It’s time to cook up a plate of waffles and listen to Mouse Rat’s “5000 Candles in the Wind” on repeat. Parks and Recreation is leaving Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime to join NBCUniversial’s new streaming service Peacock.
Parks and Recreation is a top-notch comfort show. Every episode is packed with laughs, relatability, and the perfect amount of foolishness. The show follows Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), a civil servant working for the Department of Parks and Recreation in the small fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Within the parks department, Leslie is accompanied by the anti-government director, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), the showy wanna-be-influencer Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), and the deadpan intern April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza). Their antics only grow with the introduction of state auditors Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), who quickly grow from recurring characters to being regulars. All of the Parks and Recreation characters are extremely likable and nobody takes themselves too seriously. The show doesn’t rely on low blows and heavy drama; it is a light and hilarious watch, making Pawnee the perfect town to explore while seeking out comfort and warm feelings.
However, as of October 1, Park and Recreation will be joining The Office, Harry Potter, and all 45 seasons of Saturday Night Live on Peacock, a streaming service by NBCUniversial. On the plus side, it has been reported that it will be available on Peacock’s free tier, and if not, the $4.99 subscription price to access Peacock Premium is lower than Netflix’s starting price at $8.99 a month. While fretting over the soon-to-be departure of this beloved show, listed below are a few must-revisit episodes.
Pawnee Zoo
Season 2, Episode 1
This episode has one of the greatest openers of all time: Ron Swanson tells Leslie Knope, “Here’s the situation” and she interrupts him to rap a full verse of “Parents Just Don’t Understand” to which he replies, “Someone is on fire at Ramsett Park.” This scene itself deserves a constant replay.
But the fun doesn't stop there, Leslie finds herself officiating the marriage of two penguins to give the Parks Department some good publicity, only to discover the penguins are two males— thus igniting the town’s conservative homophobes while others declare her a gay hero.
The Debate
Season 4, Episode 20
One of the greatest political elections in comedy television was the race for City Council candidacy in Parks and Recreation. This episode pits studious and prepared Leslie Knope in a debate against her election competitors; ex-pornstar Brandi Maxxxx, “Man who sells you your guns at the Gun-believable Gun Emporium” Fester Trim, and the wealthy-but-unintelligent Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd). Kathryn Hahn also makes an appearance as Jennifer Barkley, Bobby Newport’s campaign manager.
"The Debate" features Leslie’s friends working hard to campaign for her and show their support on debate night. The loveable City Hall shoe-shiner Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) and his girlfriend April Ludgate decided to host a viewing party for Leslie’s supporters but hilariously enough, their cable goes out. In a scramble to entertain their guests, Andy begins acting out scenes from his favorite movies.
Women in Garbage
Season 5, Episode 11
The episode's title gives it all away. In this episode, while championing gender equality, Leslie Knope becomes outraged about the lack of women representation in the city's government. She decides to tackle the sanitation department’s lack of garbage collectors by enlisting April Ludgate to serve as garbage-women for the day to prove that the job can be done just as well with women on the team.
On the flip side, reserved and uncomplicated Ron Swanson agrees to babysit his girlfriend’s (played by Xena’s Lucy Lawless) children. Convinced that he’s no good with children, he asks Anne Perkins, Leslie Knope’s best friend/temporary campaign manager, and super-cool nurse (Rashida Jones), for help, despite her awkwardness and admitted detachment from children. This episode lives to be a complete feel-gooder while also dismantling common stereotypes seen against women.
Galentine’s Day
Season 2, Episode 16
This episode is one of great cultural importance— everybody recognizes Galentine’s Day now.
“Galentine’s Day” opens with Leslie Knope throwing her annual Galentine's Day party for all of the women in her life. The episode devolves into pure madness as Leslie and her boyfriend decide to reunite her mom with a long-lost lover who would have been better off belonging to the past.
Additionally, characters find themselves falling in and out of love, Ron Swanson delivers his healthy dose of wisdom (while secretly moonlighting as saxophonist Duke Silver), and drama further ensures.
Harvest Festival
Season 3, Episode 7
Notoriously this episode is the first introduction to the famed miniature horse, Li’l Sebastian. This episode packs an endless amount of hilarity as the entire town seems to only agree on one thing: their obsession with Li’l Sebastian— an obsession that State Auditor and Leslie’s future love interest, Ben Wyatt fails to understand.
Other occurrences include: Anne telling her at-the-time boyfriend Andy that she loves him (who responds with “Awesomesauce!”), and the leader of the town’s local Native tribe convincing everybody that the grounds on which the parks department's fundraising festival is taking place is haunted.
“There are two things I know about white people: they love Rachael Ray, and they are terrified of curses.”
While Parks and Recreation has found another home on NBCUniversial’s Peacock, it will always have a place in the hearts of its viewers. Leslie Knope’s dedication and love for the city of Pawnee, Indiana and her peers combined with the silly and oftentimes avoidable antics of the Parks Department makes for an easy and binge-able watch.
Starting October 1, Parks and Recreation will be available for streaming on Peacock.
Source: Deadline