Chris Traeger

Parks and Recreation Recap: “Ann and Chris”–This Is Normal

“Oh Ann Perkins, you beautiful sunflower. You totally changed me, you know that?”

I’d like to say that Leslie and Ann’s story ended where it began—with the pit and a promise—but we all know their story isn’t over. What began as a friendship of necessity between a nurse and “that parks lady” stopped being about parks a long time ago. This is the strongest relationship that Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins will ever have, and while Ann might be moving somewhere all bright and new, Leslie’s still the one she’ll call for the important things.

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Ann and Chris, I Salsa Your Faces

Last night, we said goodbye to Ann Perkins (Ann Perkins!) and Chris Traeger. Two of the most beautiful rule-breaking moths in Pawnee are off to start their new life in Michigan, and I’m still in mourning. When I first read that Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe were leaving Parks and Rec midway through the season, the woman standing next to me in the elevator probably thought I was having a heart attack, because I put my hand to my heart and gasped, and I saw her take a step back. (I saw you, lady.) What is it with comedies and people LEAVING lately?

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100 Reasons to Love Parks and Rec

I volunteered in small-town Alaska for a year after college. I only had room for the essentials, so I packed my Parks and Rec DVDs—just wedged them into my rain boots and set off. The DVDs got as much use as the boots did, and I could probably count on two hands the number of days I didn’t wear rain boots. I introduced the show to my roommates in our first week there, and it became our language. We said yes with “I think I will good lady” and yelled “MAKE YOUR FACE BETTER” behind the lens of every photo. At a Know Your Boo-style game night, we defaulted to the show for any answers we didn’t know about each other, so one roommate’s parents were named Ron and Tammy, and another’s favorite movie was books. At the end of the year, a friend called me her real-life Leslie Knope and I put it in a cover letter.  (more…)

Parks and Recreation Recap: “The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic”/ “Doppelgangers”—How Crazemazing Is That?

Say goodbye to Eagleton, kids. Say goodbye to Segway tours and Swarovski crystal oranges, to crepes at town hall meetings and scones in jail and retorts lovingly crafted by GB Shaw. It was only a matter of time before Eagleton’s excesses (they had Michael Bublé on retainer) pushed the town to the brink of an epic financial disaster. (more…)

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Parks and Recreation Recap: “Leslie and Ben”–Just Looking For You

“I promised myself I was not going to cry tonight, and I’ve already broken that promise five times.”—Chris Traeger

Leslie and Ben got married last month, you guys. They did it. Those crazy kids finally did it. In the 26 days since Leslie Knope symbolically disappeared and became Leslie Wyatt, or Councilwoman Mrs. Ben Wyatt tied the knot, I’ve moved into a new apartment, job hunted, job interviewed, job found, and spent far too many hours on the phone with our cable provider (BECAUSE TV IS IMPORTANT). But I’ve also made time to flail my way around this episode with absolutely no composure whatsoever. It’s been my night light. I can’t try to talk about it like it’s normal, because Leslie and Ben are not normal. They’re extraordinary. And they had an extraordinary wedding.

And these are the five* times I cried about it.

*give or take a hundred (more…)

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Parks and Recreation Recap: “Two Parties”–The Gettysburg Undress

“You are sad drinking right now, and I need you to be happy drinking.”

Mixing business with pleasure: never a good idea. But “never” isn’t really in Leslie Knope’s vocabulary, is it? She can’t really stop caring about any park, much less the Pawnee Commons, fruit of April’s fertile employment. So when Councilman Jamm reneges on his promise and moves forward with the Lot 48 Paunch Burger (Start Drooling, Fatties), Leslie’s bachelorette party is pretty much doomed. (more…)

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