Parks and Recreation: "Live Ammo" (4.19)
After its brief hiatus, Parks and Recreation jumped right back to the thick of things, with Leslie Knope’s campaign and the hard choices it entails. Due to some budget problems we don’t really get to learn much about (while it may seem annoying that the show always has that to turn to for plot impetus, that’s pretty much how government is), either the Parks Department or the animal shelter in Pawnee must be closed. Then, after Leslie is able to find some other programs that could be shut down instead, she has the end of the day to keep Ann... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsAziz Ansari To Sell Special Through Digital Download
Last December comedian Louis C.K. offered his latest stand up special, Live at the Beacon Theater, via his own website for $5. He was worried about torrenting, but it only took a two day span for him to cross 100,000 sales. read more
Found in: Comedy, NewsParks and Recreation: "Lucky" (4.18)
In contrast to pretty much every episode this year, and in fact most episodes of Parks and Recreation, “Lucky” did very little to move the show forward. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with that, but it does have the effect of finally making Leslie’s campaign feel drawn out. The step-by-step method in which the show delivered her choice to campaign and initial hurdles may have bored some viewers, who prefer when Parks deals with the Parks Department, but there was something to be said for its thoroughness. Leslie has been running a realistic campaign, rather than a sitcom one, and this... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation Films Two Endings for Finale
NBC is known for making last second decisions on whether or not they’ll renew one of their shows. Parks and Recreation is planning ahead just in case after they just wrapped production on their fourth season finale by filming two different endings. read more
Found in: TV, NewsParks and Recreation: "Campaign Shakeup" (4.17)
The addition of Bobby Newport as Leslie’s competitor several episodes ago was great because it meant Paul Rudd made a (extremely) brief appearance on Parks and Recreation. However, Newport didn’t actually add much drama to the show, or tension, because his idiocy made it clear that he wouldn’t be much of a match for Leslie and her crew. “Campaign Shakeup” doesn’t make it seem any less possible for Leslie to win the race if that’s the direction the show’s creators want it to go, but it does make things less certain. It’s no longer a cakewalk in which the campaign... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation: "Sweet Sixteen" (4.16)
Every television show has its own version of reality that develops over weeks and weeks of episodes. Viewer expectations are tempered by these, and things that will fly in, say, Two and a Half Men won’t fly equally well in Newsradio, even if the jokes are largely the same. Parks and Recreation started off with a very The Office-style world that it quickly outgrew. One of those things that I’ve always loved about the show is how much time it spends showing the process of work. In Parks and Recreation you don’t just plan a fair one week and show... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation: "Dave Returns" (4.15)
The return of Louis C.K.‘s character Dave helps Parks and Recreaction’s world feel more real, more cohesive and continuous in a way that I’ve been writing a lot about for the past few weeks. It’s always nice when a character who left a show returns, even if their reason for doing so is kind of obvious and played out. Dave is back in Pawnee to apply for chief of police when the old chief is retiring. At the same time, Leslie and Ben are visiting the chief in the hope of obtaining his endorsement. That they run into each other,... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation: "Operation Ann" (4.14)
One of the things that I’ve loved about Parks and Recreation more than nearly any other sitcom I’ve ever seen is the show’s worldbuilding. This isn’t a surprise, given that traditionally sitcoms require the heavy use of just a couple of sets, but even within modern single-camera comedies there’s a tendency to get complacent. While it may go almost without saying that The Office will remain largely set in its titular office, that’s also part of why the show’s declined. There’s a certain sameness that’s set in there, whereas Parks and Rec feels like golden age Simpsons, set in a... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation: "Campaign Ad" (4.12)
One of the things that Parks and Recreaction is great at, and that conversely few sitcoms have ever been even relatively good at, is being funny while still moving its story forward. Many of the best comedies ever made have been episodic, which is fine. The equilibrium that The Simpsons returns to makes a certain amount of sense for the show. Most sitcoms aren’t quite that extreme, but their plots either feel forced or temporary. Forward momentum can be difficult for audiences given that it often negatively affects characters.... read more
Found in: TV, ReviewsParks and Recreation Review: "Comeback Kid" (Episode 4.11)
At the moment, Parks and Rec is my favorite comedy on television, but the first time I watched the show I didn’t like it. Actually, I refused to even give it more of a chance given what I saw in the first episode of the show and how much it irritated me. The episode was setting up a situation in which the ditsy Leslie Knope screwed up a situation and we got to watch as it imploded around her. I wasn’t interested in the dynamic. A year or so later and friends told me I needed to give the show... read more
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