Parks and Recreation

[Reply #80 on:]

Originally I was taking the claims from some that they might end up considering this season the best of the show as exaggeration, but after the last few episodes I'm starting to get on board. This is an excellent, excellent season that is making me pissed the show is ending.

They should make a movie!

[Reply #81 on:]

Six seasons and a movie!

You know, so long as you don't count season 1 as a season.

[Reply #82 on:]

They could edit that down to a movie and call it the prequel

[Reply #83 on:]

It's already my favourite season. The last few episodes would have to be bad to the point that they actively undo the good that's already been done to change that.

[Reply #84 on:]

These episodes have been pretty good, but I thought the ending to season six was the perfect ending to the series. Leslie and Ben both have awesome careers and they get to stay in Pawnee. I've found a few of these episodes overly sentimental for my tastes. That's probably just me, though. Also, not getting Treat Yo Self in Beverly Hills would have been a travesty.

[Reply #85 on:]

Well, they didn't know they were being renewed when they wrote the ending to season 6, so it was also supposed to serve as a potential series finale (much like season 5's mid-season finale, "Leslie and Ben"). It would've worked just fine, but season 6 wasn't particularly great as a whole, and they've definitely stepped their game back up here, so I much prefer the show going out this way. Not to mention the fact that the season 6 finale didn't give a whole lot of closure for any of the characters other from Leslie.

Plus, this season had RON SWANSON SHOOTING A FUCKING ROBOT WITH A SHOTGUN. It is automatically the best season of the show.

[Reply #86 on:]

That Johnny Karate episode was...a thing.

[Reply #87 on:]

Well, they didn't know they were being renewed when they wrote the ending to season 6, so it was also supposed to serve as a potential series finale (much like season 5's mid-season finale, "Leslie and Ben"). It would've worked just fine, but season 6 wasn't particularly great as a whole, and they've definitely stepped their game back up here, so I much prefer the show going out this way. Not to mention the fact that the season 6 finale didn't give a whole lot of closure for any of the characters other from Leslie.

Plus, this season had RON SWANSON SHOOTING A FUCKING ROBOT WITH A SHOTGUN. It is automatically the best season of the show.

No, that is a good point. Part of the reason why I thought season six should have been the last was because of how tired the show was feeling. There have been some great bits this season, and the writers brought back some fan favourites. I just hope they can match the ending of season six.

[Reply #88 on:]

That Johnny Karate episode was...a thing.

Felt way too fan servicey and is the typical wacky standalone thing a lot that a lot of shows do on their last season

[Reply #89 on:]

I could see what they were going for, but it didn't quite work the way I think they wanted it to. Bits and pieces were amusing, but overall it was a little too weird and over-the-top for my liking.

[Reply #90 on:]

You guys are crazy, that episode was fucking hilarious. That may be the hardest Parks and Rec has ever made me laugh in the course of a single episode.

More importantly: How has anyone not mentioned the cameo in Two Funerals yet?!

Show spoiler

They've been trying to get Bill Murray to play Mayor Gunderson for years now. A little more on it here, for anyone who enjoys reading on general Bill Murray shenanigans.

[Reply #91 on:]

I think my favorite part of the JK episode was the cop show bits with Burt Macklin. I'd have watched a whole half hour of just that.

[Reply #92 on:]

It was Parks and Rec's equivalent of The Office's "Threat Level Midnight." And it was glorious.

[Reply #93 on:]

The macklin parts were definitely the coolest, especially since the character has existed since season two, where the Johnny karate persona has only existed since late last season

[Reply #94 on:]

More importantly: How has anyone not mentioned the cameo in Two Funerals yet?!

Show spoiler

They've been trying to get Bill Murray to play Mayor Gunderson for years now. A little more on it here, for anyone who enjoys reading on general Bill Murray shenanigans.

Show spoiler

Me: Hmm that kinda looks like Bill Murray...oh it is Billy Murray. Cool.

[Reply #95 on:]

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/parks-and-recreation-producer-dead-harris-wittels-1201437460/

Really sad news

[Reply #96 on:]

That is absolutely horrible news. Harris was hysterical, I loved the work he did as a writer and he was always an excellent guest on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast. Devastating.

[Reply #97 on:]

I'm not familiar with his work outside of Parks & Rec, though he definitely had some great episodes to his name. A real shame indeed.

[Reply #98 on:]

The "Johnny Karate" episode didn't really work for me. Bits were great - mostly the fake ads - but less worked than did for me. I like that they tried it, though. I don't have a problem with the concept.

"Two Funerals" felt far more like what I'd call fan-service. It was essentially a long line of them wheeling in previous guest-stars and supporting characters in order to give them one last appearance. I'm glad they got that out of the way so that the finale can be its own thing.

[Reply #99 on:]

Yeah, as long as they don't so the Seinfeld cavalcade of past characters

[Reply #100 on:]

[Reply #101 on:]

That was a pretty solid send off, although I could've done without them giving Craig an ending

[Reply #102 on:]

I think it would have been funnier if John Ralphio was actually dead.

Ron got a pretty sweet ending, man. I wish I had that job.

[Reply #103 on:]

Only minor nitpick is that it was pretty low on laughs, but I did like tom us in his fake narrator voice again

[Reply #104 on:]

I think it would have been funnier if John Ralphio was actually dead.

Agreed.

It was a solid send-off. It was the icing on the cake for this season for me.

[Reply #105 on:]

I think it would have been funnier if John Ralphio was actually dead.

Agreed.

Well, on that note, there's apparently an easter egg in the finale that reveals what happened to Jean Ralphio after him and Mona Lisa ran off. Supposedly, at one point the writers were also playing with the idea of having a smash cut to an unmarked tombstone in Tajikistan after the funeral scene.

On top of that, word is that there will be an extended cut of the finale on the dvd, which will feature some additional flash-forwards for other minor characters. I'm still a little bummed we didn't get a proper one for Chris and Ann though, given how long they were both main characters for... Also, no sign of Nadia or Diane this season, either. And Mark Brendanawicz, though that was always going to be a long shot.

Anyway, those few minor issues aside (most of which were beyond the producers' and writers' control, I might add), I thoroughly enjoyed the finale. It was probably one of the most satisfying endings of any tv show I've watched, even if I spent most of it just feeling devastated that we'll never get to see any more of Pawnee. I think Garry's flash-forward was probably my favourite. Damn you, Parks & Rec writers! Always with the feels. I'm going to miss the hell out of this show.

[Reply #106 on:]

I was most excited when Ann and Chris showed up. I care about them! So yes I would have liked to have seen what their lives were like but I can understand that maybe it's not as remarkable as everyone else's.

I enjoyed the finale a lot, this was a great season! While I enjoyed the double episodes it did make everything happen so quickly that there's almost no time to savor it. It ended as quickly as it started. I didn't catch on to this show until just two seasons ago so I wasn't as emotionally devastated as I was when 30 Rock ended but still, helluva good show.

[Reply #107 on:]

I started watching during the break between seasons 2 and 3, so the ending here hit home really, really hard for me. Particularly Garry and Ron's flash-forwards, which just left me an emotional wreck.

[Reply #108 on:]

I just realized that the Parks Finale was everything the How I Met Your Mother Finale (and final season) wished it had been.

[Reply #109 on:]

I'm usually not one to do season rankings, but if I had to mine would go 3,4,2,7,5,1,6

[Reply #110 on:]

I'll have to rewatch season 7 to be sure, but I think my ranking would be:

7, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6, 1

[Reply #111 on:]

I'd say 7 > 2=3=4=5=6 (they all blur into one) > 1.

[Reply #112 on:]

I just realized that the Parks Finale was everything the How I Met Your Mother Finale (and final season) wished it had been.

I am one of the rare few who liked the HIMYM finale (though the last season as a whole was, indeed, pretty garbage-y), but this is kind of true. The Parks & Rec finale was just, like, gloriously life-affirming and lovely, and the endings it gave each character were awesome (Ron's was probably my favorite, and I really loved the Leslie/Ben governor dilemma; Ben's turn-around was so dang sweet). A very nice end to a near-perfect season from what has honestly become one of my top five favorite shows ev-arz.

And, since everyone else is doing season rankings, mine would be this: 3, 4, 7, 5, 2, 6, 1...and, honestly, seasons three, four, and seven are on pretty equal footing in terms of quality and how much I love them.

On a related note, anyone want to talk all-time favorite episodes? I'm working on, like, a top 10 or 25 or something at present, because my life is sad and small and devoid of meaning; I'll post it when I have given the matter sufficient thought (exciting, I know; hold onto your hats, folks!).

[Reply #113 on:]

I can't really talk about Parks & Recreation in comparison to How I Met Your Mother as, quite honestly, I never understood the appeal of the latter. I watched a few episodes of HIMYM and spent the entire time trying to figure out what was supposed to be funny about the show (along with pondering what the point of the laugh track was when it obviously wasn't being filmed in front of an audience, and pitying the waste of an immensely talented cast in the process). However, from what I heard and read, the response to the HIMYM finale was largely negative, while that of Parks and Rec's finale has been almost unanimously positive. I think it's safe to say P&R is the clear winner as far as landing the ending went.

I'd say 7 > 2=3=4=5=6 (they all blur into one) > 1.

Most fans seem to consider season 3 to be the show's pinnacle of quality, but I honestly thought 4 was superior (up until season 7, of course). I absolutely loved the attempts at serialisation in this show, and the season long story arc of Leslie's campaign is easily the most heavily-invested I ever was in the series. Season 3 does have the excellent Harvest Festival arc, of course, but it kinda flounders without any direction at all in its second half. There are a lot of great episodes in season 3 (many of which are from the aforementioned second half), and they're fantastic as stand-alone episodes, but as a whole, the season's structure and pacing just doesn't totally gel with me. And season 2 has some of my all-time favourite episodes (Practice Date, The Camel and The Setup would probably all crack a top 10 list for me), so I rank it slightly ahead of season 3, but to be honest, they're pretty much even in my books.

I'd definitely rank 5 and 6 a little lower than 2-4, however. The show was getting a little bogged down in its formulas and repetitive/formulaic at this point, despite the overall quality still being up to the show's usual standards for the most part (though they had a few too many "Leslie steamrolls everyone" episodes for my liking, which I generally find to be the show at its least enjoyable).

Having said that, it's still thoroughly impressive how consistent this show was in terms of quality for the vast majority of its run. And even season 1 isn't that bad in hindsight (I definitely enjoyed it more second time around, when my girlfriend and I watched the show in full together from the beginning during its fifth season) - they just hadn't quite figured out what it was at the time.

[Reply #114 on:]

Maybe I need to look back into season six, but I was definitely the most upset with that one. I recently rewatched season one and it was obviously still feeling it's way through, but that's often the case with a lot of first seasons, especially ones that are that short. I guess I was so satisfied with three because that was the longest wait and it was so close to not happening, but three and four blend together so well once they finally got the characters just right

[Reply #115 on:]

On a related note, anyone want to talk all-time favorite episodes? I'm working on, like, a top 10 or 25 or something at present, because my life is sad and small and devoid of meaning; I'll post it when I have given the matter sufficient thought (exciting, I know; hold onto your hats, folks!).

I'll never turn down a top 10.

10. Save JJ's
9. One Last Ride: Part 2
8. Leslie and Ron
7. Moving Up: Part 2
6. Jerry's Painting
5. Ben's Parents
4. The Set Up
3. Flu Season
2. Campaign Ad
1. Gryzzlbox

[Reply #116 on:]

I thought season 7 was really strong and a perfect way to end the show. I cannot see why some people are down on it, saying that it should have ended at season 6, because despite the brilliant finale; it's definitely the weakest season behind 1.

I'd probably rank the seasons as follows; 3, 4, 7, 5, 2, 6, 1

With a top ten looking something like...

10. Telethon
09. Harvest Festival
08. Moving Up
07. Leslie and Ben
06. Soulmates
05. Leslie & Ron
04. Andy and April's Fancy Party
03. The Fight
02. Flu Season
01. The Trial of Leslie Knope

I'm so glad that the show got it's final victory lap and found a perfect way to wrap up the stories of these wonderful characters. The cast and crew can hold their heads up high for being involved in the creation of one of the best and most thoroughly likeable comedies of all time.

[Reply #117 on:]

The trial is such a good episode, I'll never stop laughing at "old stone face"

[Reply #118 on:]

Glad to see The Fight in your list, Boxy, that probably makes my top three as well. Soulmates would also be in my top ten.

I like your list. I might steal it.

[Reply #119 on:]

I can't really talk about Parks & Recreation in comparison to How I Met Your Mother

Oh, it's hardly a fair comparison. The only thing they really have in common are the flash-forwarding finales...which is kind of becoming a go-to thing for a lot of sitcoms, I've noticed. (For what it's worth, Mad About You had a really excellent "Here Are Our Favorite Characters X-Number of Years in the Future" series finale, but I digress.)

thoroughly likeable

This is just about the perfect descriptor for this show (the word I often find myself using is "genuine" or "sincere"). For a show that is ostensibly about government and politics, it is just the most inoffensive, well-meaning, feel-good little series.

It reminds me of Scrubs, in a way; both shows are wacky and occasionally dark, but there is always an underlying respect for the premise and its characters - all of whom are complex and, even though they are occasionally made into the butt of a joke or plot point, are ultimately treated with dignity. This is no small feat, and one of the things I love best about the show: there is not one character in the main ensemble that I do not like or enjoy watching (to say nothing of the awesome chemistry that exists within the cast as a whole).

I like your list. I might steal it.

Heh, I'm about to do just that, more or less:

25. Filibuster
24. Sex Education
23. Donna & Joe
22. Dave Returns
21. Leslie and Ben
20. Ann and Chris
19. Smallest Park
18. Freddy Spaghetti
17. The Master Plan
16. Road Trip
15. The Treaty
14. Hunting Trip
13. Campaign Shake-Up
12. The Bubble
11. Halloween Surprise
10. End of the World
9. Telethon
8. Flu Season
7. Pie-Mary
6. Harvest Festival
5. Andy and April's Fancy Party
4. Win, Lose, or Draw
3. Leslie & Ron
2. The Trial of Leslie Knope
1. The Fight