Well, I promised I’d have the reviews up today and here’s number one, with number two coming a little later. This is the first review I’ve ever written, please take it easy on me and give me your honest opinion. The first is the new television program, “Parks and Recreation”.
(WARNING: Spoilers follow.)
From the opening scene to the final moments of the show, we are constantly reminded that “Parks and Recreation” is a show, very much modeled after “The Office”.
The show, created by Greg Daniels (The Office, King of the Hill) and Michael Schur (Saturday Night Live, The Office) is similar in humor and visual style. “Parks” is in a mockumentary format with Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live) starring as Leslie Knope, a woman in the parks and recreation department of an Indiana town. Poehler is very much like her “Office” counterpart Steve Carell. Thinking she is the most fun person to be around, and saying she can do many things in which she hasn’t had clearance is a large part of her characters personality. Starring with Poehler in the series is Aziz Ansari (Human Giant), Rashida Jones (The Office), Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl), Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman (The George Lopez Show). Chris Pratt is credited with “guest starring” in the title sequence also.
Equipped with the ‘talking head interviews’ much like “Office”, the first episode features Leslie attempting to get approval on forming a committee to build a park on land near Ann’s (Jones) house. Currently a large hole is in its place which Andy (Pratt) fell into and broke his legs. Knope visits the hole and also falls in, with Tom (Ansari) and April (Plaza) capturing the moment through pictures, which they later show off to many as Knope’s most embarrassing moment. Knope plans to fill in the hole, and build a large park but first must get approval from her boss Ron (Offerman), who is decidedly against the idea, as he does not like government. Knope’s co-worker, and one-night stand of several years previous, Mark (Schneider) decides to persuade Ron to give Leslie the approval she needs. Mark states he’s ‘cashing in’ (an illusion to a past, non-told, event) to which Ron asks if he’s sure he wants to waste what is owed to him. Ron eventually gives in and grants the approval of a committee headed by Knope, to which they through an office party.
Overall the first episode of this series was humorous at times. Aziz Ansari seems to be the funniest cast member in my opinion. From the moment he begins to badly flirt with the already taken character portrayed by Rashida Jones, to the tales he tells of attempting to persuade Poehler’s character to fax a “Fruit Roll-up” and, dressed as Batman, stop a real crime outside while intoxicated. Poehler’s acting was not on par with her previous performances, seemingly attempting to be like Carell on “Office”. Aubrey Plaza, who had limited lines needs more screen time and to open up with her actors, while Nick Offerman seemed to be trying to hard to be funny. Jones was her normal self, funny at times, and not so funny at others, but overall a good performance.
The overall feel of the show seemed to compare to “The Office” with the creative team attempting to remind us that’s where the style came from. The show was not as good as the hype, but many shows aren’t. It has some potential. I’d say watch it again, give it a second chance. My overall rating is a 2.5 out of 5, with room for improvement, and hopefully it will.
