Thoughts – Parks & Recreation
Parks & Recreation – NBC – 8:30/7:30pm Thursday – USA / Channel 7 – 11:00pm Tuesday – AUS
Parks & Recreation starts next Tuesday in Australia on Channel 7 and if you’ve read my somewhat damning review and my even more damning follow up this may come as a bit of a shock to you but: you should 100% totally watch Parks & Recreation.
Sure I went on and on about how Parks & Recreation was nothing more than a poor man’s The Office. Nothing but an un-funny clone of a loveable classic. Well, it turns out P&R has more in common with The Office (US) than we first suspected: turns out both shows have awful first seasons followed up by fantastic second seasons. Ten episodes of the second season of P&R have aired in the U.S. and each is funnier than the last (except for that one with Fred Armisen, but that rests solely on his hacky shoulders.)
Channel 7 is of course kicking off P&R with the first season (which is usually how these things go. You know, in order.) but there are only six episodes of that and I know you guys can stick with it. There isn’t a lot to like, but you do get your first taste of Ron fucking Swanson, who pretty much delivers all of the laughs in the first season. After testing out some characters and throwing some really dud jokes around during the first year the creators of P&R spent their time in between seasons really figuring out how to bring the funny.
Amy Poehler who was so grating in the first is at the top of her game in the second. Aziz Ansari who was an unlovable prick for the first six episodes… well, he’s still an unlovable prick but he becomes a touch more tragic. Sure Rashida Jones still has nothing to do but that doesn’t really matter when she’s usually surrounded by Chris Pratt making an hilarious ass of himself. Even April comes into her own in the second season and stops being such a half joke character. Also, did I mention the show has Ron fucking Swanson?
In my follow up I wrote “I went into Parks & Recreation wanting it to be my new favourite Thursday night sitcom…” before yet again dropping the words “like” “an” “unfunny” “Office” and “The” in no particular order. I know this is a big call but I’m just going to put this out there and see how it looks in the real world: Parks & Recreation IS my new favourite Thursday night sitcom.
Sure The Office is a trooper and is still a solid half hour even after six seasons. Yeah, Community has covered over some real duds with a few great episodes, culminating in the fantastic An American Tail homage in episode 10. 30 Rock on the other hand, well, there are still laughs to be found but my fanboy love is all but gone.
The biggest criticism I levelled at Parks & Recreation was that it was just like The Office, so we can also thank the comedy gods that in the second season P&R has gone to great lengths to create a show that is very much its own. Even the “Jim looks” to the camera bits from Rashida Jones have been cut down to only once every three episodes or so…
It’s a testament to how strong the second season is that it’s wiped away all thoughts that the first season could even possibly have been bad. Surely I was wrong. Surely it was all my fault. Surely I didn’t see the greatness because I was too busy imagining Dwight bursting into the Parks Department. I apologize to Parks & Recreation, it’s a really funny show and I’m so glad the second season has stepped up and delivered episodes jam packed with laugh out loud moments. Also, I’m not sure if I mentioned this but Parks & Recreation is the only show on television where you can see Ron fucking Swanson. Ron alone is reason enough to tune in. Enjoy… the second season.
