NOTE: This post was originally published the day Blogger went to hell in a handbasket. I fixed something on it tonight, and now it's considered a new post. Not sure why, and I'm really annoyed that I can't fix it. You've already read it, probably. I'm still on hiatus, dammit. Nothin' to see here. (Unless there is?)
I have been obsessed with Parks and Recreation for weeks now, but other obsessions have taken precedence. Not so, this week.
The fact that this show was created by those who bring us The Office did not persuade me to try it right away. I don't know why, except that it was probably a timing thing, and we all know that I like to let shows gestate before I commit myself. This spring Parks has been garnering a metric ton of buzz, including an Entertainment Weekly cover, and I finally decided it was time.
Parks and Recreation follows Leslie Knope, an extremely enthusiastic and civic-minded Deputy-Head of the Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department. Leslie, played with perfect naive/innocent pitch my Amy Poehler, has high aspirations for her life. Only in her mid-thirties, she wants to be the Head of the Parks Department and then climb the political ladder to eventually become President of the United States. This is how we know for sure that Parks and Rec is from the twisted minds if The Office... The only other character on television that optimistically delusional is/was the beloved Michael Scott.
Leslie is surrounded by a motley crew of small town characters, ranging from her uber-capitalist boss, Ron Swanson (the priceless Nick Offerman) to his moody, mono-syllabic assistant, April (Aubrey Plaza). Rounding out the cast is the creepy/awesome Tom (Aziz Ansari), Leslie's best friend Ann (Rashida Jones) and Ann's doofy ex-boyfriend Andy (Chris Pratt).
The rise of Parks oddly mirrors that of The Offce; the first season is mostly eh with flashes of the brilliance that emerges fully from minute one of season two.
Ah yes, the brilliance. The brilliance lies in the total believability of the characters, of the plot, of the setting. As a girl who grew up in (and still occasionally resides in) a small town, I defy anyone from similar circumstances to find non-realism in this show. Is it sometimes absurd? Sure. But so is life in a small town. So are small town politics. In fact, as a note to Parks writers, I submit this latest local headline as a potential future plot point: White Powder Scare at Clinton School. Make sure and read the final outcome.
And tell me there's not a half hour sitcom episode in that.
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