Going into Parks’ fourth season I want to discuss the series as a whole so far. I know that Parks is labeled a comedy, and I strongly believe that it is the funniest show currently on TV, but to me it is so much more than just a ‘comedy’. After racking my brain to try and give it a better definition I came up with ‘heartwarming comedy’. Probably not the best way to describe it, and if you can come up with something better please let me know in the comments, but my only other idea was ‘chicken soup for the TV soul’. Hopefully I’m not the only one, but generally after watching an episode of Parks my faith in humanity is temporarily restored, along with a belief that good things can happen, at least on TV. It may sound silly, but take tonight’s premiere for example. Leslie’s main dilemma is that she needs to break up with Ben, but doesn’t want to. Ben figures out what’s going on and instead of being upset that loosing Leslie, he’s proud of her and wants to support her. No resentment whatsoever. I felt like the Grinch at the end of the episode; my heart grew three sizes. And it’s not just Leslie and Ben, in general all the main characters are good people, even I-hate-everyone-April is a nice person underneath the scowl. That’s not to say that this is a perfect/clean Mr. Rogers type show, after all the demons who work in the Library still pedal their evil books to the innocent, and various Tammy’s are free to roam City Hall. Maybe in real life I’m just far too cynical, but to me Parks is a great example of a comedy that has a soul. Compare that to my other favorite comedy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which not only has no soul but more than likely was spawned from the most hellish regions of Satan’s asshole. A very funny asshole I’m sure, but most definitely stylistically opposed to what we see on Parks. Unfortunately heartwarming doesn’t quite get the buzz or the ratings, so please tell everyone you know to tune in so its fourth season won’t be the last for Leslie Knope and crew.
Shifting specifically to tonight’s episode; I hate to say it, but I thought this was a little weak for a season opener. Not to say that it wasn’t funny, but we pretty much only had one solid storyline which was Leslie trying to break up with Ben. The subplot involving Ann and the penises, although very topical and hilarious, felt kinda cheap and lazy for a show like Parks. Half an episode revolving around dick jokes was maybe a bit too much for me. Also, now that the writers are giving Ann more to do besides being a nurse it would be nice if we actually got to see her do something in the Pawnee Department of Public Health. Something that is not related to nursing.
I really miss Tom now that he’s over at 720, and the idea of him constantly stopping by to give away freebies is perfect. But his bit where he tries to poach away Andy felt forced. We get it, Andy can’t always be a shoe shine boy, but using Tom to bring this up didn’t sit right with me. What did work was when April talked to Andy about it, if anyone should be pushing Andy to a better career it should be his wife, albeit in a strange circular fashion. Initially I was wondering who would replace Tom, but I think after this episode the result is Andy. I would have enjoyed a new temporary cast member but this works too. The comedic possibilities of Andy assisting Leslie though are endless, I remember back in a previous episode when Andy genuinely tried to Ron and failed miserably.
Speaking of Ron, the scene where he grabs his bug-out-bag from the AC vent was nothing short of amazing. It was second only to the shot of him three weeks later with the full grown beard, which as you’ve seen is my screenshot for this episode. Also thanks to the introduction of Tammy 1 we now know the reason why Ron is such an anti-tax libertarian. I’m now going to imagine a scenario pre-Tammy 1 where Ron was a liberal socialist hippie who wanted nothing more than to work in government, but due to intense and focused hatred for Tammy 1 after the divorce transformed himself into the Soldier of Fortune anarchist we know today. Although we only got to see a small portion of her in this episode, I greatly look forward to next week’s offerings entitled ‘Ron & Tammy’s’. Episodes with the word ‘Tammy’ in them tend to be a cut above the rest, but if the previews are correct we’ll not only be seeing Tammy 1 next week but also Tammy 0, Ron’s mother. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way, but holy shit YES. Next Thursday can’t come quickly enough.
Random Thoughts:
- Love the 720 Merchandise; hockey jersey, bikini, fireplace bellows?
- What is with Chris’ hair this season? At first I thought he was just rattled from the penis incident, but it stayed that way throughout the episode. Messier than usual I guess.
- Loved the shot of Andy trying to shoeshine Tom’s cheetah print loafer/slippers. Seriously, those are some strange shoes.
- Who would have thought that Joe from sewage could upstage Anthony Weiner? Oh Joe, how I’ve missed you. Shame that he’s now fired, I hope he comes back in some other way along with their infamous interns.
- An L shaped éclair! Awwwww. Seriously I ‘awwed’ so many times during this episode my boyfriend was starting to get annoyed.
- April makes a great Director of the Parks Department, really all you need to do is nothing while yelling at Jerry.
- Ahh the return of the whizz palace, which is what I call all bathrooms since I first heard that in season two.
- So Ron’s a redneck fisher, as in shoot the damn fish while they’re in the water. Dynamite also works.
- Of course Leslie would have a 300-page orientation booklet for an assistant’s job. And cookies. That’s why she’s Leslie Knope!
- Oh Jerry, you may be the biggest loser in the Parks Department, but you’re a winner in the Male Anatomy Department.
- Of course Leslie gives political speeches in her sleep. But now they’ve gotten specific!
- Am looking forward to the explanation as to why Tammy 1 tried to smother Ron in his sleep on multiple occasions.
- Love how April thanked Tammy 1 for the insult to sit up straight, this is one crazy powerful woman we’re dealing with here.
Favorite Quotes:
- “I have accrued two hundred and twenty eight personal days. As of right now I am using all of them. Also, I keep a sizable amount of ground chuck in my desk. Remove it or it will begin to smell. God speed.”
- “While other girls were playing with Barbie’s, I was playing with my Geraldine Ferraro action figure. That I made myself!”
- “Oh Ann, you beautiful naïve sophisticated newborn baby.”
- “Oh my God! What is that?”
- “Black print. Black background. It’s the coolest possible color scheme.”
- “Destroy my credit cards. Debt and everything?”
- “Ann Perkins, you really know your testes!” “Thank you?”
- “There’s an old sewage Department Saying; if you’ve got a nice drain pipe there’s no reason to hide it.”
- “Sweet, someone’s got mumps on his lumps.”
- “Ron isn’t here. His ex-wife Tammy came, and he got scared and ran away.”
- “Your inbox is literally filled with penises.”
- “If you’re going to stay here there are three rules that you need to follow. One, no talk about Tammy One. Two, no talk about Ben. Three, no talk.”
- “You just violated rules number one and three. You lose your coffee privileges.”
- “I’d really like to shoot a gun right now.” “Fishing it is.”
- “I figure we build a fire, roast the fish we shot, and make smores.”
- “Given your hunting abilities and my chocolate supply, I figure we can stay up here for two, maybe three years.”
- “You only have nine toes?!”
- “You can’t run away from your problems.” “Especially if you only have nine toes!”
- “I’m Ron Swanson, and you’re Leslie Fucking Knope.”
- “Kyle beat it. I’ll make out with my wife now.”
- “That man has the largest penis I have ever seen. I actually don’t even know if he has mumps. Forgot to look. I was distracted. By the largest penis. I have ever seen.”
- “Leslie there was a dude in the ladies yacht club!”
- “You remember what I do for a living I trust?” “Yes, ruin people’s lives.”
- “Call it nostalgia. Or perhaps guilt for all the times I tried to smother you in your sleep.” Um, what?!
- “Sit up straight, you’re not doing your breasts any favors.”
