Think Local: A Parks and Recreation Retrospective

[@JoseBird]

For those who want to watch T1J's video, check it out at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHuWgZmaeJhjpKM

[@shaunsmith9013]

You need to do "Community"!

[@Frivolitility]

That will be interesting, I'm sure! I had wondered if there would be a Hoots companion video about how Parks and Recreation is actually Boko Haram.

[@connormccallum4981]

Yay your video came out on my birthday

[@vlogily8043]

T1J…….follow me 😂

[@zeonianking2983]

Please do a retrospective of The Nanny

[@jessweb]

i didnt realize how accurate this show's portrayal of the public citizens was until i worked in a parks & rec department and a lady came to our community center one day and tried to set a doll on fire in the parking lot and we were like uh you cant do that here and she replied that the doll was evil and 'it has to be done.' and it was pretty wild

[@dracorex426]

Did she say why it had to be done *there?*

[@jessweb]

@@dracorex426 nope, i think she was just looking for an empty-ish parking lot. and ours wasnt even a good choice, since the parking wraps around the building… and its a community center… and a park… so lots of people around anyways

[@Thed538dhsk]

Well do you let her do it?! If it's evil, then it has to be done. Sorry them are the rules of sorting dolls on fire 101. Obviously who would set non-evil dolls on fire, that'd just be illegal and a war crime

[@TheFreddyK22]

Lmao 💀

[@justinwatson1510]

🎶 And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I can burn my demonically possessed toys 🎶

[@airshow406]

My favorite moment in the series is where April's sister makes a bored, half assed speech at her wedding and April is overcome with genuine emotion.

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

"Also if anybody's seen my grey hoodie..."

[@frankwolftown]

Some people have a tough time expressing themselves.

[@Anakinskywalker98]

Do you know what episode that is

[@michael_mcgowan]

​@@Anakinskywalker98 Season 3 episode 9: "Andy and April's Fancy Party"

[@linkfiedproductions2246]

It’s so genuine. April is finally feeling happy!

[@lumineonlover7780]

I love the way the show portrays a platonic relationship between Ron and Leslie without ever hinting at romance and just letting be close friends

[@UncleLizardBreath]

💕

[@futon2345]

Just like how racist fascists and liberal white women are friends in real life

[@snatchadams69]

She wasn't his type..

[@thearmchairpsychologist27]

​​@@snatchadams69 Exactly, and he isn't hers.

[@NIN0ID]

YES also Donna and Tom's friendship

[@luzmartinez6810]

I adored the fact that the writers realized they had been writing Leslie wrong. Instead of making her a female version of Michael Scott, they made her her own character. Instead of being a naive, sometimes "dumb" character, they made her smart, fun and actually very good at her job. Instead of her co-workers being annoyed at her passion end enthusiasm, they made them admire her. Leslie Knope remains one of my favorite fictional characters.

[@you_already_have_it]

Mine too. She is such an aspiration. 🙂

[@ignorant1126]

In many ways, Leslie is the boss that Michael wanted to be. She's confident, fun, is aware of social issues, makes people smile and gets the admiration of her peers though running for office. Everyone in her office treats her like a friend. Michael's insecure, is overly irritating in his attempt to be fun, says accidentally offensive lines 24/7, makes Jim have that exasperated stare and spends the majority of the show without employee admiration. Everyone in his office treats him like a nuisance. I wonder how these two would interact

[@mwmulv]

And the name is so perfect. Knope, for a total yes person.

[@KotoCrash]

I think they overcorrected though, especially in how overly fawning side characters became about her. Got grating.

[@baileywick6008]

THIS!! EXACTLY THIS

[@symonewest5449]

One of the more underrated character moments in the show imo: Donna is historically obsessed with her car but in the fourth season she intentionally damages it in order to help with Leslie's campaign.

[@KotoCrash]

I struggle to this day to see the point of Donna's character. It was nine seasons of "This fat chick is super confident and sleeps around a lot, surprising huh?"

[@MrGksarathy]

​@@KotoCrashI mean, what more point does there need to be? She does it well and is a good friend to the rest of the cast.

[@lilyvonlicht1517]

@@MrGksarathyyeah she’s a good supporting character

[@didgeriedont7073]

TREAT YO SELF

[@AJ-ny1ly]

@@KotoCrash she supposed to be someone who doesn’t really care about other people easily, but kind of gross past that she’s a good friend she’s dependable. She likes the finer things in life and there is a long history of the fat character being funny or stupid, but not really good at relationships or desirable generally, or if they are on in more of a funny context, but Donna is desirable with no if ands or buts to it. she’s not only desirable with no questions but she is sexy and confident and other people see it and don’t question it. She’s a pretty decent character and actually goes through great character development.

[@orions221]

“The atrocities are in blue” is my favorite line from this show

[@Sugarman96]

Subversive and morbidly funny at the same time, that's good comedy.

[@anmolt3840051]

"The only thing I hate more than lying is skimmed milk, which is water that is *lying* about being milk" - Ron Swanson

[@ariellelyons]

@@anmolt3840051 “any dog under 15 pounds is a cat, and cats are pointless” is another good one

[@swimmyswim417]

“My son is seventeen days old, he is quite familiar with the sound of power tools.”

[@Alex_Barbosa]

Democrats are blue so I like the symbolism there as well. Intentional or not lol

[@T1J]

The walk to the stage on the ice made me laugh for like a month the first time I saw it

[@talkingonyoutube623]

Easily one of the funniest moments ever

[@izunahosaki6133]

It's the clip my brother first showed me of the show that made me want to watch it too

[@kelseyharris4977]

Honestly same, one of the funniest moments on tv 😂

[@TheDarthbinky]

"I'm holding the dog, and he is peeing. He is now peeing."

[@bisma1352]

i think it gave me a hernia honestly. Sooo funny

[@CarolAnnRiv]

The flu part one episode just always makes me so emotional. Like, the moment when Leslie pulls through and does her presentation and Ben is flabbergasted and compares her to Michael Jordan and then says “that was Leslie Knope” like you can just tell that was the moment he fell in love with her and knew😭

[@jontedeakin1986]

Honestly i didnt like it. The whole moral of the flu episode felt like it was ramping up to be about leslie learning to be able to trust her coworkers and be less stressed and work hyperfocused. But then at the end its all undercut by leslie just magically pulling through, and the line was cheesy and dumb. Not romantic

[@viviantompkins7925]

I loved this moment 💙

[@derp195]

@@jontedeakin1986 But that’s not what it was about. It was about how her hyper focus and dedication usurped her flu-addled brain and pulled her through it, because she’s Leslie MFing Knope. She’s flawed. She isn’t perfect. But she’s dedicated to her work, and that pulled her out of her fever just long enough to do what she needed to do. Kind of odd that your main criticism is that it didn’t turn out the way you thought it would.

[@jontedeakin1986]

@@derp195 dude my criticism isn't that the episode didn't turn out the way I expected, it's that the themes of the episode and particularly the lesie subplot (see toms subplot within the Leslie one) is built around trusting the people around you to help when you can't. It's about relying on people. So when the final moral of the story is fuck cooperation, push yourself till death, that felt incongruous to me

[@CJMGalaxy]

Stop... pooping...

[@kmaldo16]

The fact that more shows don't center around finding a best friend is just such a missed opportunity

[@estebanmorales6487]

I've worked in my local government for 12 years. Although a very different context, this show spoke to me quite a lot.The dynamics between the characters were great, true, but the subject matter was also well researched, believe it or not. I still remember fondly the idealism of the people I had the privilege of working with, there were quite a few Leslie Knopes there.

[@joannac.3782]

I work in municipal gov't and it spoke to me, too.

[@grizzlyalmighty2]

"there are quite a few Leslie Knopes out there" :')

[@flawlix]

I think what I like about Chris and Ann is that it’s a very practical relationship. It’s not a whirlwind romance, but it’s a relationship a lot of people get into. They’re at a stage in life where they want similar things, don’t want to wait, and like each other and are attracted enough to each other to decide to make it work.

[@miz_logo_lee]

Exactly. They also have excellent honestly and work towards good communication. Like when Ben advised Chris to say “that sucks” instead of try to fix things. He listened, he changed.

[@jbcatz5]

What’s also lovely about Jerry is that he’s the one who has the most success in separating his home life from his workplace (a rarity for the genre). The closest he gets to the two intermingling is when Chris is dating his daughter Millicent, and even then it’s not a major drama or source of conflict like the romantic relationships of the core cast usually are. April, usually the first person to bully him, gets to show a bit of sympathy to Jerry by stealing Chris’s car keys so he can’t take Millicent home with him. For all the ribbing Jerry gets he is hyper competent when it comes to filing matters rather than being overall incompetent and there’s someone in city hall lower down the pecking order than him! The way the show sees him out is definitely earned by the character, becoming the mayor and staying beloved in that position for the rest of his life.

[@Sugarman96]

Jerry is also hung, which is quite the point in his favor.

[@SnarkTheMagicDragon]

Gary/Larry/Jerry etc really caught my eye on the 2nd watch through. It's pretty much a Buddhist parable. He knows his place as the whipping boy and might even be proud of it. He knows he's the glue that holds the place together. He even warns Ben to stop from saying Ben likes him. It's almost a spiritual calling to him, because........he has the prettiest wife who adores him and his gigantic penis. He and his wife are on the same page with everything and provided a stable home for their kids. One of my favorite parts happens during breakfast the Gergich way when he's graceful and in his element.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

And he is talented in some surprising areas. Like painting. But Leslie just throws his pretty painting.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Shut up, Kyle! Kyle is the lowest in pecking order.

[@zenkozenko4989]

Don't forget that when he's at home he instantly becomes the ace. It's only when he's out of his comfort zone (everywhere outside his home) where he become a mess (and lets people step all over him). Not to mention that he's actually a very nice and friendly guy, and talented too but everyone ignores him or picks on him so they never get to see anything about him.

[@laindarko3591]

I grew up with this show and the Ben & Leslie relationship showed me exactly what I wanted my future relationship to be like, it's not just that they love each other but you also see how much they admire each other, like Ben is truly impressed by Leslie and does so much to support her dreams and it's so sweet and the fact that Leslie tells him to go to DC even though she'll miss him... Idk they felt so much more secure and mature than most other sitcom couples I was used to and that's probably why they stick out to so many people, myself included.

[@filiaaut]

One thing I learnt from the video was that they weren't intended to end up together and that they planned for Leslie to have a series of different relationship. I think that somehow, it helped to write a more meaningful relationship. When a show plans a "meant to be relationship", especially between main characters, they tend to be each other only real romantic option and as a result, you don't really need to make the relationship special, to try to think as to why it would work. A and B are the two young, beautiful main characters that the public is meant to like, the only other characters that will "fit the bill" to be in a relationship with one of the two are typically side characters who are only temporary obstacles to that main romance. Of course, there can be a little work to show why A and B specifically fit together, but it is not super necessary and it is often, well, not forgotten entirely, but not that much of a focus. The fact that when they were set up to be together, Leslie had already had a few love interests and that the writers weren't already trying to sell us an happily ever after before the characters first conversations on screen, it meant that they had to figure out what made that specific relationship interesting, why these two characters fit together, and how their interactions are different from the ones that came before, and the ones that will possibly come after. If you only need one epic romance on the course of your series, it can be generic. In fact, the whole "meant to be" thing kind of forces things to be generic. If you know you'll need three to five (main) romantic relationships throughout the course of the show, they can't all be generic, otherwise the watchers will be bored by the end of the second one. With Ben and Leslie, they did a really good job at always finding new reasons why these two like and admire each other, reasons that are unique to them both. And I guess at some point they kept finding new reasons why this should work out and decided not to break them up. It's also much more realistic, now that I think of it. In real life people exist, they meet, then they realise whether or not they want to get in a relationship, once they are in the relationship, they see over time how their feelings evolve and how compatible they are, if things go well they continue, and if they don't they break up and meet other people. To be fair, marriage agencies kind of go the other way around, with people wanting a certain type of relationship and trying to fit another person into it, and maybe it does work sometimes, but it does feel a little more artificial to me. Of course, fiction doesn't have to be realistic, but I really do think they struck gold with Ben and Leslie.

[@gyrrgibbs305]

I was homeless for a long time and lived off grid for a while after that. Because of that lifestyle, I never saw more than a few episodes of most of the shows you cover. These retrospectives give me a chance to catch up on these things. I currently work 3 jobs so binging old sitcoms is not an option for me. It is nice to finally get some of the references my peers make about these shows. I also really like the work you do on right wing pundits. I often interact with people who echo the opinions of these influencers (sometimes word for word) and it helps to understand the vectors these views spread through. Thank you for all that you do, I know it is a lot of work.

[@JBabyLeather]

I’m glad that you included a section talking about the character of Jerry. I’m hoping that television shows nowadays are moving away from having characters that Soli serve the purpose to be a punching bag. Characters like Meg Griffin, Toby from the office, and especially Jerry who is shown to be a warm kind of person… It’s just really makes me uncomfortable that so many shows still choose to have a punching bag type character. And I feel like that’s not needed.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I feel like the writers agreed with you in the end, and that’s why they give him such a happy ending!! He was one of my favorite characters lol I just love that he has this amazing and warm home life but it’s a complete mystery!

[@chinortega3]

Jerry had an amazing life which is why he didn't care and how the writers probably evened it out lol

[@em0ville]

yeah, as someone who the only daughter in an abusive household, i remember not even being able to watch family guy when i was younger because it reminded me too much of how i was being treated in my own home. nowadays, i just hate characters who solely exist as a punching bag. it's just never funny and the mistreatment always angers me.

[@JBabyLeather]

@@em0ville I feel you

[@bonzupippinpaddleoxacoppil484]

Also appreciate that after his fart attack he mentions changing his health habits and then LIVES TO BE 100!!! Man did not mess around!

[@MissPlayAndWatch]

It's weird to see Chris Pratt as a lovable goofball again instead of the biggest movie star with ties to a questionable church. As much as I love him as Star Lord, I miss character actor Chris Pratt. Also, it feels only natural to follow Parks and Rec up with a 30 Rock retrospective with how tied together Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are in my mind.

[@em12bun]

leslie and ben’s relationship has shaped my idea of the right relationship so deeply. i remember vividly when i watched the series for the first time and realized the attraction bubbling between them and feeling soooo giddy. i just. love this series so deeply. it’s like one of those defining more favorite pieces of media of my whole life 😭

[@davidtaylor142]

Parks and Rec exists in a universe where liberalism functions correctly and right libertarians actually believe what they say they believe. That said, would be a nice world to live in.

[@varisleek3360]

yeeeeeah unironically had me feeling i was libertarian when I was younger

[@Cyril29a]

@Geez I'm and ancap because capitalism is just a framework for exchange which is needed to combat entropy.

[@Tonkertrucks]

@@Cyril29a capitalism is a system that incentivizes endless consumption and ruthless accumulation of profit. Markets are the framework, but markets can exist outside of capitalism

[@Cyril29a]

@@Tonkertrucks How does it do that?

[@beautifullights8484]

@@Cyril29a That's a pretty large question, but the primary issue with unfettered capitalism is that it's known to prioritise low wages and consolidate wealth. This is because paying workers is one of those things you can skimp out on without creating worse products, many multinational corporations employ slaves or wage slaves in Africa and Asia and have lobbyists in the parliaments of various governments trying to lower the minimum wage and deregulate the market. Consolidation of wealth occurs because it's the entire point of a business, to keep as much of their money as possible and mitigate any way they could lose their money. Competition is not inducsive to profit, if there is no market regulation then businesses will employ unethical methods. You can see this in places where regulation isn't enforced, gentrification is a good example which has pushed many lower class communities farther into destitution (black neighborhoods in the US as well as poor cities in Puerto Rico are examples I can think of off the top of my head).

[@Whiteythereaper]

I love when retrospectives pepper in clips of cast & writer/creator interviews & panels for added context. It really just adds so much to video essays, and helps to really elevate them above the rest. I'm not even halfway through yet, but your presentation and production style are wonderfully refreshing. Great work, man

[@aykhan629]

there is an entire generation of women who are searching for or found their ben wyatt. i have been to at least three weddings that have used “i love you and i like you” in their vows or somewhere in their wedding. i even told my husband on our first date, “i am just looking for the ben wyatt to my leslie knope.” even though in reality, we are also very much april and andy in some ways. this was the first tv couples where i had seen two couples where there was no question that they would be together forever.

[@louissykes2406]

We’re close to a community retrospective

[@SIDEKICKDUSTY]

Haha I posted almost the same sentiment but about 30 Rock. I would also be psyched to see a Community one, though.

[@dpglounge4900]

Definitely closer to ALF

[@sneckie]

I think that would be wonderful but honestly he should just wait until the movie comes out.

[@hollandscottthomas]

@@SIDEKICKDUSTY Oooooo, 30 Rock would be a great one. I think Community should wait til the movie.

[@freddogrosso9835]

@@sneckie After the last 3 seasons, I'm afraid I lost faith in how good the movie could be.

[@MrGksarathy]

Ever since I first found these sitcom retrospectives, I've been waiting for one on Parks and Rec. It was one of my favorites as a teen, and now, I realize how much there is to unpack in its Obama-era neoliberal optimism. That, and the cast legit plays well together, despite the flaws of the show's ideology.

[@DaDARKPass]

"Obama" and "Neoliberal" do not fit in the same sentence. Once again, you prove how nobody knows what neoliberalism is.

[@MrGksarathy]

@@DaDARKPass Obama was a textbook neoliberal politician. I don't know what crack you're smoking.

[@vexorian]

To be honest one of this show's greatest strengths is the ships. Ben and Leslie, April and Andy and even Ron and Diane. It's really good couples all around.

[@futon2345]

How corny are you

[@ginichilders9619]

Yes! I love that they are all supportive and mature, where they aren't emphasized by their arguments.

[@lunayoshi]

Yes, and the toxic relationships are shown to be toxic, such as Ron's with the Tammys or Tom with whatshername at first, when he wasn't mature enough to have a relationship with her. Relationships that need to be broken up are broken up, and I appreciate that in this show.

[@Sugarman96]

I'd add Ron and Leslie in there, their friendship is very well developed. They're no Turk and JD, but they're still pretty great.

[@dweeb4]

Schur romances are unparalleled!

[@sidney4357]

I'm always shocked by how well Parks and Rec holds up. Yes it's no longer particularly timely, but the optimism and pure belief in the good of humanity and the need to keep fighting for things to be better will always be so lovely.

[@meljay5660]

When they had to shimmy accross the ice during the campaign event, I fell in love with all of them. It's so funny!

[@fritzyberger]

The song playing is the cherry on top too. Hilarious scene

[@Dctctx]

I found that bit to be drawn out and not funny

[@gabriellepriest5007]

I love when Michael Schur said “I thought I created that” in reference to the murals. I always wondered if the creators of the show realized how accurate they were at capturing working in local government. I work for my own city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and I’ve worked in local government for a long time and the depictions of the citizens are spot on.

[@CJMGalaxy]

This show is to local government what Community is to community college - heightened, but scarily accurate.

[@adriano9216]

@@CJMGalaxymy community college isn’t like community. lol maybe in that year

[@CJMGalaxy]

@@adriano9216 speak for yourself. I went to community college in Colorado, where Community is set, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was so fucking similar. We had a paintball incident, for fuck's sake.

[@adriano9216]

@@CJMGalaxy that seems like it was done cause it was the set but tbh yea I could see a community college being super upidy with big budgets for that stuff

[@CJMGalaxy]

@@adriano9216 it was the opposite of uppity with a big budget, friend. You don't need a budget to have a paintball incident. Or any of the other wacky shit that happened there.

[@joselynhittson9306]

i’m from Muncie indiana. the sister city. the real life pawnee. and there’s more parallels in the show to how it really is here than you would think. even the images in the intro are plays on things found around muncie indiana. also the pawnee map is a muncie map flipped up and down then left to right

[@SybilNix]

Please tell me they have copies/replicas of the show’s murals in city hall or any of the government buildings

[@lenflakisinski6260]

Yeah, I live in Fishers and see a lot of the parallels as well. Specifically I see a lot of parallels between Pawnee and Eagleton to Fishers and Carmel

[@princessbablaschmabladingd7451]

A high school teacher I loved always told us to "think globally, act locally"

[@agroteraaaa]

as someone who's involved in local gov via volunteer work, this show has a special place in my heart.

[@Alkeeros]

Parks and Rec is my favorite sitcom of all time. The relationships, not just romantic but Ben and Chris's friendship, Ann and April's antagonism. The writers and actors really nailed it

[@justinharris2320]

I think the 1st episode with Eagleton Ron was a good example of how Ron Swanson was a few degrees away from being a hippie lol Between the love of nature and the love of simplicity, Eagleton Ron almost fooled Ron Swanson 😂

[@SirFlooberis]

Ron discovering that eagleton Ron is a hippie is still one of my favorite moments in the show

[@peepo2560]

Seeing Sam Elliott in any role makes me happy, but Eagleton Ron was so perfect for him

[@broodjebamibal]

It's not time for it yet but I'm looking forward to "Everything is fine, A The Good Place retrospectieve". Oh and 30Rock of course.

[@Unquestionable]

It's very much a kind of show that I have to turn off my brain and just let the good feels flow. It's so so satisfying and enjoyable to imagine a world like it's presented, optimistic and always moving forward, and that's one of the reasons I come back to many sitcoms. I think the premise of many, Parks and Rec in particular, to be very much out of touch with reality but sometimes that's simply what we need to keep us going. So yeah the real world is far more steeped in cynicism and nuance yet we still all hold some sort of hope in our hearts that maybe things will work out no matter how contrary to the situation it might seem.

[@MegCazalet]

I’m weeping. I loved this show. My husband and I are gonna start rewatching the the whole thing after this. ❤

[@cbhlde]

Sounds like a great marriage! Enjoy and have a great time you both! :)

[@InaneBlatherPodcast]

Leslie and Ben's wedding was mushy and corny and I loved it so so much 😭 haha I'll admit it 100%

[@kristanner3933]

This is perfect timing. I've got a horrible stomach bug and am stuck in bed. A video from my favorite KZbinr about my favorite show is exactly what I need to take my mind off things.

[@maristiller4033]

Hope you feel better, stranger :)

[@jonnydude69]

Feel better friend

[@jfs983]

Feel better!

[@cbhlde]

Get well soon! :)

[@About30Ninjasmemebank]

My favourite moment from this show was the unity concert at the end of season 6, seeing Andy and his band get back together and Ron finally feeling comfortable enough to reveal duke silver, that whole final song when they preformed 5000 candles in the wind that seriously hit me in the feels. I wouldn’t have complained if the show ended there, it was all so well done.

[@jackakimbo5718]

I love this show so, so much. It manages to not just be funny as hell, but it also just makes me happy, man. It's just so comfy, it's like going back home to visit as an adult and eating something your mom cooked for the first time in years and years.

[@TheShauNanigans]

Every year on my birthday, Jim O'Heir wishes me a happy birthday on Facebook. The fact that Jim is as sweet as Jerry/Gary in real life, is one of my favorite facts about his character.

[@Thomperfan]

You lucky duck.

[@nessa-marks]

ben and leslie confessing their love through ethel beavers has always been the soul of this show to me.

[@colinbanning9416]

The number of times I've used 'we also need a better, less terrible history' is innumerable

[@fungushoney9958]

Somehow I feel like every single one of Tom’s ideas would work in 2023

[@egghole3]

As of the time of this writing, a state senator representing Nebraska's 6th District is sustaining a filibuster to halt the implementation of a local anti-trans bill that would outlaw trans youth under the age of 19 receiving ANY trans-affirming care. This is just one local bill among hundreds that had sprouted in red states across the country. When I heard of this, I almost immediately thought of Leslie Knope. This sounds like something she would do. It's not a national-scale fight. It's this senator fighting for the rights of her state's trans population. And that's beautiful. Local government is where things shine, and Parks and Rec was a show that really explored that. I hope that senator succeeds. She will have saved countless lives in the resistance against bigotry. She is a true Leslie Knope.

[@flaviacristina8735]

2 weeks later and she's still going ✊🏼

[@bake-io1cf]

The trans religion really wants to groom and maim children. She is the villain working for the child molesters and corporations.

[@AKimmelFIlms]

My Friends an I have joined the Parks and Rec. art section of our local govt. about a year ago to try to help artist in our community. It's amazing how simple it kinda is to make change on a local level. not even a year in and we have been seeting up and participating in comunity events and even are working on getting a new art center for the youth built on our side of town. it seems so scary but honestly local politics is just everyday people wanting to make some kinda change for the better in their community. If you are ever concidering getting involed in local politics defiently do it. it's amazing the people you meet and good you can do even if it's a small change. [it is lowkey stressful at times but that's why you just need a great team of friends or soon to be friends!]

[@radish1395]

Ben and Leslie's relationship is so natural and beautiful. He finds himself with her and reconciles his guilt of his past with the goals of his future. Leslie lets him bring out his goofy and passionate side, and Ben keeps Leslie grounded but never tries to diminish her shine. And the way that they say "I love you and I like you" is so important. People think that loving someone is the end but you have to like someone first before you love them, and you have to continue to like someone to love them. It's a really lovely reminder of the work that goes into a big love. You have to work to continue liking each other as you grow and change as humans. It's easy to love someone as they change. It's hard to continue to like as they change.

[@cthulhu888]

I think the best thing about parks and rec was that every main and side character is so memorable! Pretty much every season has at least one moment for everyone to shine.The office only really centers around a handful of characters and everyone else is always on the back burner that it's easy to forget or not care about them.

[@g1lol]

for some reason i could never get into the office but always loved parks and rec

[@ginichilders9619]

I'm sort of the same. I enjoyed parts of The Office but it honestly hasn't stuck with me in the way Parks and Rec has. I just really can't handle how it relied so much on cringe humor and characters often being utter dicks towards each other. And yet, strangely enough, I love It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but that's mostly because IASIP doesn't gloss over the fact that Dennis, Dee, Mac, Charlie and Frank are horrible people. I feel like The Office tries to be both optimistic/heartwarming and cringe comedy, which just feels jarring (probably because The Office was based on a British sitcom).

[@lizfinkelstein1323]

I cannot tell you my excitement when I saw this pop up on my homepage. No one does these videos better than you, and this is my top 3 favorite show, with Community and 30 Rock. I watched all of them for the first time during the Pandemic and only Community didn't grab me right away. Even though the first season of P&R wasn't considered "good", I still laughed a minute into the pilot and multiple times thereafter.

[@averyeml]

I can tell you right now I’m gonna need to rewatch this video later because while I’m trying to pay attention there’s a very loud, constant cry of “YOU NEED TO REWATCH PARKS AND REC AGAIN” on a loop over it in my head. I adore this show, im so glad it got a chance to have those extra seasons it needed to get started. I truly think if it were a tv show nowadays it would’ve been cancelled after the first season aired. Streaming services take rocky first seasons as a death knell because it isn’t “the next The Office” or “the next Parks and Rec” but don’t realize that both of those shows needed time and big changes to get where they are.

[@Howdyasdo]

I love the hopeful optimism prevalent in this show. And in my opinion that is why I enjoyed it way more than the office, which I stopped watching after season 2. Te characters just gel together way better in my opinion.

[@deaf-tomcat]

god, i really loved this. i'm fucking close to tears just seeing those scenes...this show was really so special to me back in the day

[@simdivya]

if you ever feel like doing another Schur show retrospective, might I request the good place? it's really interesting seeing the seeds of his optimistic perspective in parks, and how it flourished and developed throughout the writing of the good place. it's another one of those warm and fuzzy shows for me - I just think Michael Schur nails "comfort" TV

[@bridgetcooney5085]

"I love you and I like you." That's what I say to my partner. I've had dramatic relationships, but what has made this last 11 years is that I genuinely like my partner. Love is fickle and it's not always healthy or rational. But genuinely liking your partner makes all the difference.

[@antlerbraum2881]

I like Parks and Rec, and I wish the world functioned more like that. It’s it’s a world where the right-wing Libertarians are actually ideologically driven and Liberalism, if done with enough love can solve any problem. It’s naive, but also hopeful in a very genuine way that is kind of admirable.

[@watchncarry9593]

Thought of it as a decent show the first 1.5 seasons. Was about to quit it near end of season 2, but decided to stick it out till that season's end. And so GLAD that i did. For me, the show really took off in the last few episodes of season 2, and especially in season 3 and on. It has since become one of my all-time favorite shows to watch. Such a brilliant array, development and interaction of diverse characters.

[@GuardianOfMoon]

Something about how Ben kisses Leslie, as a response to her questions, melts me every time. Glad to see both kisses made it into this review. :)

[@spacecat7864]

I watched this entire series during a pretty bad depressive episode and I felt so many feelings. I have been low key waiting for you to make a video about it for soooo long. ❤

[@spacecat7864]

56:00 not me crying at the court transcript reading of Bens romantic gesture again….

[@spacecat7864]

1:07:38 it keeps happening

[@rainyfeathers9148]

Leslie Knope is real to me🤗. She should be a role model and not just a funny character. These are the kinds of colleagues that make you love Mondays😌☕

[@sighduck9789]

"Punished by being sent to Pawnee" sounds like a meme

[@constantreader1422]

i thought i grew out of this show, but several of these clips made me tear up. thank you for your work keeping me company while i do chores and keep motivated, that might sound silly, but it's a big deal for me.

[@3231rmj]

It’s obvious how hard you worked on this video. Thanks for sharing your love for such an amazing show

[@AlaCooper]

Commenting again, but Leslie and Ben is hands down my absolute favourite TV couple. They're a benchmark for what couples should strive for

[@danielkrantz4214]

Missed the chance to call this a parks and rectrospective

[@weller0060]

You keep making the incredibly detailed retrospectives, I'll keep watching them 🤘🤘

[@freddogrosso9835]

I call that a Win, Win, Win.

[@chriss.m.8405]

The ice rink campaign scene was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on TV

[@baileymadison7476]

I love parks and Rec. this show gives me an unimaginable amount of happiness and when I’m feeling down I watch this show to put me in a better mood

[@brandonmurphy301]

The flu episode is one of the funniest episodes of anything, ever. Pure gold. Also, I would love to see a retrospective on 3rd Rock From the Sun.

[@lunayoshi]

Stop. Pooping.

[@IzayaV]

An off hand comment that really stood out to me at the end of the series was how badly Ann wanted a male child, and how Leslie also puts a lot of emphasis and excitement on having two male children, where the whole series really built up such strong female characters and fleshed out female relationships so well. Something about it always didn't sit right with me, how they went out of their way to show preferential treatment towards boy children, like why? It doesn't add anything to the characters or make much sense.

[@bethanychatman9531]

Woah, I didn't even remember that. That is incredibly weird and sad, it's deeply unsettling. Because that's how a lot of our misgony and sexism permeated society our world.

[@bece00]

Loving this vid! Time to rewatch Parks and Rec 😄 May i request a 3rd rock from the sun retrospective?

[@loveschaak260]

Oh my God yes I need this. 3rd rock was my childhood

[@Vi_Vi_1]

Omg yes

[@SelectiveMemories]

I very much enjoyed this video, but surprised no shout out for the brilliant Mo Collins' Joan Calamezzo. She brought so much flavor to the world outside the office.

[@tomdavis3878]

I don't have a movie review, but I can say that "Parks & Rec" showrunner Mike Schur's book "How to Be Perfect" is a brilliant and funny read, and I cannot recommend it enough. I honestly had no idea who he was (and had never seen "Parks and Rec," "The Office," nor "The Good Place") before he started doing regular appearances on The Dan LeBatard Show, a sports radio show-turned-podcast than I listen to. But apart from the moral reprehensibility inherent to being a Boston sports fan (for legal reasons, this is a joke), he's a thoughtful, funny, considerate man who seems to just be a great person. And the book is great, introducing Western moral philosophy and using it to tackle every moral question from the slam dunk "Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?" to "Should I run into a burning building and try to save everyone trapped inside?" to "This sandwich is morally problematic, but it's also delicious. Can I still eat it?" Literally one of my favorite books of all time, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

[@hoppinghessien]

“The atrocities are in blue.” Is my favorite P&R joke.

[@sporer_]

oh wow, that cat/dog description of April & Andy is too perfect. Never thought about that!!!

[@adinakruijssen3056]

But she's a siberian husky!

[@SirFlooberis]

@@adinakruijssen3056that’s just incorrect lmao

[@r-pupz7032]

I love Parks and Rec. That doesn't mean I think it is a perfect show, I think it's great that we can love something and also discuss it's shortcomings - as well as celebrating things it did really, really well. It's such a great show :)

[@SIDEKICKDUSTY]

Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting this. Really cool to see Jose covering a show I have clearer memories of watching, and it gives me hope that one day he might do one of these on 30 Rock

[@the_glitter_is]

Hell yes

[@lilchapstick7022]

I really love these retrospectives, hopefully we get one on MASH someday

[@mimmikyute]

NBC removed this from Netflix and my life hasn’t been the same since. Thank you for feeding my addiction ❤❤❤

[@krankarvolund7771]

Netflix didn't removed it from Netflix, NBCUniversal did to put it on their streaming platform, Peacock ^^

[@mimmikyute]

@@krankarvolund7771 I corrected my post before you wrote this comment. Sorry, I was baked :P

[@sofialesliejoedy]

Peacock w/ads is only $6.99 I have it solely for parks and rec but there’s lots of other good shows! Also some good movies come on there for streaming first!

[@CherryBladeBun]

Fun Fact, Jonathan Joss might be recognizable if you've watched King Of The Hill. That's the voice of John Redcorn!

[@bethanychatman9531]

Yep, exactly!!!

[@Inferno144]

We love Ron in this house. Hes easily the best character. The permit joke always gets me.

[@nooodisaster]

This was such a good retrospective. Nostalgic, well organized, packed with fun trivia and behind the scenes info that I didn't know, and a point of view from you that was well developed & obv made from a point of appreciation for the series. Thanks for 2 hrs of fun while I was working!

[@tetremuvi5207]

I've never watched most of the shows you talk about and that's never stopped me from watching your videos, but "Leslie Know drives two penguins in carseats to Iowa so they can stay gay married" made me pause the video so I could watch this one. I will be back.

[@little_racoon_boi]

OMG thank you for reignighting my parks and rec hyperfixion!! i used to watch this show on a loop in high school and it’s been a couple years since i’ve done a full watch through so i’m definitely gonna go rewatch it now

[@direcircumstances]

This is my number 1 comfort show. It's the type of media that makes me feel like life is worth living.

[@robinita46853]

I'm really happy to see this take. It feels too cruel to dismiss this show just because of its neoliberalism in the wake of all that's happened since 2015. I still really love this show even though most of the commentary I hear about it now is focused on critiquing its politics. There's a lot to be enjoyed here as long as you keep that critical eye open. It's the same with any piece of art. Thank you for all the nuance!

[@WobblesandBean]

YOS! José uploaded about Parks & Rec! I really needed this, I had a very, very bad mental health day yesterday. I'm looking forward to this 💜

[@louissykes2406]

Hope everything’s okay

[@bethanythatsme]

Hope life feels lighter soon

[@Nickshelf]

Sending you love. Hope you’re feeling better.

[@DragonbornCanid]

hope this video has helped you feel better and that you feel better in general soon❤❤

[@kristislocum4609]

Sending you much love ❤️❤️❤️

[@bexniccals3686]

The Saperstein Siblings Should Have Had More Episodes Focusing On Them And A Spinoff

[@ChibiFighter]

I absolutely love this video and as someone who really loved this show as it was airing I'm glad I could get a reminder of just how good the show still is, also I could not wait for you to talk about Ron and Leslie as characters so thank you for covering that.

[@ComradeKits]

Minor point but April's boyfriend and his boyfriend still count as a polyamorous couple, they don't have to all be dating each other. I'm dating my girlfriend and she's dating her girlfriend but the two of us are just friends. We're still polyamorous and her girlfriend is my metamour (lover's lover) even though me and her girlfriend are not dating. April just has a particularly contentious relationship with her metamour I guess.

[@EthansSpace]

Triangle of Sadness was a great film. It feels like 3 movies in one and has so many interesting things to say

[@exceedcharge1]

I cant believe you didn’t talk about the most important aspect of the show, The Cones of Dunshire

[@BluePhx17]

So many great dynamics in this show, thanks for all the work you put into this

[@EinDose]

I think it's interesting to see how a lot of the same creative team responded to a much less optimistic political environment in Brooklyn 99. It starts off with something comparable to Parks and Rec's idealistic view of things, only for both in-show and real-world events to gradually wear it down. It eventually finds a similar sort of core to Parks and Rec, although probably not one that can completely overcome the actual setting of the show: that you do have the power to push for positive change, and you should do your best to do that, even if it might not work out.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Parks & Rec did what The Office couldn't. It was consistent until the end Absolutely love this show, will always vouch for it. Just a perfect sitcom & this video explains why. Great stuff

[@aisultanumar9152]

some people hate this show but, honestly it's so wholesome and just is a great way to escape from... *real life politics* i dont wanna sound like a centrist but, real life politics can be so goddamn toxic at times that a simple show about a fictional town can be a great way to escape especially considering that... the politicians in this show are so nice and likeable unlike in real life

[@ebrdsht]

I'm glad to watch this video and not see any drama surrounding the production. So nice to know the cast are all friends, or at least on good terms :)

[@arnoldfreeman2885]

I’m not sure I’m ready for this video yet. P&R’s politics have aged horribly but the jokes and stories are still excellent. All the retrospectives by Jose are for shows I never cared about, but he gives fantastic insight and social context for each show. I now understand Cheers, I understand Home Improvement and Dinosaurs. I already understood P&R; the only thing I can gain is learning how much I’ve evolved since the show began, which I already know is a lot. It’s actually physically painful for me to think how much I’ve changed.

[@BlehIsMe]

This is *exactly* how I feel.

[@MrGksarathy]

My feelings exactly.

[@christophergreen6595]

It never got its hooks into me because of those fantasy politics. It was so clearly delusional.... AND OMG, they just compared it to West Wing as I was about to type it.

[@earthboundretro]

Amazingly well said

[@paulcooper8818]

How have P&R's politics aged horribly?

[@Hanayuni]

Great work! This video made me cry twice. I love Parks and Rec and most specifically Leslie and Ben ❤️ Thanks for including the other acting and directing credits the cast had after Parks and Rec. I need to finish watching Angie Tribeca. This show was so full of visual gags and puns. I was laughing from beginning to end.

[@acryliccore]

Recently I spoke at a school board meeting about clear backpacks. My district had put a policy in place for next school year mandating them which was not only illegal because the decision was made behind closed doors but widely unpopular (side note: that type of corruption is NOT normal or common in local politics, I just live in Florida where education is incredibly corrupt). They held a meeting after people pointed out that they couldn’t have made that policy without public comment. 200 people spoke, almost all opposing clear backpacks. The next day the policy was voted down. What I’m trying to say is that you have a say in local government. You have so much power to make your voice heard but that power only comes when the community works together.

[@ccdaly2561]

The progression of April as a character just makes me smile. Love her singing karaoke with Anne and Donna in the office, taking down the obnoxious intern for Ben, and just her whole deal with Ron. (Also Mona Lisa is one of the most painfully funny characters ever to appear on a sitcom, but that's another story. )