Many sitcoms come along and resonate with audiences in a special way, yet there’s been an extra amount of love and affection towards Parks and Recreation. The cheerful NBC sitcom started off in the shadow of The Office, but it progressively found its voice and evolved into one of the most celebrated television comedies to come out of the 2000s.
Parks and Recreation focuses on a lovable cast of characters as they try to reign in the craziness that often overcomes Pawnee, Indiana. It’s the perfect mix of hilarious and sentimental, but Parks and Recreation makes sure that its characters are always treated with respect. Parks and Recreation produced over 125 episodes over the course of seven seasons, but there are a special group of entries that hit harder than the rest.
10 “Moving Up: Part 1” Allows Its Characters To Grow And Look To The Future (9.0)
Parks and Recreation’s sixth season concludes with a superlative two-part finale that doesn’t act as the series’ ending, but it accomplishes just as much. “Moving Up: Part 1” deals with more setup than its second half, but it’s still one of the sitcom’s most satisfying episodes. “Moving Up: Part 1” looks towards the future and sets up promising turns for Leslie, Ben, and Tom, which force them to examine the past and the progress that they’ve made since the show’s inception. It’s incredibly gratifying and feels distinct, rather than just the first half of a finale.
9 “Flu Season” Is Parks And Rec At Its Most Wild And Absurd (9.0)
Parks and Recreation doesn’t truly come into its own until its third season and the episode “Flu Season” may be the sitcom’s first true classic entry. The plot in “Flu Season” is nothing exceptional, but it’s a solid excuse to throw the entire cast into various degrees of helplessness. Parks and Recreation typically makes its characters and their relationships its focus, but “Flu Season” is a welcome dose of broader, slapstick comedy for the sitcom. It also marks the beginning of Chris Traeger becoming one of the show’s secret weapons.
8 “Ann And Chris” Is A Touching Farewell To Some Of Pawnee’s Very Best (9.0)
Parks and Recreation does such amazing work with its contrasting romantic relationships. The union between Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger can sometimes recede into the background, but it's a sweet dynamic that's an important part of the show.
Season six's "Ann and Chris" bids farewell to two of the series' most beloved characters and it makes sure that it's an emotional goodbye that doesn't compromise. "Ann and Chris" devotes time to Leslie and Ann's relationship, Chris and Ben's friendship, and why Ann and Chris are truly perfect for one another.
7 “Andy And April's Fancy Party” Turns A Bold Surprise Into A Narrative Masterpiece (9.0)
The early seasons of Parks and Recreation were still compared to The Office and naturally, any relationship would be compared to the ballad of Jim and Pam. One of the smartest decisions that Parks and Recreation makes is to take the opposite approach to Jim and Pam’s relationship and impulsively marry April Ludgate and Andy Dwyer. Season three’s “Andy and April’s Fancy Party” is hilarious, surprising, and touching. Leslie begins as an opposing force to this wedding, but her eventual support of it is so beautiful. The magic between April and Andy never stops giving.
6 “Ron And Diane” Continues To Develop Ron Swanson’s Compelling Love Life (9.0)
Parks and Recreation firmly establishes Ron Swanson’s character to be very direct and the most consistent and dependable form of stereotype. A major wrench gets thrown into Ron’s character when it’s revealed how his toxic ex, Tammy, can bring out an extremely wild side to the bureaucrat. The saga of Ron and Tammy plays out over the course of the series, but season five’s “Ron and Diane” attempts to provide some closure on the topic. Tammy returns to test Ron’s commitment to his current love, Diane (Lucy Lawless), and it’s an enlightening look into Ron’s development.
5 “Win, Lose Or Draw” Is An Optimistic Finale That Shows That Good Guys Win (9.1)
Season four of Parks and Recreation takes an ambitious turn with Leslie Knope’s decision to run for mayor against the privileged Bobby Newport. Leslie’s campaign dominates the season and “Win, Lose or Draw” is the culmination of all of this.
There was intense pressure surrounding this ending and Parks and Recreation elegantly sticks the landing. It feels very appropriate that Leslie’s political run happily concludes, but Parks and Recreation briefly considered all options for the outcome of Leslie’s election. “Win, Lose or Draw” is such a tight, economical piece of television that it makes all of these possibilities feel believable.
4 “Leslie And Ben” Is the Ultimate Love Letter To Pawnee’s Best Romance (9.3)
There are many reasons that people love Parks and Recreation, but it's hard to deny the sweet romance that blossoms between Leslie and Ben. Leslie's romantic struggles are some of the clunkier aspects of the show's early seasons but her and Ben are just such a natural fit. "Leslie and Ben" is the apex of their love and it explores their bond, both romantically and professionally. An episode that's just devoted to their wedding would be enough, but "Leslie and Ben" is all about the layers to these characters and why their "love and like" for each other is evergreen.
3 “Moving Up: Part 2” Celebrates Everything That Makes Pawnee Great (9.4)
"Moving Up: Part 2" is the final installment of Parks and Recreation's sixth season, which was briefly thought to be the show's conclusion until their creative take on another season was decided upon. There's still more story to tell after season six, but "Moving Up: Part 2" still functions as a perfect series finale. The finale spends most of its time on the celebratory Unity Concert, which allows everyone to be their best selves and bask in appreciation. It provides a fitting end for the characters and appearances from Mouse Rat and a hologram of Li’l Sebastian are great bonuses.
2 “Leslie And Ron” Is An Emotional Dissection Of One Of The Show’s Most Important Pairs (9.6)
All of the relationships in Parks and Recreation are valuable and highlight why opposites attract and how everyone's differences are actually what makes them special. The bond between Leslie and her boss, Ron Swanson, is one of the more crucial friendships in the series. "Leslie and Ron" from the show's final season becomes the definitive examination of their friendship. The episode cathartically unites Leslie and Ron after a season of conflict while also showing them at their most serious and most absurd. What they accomplish here very much fuels the season’s remaining episodes.
1 “One Last Ride” Ends Parks And Recreation On The Best Note Possible (9.6)
It’s extremely rare that a series’ final episode can also function as their strongest effort, but it helps make Parks and Recreation’s journey even more beautiful. The structure of the sitcom’s shorter final season doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s hard to argue with what “One Last Ride” accomplishes. This last episode focuses on the relationships between the cast and turns the clock forward a decade to show how much everyone has grown and the lasting effects that they’ve had on each other. It’s a celebration of everything that Parks and Recreation represents.
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