Parks and Recreation – Season Two
Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur.
Starring Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Aziz Ansari, Paul Schneider, Nick Hofferman and Aubrey Plaza.
SYNOPSIS:
Leslie Knope, Pawnee of Indiana’s most enthusiastic public servant, solves all of her town’s problems- hosting a telethon, ridding the golf course of possums and getting unhealthy energy bars out of park vending machines.
If there are any criticisms to level at season two of Parks and Recreation, it’s that certain characters already run the risk of becoming caricatures. Andy Dwyer is given the Joey Tribbiani treatment, the writers apparently keen on transforming him from series one’s fool into a goofy, unbelievable idiot, despite Chris Pratt’s valiant attempts to humanise him. Rashida Jones, meanwhile, continues to struggle at making much of any kind of impression as Ann, especially in the face of her half-baked relationship with Mark (Paul Schneider), an arc that falls flat as soon as it begins. Jones fits fin into the naturalistic dynamic of the show, but remains an unmemorable presence even in her own storylines.
However, those criticisms can be easily brushed aside when a comedy series is this consistently entertaining. What you do get is a cast with chemistry, and far better stories than season one. So the pit focus of the first series gives way to a broader look at the fictional Pawnee, a wider city canvass (presumably thanks to a larger budget) allowing for a bigger picture of small-town America. This series also makes time for political satire after an indifferent season one, with barbs aimed at the media, feminists and corporatisation, among other things, giving it an edge over what felt like a toe-in-the-water debut season.
But heavy themes aren’t Parks and Rec’s primary concern – this is pound for pound the funniest show currently on TV, where whole episodes will pass without a single joke falling flat. The cast – now comfortably grown into their roles – continue to elevate already smart material. Amusing guest spots abound (Louis C.K., Will Arnett and Andy Samberg all make appearances), but the writing feels more confident, sharper, crucially funnier, even with the series stretched from 6 episodes to 24. There are some nice recurring gags, like how Sewage is the rock ‘n’ roll department in Pawnee government, or how Parks and Recreation’s docile office worker Jerry inexplicably draws his co-workers’ malice so often.
Amy Poehler, having honed Leslie Knope into someone altogether smarter and more recognisable, acts as a solid lead. The team around her bring colour (Aziz Ansari and Nick Offerman still create the most laughs), but this is Poehler’s series to ground. And if some characters risk becoming caricatures, most others have developed into unexpectedly layered souls. Offerman’s Ron Swanson, in particular, makes the transformation from immovable block of disinterest into a soft-hearted man’s man with a secret jazz lounge persona. His touching relationship with Leslie is more enduring than any of the romantic subplots in season two.
While Parks season two takes a noticeably more world-weary glance at American politics (the U.S.’s health and economic problems are tackled with more than a hint of cynicism, and the series ends on a rather dour note for local government), it still fundamentally retains a trademark sunny disposition. It’s a feelgood show that never becomes soppy, about a group of close friends that never stops being inclusive. The show makes an obvious evolution from episode one to the finale, resulting in a few happy shifts. The occasionally uneasy tone settles and, while one major character departs in rather unceremonious fashion, a number of already fully-formed, uproarious new ones (including Rob Lowe’s obscenely happy government official) join in the game. It’s a pretty fair switch; the introduction of Tom’s outrageous new BFF Jean-Ralphio – surely the greatest recurring comic creation currently on television – alone makes up for any departing cast members.
Paul Schneider’s lack of involvement in the extras perhaps explains his look of disinterest throughout season two, but everyone else seems to be having a blast. Behind-the-scenes micro-doc Pratt on Parks shows Chris Pratt to be as loveable in real life as he is on-screen, while the gag reel and copious deleted scenes give a sense of the camaraderie-inspired improv that goes into the show’s make-up. The deleted scenes in some cases could add up to whole new mini-episodes, and feature heavy, skilled improvisation, primarily from Poehler, Offerman and Ansari. Commentaries with the “entire cast” (minus Schneider) pepper the season two discs, offering little extra insight, but more jokes from a bunch of naturally funny people. There are also several extended episodes which offer welcome new material rather than the usual unnecessary additions.
Brogan Morris – Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the young princes. Follow Brogan on Twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion.
Originally published June 17, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
