Parks and Recreation “2017” Spoilers Ahead
Everything about Parks and Recreation “2017” seems great so far minus the new tablets look as though they were created by Tony Stark, and that’s a future that’s only great in the fictional realm.
Episode Summary: Picking up after the season six finale’s time jump, it’s three years into the future and things aren’t exactly as smooth with the group of inimitable beings who once worked at the Parks Department together. Tom’s finally found his calling with a successful restaurant. April and Andy are adults suffering with the conception that they’ve become boring. Ron left the Parks department for his own company “Very Good Building and Development Co.” And therefore, he is now Leslie’s version of Voldermort. Donna’s as fierce and as fabulous as ever. Terry’s clearly still confused. The episode’s core focus however, was on the fact that both Leslie and Ron are fighting for property the Newports are tying to sell. And at the end of the day, we all know that Leslie Knope will without a doubt win the battle that’ll give the citizens of Pawnee a national park.
Review | Analysis: The only regret I have about watching Parks and Recreation is that I started so late in the game. However, as I binge watched the series this past summer the most important thing I learned is that with persistence, heart, and a great support system, anything is achievable. And of all people, with her unwavering kindness deserves only the greatest things the world has to offer. The show has always managed to showcase the importance of friendship and that’s the very thing I’m most excited for with this last season as it wraps up after the turn of events. This is exactly what the show needed to bring its once made promises to life masterfully.
Presumably, we’ll learn more about “Morning Star” as the show progresses further into the fall out with Leslie and Ron. But for the time being, beyond Leslie’s story in this episode, it’s April’s journey that’s made me even more emotional.
While it was hysterical to watch her and Andy come to the realization that they’re boring adults who don’t do anything spontaneous anymore, it was also a bit saddening. Their journey within these last three years has validated that change is inevitable. Sometimes, no matter how badly we don’t want to grow up, we do. It was lovely though to watch their ridiculous moment of panic turn into a heartfelt yet hilarious embrace with Andy trying to comfort April while she whispered to a pot. But when their attempts to pull pranks and misbehave fail miserably, they do something even more spontaneous than a prank by purchasing a house. Once upon a time, the two of them ate food off of Frisbees because while they didn’t care for much, they also couldn’t afford much, and now they’ve got enough money to buy a house right then and there. But even more than that, it’s the fact that buying the house validated the fact that even though they’re adults who still follow their hearts every step of the way.
I loved the bit with Tom having to deliver a speech about Ben but not being able to because of how emotional it made him. It’s so beautiful that even though Tom’s a successful business owner, he hasn’t allowed that to change him. And above all things, he values Ben so much as a person because of the things he’s done for him. A man who once cracked jokes and put on a show while giving speeches wrote something that made him emotional. It made him so emotional that he couldn’t read it, and it made Ben so emotional he cried after doing so. Character growth has been phenomenal throughout the seasons, but something tells me that everything we’ll see as the show wraps up this last season will be incomparable to anything we’ve watched on Parks and Recreation before.
Leslie and Ben share small, but sweet moments which reminds viewers of the kind of woman Leslie Knope is. “Well you did convince three unsuspecting toddlers, that peas turn into cupcakes in their tummies.” You best believe I will be using that line to convince my future children to eat their vegetables. Leslie Knope is such a passionate genius it’s going to be so difficult to say goodbye to her. And with that little scene we were able to see that Leslie is just as great as a mother as she is a person. It was a great touch to an already well established episode.
What are your thoughts on Parks and Recreation “2017?”