Parks and Recreation and Mediocrity

[annakovsky]

I wrote this whole thing after last week's Parks episode, and it might be a really unpopular opinion but whatever, I'm going to post it now before tonight's because I am pretty concerned about the direction the show is going and I don't knowwwwwww, you guys. There hasn't been an episode I super loved and instantly wanted to rewatch since The Treaty

Comments

[frey_at_last]

we're in a Pam Beasley situation, where we have brought up Leslie having big dreams, and raised the possibility of her getting those dreams, but because of the PREMISE OF THE SHOW, AS SEEN IN ITS TITLE, she cannot get those dreams while remaining on the show, so she will have to fail at themIt seems like this is that one thing that really sucks about perpetual sitcoms that just go on and on for indefinite seasons. Not that P&R has gone on that long, but now that it's in its, what, 4th season? Around 50-75 episodes? It's hitting that pothole. Because either you have comedy with no real character conflict and no real character investment, or else you have comedy with characters who have goals and a central conflict and THAT'S WHAT MAKES PEOPLE CARE. But if it becomes evident that the conflict is going to remain a conflict for the entire length of the series... you can't care anymore. I'm not even thinking about the other women comedy protagonists like Pam or Liz Lemon (because I do tend to care about them more), but virtually any other

[annakovsky]

Ugh, yes, it's really so true! I hoped Parks could go for a little while longer before it hit that stage, buuuuut it's been a lot of episodes where I'm not feeling it, which is depressing.

Even thinking about something like How I Met Your Mother or Friends, that aren't based around a workplace -- like, either they start having babies and the show changes, and it can't hold it together anymore, or else they stay exactly the same, which just gets depressing. I can't think of any perpetual sitcom that managed to keep the interest going, because they really are stuck between that rock and hard place. Haha, maybe this should teach me to stop getting invested in sitcoms. Or, um, television.

(Though on the plus side, I've been pretty into 30 Rock since it's been back, more than I was before the break, so maybe shows can pull me back in later?? Haha especially if they have Jack being super inappropriately into Liz.)

[moireach]

(Oh good, looks like the new LJ comment pages don't let you copy your text out if it freezes while trying to post.)

How have we not even talked about Liz's secret boyfriend situation? And Jack's betrayal face? I don't even ship it, really! And yet!

[annakovsky]

OH MY GOD HOW HAVE WE NOT. RIGHT??? Jack's REACTION!!! Um, Jack, the only reason to feel that betrayed is if you feel sexy feelings for Liz Lemon. Also that she was keeping it a secret from him! JUST GET MARRIED, YOU GUYS. Ugh, whenever they do the thing where they know each other better than they know themselves I ship it hard, but the amount of FEELINGS it was giving me, especially considering it is something I don't even normally ship that much either!!!

(Haha, like, I want stupid weird babyfic where Liz mothers Jack's baby and stuff. EW, SELF.)

[tearupthesky]

Co-signed!

[annakovsky]

Where is our fandom lifeboat?????

[tearupthesky]

WAIT, I HAVE MORE FEELINGS. I still don't understand how anyone took Ben's side in Campaign Ad. He wasn't even around for the Nutri-Yum debacle, but what's everyone else's excuse? ATTACKING THE NEWPORTS IN PAWNEE DOESN'T WORK. THAT CAN'T BE YOUR ONLY MOVE, BECAUSE IT IS HISTORICALLY INEFFECTIVE. Pawnee doesn't care that Sweetums pumps out garbage (BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY), why would they care that Bobby Newport is a spoiled dummy? So not only is Leslie supposed to compromise her integrity in this really gross, fundamental way, she's supposed to do it for something that super obviously and demonstrably won't even work in the first place? There are just so many reasons that ad was a terrible idea without calling Leslie's "toughness" into question.

UGH, SO NOT INTERESTED IN A SHOW ABOUT STUFF THAT'S WRONG WITH LESLIE KNOPE. REMOVE THE PLANK FROM YOUR OWN EYE, BEN.

[annakovsky]

UGH YES, EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN AD. ALSO. Omg. Saying in a campaign ad, "Leslie Knope has worked for everything she's achieved" when you expressly BROKE UP WITH LESLIE KNOPE so that people would not think she slept with her boss to get ahead, but then went out with her again, and THAT SEX SCANDAL IS WHY SHE'S POLLING SO LOW???? Maybe don't give Bobby Newport a huge opportunity to be like, "Leslie Knope has NOT worked for everything she has, she banged her way to the top"?? And maybe you, Ben Wyatt, should be extra aware of that element since you're the one she's banging??????

Pawnee doesn't care that Sweetums pumps out garbage (BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY)

Ahahahaha. "But is it worth the asthma." DDDDD:

And seriously, Leslie is more than tough enough, she will shoot all your turkeys and pants you! Why is this even an issue!! SRSLY ON THE PLANK THING.

[sophia_helix]

Yeah, I've been starting to feel this way as well. I think I liked last week's episode more than you did, but it occurred to me afterwards that I just wasn't feeling the giddy sense of joy this season, and that the characters were starting to sift down into caricatures, just like the Office. It maybe just is the sitcom peril -- things are awesome when they're new, and it's amazing the first few times they do callbacks, but then it becomes predictable and one-note when the same things repeat themselves. It's possible to pull a Simpsons and come back around to meta-jokes about the show's cliches, but I can't really think of a show that's done that. Or you have a show like HIMYM where you just give up on anything creative or new getting established and just enjoy hanging out with some characters you like once a week. Sadly I would have a hard time doing that with P&R because it once was so much better than that

[annakovsky]

Ugh yes, the lack of joy! So depressing. And oh God, "sift down into caricatures" is such a perfect and depressing way to put it. It's just really true -- I feel like unless they make a HUGE EFFORT to find new depths in the characters that sifting is going to happen. And in this case the focus on Leslie/Ben feels to me like it's eating up screentime that could be used to give the rest of the ensemble more depth.

unless she stays in a shitty job with a bunch of people she hates in a town she doesn't like and Ben buys his parents' depressing and terrible house and they get knocked up twice in two years by accident and Ben also hates his job and they just make smug jokes about their coworkers (who they hate) all day...NOTHING could be as bad as the Pam Beesley travesty.

Ahahahahaha, y-you make a depressingly accurate point. And you didn't even add that the show was character assassinating her and ret-conning that she's not funny and she's bad at pranks!!! UGH. STILL SO ANGRY AND SO SAD.

[sophia_helix]

The Office was SO BAD about turning their supporting cast into one-note jokes, and it makes me want to cry seeing it happen again. And Rashida Jones should be a big movie star and it makes me squirm to see her stuck in a dead-end role that they can't seem to find a direction for. I want to tell her to not waste her all-too-brief years as a Hollywood starlet on a fun but low-rated show that doesn't know what to do with her!

The last time I tuned in Pam was crying because now she was "JUST A FAT MOM." Then my brain exploded and I died and I'm writing this from heaven. Women get pretty good roles on TV here in the afterlife, more people should check it out!

[annakovsky]

I KNOW, RASHIDA. It still makes me so sad that the show CANNOT for the life of them figure out what to do with Ann, because Rashida is so great and Ann is so boring most of the time! Oh well, at least her movie she wrote sounds like it's pretty good and did well at Sundance, maybe she will go off for an awesome career after this!!

OH MY GOD I KNOW, THE FAT MOM THING, THAT WAS TOTALLY MY LAST STRAW WITH THAT SHOW. Thanks for going ahead and putting a cherry on top of your Pam humiliation sundae, show!

[_kirsty]

There hasn't been an episode I super loved and instantly wanted to rewatch since The Treaty back in November, and even before that there was a lot more mediocrity than last season

Yeah, I have to agree. But I guess this is four seasons in? I loved The Office (US) but I still dropped it after the fourth season (decline).

Also, Donna not getting storylines is really sort of striking and terrible at this point.

[annakovsky]

I am glad other people are also having this experience, even though it's depressing. Ughhhhh true, after the fourth season is when The Office had really lost it, but it's so sad!!

Seriously, the Donna thing is UNCOOL. And when it's pointed out people will apologize for it like it's not due to racism/sizeism! Like, one of my friends made a post about how she'd like to see, you know, ANYONE BE ROMANTICALLY INTERESTED IN DONNA, and a bunch of morons were like, "But Donna likes to date around and have casual sex and that's great!" Uh, yeah, that would be great, if we EVER SAW THAT ONSCREEN??? Pics or it didn't happen, Parks and Rec. Pics or it didn't happen.

[moireach]

Pics or it didn't happen, Parks and Rec. Pics or it didn't happen.

You are my fav.

::HIJACKS ALL COMMENT THREADS::

[annakovsky]

<333333333333333333333333333!!!!

[pearl_o]

SIGH. I love you, show, I do, but this season has been underwhelming. YOU CAN ONLY COAST SO LONG ON CRYING BATMAN.

[annakovsky]

UGH SERIOUSLY. When I was making a list of episodes I have really really loved, as much as I loved episodes last season, it was just Ron and Tammys, Pawnee Rangers, and The Treaty. THAT MAKES ME VERY SAD. FOR REALSIES, CRYING BATMAN ONLY TAKES US SO FAR. I am really hoping the back half of this season picks up, but I am feeling not that hopeful. DDDDDDDDDD: Quick, write some fic before the show is over!!!!