Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my coverage of Parks And Recreation (2009-2015, NBC), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-Ray and streaming.

Parks And Recreation stars AMY POEHLER as Leslie Knope, RASHIDA JONES as Ann Perkins, AZIZ ANSARI as Tom Haverford, NICK OFFERMAN as Ron Swanson, AUBREY PLAZA as April Ludgate, and CHRIS PRATT as Andy Dwyer, plus ADAM SCOTT as Ben, and ROB LOWE as Chris. With JIM O’HEIR as Jerry and RETTA as Donna.

Just as Season Four is the year that Leslie runs for office, Five is the year that Leslie sits on city council — another shift in her and her series’ situation that, like Four, similarly provides new stories to keep things narratively fresh. At least, for a while. And though this development doesn’t guarantee the same reliable plot points of a campaign arc, it does move the show’s status quo back to an even more premise-particular place, as Leslie is again focused on serving in local government, with episodic ideas detailing her efforts to do good on behalf of her constituents — reflecting the fundamental aspect of her characterization and the entire series. The only major difference now is that, since Leslie has more power, there’s a broader scope for stories — with bigger issues (sometimes more overtly satirical) that don’t have as much to do with the lower-stakes Parks and Rec office where the series was once more exclusively set, and around which the ensemble is mostly oriented. This means Five has to work harder to keep Leslie affiliated to the other regulars with whom she has key relationships — and weekly success hinges on how much of the usual situation (including those other leads) are well-deployed with her. The year smartly adds a new recurring nuisance — Jamm (Jon Glaser), a one-note obstacle who nevertheless has a specific rapport with Leslie — acting as opposition on council to the pilot-promised park she still endeavors to build. He’s helpful as a device, but again, she’s best with her established ensemble… To that point, Five’s broadening purview also means that the cast is less often all together, with more pairings of duos or trios in subplots — sometimes removed from Parks and Rec and the setting that once united all… Accordingly, this series is starting to move away from its peak-era conditions, with quality remaining at a good level mainly because the regulars are so well-defined, as most — especially Leslie — continue to get explored with a mind to their positive evolutions. And with a lot of rom-com happenings (most of which work; the worst is Ann’s pursuit of a baby — a ham-fisted excuse to reconcile her with Chris), Parks And Rec‘s fifth season has a solid command on the series’ unique balance of humor and heart, an embodiment of its excellent lead. Oh, it’s not quite on par with Three and Four, but there are many winning half hours here in this, the show’s third-best collection.

 

01) Episode 73: “Halloween Surprise” (Aired: 10/25/12)

On Halloween, Leslie ponders her future with Ben while Jerry has a life-threatening emergency.

Written by Michael Schur | Directed by Dean Holland

With a nice balance of humor and heart that reflects the series’ overall ethos, this Halloween excursion boasts forward movement for several leads, along with some hilarious moments that elevate the entire half hour. In the more serious column is Ben’s choice to return to Pawnee instead of taking another, even bigger out-of-town job — culminating in his and Leslie’s engagement. It’s a major development that, yes, guides the proceedings, but it’s smart to get him back in Pawnee and closer to the rest of the situation, where he and Leslie’s progression to their inevitable happy ending can continue. Speaking of happy, Ron’s new romance with Diane (Lucy Lawless) also progresses, as he struggles to adjust to the fact that she has young daughters with whom he’ll have to help — a device that takes him out of his comfort zone and sets up emotional growth while also offering natural comedy. Oh, and speaking of comedy, the scene where Jerry has a “fart attack” — a heart attack while farting — is hysterical and a highlight of the season, symbolizing this blend of weightier fare and pure laugh-seeking silliness.

02) Episode 77: “Ron And Diane” (Aired: 12/06/12)

Tammy II tries to ruin Ron’s new relationship with Diane, while Jerry throws a Christmas party.

Written by Megan Amram & Aisha Muharrar | Directed by Dan Goor

Ron’s now-annual run-in with his funniest ex-wife, Tammy II (Megan Mullally), is again a winner, yielding many big laughs that also come with real character stakes, reinforcing the platonic but intimate bond between Ron and Leslie, along with his deepening love for Diane, his first important paramour and someone who’s not a walking joke — with their tension stemming only from her two rowdy young daughters who put Ron in new, uncomfortable scenarios. While I wish Lucy Lawless (whom I nevertheless love — you know I’m a Xenite) was herself a funnier character, Diane is an endgame partner for Ron who contrasts quite heavily against Tammy II, and this entry is thus beneficial, deliberately drawing a distinction and communicating a seriousness about his new relationship that suggests his own emotional maturation. And Mullally certainly brings the hahas in support — particularly via her broad brawl in a dumpster with Leslie, who aims to distract the vengeful ex. Meanwhile, I also love the subplot where the remaining leads uncover a Christmas party at Jerry’s house and are shocked to see him with a loving, beautiful family (Christie Brinkley plays his wife) —  a funny juxtaposition based on the way they’ve treated him all these years, indeed playing on both what we know of him and the fact that, up to now, we actually know very little. So, it’s a great show for Jerry, as well as Ron (not to mention Chris, who’s especially amusing at his most neurotic). An MVE contender.

03) Episode 78: “Two Parties” (Aired: 01/17/13)

Leslie spends her bachelorette party attempting to undue a breach of ethics.

Written by Dave King | Directed by Dean Holland

My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Two Parties” is an all-time classic, boasting a winning structure that helps explore almost every main character as they hang out in gender-split groups at Leslie and Ben’s respective bachelorette and bachelor parties. Ben’s portion is fun because it explicitly cycles through the participants — with each guy receiving his own respectively ideal version of a bachelor party, which inherently and comedically affirms their individual depictions while reinforcing their camaraderie. It’s a testament to how well-defined every lead is, especially in contrast. As for Leslie, her bachelorette party is, of course, consumed by what she loves most: public service. Her attempt to combat her new rival Jamm (Jon Glaser) in their battle over Pawnee Commons (formerly Lot 48, which was formerly The Pit) hits at the very subject matter of the pilot — used to symbolize Leslie’s commitment to her community and cement her bond with Ann the Everywoman — and makes for such a basic distillation of her character. It’s a premise-honoring idea that’s obviously pitch-perfect for Parks And Recreation, and it’s well-handled by this definitive story, which finds Leslie breaking government ethics to fight Jamm — setting up a clash of her morals versus her ambitions, as it’s something she immediately regrets doing, opting to derail her entire bachelorette party to fix. This then becomes one of the best ever half-hour examinations of the series’ central character, spotlighting her overarching personality and the inner conflicts that are accordingly deployable, all in this smart narrative that not only speaks to Parks And Rec‘s premise at large, but also the particulars of this exact season, where Leslie’s role on the city council sees her trying to advance the stuff in which she believes, including that blasted park. Thus, more than any other selection here, this is the sample that best encapsulates what this series is — and why it’s still so great in Five, a peak-lite collection. (Also, I love how the show continues to grow and utilize elements of Pawnee lore — e.g., Jonathan Joss’ Ken, the Native American who happily exploits the town’s discomfort with its past. It’s sharp sitcommery, mining the depths of the situation expertly.)

04) Episode 79: “Women In Garbage” (Aired: 01/24/13)

Leslie and April work on a garbage truck to fight sexism in the city’s government.

Written by Harris Wittels | Directed by Norm Hiscock

With Leslie now on council and pondering a broader scope of government concerns beyond just the Parks and Rec department, Season Five also introduces more issues that feel culturally political and/or directly satirical in an SNL-like way — such as her efforts to impose a soda tax or educate seniors about safe sex, both of which (earlier this year) invited broad lampoons of the types of people who’d oppose Leslie’s policies, rendering the laughs a bit more idea-driven and parodical than the series was at its peak. More high concept. This entry is sort of in that same subcategory — it’s yet another view of the show’s widening political aperture, for when Leslie takes a stand on sexism in the local government — as she had before, but only in the small Parks and Rec office — it’s now bigger because of her position, enabling a bigger comic set piece. In this case, Leslie and April work a garbage shift, just to prove that women can do jobs typically associated with men. That’s goofy, enabling a scenario that would be comedic no matter who in the cast did it — but the show attaches it to enough elements of the situation, like Leslie’s own belief in the government and what it should do for people, that it’s viable situation comedy as a reflection of her character, taking advantage, again, of where she’s at during this particular season. And it’s indeed very funny — making this another segment that corroborates the (generally) maintained quality of the series during this era.

05) Episode 81: “Emergency Response” (Aired: 02/14/13)

Leslie’s efforts to prepare for a fundraising event are stymied by a surprise emergency drill.

Written by Norm Hiscock & Joe Mande | Directed by Dean Holland

Because the Leslie character is so well-defined by her commitment to local government due to her steadfast belief in its capacity to help people, it’s fun when the show episodically plays against that, for any break from the norm is inherently validating — reminding of the norm in the first place. Now, as we’ve seen, sometimes Leslie is positioned between her professional duties/ideals and her personal desires/feelings (like her love of Ben), which are of emotional, individual importance. Here, however, she’s instead torn between her obligation as a councilwoman to earnestly participate in an emergency drill, and her efforts to serve the community in a different way, via the park for which she intends to fundraise at a pre-planned gala — and so this outing’s dilemma is less about a personal sacrifice as it is a matter of priority, with Leslie determining that the good of the park is more vital than this drill, especially because it’s being purposely delayed by her rival Jamm, who’s always been opposed to the park. All of this — Leslie’s usual respect for government protocol, and her known relationship with the contrary Jamm — helps earn the centerpiece of Leslie deliberately tanking the drill, “killing” the entire “town” so she can go do real good. And that’s sublime, for even though it’s totally congruous with her character, it’s still unusual for her to treat government processes so trivially. And that makes this an excellent Leslie show — playing against her depiction while actually reinforcing it and the series’ situation at the same time, with the regular and peripheral Pawnee ensemble all well-featured in comic support. A favorite. (Also, Matt Walsh guests.)

06) Episode 82: “Leslie And Ben” (Aired: 02/21/13)

Leslie and Ben hastily plan to marry before the evening is over.

Written by Michael Schur & Alan Yang | Directed by Craig Zisk

As the major Sweeps offering where Ben and Leslie wed, this is not my most ideal sample. But it’s an important half hour for the characters that also displays what the series is, for it’s a tonal reflection of the centralized Leslie and how much her own personality has inspired the show’s, prioritizing a feel-good warmth where big laughs from quirky leads sit alongside earnest sentimentality as a result of their genuine relationships and sincerity of purpose. This touchy-feely yet non-maudlin tenor is naturally conducive to the kind of rom-com storytelling this show has always liked to indulge — it’s an NBC Must See TV Thursday sitcom, after all — and that’s, of course, on prime display in entries like these, where big romantic developments spotlight Leslie, who motivates this entire ethos and therefore gets well-invoked herself because it’s so prevalent. Accordingly, I do believe this is a great showing for her character, simply for how much it resembles her, and since the formula story’s easy plot points allow the other regulars to come in and add their individual sparks as well, it’s decent sitcommery all around.

07) Episode 84: “Bailout” (Aired: 03/14/13)

Ron is opposed when Leslie wants to bail out a local video store.

Written by Joe Mande | Directed by Craig Zisk

As noted, Leslie’s narrative pursuits this season because of her wider reach are most enjoyable when they have direct involvement from the other main cast members, who more firmly entrench these ideas within the situation. One of the main ways this series can always tie Leslie to something that’s situationally well-rooted is by having her political goal get opposed by Ron, with whom she shares a real friendship despite their fundamentally contrasting views about the role of government and its ability to actually help people. Indeed, this outing — where they’re divided on whether Pawnee should bail out a local video store — plays to their differences, and while it might on paper seem to be a somewhat cold ideological divide with not much personal character specifics, the funny, satire-heavy teleplay delights in ginning up yuks, as the store is saved but turns into an X-rated video shop, providing Leslie a victory that’s really not helpful to her. Also, I appreciate the humor in the broad subplot, as Tom is unable to escape the emotional grasp of his pal Jean-Ralphio’s (Ben Schwartz) obnoxious sister Mona-Lisa (Jenny Slate), who debuts here and gives the usually pestering Tom a chance to be pestered himself.

08) Episode 86: “Animal Control” (Aired: 04/11/13)

Leslie tries to fix the city’s Animal Control department while Ron battles an illness.

Written by Megan Amram | Directed by Craig Zisk

Energetic guest turns by recurring Pawnee townsfolk Harris and Brett (Harris Wittels and Colton Dunn) do a lot to elevate this less ostentatious excursion, goosing the laughs and helping it to stand out from the rest of the Honorable Mentions below that could have been spotlighted instead. However, the A-story here also works narratively well itself, as Leslie’s efforts to find someone new to run Animal Control — hoping to motivate April into sincerely making a bid for the position — are effectively premise-affirming, with emotional stakes added because of the well-established relationship between these two regulars. Meanwhile, there’s a smart subplot too — it uses Ann’s career as a nurse for a comic conflict, as she attempts to get Ron, who’s always reluctant to admit that he needs assistance of any kind, to seek professional help when he’s sick. This takes advantage of things we know about each of them and is inherently amusing. So, though not exactly flashy or undeniably classic like others on this list, this is a solid offering that’s pure Parks And Rec. (Of note: Jason Mantzoukas also guests.)

09) Episode 88: “Jerry’s Retirement” (Aired: 04/18/13)

Leslie tries to help Jerry achieve his original career goals before he retires.

Written by Norm Hiscock & Aisha Muharrar | Directed by Nicole Holofcener

The title is correct — Jerry retires in this installment — but don’t worry, he ends up coming back part time, meaning he’s still on the show as much as ever, and this is really just a one-off chance to honor his character and how he relates to Leslie, someone who has participated in his teasing but not to the same extent as the others because she’s foundationally a kinder person — as evidenced in this smart story where she tries to help Jerry achieve some of his original goals upon joining local government all those decades ago. That’s a wonderful narrative setup for not only exploring Jerry but also digging into the world and lore of Pawnee, including the government’s past — all of which is a terrific application of the situation, combining elements of premise, character, and in this case, a lesser-used yet still fruitful relationship. And Jerry’s ultimate message about there being more to life than work is an interesting counter to Leslie’s usual perspective, which is rooted in the belief that her career is, due to her faith in its capacity for good, the most important thing she does. This reminder for balance speaks to the simple truth that all workplace sitcoms since Mary Tyler Moore have reiterated — workplaces aren’t important because of the work, they’re important because of the people in them, and the life that people therefore share when together. That’s this subgenre of sitcom’s thesis in a nutshell — and not even Parks And Recreation, where the work does narratively matter, can fight it.

10) Episode 90: “Are You Better Off?” (Aired: 05/02/13)

Leslie hosts a public forum where her constituents voice complaints about her job performance.

Written by Michael Schur | Directed by Dean Holland

Season Five concludes with a summation of Leslie’s year on city council — highlighting this collection’s many government-spoofing episodic conflicts, where she’s struggled to use her new position to implement changes that she personally believes will be beneficial to her community. But, as we’ve seen, not everyone agrees — either about the role government should play in people’s lives (that’s Ron’s main concern) and/or the simple value of Leslie’s policies themselves. Accordingly, this tension, though it’s motivated by external forces and therefore more attached than I’d prefer to the high-concept particulars of the premise — and this season’s even more idea-driven and satirical application of them — it’s nevertheless hinged on the series’ core characterization and how she’s so firmly defined inside this situation. This makes it something that only works on Parks And Rec, which is built around Leslie, whose depiction informs everything else… Meanwhile, it’s easy, but there are plenty of laughs in the Friends–ian subplot also, as Andy dons his Burt Macklin garb to investigate a mysterious pregnancy test…

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Ms. Knope Goes To Washington,” the gimmicky premiere that takes place partially in Washington D.C. but nevertheless manages to reflect Leslie’s character well (and Ron’s, in a subplot that’s set back in Pawnee), along with “How A Bill Becomes A Law,” which introduces two of this season’s important recurring players (Jamm and Diane), “Sex Education,” one of the year’s funnier idea-driven political satires, “Article Two,” where Patton Oswalt plays a lonely history buff who opposes Leslie’s efforts to change the town constitution, and both “Leslie Vs. April” and “Pawnee Commons,” which are naturally premise-affirming because they reintroduce Lot 48, or Pawnee Commons, as prime narrative fodder. Lastly, I’ll also cite “Partridge” for filling in more of Ben’s backstory by taking us to the town where he was once mayor.

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Five of Parks And Recreation goes to…

“Two Parties” 

 

 

Come back next week for Season Six! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!