Remembering ‘Parks & Rec’ Before It’s Over (Sob!)
Alas, amigos. NBC’s most wonderful, character-driven sitcom, a lynchpin of the golden age of women in comedy, PARKS AND FRIGGIN’ RECREATION – has announced its last season. Better to burn out than fade away, perhaps – but this is still a hard pill to swallow. Heck, I’m still getting over The Office and 30 Rock. Heck, I’m still getting over Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks. HECK, I’m still kind of getting over Cheers. I’ve never been graceful with goodbyes.
Okay, okay, okay. We already knew this day was going to come (and in fairness, we still have some more time before it arrives.) But it seemed vaguely possible that this day would come twenty years from now, which would maaaaaaaybe be enough time to recover from the shock. Other television shows have run for twenty years, right? Mostly soap operas, but heck – a girl can dream.
Well :sob: at the very least, we owe some of our favorite municipal government workers the fondest of adieus, don’t we? So let’s TREAT OURSELVES to a brief internet montage/homage to the best moments in Parks & Rec history. Imagine that Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” rages on as background soundtrack. Imagine that we’re all gathered at the amphitheater around L’il Sebastian’s funeral, or at one of Pawnee’s illustrious Town Hall meetings. Let us reflect and commemorate. It’s been a good run, NBC. And Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford, Ben Wyatt, Donna Meagle, Chris Traeger, Ann Perkins, Andy, April and Leslie Knope? Even Joe from sewage, Joan Callamezzo, the park rangers, and the Twilight fan? I will remember you.
Starting off down Memory Lane, remember the Treat Yo’Self episode? Treat Yo’Self is like YOLO’s cooler older sister. Tom and Donna showed us how to pamper in style.
And what about my boy Jean Ralphio? He taught us all to take chances, believe in our pipe dreams, and dance like no one was watching.
But Parks was also, largely, about love. The love between BFFs…
Lovers…
Co-workers…
And the profound love people have for their food. Specifically, waffles and meat.
Parks & Rec taught us to keep a cool head in the face of personal crisis…
… and to navigate tricky feelings with an adult’s maturity.
Parks & Rec taught us how to celebrate our victories…
… and how to handle our defeats.
Even Jerry taught us something important: how to take a joke.
So if I’m already planning my full series Netflix binge-watch for this time next year,
Goodbye for later, Parks & Rec. We’ll be sad to see you go.
