Only a few weeks ago, NBC said goodbye to one of their only two shows I really loved: “Parenthood.” Then last night NBC said goodbye to the other one:”Parks and Recreation.” With that, I pretty much said goodbye to NBC since out of their current lineup I now only watch “The Blacklist” (but for how much longer given this weak second season?). That doesn’t look likely to change until the Summer (when “Hannibal” finally returns) since their mid-season lineup looks abysmal, including the atrocious multi-cam sitcoms “Unwatchable”–I mean, “Undateable” and “One Big Happy.”
And even though I really miss “Parenthood,” I have to say that I think “Parks and Rec” had really run its course, and NBC seemed to think so too since they burned off the final “season” with two-at-a-time episodes in a new Tuesday time slot and a barely promoted finale. I’m not sure why their last quality comedy out of the old Thursday-night-comedy block got such little love as you would think NBC might want to stretch out the run of their last critical darling.
Series Finale: It was a pretty good finale complete with flash-forwards so we know what all the “Parks” characters do for the rest of their lives. Though I appreciate the innovation, the lack of a present tense for the episode felt paradoxically stagnant where so much is happening that really nothing is happening. Oh, and it is ridiculous that Leslie would run for Governor over Ben since Ben (at that point) was a four-time-incumbent congressman with loads of local, federal, and state experience while Leslie had actually never been elected to a position except as a councilwoman in a podunk town where she was recalled in her first term. Grade for Series Finale: B
Finale Season: I really think the second to last episode “Two Funerals” was much stronger, and really would have made a better series finale as well. It had two funerals for small characters, a proposal for a big one (the last main cast member that was single), a Bill Murray cameo, cameos from several neglected small characters (I especially loved the return of Sam Elliot), and the single best moment of the entire series: the so-often-dumped-on Gary (whose mistreatment by his co-workers stopped being funny a looooong time ago, often making the “Parks” crew look unintentionally cruel and unlikable) becoming Mayor of Pawnee in a lavish ceremony complete with hot air balloon ride. Grade for Final Season: B…Grade for Two Funerals Episode: A…The only truly great episode of this final season.
Ranking the 7 Seasons From Worst to Best…
Worst: Season One…Many have pointed out how rocky the start of Parks and Recreation was and it’s almost solely the fault of this six-episode first season where the cast had yet to gel and Leslie was much more buffoonish than she would eventually wind up being. Season Grade: C-
Second Worst: Season 6…This season isn’t bad, but it’s the worst of the best. By now, the show had settled into a too-comfortable rut and even though I loved the audacity of having Leslie Knope recalled from City Council (for essentially doing too many positive things that the stagnant town hates), most of the side characters don’t experience much change in their situations. Plus, the exit of Ann (Rashida Jones) and Chris (Rob Lowe) is a blow that shifts the overall group’s likable quotient too far in the negative. Season Grade: B-
Season 7…Again, not a bad season so much as a flawed one that pales in comparison to the show’s excellent middle seasons. What’s wrong with it? For one thing, Ann and Chris’ full absence from this season makes it all the more obvious how unintentionally unlikable most of the core “Parks” crew has become: ridiculously shallow Tom, proudly selfish and grumpy Ron Swanson (who’s new wife and kids aren’t shown this season making him look even more heartless), aggressively unlikable April, and—worst of all—Andy, who is such an oblivious jerk that the show thinks it’s funny that he forgets Chris’ name or wants to punch Gary during a heartfelt speech just because…well, because he thinks it’s funny. The stand-off with tech-conglomerate Gryzzl is interesting but quickly resolved so the final half of the season is mostly filler moments except for the great “Two Funerals” episode. And there’s too little involvement with the fantastic roster of dozens of side characters that actually makes “Parks and Rec” feel like a real place. Season Grade: B
Season 2…The show begins getting really good at this point. Some of the funniest episodes in the series are in this season. Season Grade: B+
Season 5…Leslie’s tenure as a councilwoman is fraught with obstacles, and comedic gold. Season Grade: A-
Season 3…A terrific season that sees April and Andy get married, some terrific episodes that deal loosely with real political issues (this is when the show started to become a lot more than a weekly sitcom), and the introduction of Leslie and Ben as a couple. The series real heart has been Leslie and Ben’s relationship (or Leslie and Ann’s friendship) and the moment when Ben officially breaks the co-worker relationship rules to kiss ex-girlfriend (and future wife) Leslie is one of the best moments in the series. Season Grade: A
And the Best Season: Season 4…This is when Leslie runs for city council and the show tilts into a full-on satire of our media, our government, our elections, and even our values. This is a near-perfect season that features a lot of the best episodes of the entire series. My personal favorites are the debate episode—which is hilarious, dead-on, intelligent, and eventually rousing—and the season finale “Win, Lose, or Draw” which had the moment of Leslie getting to vote for herself; a prouder civic moment has never been captured by a TV show. Season Grade: A
Love Parks and Rec. Will really miss this show.
The new shows are not as funny.
Great review.