Parks & Rec: New favorite show
I've recently fallen utterly in love with Parks and Recreation. It took me way too long to come around - in my defense, I'd never liked Amy Poehler in anything, and I didn't like that it was a knock-off of The Office; I was utterly wrong on the first part and still kind of wish they at least referred to a camera crew - but now I am completely in love. Leslie is fantastic and I love her utterly! Ron is hilarious and awesome! Everyone is generally lovable and super-funny! Rob Lowe! Let's just watch this show all the time!
My latest reason-for-love is Ben & Leslie. I can't tell you how refreshing I find their relationship. While I love the (former) Booth&Brennans of the TV world, it's really fun to have two adult characters whose romantic problem is not the fact that they're being dumb, but that they're mature, responsible adults following the rules. And it's not Forbidden Love, either, which I like: they were totally into each other long before that became an issue, and they seem to have this sort of unspoken understanding that they like each other, but there's nothing they can do unless something changes. And I love how dorky they are, and how seriously they both take their jobs, and how this is the first time in their lives they've ever wanted to flout the rules (and how hard that is for them). I'm impressed at how they manage to be both sweet & healthy and also totally swoony.
Also, the more I think about it, the more I think this week's episode was kind of brilliant (apart from the timeline issue - NO ONE COULD PAINT THAT FAST). They juxtaposed Leslie and Ben's problem - that they're too mature and responsible - with Andy & April's - that they're basically incapable of functioning in adult society. It was a cool contradiction. And since Andy and April managed to figure out a balance between their childlike fun and actual grown-up lives, it seems to indicate that maybe Leslie and Ben need to grow a little in the opposite direction too. I'm pretty excited for this - I'm pretty sure something's going to change by the season finale.
I am sort of torn, though, over how much older she seems than him. Amy Poehler is like a year and a half older than Adam Scott, but while she looks mid- to late-30s (their actual age), he looks late-20s, in a very weird, baby-faced skinny way. Obviously this isn't actually a PROBLEM, it just meant that I didn't realize how close they were until many, many episodes in, and I'm still kind of reeling from that. But! Still adorable, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.
My latest reason-for-love is Ben & Leslie. I can't tell you how refreshing I find their relationship. While I love the (former) Booth&Brennans of the TV world, it's really fun to have two adult characters whose romantic problem is not the fact that they're being dumb, but that they're mature, responsible adults following the rules. And it's not Forbidden Love, either, which I like: they were totally into each other long before that became an issue, and they seem to have this sort of unspoken understanding that they like each other, but there's nothing they can do unless something changes. And I love how dorky they are, and how seriously they both take their jobs, and how this is the first time in their lives they've ever wanted to flout the rules (and how hard that is for them). I'm impressed at how they manage to be both sweet & healthy and also totally swoony.
Also, the more I think about it, the more I think this week's episode was kind of brilliant (apart from the timeline issue - NO ONE COULD PAINT THAT FAST). They juxtaposed Leslie and Ben's problem - that they're too mature and responsible - with Andy & April's - that they're basically incapable of functioning in adult society. It was a cool contradiction. And since Andy and April managed to figure out a balance between their childlike fun and actual grown-up lives, it seems to indicate that maybe Leslie and Ben need to grow a little in the opposite direction too. I'm pretty excited for this - I'm pretty sure something's going to change by the season finale.
I am sort of torn, though, over how much older she seems than him. Amy Poehler is like a year and a half older than Adam Scott, but while she looks mid- to late-30s (their actual age), he looks late-20s, in a very weird, baby-faced skinny way. Obviously this isn't actually a PROBLEM, it just meant that I didn't realize how close they were until many, many episodes in, and I'm still kind of reeling from that. But! Still adorable, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.