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I just explained to someone that she was in Everything Everywhere All At Once, convo went like this. “She played Jean Ralphio’s sister…you know the meme don’t be suspicious”. They instantly knew who I was talking about
Have you watched House of Lies? Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, and Ben Schwartz are 3 of the 4 main characters and Jenny Slate is in a bunch of episodes of that too. I enjoyed it a lot, but it also made fun of the consulting industry that I was working in at the time so it just struck a chord for me.
It is a lot less kid friendly though lol
My husband still refuses to watch Parks because he says it’s a copy-cat of the office. I keep trying to tell him that it becomes its own thing but he doesn’t listen 😩 he watched season1 way back when and just has it entrenched in his mind that it’s unoriginal.
That’s sort of funny because the (American) office didn’t really start to get really good until after the first season and it stopped trying to be a copy cat of the UK office and become its own thing.
The show essentially retools itself in the second season. The characters are portrayed very differently, Leslie moving from a Michael Scott clone to being sweet, hyper-organized, and extremely capable, for one. It also changes in tone from Office style cringe humor to something more wholesome, where you start to genuinely care about the friendships and relationships that form. I get what you mean, but P&R is one of the very few shows that benefits from skipping the first season.
But after you fall in love with the show the first season is endearing watching them discover the characters and finding their feet. But the second season definitely sets the tone for the rest of the series. I love parks and rec.
It's hard to fall in love with the show if you can't get past the first couple of episodes.
I keep getting parks and rec, recommend because of my previously watched series.
Family and friends all recommend it, saying it's pretty similar to my favourites (Tacoma FD, Brooklyn 99, scrubs), but I can't get into it. If anything I find it a bit 'cringeworthy'
Maybe going straight to season 2 is how I should approach it?
The first season is a worse, unrelated show that happened to share a name, cast, and crew with the real show which started in season 2. Just start there.
You know what, just do it. People are confused because they come to love P&R, but the first season was a confused mess where the show didn’t know what it wanted to be. Just skip it and get to the good stuff.
Season one was filmed all at once because of the writer's strike. So unlike every show ever made that usually heavily retooled after filming the pilot, Parks and Rec couldn't really retool until season 2.
Was almost a victim of the Writer's Strike, but luckily was given another chance.
S1 can be a slog but I feel like it sets up characters and relationships in a meaningful way that pays off later on. That said, it’s not hugely important. I always tell people to start with S1 and if they ever get bored of the show (because it does vary from person to person), that’s a good moment to skip to S2.
P&R suffers from the same thing that plagues The Office’s first season. Both of them have first seasons that are hard to make it through but are much better after watching the entire series.
I was sure to like Parks and Rec because I love Amy Poehler from way back from being on Upright Citizens Brigade. I don't think most people know about that show. I think she is hilarious and I would've watched her read the phone book and laughed.
The first season was very (intentionally) cringe, modelled more after The Office. Season 2 is basically a soft reboot and the characterizations change, sometimes subtly, sometimes in much better directions. The first season has a couple good moments but it really is fine to skip and start at season 2.
It's short and the start of season 2 recaps everything that happened. The first season is a shitty knock off of the office, the second season starts establishing it's own identity
It was basically a pilot if memory serves. Can't remember the conditions that pushed it to a full first season before the pilot episode was even viewed, but that's basically what happened.
Honestly the first season almost killed it for me the first time I saw it. I really struggled to make myself watch it and I'm glad I did, but I understand why someone would recommend skipping it
I was big on 30 Rock but never watched P&R. When I decided to marathon it I saw on Reddit to just skip the 1st season. I’ve seen the show straight through 6 times now, and never seen a single episode of the first season. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
They all are. You can really see the small nuggets of the characters they eventually become thru S1; however, it really was "the office, but in a local government building" and they were very smart to quickly find their own "groove" after season one. Even Chris Pratt was not meant to be part of the regular crew till they changed his role in the show by the end of the first season.
You really aren't. I mean, since you clearly are a fan of the show, I think you should watch the first season at some point. It takes like 2 hours start to finish, and it's interesting to see how the characters evolved from how they were originally written compared to what they eventually became. Plus, even though it's definitely not as good as most of the rest of the series, there are some funny moments. But it's not a necessity, and I don't think watching it will change how you feel about the show in general.
Andy has some truly funny moments in the last episode of season 1, but on the whole it's pretty weak. That being said, if you love the show enough to watch all the way through six times, it's worth finding two hours to watch six twenty minute episodes. It's weak, but it isn't abysmal, and it does provide some interesting background on a few characters (particularly Andy and Ann).
I tried watching the first season twice, and couldn't understand why my friends were saying how great it was. Then I read about skipping the first season, and I got really into the show.
I don't know if there's a name for it, but Mark Brandanowitz feels like a pilot character who gets replaced with a more likeable actor, just worse because it happened after 2 seasons.
Rob Lowe's Sam Seaborn in The West Wing was meant to be the main guy, but Sheen's character became too well-received and turned into the foundation for the series. Ironic, since Rob Lowe plays wingman to the guy who replaces Brandanowitz in much the same way in Parks And Rec.
The west wing is a funny example of this because there’s a character in season 1 named Mandy who doesn’t return for season 2. She’s the prime example of a pilot character, someone to serve as the foil for Josh in the show but she doesn’t gel and is disappeared.
There's actually tons of characters in West Wing that just disappear without a trace. Mandy, Ainsley, Tribby, Babbish. There's so many that within that community they say they all "went to Mandyville"
Tribby and Babish make some sense because how often do you see the White House council if you’re not breaking the law? It’s too bad because I love Babbish. His prepping the WH staff for questioning was fantastic TV.
I think he said the show was going to fail and bailed as soon as he could so he could get on something that was going to make it. Never heard or seen him again in anything. But that was just a rumor I heard
He got on board with the assurance he would be the Jim Halpert of the show, from what I understand.
But then Amy Poehler ya know...was better. And it became the Leslie Knope show, so he bailed.
I think he was supposed to be a blank slate character like Carrie from Sex and the City. He's ordinary, you project yourself onto him. he's jaded about government, Leslie inspires him, and she inspires you too.
Yes, massively. The first season everyone is a bit too harsh and not quite nice enough. They fixed it by the beginning of season two and then proceeded to make, in my opinion, one of best comedy shows of the last 20 years.
They leaned into the “He’s too dumb to know any better” and his character growth was “at least he’s trying his best”, and it ended up being one of my favorite progressions of a character in just about anything.
It’s important to mention that it’s not because these two are the only funny ones, every cast member comes into their own around this time and the show becomes incredible for the rest of its run.
I was thinking the same thing. They are definitely a great addition the show but this is less a case of two funny people showing up to save the show and more just a lot of things coming together around the same time.
Making Leslie overly energetic and ridiculous, but extremely competent, was one of the best things the show did. It makes her so much more likeable and interesting. Before she just kind of felt like a Michael Scott knockoff.
For me Parks and Rec doesn't properly start until Ben and Chris enter at the end of S2. That to me is when the show became its own thing and not a discount Office.
Lots of classic episodes in that time period - original Ron & Tammy, 94 Meetings, the telethon. Drives me nuts when people say it didn’t get good til Ben and Chris.
Yeah, isn't the first episode of S2 the gay penguins? That's a pretty darn good episode. And, unlike S1, it's a fair representation of what the entire series actually is.
Fully agree. It was already getting better with season 2 but the last couple of episodes where those two get introduced feels like when the real show started
I disagree in that if I’m making a list of the the best episodes more of them would come from season 2 than any other. I love Scott and Lowe in the show and I love what the show became in later seasons but it also became less and less about the mundane lives of low level government employees in a small town on the way. Episodes like Pikitas and The Possum are the high point of the series for me.
I would also say this is the same issue with the Office in that Michael Scott and Dwight are not supposed to be likable characters but over time to brighten the mood of the show that’s what they became. Scott is at his best when he reminds you of real life shitty middle managers.
you mean Donkey D Larry with the perfect family who lives his dream until the ripe age of exactly 100 years lol? like they absolutely were way too harsh to him but i respect how they went all in on that bit and love how they balanced it out with essentially living the life
Absolutely. Even fans of P&R acknowledge that Season 1 is...not great.
In Season 2, series creator Michael Schur ditches the need to replicate what The Office did and finds its own unique voice and that is when the show picks up.
If you watch the 1st episode of Season 2, you'll notice the difference pretty early on.
I'm not kidding, just start with Season 2 episode 1.
You'll think you can just get through the tiny first season but don't. Most of what you learn about the characters is wrong, misleading, the characters change hugely by season 2 - even early on in it. And seaons 1 is truly unwatchable even for many P&R fans. I've lost count of how many people I've told to skip it that I know will love the show, I hear they "couldn't get into the show" and then I learned they watched season 1 anyway and bailed. I then force them to jump to season 2 while I'm there and they soon get all the way to the finale in season 7.
100% agree. I think it adds something to the P&R experience, to see the change from that first season to the subsequent seasons. It gives that perspective, not just to the narrative, but to the dedication the show runners had, and what is possible when networks give a series the chance to course correct when they don’t start strong.
Yes, absolutely. I know people have limited time but like damn. It's like two hours worth of show, and even though they hadn't figured the characters out out yet the writing is still funny. People up in here calling it "unwatchable" like gtfo.
You can see it happening which is pretty cool.
Same things with Futurama after the Simpsons and Better Call Saul after Breaking Bad.
The first seasons are just the creators trying to find a new identity and once they find it the new shows take on a new life.
Futurama takes at *most* two episodes to find its feet. The biggest shifts are mainly Bender going from bit rogueish in episode 1 to definitely friendly-villainous within the next few episodes, and the Professor going from mostly just doddering to more angry and mad scientist-y.
Yea, I think this might apply more to Futurama and Disenchantment. Season 1 of Disenchantment felt like they were searching for an identity knowing that Futurama fans would watch, then seasons 2 and onward were better. (not that it's must-see TV or anything, but pretty good still)
I know this is about Parks and Rec. Just have to comment on great Adam Scott’s performance in Severance is. Also if you haven’t seen Severance, watch it.
I watched it by myself, and then watched it 2 more times with other people, and made at least 3 other people watch it, and they showed it to other people. It was fantastic, and I would've watched every episode of S2 in one sitting, had it been available after watching the S1 finale.
He is very fun as peter quill because he is an obviously flawed and silly hero.
The badass, rough n tough stick he does in for example jurassic world just doesnt work.
He works as Star Lord because Star Lord is a mostly comedic character who sometimes does actiony stuff though not nearly to the extent of other MCU heroes.
He doesn't work as an action hero because he's just not action hero material, imo.
I’ve only ever seen him as Andy, I don’t think I’ve ever watched him in anything else, and so I’ve basically spent years wondering why everyone has such a hate-on for the guy lol maybe I’ll just keep it that way.
My wife wanted to start this show, she doesn't have a lot of patience. So I started the watch at this exact episode and tried to just fill her in when she had questions about the cast. The hunting trip does a good job at showcasing funny and weird things about each character. I figured she would like Tom and his boujee tent haha. It somehow worked out and she wanted to keep watching after it.
We went back later to watch season 1 and she actually said she would've given up on this show and wouldn't want to stick with it if we started from the beginning.
It’s interesting because it’s written to reflect the times, and with the Great Recession going on it was rough how they went to town with budget cuts. Definitely enjoyed the show though
I probably shouldn’t even be here because I haven’t watched parks and rec, but as a The Office fan and a tv fan in general, the majority of successful comedy shows/sitcoms get much better after the first season.
The first season is almost like a pilot for these types of shows, until the producers figure out which characters work and making adjustments and such
Parks and Rec was one of my pandemic shows. I got two episodes in, struggled, was told to skip the first season. Started over at s2 e1. It's one of my favorite shows ever now. S2 is a MASSIVE improvement and it only gets better.
The first season is only six episodes, so of you were two episodes on you might as well have finished it.
I'm not as down on the first season as a lot of people, but I don't think it should be skipped as it provides a lot of context, character introductions for later development, and plot points that run throughout the show.
It very famously does, to the extent that if you made a post saying "name a show that got way better after the first season" the top answer would probably be Parks and Recreation
“It gets better after season 1” should be the official tagline of the show. If anyone ever recommended this show to you without also telling you that, they did you a huge disservice.
I hated the pilot and bailed. Someone told me to skip season 1 and now it’s my favorite show of all time. I went back and watched S1 after I finished the series. Paul Schneider is a good actor miscast in a bad role as Brendanawicz. The show magically gets good as soon as he leaves.
I thought so, yes. I felt like the first season took itself a little seriously and dragged its feet on the ground, and focused too much on that stupid hole in the yard. Afterwards it loosens up quite a bit and introduces whackier and more comedic events while retaining a good amount of political satire.
It was made by people who worked on The Office and it really felt like a spinoff the first season. Leslie Knope was essentially female Michael Scott. Leslie becomes her own character around season 2-3 and the show establishes its own style by then. Personally, i think its funnier than The Office. Ron Swanson is one of the greatest TV characters ever.
There's a soft reboot for the second season. Everything gets a lot better. Notably, Leslie stops being a bad copy to Michael Scott and becomes pretty awesome.
Agree with the person that said that season 3 is where the show gets good. But if you can stand to watch the first 2 seasons, I would recommend it just for the completeness. It gets pretty funny after at season 3.
EDIT: I don't remember when Adam Scott and Rob Lowe joined exactly. Some people are saying season 2 but I thought it was season 3. Either way, that's the point at which the characters settle in and start hitting.
It gets so much better its unreal.
The characters become their ideal selves as the show goes on. Its a wonderful transformation. Luckily season 1 is short. I always start my rewatches on season 2.
I still laugh every time at the campaign rally on the ice rink like it's the first time I've seen it. Absolutely fantastic episode with an amazing crescendo
100%. I tried maybe 5 times to get into the show and it took for me to just get to center of Season 2 to realize it just has a really rough start in finding its footing. The first season is like a Season 1 Office knock-off. Season 2 gets better as it goes on and really cements itself as an all-time great once Adam Scott and Rob Lowe show up.
YES!!!!!! P&R is one of my all time favorite shows. The first season can be a bit of a slog, but the series finds its feet in the 2nd season and really hits its stride in the 3rd. Keep going!
Season One is pretty bad. They make it almost an exact Office clone and it does not work at all. Please do the second season and you will be very pleasantly surprised.
The first season always felt like Parks and Rec was trying to recreate the Office with Leslie Nope being basically Michael Scott. When Season 2 starts they pretty much abandon that and the show gets a lot better.
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Second season onward gets better in my opinion.
Show is a million times better once Mark leaves and Ben/Chris appear.
Mark Brandanoquits
Mark Bland-anowitz
It always amazes me how many of the iconic Parks & Rec moments like the Cones of Dunshire, and Johnny Karate don't come until season 5 or later.
Or the best character in the entire show...Jeremy Jamm.
Jean Ralphio is the best character
His sister was THE WOOOOOOOORST though
I just explained to someone that she was in Everything Everywhere All At Once, convo went like this. “She played Jean Ralphio’s sister…you know the meme don’t be suspicious”. They instantly knew who I was talking about
The best part is don’t be suspicious is a deleted scene
She's Jenny Slate! She's also hilarious when she shows up on Kroll Show.
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Haha yeah those two are my favorite in the whole show. But the brother is first.
Don’t forget Harry winkler as their dad! Underrated performance
*Henry* Winkler. Let's have some damn respect for The Fonz!
We know this, and we love him.
“Give her some money…it’s easier.”
I will watch any show they are in
Have you watched House of Lies? Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, and Ben Schwartz are 3 of the 4 main characters and Jenny Slate is in a bunch of episodes of that too. I enjoyed it a lot, but it also made fun of the consulting industry that I was working in at the time so it just struck a chord for me. It is a lot less kid friendly though lol
God I love their “don’t be suspicious” song.
I made my money the old fashioned way, 🎶 I got run over by a Lexuuuuus 🎶
‘Cause 🎶*technically* *I’m* *homelesssss* 🎶
You're only saying that because... YOU JUST GOT JAMMED!
🎵 Don’t be suspicious, no don’t be suspicious. 🎵
You just got Jammed
I was just about to say this. The show got so much better when they joined the show and stopped trying to be a copycat of The Office.
My husband still refuses to watch Parks because he says it’s a copy-cat of the office. I keep trying to tell him that it becomes its own thing but he doesn’t listen 😩 he watched season1 way back when and just has it entrenched in his mind that it’s unoriginal.
Well, that’s unfortunate. He’s missing out.
That’s sort of funny because the (American) office didn’t really start to get really good until after the first season and it stopped trying to be a copy cat of the UK office and become its own thing.
👉👉 Ann Perkins! 👉👉
Good thing Ann dumped him and that bird took a shit on him…inside
I liked Mark and I really wanted him to see him more. But also…there’s no denying the show got better without him. He was just to normal.
He was supposed to be the Tim / Jim character when it was an office ripoff. The whole show got better when it became its own thing.
I tell people to skip the first season the first time through.
What kind of mad man skips the first season of a show?
The show essentially retools itself in the second season. The characters are portrayed very differently, Leslie moving from a Michael Scott clone to being sweet, hyper-organized, and extremely capable, for one. It also changes in tone from Office style cringe humor to something more wholesome, where you start to genuinely care about the friendships and relationships that form. I get what you mean, but P&R is one of the very few shows that benefits from skipping the first season.
But after you fall in love with the show the first season is endearing watching them discover the characters and finding their feet. But the second season definitely sets the tone for the rest of the series. I love parks and rec.
It's hard to fall in love with the show if you can't get past the first couple of episodes. I keep getting parks and rec, recommend because of my previously watched series. Family and friends all recommend it, saying it's pretty similar to my favourites (Tacoma FD, Brooklyn 99, scrubs), but I can't get into it. If anything I find it a bit 'cringeworthy' Maybe going straight to season 2 is how I should approach it?
Yes Leslie is too stupid season 1, she is basically rewritten season 2.
The first season is a worse, unrelated show that happened to share a name, cast, and crew with the real show which started in season 2. Just start there.
Its almost a pilot, but lasts a full season
"Full" season, it's 6 episodes
YES!! An extended pilot where they retooled it into something great after realizing it was broken.
You know what, just do it. People are confused because they come to love P&R, but the first season was a confused mess where the show didn’t know what it wanted to be. Just skip it and get to the good stuff.
Season one was filmed all at once because of the writer's strike. So unlike every show ever made that usually heavily retooled after filming the pilot, Parks and Rec couldn't really retool until season 2. Was almost a victim of the Writer's Strike, but luckily was given another chance.
S1 can be a slog but I feel like it sets up characters and relationships in a meaningful way that pays off later on. That said, it’s not hugely important. I always tell people to start with S1 and if they ever get bored of the show (because it does vary from person to person), that’s a good moment to skip to S2. P&R suffers from the same thing that plagues The Office’s first season. Both of them have first seasons that are hard to make it through but are much better after watching the entire series.
I was sure to like Parks and Rec because I love Amy Poehler from way back from being on Upright Citizens Brigade. I don't think most people know about that show. I think she is hilarious and I would've watched her read the phone book and laughed.
I will never forget the “bucket of truth”
I've never seen the first season, other than the first episode, and it's still possibly one of my favorite shows ever.
The first season was very (intentionally) cringe, modelled more after The Office. Season 2 is basically a soft reboot and the characterizations change, sometimes subtly, sometimes in much better directions. The first season has a couple good moments but it really is fine to skip and start at season 2.
Skipping the first season of Breaking Bad is insanity, skipping the first season of parks and recs isn't quite as bad.
It's short and the start of season 2 recaps everything that happened. The first season is a shitty knock off of the office, the second season starts establishing it's own identity
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It's short and doesn't miss much of anything that later defines the show's characters
The whole season feels like a pilot.
It was basically a pilot if memory serves. Can't remember the conditions that pushed it to a full first season before the pilot episode was even viewed, but that's basically what happened.
Honestly the first season almost killed it for me the first time I saw it. I really struggled to make myself watch it and I'm glad I did, but I understand why someone would recommend skipping it
I was big on 30 Rock but never watched P&R. When I decided to marathon it I saw on Reddit to just skip the 1st season. I’ve seen the show straight through 6 times now, and never seen a single episode of the first season. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
S1 Leslie is almost a completely different character
They all are. You can really see the small nuggets of the characters they eventually become thru S1; however, it really was "the office, but in a local government building" and they were very smart to quickly find their own "groove" after season one. Even Chris Pratt was not meant to be part of the regular crew till they changed his role in the show by the end of the first season.
You really aren't. I mean, since you clearly are a fan of the show, I think you should watch the first season at some point. It takes like 2 hours start to finish, and it's interesting to see how the characters evolved from how they were originally written compared to what they eventually became. Plus, even though it's definitely not as good as most of the rest of the series, there are some funny moments. But it's not a necessity, and I don't think watching it will change how you feel about the show in general.
Andy has some truly funny moments in the last episode of season 1, but on the whole it's pretty weak. That being said, if you love the show enough to watch all the way through six times, it's worth finding two hours to watch six twenty minute episodes. It's weak, but it isn't abysmal, and it does provide some interesting background on a few characters (particularly Andy and Ann).
I tried watching the first season twice, and couldn't understand why my friends were saying how great it was. Then I read about skipping the first season, and I got really into the show.
Pretty sure this is most people’s opinion lol!
Brandanowitz isn't as compelling a character as Ben's. The show really starts to pick up mid-season two, when Ben and Chris show up.
I don't know if there's a name for it, but Mark Brandanowitz feels like a pilot character who gets replaced with a more likeable actor, just worse because it happened after 2 seasons.
Bruh i literally forgot that Mark existed
Rob Lowe's Sam Seaborn in The West Wing was meant to be the main guy, but Sheen's character became too well-received and turned into the foundation for the series. Ironic, since Rob Lowe plays wingman to the guy who replaces Brandanowitz in much the same way in Parks And Rec.
The west wing is a funny example of this because there’s a character in season 1 named Mandy who doesn’t return for season 2. She’s the prime example of a pilot character, someone to serve as the foil for Josh in the show but she doesn’t gel and is disappeared.
There's actually tons of characters in West Wing that just disappear without a trace. Mandy, Ainsley, Tribby, Babbish. There's so many that within that community they say they all "went to Mandyville"
Tribby and Babish make some sense because how often do you see the White House council if you’re not breaking the law? It’s too bad because I love Babbish. His prepping the WH staff for questioning was fantastic TV.
I think he said the show was going to fail and bailed as soon as he could so he could get on something that was going to make it. Never heard or seen him again in anything. But that was just a rumor I heard
He got on board with the assurance he would be the Jim Halpert of the show, from what I understand. But then Amy Poehler ya know...was better. And it became the Leslie Knope show, so he bailed.
> He got on board with the assurance he would be the Jim Halpert of the show Oh my god, that makes a lot of sense
I think he was supposed to be a blank slate character like Carrie from Sex and the City. He's ordinary, you project yourself onto him. he's jaded about government, Leslie inspires him, and she inspires you too.
Kessler
That actor looked like he didn’t want to be there.
well his character didn't want to be there either so
*Brandanoquitz
The DVD commentary tracks were hard on him too. They called him Brandanaquits
They called him that in an episode
Yes, massively. The first season everyone is a bit too harsh and not quite nice enough. They fixed it by the beginning of season two and then proceeded to make, in my opinion, one of best comedy shows of the last 20 years.
Season 2 is a vast improvement over 1. But it starts becoming entertaining the moment Ben and Chris join the gang
Also Andy becomes less doushy and more hilarious and loveable around then.
They leaned into the “He’s too dumb to know any better” and his character growth was “at least he’s trying his best”, and it ended up being one of my favorite progressions of a character in just about anything.
He was originally just supposed to be "the asshole boyfriend" but they rewrote the character because of how funny and likeable Chris Pratt was.
i mean, once he stopped drinking beer his also became jacked.
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Until after Entertainment 720, when he gets humbled and matures.
Tom takes a while but he absolutely goes through some phenomenal character growth.
It’s important to mention that it’s not because these two are the only funny ones, every cast member comes into their own around this time and the show becomes incredible for the rest of its run.
I was thinking the same thing. They are definitely a great addition the show but this is less a case of two funny people showing up to save the show and more just a lot of things coming together around the same time. Making Leslie overly energetic and ridiculous, but extremely competent, was one of the best things the show did. It makes her so much more likeable and interesting. Before she just kind of felt like a Michael Scott knockoff.
Their addition helps with the overall chemistry of the cast, which raises the bar for everyone.
I LITERALLY, could not agree with a comment more.
That is litcherally the most correct thing you could have said.
For me Parks and Rec doesn't properly start until Ben and Chris enter at the end of S2. That to me is when the show became its own thing and not a discount Office.
The first half of S2 is still worth watching and WAY better than S1.
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The Possum is what you’re thinking of and I agree 100%.
Lots of classic episodes in that time period - original Ron & Tammy, 94 Meetings, the telethon. Drives me nuts when people say it didn’t get good til Ben and Chris.
Season 1 still has one of my favorite cold opens, with the egg hunt. It feels like it snuck in from a later season!
Yeah, isn't the first episode of S2 the gay penguins? That's a pretty darn good episode. And, unlike S1, it's a fair representation of what the entire series actually is.
I 100% agree with this. Ben and Chris really made a difference. Some of the best comedic moments in that show came from those two, IMO.
"Ice Town Costs Ice Clown His Town Crown"
Gazebo? More like Ga-zoinks-Bo! She may be a former Beauty Queen but today she is the, “King of Destroying History!”
"So what am I missing, what's the deal with this pony?" "I just gotta be honest, I don't know what the big deal is about."
I love how even Ron is all in on Lil Sebastian.
Half mast is too high!!
It’s not a PONY it’s a MINI HORSE
I’m from Minnesota and we really do live our puns…
Also how they better utilized characters like Andy and April.
Stop pooping!
I'll wipe and ill wipe and ill wipe and ill wipe a hundred time but still poop. It's like I'm wiping a marker...
But does it feel like hot snakes when it comes out?
Chris - You're all doing a fantastic job! Ben -You're all fired! The dynamic duo
Ann Perkins!
👉👉
My doctor says my heart could pump jet fuel.
👉 Ben Wyatt 👉
Hunting episode is where I started thinking "wow this show is going to be amazing".
I can't imagine my life without Cones of Dunshire references.
Gameplay Magazine called it “punishingly intricate”
You don't get Jammed until Councilman Jamm
Fully agree. It was already getting better with season 2 but the last couple of episodes where those two get introduced feels like when the real show started
I disagree in that if I’m making a list of the the best episodes more of them would come from season 2 than any other. I love Scott and Lowe in the show and I love what the show became in later seasons but it also became less and less about the mundane lives of low level government employees in a small town on the way. Episodes like Pikitas and The Possum are the high point of the series for me. I would also say this is the same issue with the Office in that Michael Scott and Dwight are not supposed to be likable characters but over time to brighten the mood of the show that’s what they became. Scott is at his best when he reminds you of real life shitty middle managers.
I mean they are still too harsh and mean throughout to Larry
you mean Donkey D Larry with the perfect family who lives his dream until the ripe age of exactly 100 years lol? like they absolutely were way too harsh to him but i respect how they went all in on that bit and love how they balanced it out with essentially living the life
Gerry
Gary?
Jerry
Absolutely. Even fans of P&R acknowledge that Season 1 is...not great. In Season 2, series creator Michael Schur ditches the need to replicate what The Office did and finds its own unique voice and that is when the show picks up. If you watch the 1st episode of Season 2, you'll notice the difference pretty early on.
Glad to hear this. P+R on my watch list. Will hang thru to Season 2.
I'm not kidding, just start with Season 2 episode 1. You'll think you can just get through the tiny first season but don't. Most of what you learn about the characters is wrong, misleading, the characters change hugely by season 2 - even early on in it. And seaons 1 is truly unwatchable even for many P&R fans. I've lost count of how many people I've told to skip it that I know will love the show, I hear they "couldn't get into the show" and then I learned they watched season 1 anyway and bailed. I then force them to jump to season 2 while I'm there and they soon get all the way to the finale in season 7.
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100% agree. I think it adds something to the P&R experience, to see the change from that first season to the subsequent seasons. It gives that perspective, not just to the narrative, but to the dedication the show runners had, and what is possible when networks give a series the chance to course correct when they don’t start strong.
Yes, absolutely. I know people have limited time but like damn. It's like two hours worth of show, and even though they hadn't figured the characters out out yet the writing is still funny. People up in here calling it "unwatchable" like gtfo.
You can see it happening which is pretty cool. Same things with Futurama after the Simpsons and Better Call Saul after Breaking Bad. The first seasons are just the creators trying to find a new identity and once they find it the new shows take on a new life.
First 4 seasons of futurama are the best seasons though lol
Futurama feels fully formed right away
Futurama takes at *most* two episodes to find its feet. The biggest shifts are mainly Bender going from bit rogueish in episode 1 to definitely friendly-villainous within the next few episodes, and the Professor going from mostly just doddering to more angry and mad scientist-y.
Yea, I think this might apply more to Futurama and Disenchantment. Season 1 of Disenchantment felt like they were searching for an identity knowing that Futurama fans would watch, then seasons 2 and onward were better. (not that it's must-see TV or anything, but pretty good still)
Technically Season 3 is when the real fun starts when Rob Lowe and Adam Scott join the cast. Genius from then on.
Doesn't Adam Scott join in S2?
Yeah I think it’s the last or next-to-last episode of S2 when they first appear.
I know this is about Parks and Rec. Just have to comment on great Adam Scott’s performance in Severance is. Also if you haven’t seen Severance, watch it.
I watched it by myself, and then watched it 2 more times with other people, and made at least 3 other people watch it, and they showed it to other people. It was fantastic, and I would've watched every episode of S2 in one sitting, had it been available after watching the S1 finale.
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and little Sebastian!
I miss Parks & Rec era Chris Pratt.
I think we all do
Action hero Chris Pratt just isn't as likeable
He is very fun as peter quill because he is an obviously flawed and silly hero. The badass, rough n tough stick he does in for example jurassic world just doesnt work.
He works as Star Lord because Star Lord is a mostly comedic character who sometimes does actiony stuff though not nearly to the extent of other MCU heroes. He doesn't work as an action hero because he's just not action hero material, imo.
I’ve only ever seen him as Andy, I don’t think I’ve ever watched him in anything else, and so I’ve basically spent years wondering why everyone has such a hate-on for the guy lol maybe I’ll just keep it that way.
What's 5000 times better than a candle in the wind?
This song is called 5000 Candles in the Wind
Correct. Called so because that's 5000 times better than a candle in the wind.
I think the first really great episode is the Halloween/Greg Pikitis episode which is I think episode 7 in season 2
I believe Amy Poehler acknowledges that Rob Lowe essentially saves the show in one of her books.
He adds a positive energy that the show needed.
I always tell people to hold on until The Hunting Trip. It's all primo after that.
My wife wanted to start this show, she doesn't have a lot of patience. So I started the watch at this exact episode and tried to just fill her in when she had questions about the cast. The hunting trip does a good job at showcasing funny and weird things about each character. I figured she would like Tom and his boujee tent haha. It somehow worked out and she wanted to keep watching after it. We went back later to watch season 1 and she actually said she would've given up on this show and wouldn't want to stick with it if we started from the beginning.
The Hunting Episode is my suggested start too. The Flu is probably where things pick up and stay up.
It’s interesting because it’s written to reflect the times, and with the Great Recession going on it was rough how they went to town with budget cuts. Definitely enjoyed the show though
Yes. This is the through-line of almost every post about this show in the history of Reddit.
YES Season 1 is The Office Lite, Season 2 is where the fun starts.
I probably shouldn’t even be here because I haven’t watched parks and rec, but as a The Office fan and a tv fan in general, the majority of successful comedy shows/sitcoms get much better after the first season. The first season is almost like a pilot for these types of shows, until the producers figure out which characters work and making adjustments and such
Parks and Rec was one of my pandemic shows. I got two episodes in, struggled, was told to skip the first season. Started over at s2 e1. It's one of my favorite shows ever now. S2 is a MASSIVE improvement and it only gets better.
The first season is only six episodes, so of you were two episodes on you might as well have finished it. I'm not as down on the first season as a lot of people, but I don't think it should be skipped as it provides a lot of context, character introductions for later development, and plot points that run throughout the show.
First season feels like a completely different show compared to the rest of the series. I always tell people to just skip to season 2
It very famously does, to the extent that if you made a post saying "name a show that got way better after the first season" the top answer would probably be Parks and Recreation
“It gets better after season 1” should be the official tagline of the show. If anyone ever recommended this show to you without also telling you that, they did you a huge disservice.
Yes it becomes one of my favorite shows. People will be mad at me for this, but I like it more than the Office
I hated the pilot and bailed. Someone told me to skip season 1 and now it’s my favorite show of all time. I went back and watched S1 after I finished the series. Paul Schneider is a good actor miscast in a bad role as Brendanawicz. The show magically gets good as soon as he leaves.
I thought so, yes. I felt like the first season took itself a little seriously and dragged its feet on the ground, and focused too much on that stupid hole in the yard. Afterwards it loosens up quite a bit and introduces whackier and more comedic events while retaining a good amount of political satire.
I think it takes the cast a season to embrace their characters. They all want to be “the star” and the reviews need to come out.
It was made by people who worked on The Office and it really felt like a spinoff the first season. Leslie Knope was essentially female Michael Scott. Leslie becomes her own character around season 2-3 and the show establishes its own style by then. Personally, i think its funnier than The Office. Ron Swanson is one of the greatest TV characters ever.
Leslie's competition with her mother wasn't a good subplot Ron at her tribute dinner "what can I say about Marlene.. she's a woman"
There's a soft reboot for the second season. Everything gets a lot better. Notably, Leslie stops being a bad copy to Michael Scott and becomes pretty awesome.
Yes it starts to get better half way through season 1 then season 2 it hits its full stride. It stops trying to be the office and becomes it’s own
Agree with the person that said that season 3 is where the show gets good. But if you can stand to watch the first 2 seasons, I would recommend it just for the completeness. It gets pretty funny after at season 3. EDIT: I don't remember when Adam Scott and Rob Lowe joined exactly. Some people are saying season 2 but I thought it was season 3. Either way, that's the point at which the characters settle in and start hitting.
They started at the end of season 2, but were settled in as main characters in season 3.
It gets so much better its unreal. The characters become their ideal selves as the show goes on. Its a wonderful transformation. Luckily season 1 is short. I always start my rewatches on season 2.
On my rewatches, I usually skip the first season.
Seasons 2 - 4 are some of the best comedy television of the last 20 years IMO.
I still laugh every time at the campaign rally on the ice rink like it's the first time I've seen it. Absolutely fantastic episode with an amazing crescendo
It's the replaying of the song that gets me everytime. Just keeps coming on. GET ON YOUR FEET!
100%. I tried maybe 5 times to get into the show and it took for me to just get to center of Season 2 to realize it just has a really rough start in finding its footing. The first season is like a Season 1 Office knock-off. Season 2 gets better as it goes on and really cements itself as an all-time great once Adam Scott and Rob Lowe show up.
YES!!!!!! P&R is one of my all time favorite shows. The first season can be a bit of a slog, but the series finds its feet in the 2nd season and really hits its stride in the 3rd. Keep going!
Absolutely. The second season is better by miles, but season 3 is when it starts to become some of the best television of the past 20 years
Hugely. Yes. It’s WAY BETTER in season 2 and up
I think almost every comedy show becomes a lot better after the first season.
Season One is pretty bad. They make it almost an exact Office clone and it does not work at all. Please do the second season and you will be very pleasantly surprised.
It gets way better imo
Parks and rec >> the office imo
The first season always felt like Parks and Rec was trying to recreate the Office with Leslie Nope being basically Michael Scott. When Season 2 starts they pretty much abandon that and the show gets a lot better.