A Man. And His Blog.

It seems like the writers haven’t lost their mojo for the third season. Again, this was a solid episode with some great laughs, even more nice laughs, and almost without misfired gags. And I’m glad to see that the writers want to tell some ongoing storylines in the series, beginning with character-centric relationships, ending with the preparation for the Harvest festival (again, such a storyline was missing in the second season).

PARKS AND RECREATION might be the best comedy on the air currently (beware: I haven’t seen more than the pilot of COMMUNITY so far, and I’m waaaaay behind with MODERN FAMILY), but this episode reminded me why the series isn’t much important for me at the moment. It is fun to see an episode, but right now I wouldn’t miss the series, when NBC suddenly cancels it (which won’t happen). For that, the writing needs to be more stellar than it is.

The flu story was alright. It brought some of the characters into the hospital, it brought April (Aubrey Plaza) and Ann (Rashida Jones) to talk about what has happened, it brought some more awkwardly funny scenes with Chris (Rob Lowe), it developed the up-and-coming relationship between Ann and Chris, it started a bromance between Andy (Chris Pratt) and Ron (Nick Offerman), and it showed that Leslie (Amy Poehler) AND Tom (Aziz Ansari) are actually working for the Harvest festival cause. The former with her stellar performance on stage, despite being sick with the flu, the latter with his spa stunt and securing a business to participate in the festival. And meanwhile the episode made clear that Ben (Adam Scott) and Chris are working for the Parks department with pleasure – and that the end can follow very fast, when the writers want to.

The episode had some nice character development. Finally Ann and April have a talk, and maybe it becomes a friendship in later episodes (the cold open – April’s face after her blanket fell to the ground – was hilarious), and it seems that Ron gets more friends within the Parks department (not that he is about to change his working MO, and becomes an honest government employer) – only Andy wasn’t really likable during his time with Ron, since he behaved like he was a six-year-old child. I know he was like that in every episode, but somehow I’m getting tired of it. When the writers continue to bring Ady character development with his affection for April, they seriously should think about giving him a bit more than just that.

All in all, a nice episode. Maybe the show should become a bit less crazy and a bit more character-focus, and I would say that PARKS AND RECREATION is the best comedy on the air. 7.5/10

A smiling April: It is almost a miracle

Male bonding: Andy and Ron train for the Super Bowl

What have I waited for the return of this series, and what am I ready for the third season not being the last? What am I prepared for PARKS & RECREATION to not just being the critic’s darling, but a ratings hit too?

It was a solid season opener. I surprisingly laughed a bit too often, even though the stuff wasn’t really funny, when you look at it for a second time, and I was even surprised that the episode showed some serious character moments. Starting with Chris’ (Rob Lowe) backstory, ending with Leslie (Amy Poehler) and her Parks department risking their jobs to get the Harvest festival back to town. It almost looks like the season has already found its ongoing storyline, since the first season barely mentioned the pit, and the second season never really had an ongoing storyline, except the relationships among the characters. With it, the season has a goal, which is more surprising than anything else: Leslie and her team are actually working to keep their jobs – or maybe Ron (Nick Offerman) is manipulating the work, so he doesn’t have to do it anymore. But the festival preparations could bring some nice episodes in this season.

The comedy was good. It was the right choice to include Adam Scott and Rob Lowe to the main cast. The former can show that he has comedy timing, and the latter can finally return to his comedy timing. I always loved Lowe in THE WEST WING, where he showed that he can be funny, so I’m glad to see him back with NBC (I hope he gets a shot of a new show, when PARKS & REC should fail this season). The date in the restaurant went between hilarious and interesting; the party in the gay bar was hilarious too (and nice that they mentioned the penguin wedding, I still remember them fucking in front of the camera). And the little moments between Ann (Rashida Jones) and Chris were cute.

The secondary plots were okay. The basketball thing could have been a bit more funnier, since I found to be Tom’s (Aziz Ansari) jealousy over the top, but Ron’s pyramid of greatness was a keeper. I was laughing, when I saw that thing, and when he explained it to the kids, like they were in military school. The Andy (Chris Pratt)/April (Aubrey Plaza) plot was boring though. I can’t really buy that she suddenly feels nothing for him anymore, but it was nice to see her playing a small prank on somebody. I missed her sweet dirty smile into the camera.

A solid return, funny, sometimes serious. I just hope the viewers are playing along. 7.5/10

Introducing: the pyramid of greatness

Chris cries, because he can

The second season of NBC's comedy aired during the season 2009/2010.

Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is the deputy head of the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. She has to deal with her sometimes insane, mostly lazy colleagues: the strongly anti-government Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), the charming, but sarcastic, underachieving government official Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), her former unrequited love interest and ex one night stand Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider), who now has a relationship with Leslie’s best friend Ann (Rashida Jones), and the apathetic college intern April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), who develops a crush in shoe cleaner Andy (Chris Pratt).

Episode 01: Pawnee Zoo
Muhaha, a sweet and funny episode. So ridiculous and hilarious, I actually couldn’t believe it. The second season begins where the first season ends: The stories get more unrealistic and ridiculous and the mockumentary style gets more and more just into a way to get the characters talking to the camera.
The story was kind of awesome. Leslie accidentally stands for gay marriage and has some problems with the people after that. The fucking penguins were just hilarious (with the black censor clip) and reminded me of Bad Boys II and the fucking rats. April’s boyfriend and his boyfriend were hilarious as well (“Derek is gay, but he is straight for me, but he is gay for Ben and Ben is gay for Derek. And I hate Ben.”).
Seriously, I totally liked that episode, probably the best so far. Maybe I need a ridiculous TV show now and then, and this one is not even boring. 8/10

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Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is the deputy head of the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Knope takes on a project with the nurse Ann (Rashida Jones) to turn a construction pit into a park, after Ann’s loser boyfriend Andy (Chris Pratt) fell into the pit and broke both his legs. Meanwhile Leslie has to deal with her colleagues: the strongly anti-government Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), the charming, but sarcastic, underachieving government official Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), her unrequited love interest and ex one night stand Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider), and the apathetic college intern April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza).

Episode 1: Pilot
I heard about the negative critics fro the series. I heard about its past (a potential spin off from The Office, than the series got no pickup, now it’s here) and I love Amy Poehler. Finally she has her own TV show and hopefully it gets success for a second season. Because the first episode was really good. Another mockumentary (but with too much cuts between the cameras), here and there some funny moments, the typical new character and finally Amy Poehler as Leslie (“A bit goofy, but sweet”). There were some really good moments I liked and it is not boring. So, I am glad that the negative critics are all bull for me. 8/10

Episode 2: Canvassing
A good episode, but here you can see that the story and the characters are very over the top. First: I don’t know why everybody would be against the park (isn’t it always nice to have a new park?), second: The town hall meeting was really a total train wreck (and finally I know what Filibuster means, the word came up in The West Wing once). A little bit realism and the series would be better, but maybe it was intended to be a bit over the top. But it is still fun and the actors are good. I am already happy about the second season order. 7/10

Episode 3: The Reporter
The episode was alright, but the series doesn’t feel like a “real” mockumentary anymore. The characters don’t look into the camera and it is just there for the little interview parts. The stories are now totally over the top and the characters are total crazy in their own ways. I don’t know if the series can hold that interesting for a long time (it killed My Name is Earl for me…). At least there is an on going storyline going on, probably for the whole series, so there are a few chances we will get some filler episodes.
Okay, this one was one, but still good for a few moments. 6,5/10

Episode 4: Boys Club
The episode was alright, nothing special, but shows once more that it is not a mockumentary anymore; the scene with throwing dog shit at each other wouldn’t have made it into the mind of a good author. And why would April drink a lot of wine, filming this and put it on the official site? Completely over the top, like the beginning of the episode and Leslie’s “I’m sorry”‘s on video. The B story with Andy cleaning the house was good though, the scene with him running through the street naked (censored) was hilarious. 6/10

Episode 5: The Banquet
Another alright episode with nothing much happened. The sub committee story totally stepped out for this episode, instead we had a boring story about Leslie trying to blackmail a woman (and completely fails) and some other small stuff, which could be necessary for future episodes, especially for a relationship between Leslie and Mark – if there is one, after he went back to the party to look for her. The rest was over the top as usual. A bit funny, a bit interesting and not really bad. Just not really good either. 6,5/10

Episode 6: Rock Show
LOL, Leslie on a date, even she didn’t know at the beginning it was a date. Just the rest was kind of boring. The over the top part seems to be one of the major story ideas for the authors, either it wouldn’t be too much of strange stories in every episode. The good part of this episode was, it seems like a real season finale. Finally Leslie and Mark going another step (though he is drunk like last time), Andy and Ann are having a fight, which could end in an end of their relationship (he was never a really interesting character before, so I wouldn’t miss him) and we have a little cliffhanger.
Well, or not. The episode was alright, again nothing special. Like the rest of the season. It just not stands out. 6,5/10

Season average is 6,75. I am kind of happy about the second season being picked up, but I don’t know if I can like the series anymore, when it doesn’t change his storytelling ways. Mockumentary is completely okay, but this is too much over the top after a while.
Well, let’s see next year.