44 replies to this topic

[Josh Hurst]

I can't believe we don't have a thread for this.

I know there are only two episodes left in the season-- both of them airing next Thursday night, I believe-- but surely there are other fans of the show here, and a rolling thread to discuss new episodes would be put to good use.

I will go ahead and say this much: For as long as Mad Men is out of the picture, anyway... this is by far my favorite show on TV.

[Gavin Breeden]

Wow. I can't believe there wasn't a thread for this either.

Josh, you know I love this show. And I agree, until Breaking Bad starts up this summer, Parks and Rec is sitting at the top of "Best of 2011" for me. Although, depending on the strength of the beginning of Parks and Rec season 4 in the fall, even Breaking Bad might not even be able to touch it.

I didn't realize that Parks and Rec only had 16 episodes this season, I expected it to keep going into the summer for a bit. That's disappointing. But at least we won't have to wait too long for it to come back.

[Jason Panella]

I haven't seen any of the third season, but at least based on the second season, I agree that this is the best (or at least my favorite) comedy on TV.

[Ryan H.]

Jason Panella, on 16 May 2011 - 11:05 AM, said:

I haven't seen any of the third season, but at least based on the second season, I agree that this is the best (or at least my favorite) comedy on TV.

Dude, the third season is where it's at. The last few episodes have had a bunch of moments no "Best of PARKS AND REC" clip reel would be complete without.

Love this show. And yeah, it's the best comedy on TV at the moment, with COMMUNITY coming in a close second.

[Crow]

What other show would make a Neutral Milk Hotel reference?

[Josh Hurst]

Wow.

Not sure what to say yet, save for... what a finale!

I'm going to miss the Parks Department this summer.

[Tyler]

Nick Offerman's beard saves the planet.

[Tyler]

How to make a Ron Swanson turkey burger.

[Josh Hurst]

Anyone been watching the new season? I have had some minor reservations that it was becoming a bit too... cartoony, I guess, especially with the scenes in Tom's new place of employment tonight, but this episode ultimately won me over in a big way, not just with the two Tammys but with drunk Leslie and especially, I think, the Ann/Chris scenes.

[Ryan H.]

Josh Hurst, on 29 September 2011 - 08:24 PM, said:

Anyone been watching the new season? I have had some minor reservations that it was becoming a bit too... cartoony, I guess, especially with the scenes in Tom's new place of employment tonight, but this episode ultimately won me over in a big way, not just with the two Tammys but with drunk Leslie and especially, I think, the Ann/Chris scenes.

Oh, I certainly have. The one-two punch of COMMUNITY and PARKS AND REC is pretty much unbeatable. And yeah, tonight's episode was terrific.

[Tyler]

I'm a basketball fan, so the Roy Hibbert cameo was a lot of fun. This is the third time, I think, that Detlef Schrempf has been on the show, too.

[Gavin Breeden]

This has officially been promoted to "favorite current comedy" in my home. My wife and I love this show more than any other comedy out there. It's not even close. I wish it could go on forever without getting crappy, but based on the history of recent NBC comedies *cough* The Office *cough*, this may be the last good season. Maybe not. We'll see. I just want to focus on enjoying it now while it's still running on all cylinders.

[Jason Panella]

We've blazed through most of season three over the past five days or so, and I agree with Gavin on the show's status. I think I love the show because, while hilarious, I really love and care about the characters. The last episode we watched last night closed with Leslie showing Ron the awesome birthday dinner/movie she prepared for him, and I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

[Gavin Breeden]

Jason Panella, on 03 October 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

We've blazed through most of season three over the past five days or so, and I agree with Gavin on the show's status. I think I love the show because, while hilarious, I really love and care about the characters. The last episode we watched last night closed with Leslie showing Ron the awesome birthday dinner/movie she prepared for him, and I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

Bingo. I've always argued that this show weds comedy and sincerity better than any other show out there. The show generally allows you to know and love all the characters, but never to the point of allowing things to get too cheesy or to impugn the comedy. The show has heart. Instead of being just another cynical, sarcastic show (many of which I love!), the tone of the show seems to be set by Leslie's sunny, optimistic demeanor. Perhaps the best example of this is season 3's "wedding episode," which was probably the funniest and sweetest episode of network TV I watched last season. Once they realized that this would be their "voice" (around the very end of season 1, but mostly at the beginning of season 2) and stopped trying to be "The Office," the show has been almost unbeatable. I literally can't think of a bad episode from seasons 2 or 3. Speaking of which, its consistency is also one of its strong points. "Community" and other shows sometimes turn in a dud here and there, but not "Parks and Recreation."


Contrast all of this with 73-time Emmy-winner, "Modern Family." Admittedly, I've only seen one episode. It made me laugh some but the end of it was so syrupy sweet and cheesy, it ruined the whole thing for me. It was the episode where the entire family is trying to get a "perfect" family picture and at the end they all have a big mud fight and then take the picture in their muddy white clothes. The ending felt more like a Kodak commercial, than a sitcom.

[Tyler]

A birther episode?

[Josh Hurst]

Tyler, on 06 October 2011 - 08:10 PM, said:

A birther episode?

... but with kind of a different outcome.

[Scholar's Parrot]

Gavin Breeden, on 03 October 2011 - 04:30 PM, said:

Jason Panella, on 03 October 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

We've blazed through most of season three over the past five days or so, and I agree with Gavin on the show's status. I think I love the show because, while hilarious, I really love and care about the characters. The last episode we watched last night closed with Leslie showing Ron the awesome birthday dinner/movie she prepared for him, and I couldn't wipe the grin off of my face.

Bingo. I've always argued that this show weds comedy and sincerity better than any other show out there. The show generally allows you to know and love all the characters, but never to the point of allowing things to get too cheesy or to impugn the comedy. The show has heart. Instead of being just another cynical, sarcastic show (many of which I love!), the tone of the show seems to be set by Leslie's sunny, optimistic demeanor. Perhaps the best example of this is season 3's "wedding episode," which was probably the funniest and sweetest episode of network TV I watched last season. Once they realized that this would be their "voice" (around the very end of season 1, but mostly at the beginning of season 2) and stopped trying to be "The Office," the show has been almost unbeatable. I literally can't think of a bad episode from seasons 2 or 3. Speaking of which, its consistency is also one of its strong points. "Community" and other shows sometimes turn in a dud here and there, but not "Parks and Recreation."


Contrast all of this with 73-time Emmy-winner, "Modern Family." Admittedly, I've only seen one episode. It made me laugh some but the end of it was so syrupy sweet and cheesy, it ruined the whole thing for me. It was the episode where the entire family is trying to get a "perfect" family picture and at the end they all have a big mud fight and then take the picture in their muddy white clothes. The ending felt more like a Kodak commercial, than a sitcom.

I haven't watched the current season at all, but having seen the past 3, I agree completely. I think the fact that they sincerely love each other (except maybe Jerry, I wonder sometimes if anyone loves Jerry). When Ron gives a satisfied "Good girl" to April, there is a delight in each of them and it's a wonderfully written oddball friendship. I think just those two words and the characters' delivery/response says much more than that Modern Family example.

[Tyler]

Winner of the night, as is becoming the usual. Making Jerry the not-awkward one for once was a nice change-up.

[Josh Hurst]

Well, my wife thinks I'm crazy for saying this, but... I think last night's episode is one of my very favorites, certainly my favorite of this current season. It was such a great reminder of what this show does so well-- funny and sweet-- and it had a lot of really great character stuff, be it the Anne/Ron team-up, Andy and Ben wrestling (and Andy later declaring Ben to be his brother), and especially Leslie and Tom. Just a really heartwarming but still hilarious episode. Funniest part: Leslie crying over her bio video.

... but I am increasingly concerned about how cartoony and kinda pointless Chris is in the show.

[Gavin Breeden]

Josh Hurst, on 28 October 2011 - 06:52 AM, said:

Well, my wife thinks I'm crazy for saying this, but... I think last night's episode is one of my very favorites, certainly my favorite of this current season. It was such a great reminder of what this show does so well-- funny and sweet-- and it had a lot of really great character stuff, be it the Anne/Ron team-up, Andy and Ben wrestling (and Andy later declaring Ben to be his brother), and especially Leslie and Tom. Just a really heartwarming but still hilarious episode. Funniest part: Leslie crying over her bio video.

... but I am increasingly concerned about how cartoony and kinda pointless Chris is in the show.

I agree with everything here. I also was beginning to wonder about Chris. He's beginning to become kind of a caricature of himself. I still find him really funny, but I almost feel like Chris himself is kind of in on the joke now, which I didn't feel until this season.