I haven't picked a favorite episode for season seven yet, mostly because I don't think I'm ready to acknowledge that the journey's almost over. Saying goodbye to a long-running show is, for a TV lover like myself, a uniquely bittersweet experience. One thing I'm happy about as a viewer is that Parks and Recreation has been given the chance to go out on their terms, something that didn't seem possible back in the early stages of its tenure, when premature cancellation seemed inevitable. I know a lot of people who, like myself, have come to consider this their go-to "happy" show, pulling up an episode on days when they just need to smile for a few minutes. I think people underestimate the amount of diligent, dedicated work that has gone into this show over the past seven years, and how much everyone who's a part of it cares about the fans, the characters, and just telling the best story possible. This is a show that has taught us that following your dreams isn't necessarily a fool's errand - after all, we began this journey with one woman and her ambition to build a park. Seeing how far Leslie and the gang have come has been hilarious, entertaining, and just so rewarding. Thank you, Parks team, and thank you, NBC, for letting us share in that joy for as long as you did. 

The Art of Quitting While You're Ahead: A Case for 2 TV Favorites to Bow Out Gracefully

When it was recently announced that FOX's House would be drawing to a close this spring, my initial thought was that it was about darn time.  However, upon reading that it was the show's creator and lead actor who were largely behind the decision to close the doors of Princeton-Plainsboro, both my interest and my respect spiked.  According to various sources, the network would have likely been game for another season of House, despite its dwindling ratings and sub-par execution in the last year or so.  The show runners, however, knew that it was time to quit, and gave themselves enough time to write a (hopefully) satisfactory ending to a show that still has a fervently loyal fan-base as well as some seriously talented performers.  This of course got me thinking of a few other shows that might consider saying their goodbyes in the near future...

The Office

As I wrote nearly a year ago in this post, The Office was just about unimaginable without the genius of Steve Carrell to steer the ship.  And while the show has had some shining moments in an otherwise uneven season (the past few weeks' episodes featuring Dwight's leadership arc have been surprisingly hilarious), on the whole it has flattened in much the way I (and many others) anticipated.  The show runners attempted to fill the void left by Michael Scott with James Spader's Robert California (whose every appearance many dread, as he is hugely unlikeable, and not in an exciting way) and a handful of other guest players who just haven't gelled with the Dunder-Mifflin/Sabre staff they way those in charge clearly hoped.  And with news of a potential Dwight spinoff and the news that Mindy Kaling has been tapped for a pilot on FOX, not to mention the escalating film careers of John Krasinski and Ellie Kemper, it is quickly becoming a question of which cast members will remain and continue to put their best efforts and energies into the show.  Not to mention this past Thursday's series low rating, disappointing for a show which, just a few years ago, was the centerpiece of NBC's Thursday night lineup.

I think that if the show's writing staff were to make peace with the idea of wrapping the show up either this season or next (preferably the former), it would allow them the time to pen a truly satisfying ending to the show.  As it stands we're seeing some weak efforts to keep the week-to-week buzz going (the Andy and Erin saga can only continue for so long, and I'm still 100% sure Jim will not cheat on Pam despite the show thrusting this plot line at us), and I think it might benefit everyone involved if they had the opportunity to wrap up the dangling threads in a satisfying way, and give long-time viewers a conclusion befitting the show we all fell in love with way back in 2005.  I would rather see a moving, unified sendoff for our favorite paper pushers than a slow trickling out of the characters I've come to enjoy so much, and much more than seeing them replaced by lackluster newcomers (the last addition to the cast who really managed to win me over was Ellie Kemper as Erin, and that is a testament to her talent rather than what she's been given to work with).  I'm sure the still-struggling NBC is reluctant to pull the plug on one of the shows for which it is still so widely recognized, yet I think they do a disservice to the talented minds who make the show each week by keeping them around past their prime.

How I Met Your Mother

I've hinted at this one in a couple of my recent reviews, and I stand by it even more firmly as Season 7 continues to (in more ways than one) unravel.  How I Met Your Mother is renewed for next season already, which seeing the inconsistency of this season seems like a hasty decision (it was confirmed before this season even began) on the part of CBS.  Then again, this is the network that continues to push reality-giant Survivor on us in its 24th(!) season. 

The real problem with HIMYM lies in the ambitious nature of the show itself.  By beginning the show back in 2005 (are you seeing a common thread here?) with the notion of telling "a love story in reverse," the creators and writers knowingly committed to a narrative structure which requires a commitment and skill beyond nearly every other sitcom on television.  That doesn't mean that the show always has to be better or funnier than its competition, but it absolutely does mean that the story has to unfold in a certain way, and with a certain consistency.  And as the show has rumbled along into its seventh season, it has become clear just how restrictive its chosen structure can sometimes be.  Bays and Thomas (the show's 2 creators) openly admit that they never expected the show to continue for this long, and have had to adapt as it has received repeated renewals.  That's all well and good, but there have been entire episodes in which it really feels to even casual viewers like the minds in charge no longer have a plan for the show and its characters.  I think imposing an end-date on the series ASAP would really help in moving away from this problem.  I'll cite as examples the show runners over at ABC's LOST, who gave themselves a deadline for concluding the series early on, a move which allowed them to tell the story they intended without continuing to waste episodes on irrelevant plots (as we saw in the second and third seasons of that show).  LOST

When you think about it, there are really only a few plot threads (I remember reading somewhere that one writer counted 18 loose ends, which seems like an overestimate) that need to be resolved by series' end.  We need to find out who Barney and Robin, respectively, end up with (if anyone).  We need to see Marshall and Lily have their baby.  We need to see how Ted winds up in the right place at the right time, with that yellow umbrella in hand, and finally, after literally years spent sitting on that sofa listening to the story, tells his children how he met their mother.  Whether the writers go the literal route of closing the series at that exact moment or allow us time to get to know the mother as a character (I think the latter would be a greater payoff for seven-plus years of fan investment), there is more than ample time to wind this series to a close by May 2013. 

Oh, and of course, there are two slaps remaining...

A Series Finale

I've finally figured out what this whole graduating/moving/leaving all my friends behind feels like.  It feels like the series finale of a television show, a quirky comedy perhaps, but one with a lot of heart.  The ratings haven't always been great but it has a loyal viewership who keep coming back, and now it's time for everyone to say goodbye.

No, we haven't been in a Sideways afterlife the whole time.  And no, no one is going to be chasing anyone to try and catch them at the airport, no one is grappling with life-altering career shuffling or relationship revelations.  But it's still an ending, and I think it's been a pretty great one.  This has been a week of "lasts", of visiting old haunts one more time, of drinking because we only have the excuse of college for a few more days, of spending time together obsessively because we're each afraid the others will disappear before we've gotten the chance to say goodbye.

As with any finale, we've had the essential moments.  The party scene, where everyone just gets drunk and miraculously nothing too regrettable happens.  Appearances from some old friends, guest stars now who've moved on to bigger and better things.  And many, many truly touching moments, moments of honesty and farewell, moments of hugs and tears, moments in which we acknowledge to ourselves that this could be The End, with capital letters.  There have been music montages, nostalgic conversations that always begin "hey, remember that time?", and major decisions that hang in the balance.  And there have been laughs-- lots of laughs, because no real comedy worth its salt can go out on a completely somber note.

Do I wish the show's run could've gone on longer?  Absolutely.  I could have been a part of this for the rest of my life, and it would have been enough.  But change is inevitable, and I knew one day this would conclude.  I don't know what's next, and I don't know all the tiny ways this experience will show its influence in the future.  What I do know, though, and what I'll always remember, is this time, now.  I'll remember this ending, and the knowledge that whatever the final lines turn out to be, it will have ended exactly the way it was always supposed to.  And I will be grateful for every moment of this experience, of every person whose name comes to mind as the proverbial credits roll.