falulatonks | "i'm sorry, i just started hearing really loud circus music in my head. (Reply)

what did you say?"

Aghhh, damn it. This week's Parks and Recreation was so great that I've had to rethink my "Community is the best thing on TV right now" statement. I've thought about it. Community is the best thing, Parks is my favourite thing, Modern Family is the most consistent thing. There, I've done it!

Why Parks is my favourite -

This show has the most delightful characters ever, and it's also the most consistent. Leslie Knope may be getting a bit more screen-time, but the laughs and the general sweetness of all characters are really nicely spread out. And I love it. Every character has a list of moments that've made me laugh out loud over this season, and it makes me very happy.

Also, I really, really love that the overall atmosphere at this office isn't tired, like everyone there is exasperated and annoyed that they're there - that is, like Dunder Mifflin, which is my theory for why the show worked better in the first three seasons, where we had a constant thread of Jim/Pam wanting to be there because of each other - after they got together, where could we've gotten that emotion from realistically?

Everyone at the parks and recreation department seem to genuinely like each other (excluding Jerry, but that is hilarious, so it's OK) and that makes me happy to be there, watching them - watching this show makes me feel good, and warm. I like watching these people making each other laugh and having a good time at a shitty job.

Maybe it's also because of this that the relationships are so amazing? Because all of them are. So amazing. I've stopped resisting Andy/April, and they've become one of the sweetest things on TV right now - they're goofy and so ridiculously adorable around each other and it makes me smile stupidly and want to hug them both. Andy wasn't my favourite thing about the first season, but now he's the first character I've ever wanted to say this about, ever: he is a sweetheart. April is deadpan and bored but I love that you can see her coming to really like everyone around her, especially Andy, in a totally believable way. I never expected this, but they pulled it off wonderfully.

Just like how they started this show kind of angling for Leslie/Mark, then broke it off in favour of Ann/Mark. And Leslie isn't jealous of Ann at all! And Ann/Mark is interesting because they're kind of satisfied with each other, but not happy or in love, which is the safe kind of relationship I could imagine seeing a lot but never see a lot on TV, because TV shows don't do things like that - pairing off attractive, single people because they could have a good time together, and then having them realise that's all there is. That's interesting! Right?

And then there's Ron interacting with everyone, and Leslie interacting with everyone, and those are so great, too. I've said this before, but the Leslie-Ann friendship makes me really happy, because there's finally two female friends who love each other and have a great time with each other, who aren't catty, who are willing to help, who don't always have to talk about men all the time, etc.. There are male friendships that do this just fine, but I'm so pleased that we're getting that with women.

This show is hilarious. And it's very naturally hilarious, because it uses characters and their reactions to situations rather than the situation itself to make things funny, and that's awesome.

Episode-specific -

Drunk Leslie and drunk Ann may be my favourite people in the world. "You know what's thirsty?" "What?" "You know what's weird? How thirsty I am when I'm weird. When I'm drunk." And then: "Oh Ben the jerk is here." "(gasp) Who are?!" Ann, I love you!! You and your singing and your "boo."s and not being able to drink things properly with a straw and being pissed off (with good reason!) about the Andy Situation? In a drunk way? I love it all.

And then Ben coming over and Ann telling her to be professional and Leslie being all "oh you are mean and nobody likes you" (in that adorable way of hers, obviously), and when Ben walks away, Ann going, "Oh my god, Leslie, you were so professional! I'm so proud of you!" SO CUTE.

I didn't want Andy/April together for a long time because of how great they are as friends, but I'm a full convert at this point (it started a couple of episodes ago) - now I spend every scene with them wanting to hug them tightly forever and ever. They are sweet and adorable and they make each other so happy, it's ridiculous. HIS SONG!!!

And watching Leslie sort of root them on in the background is adorable. (I love Leslie.)

RON FUCKING SWANSON, I ADORE YOU. Watching him giggling about the possible downfall of the government was absurdly delightful. When he started hacking away at imaginary government body parts with a machete I lost it. And then, "What's a not-gay way of asking him to go camping with me?"

And at the same time, while hating on the big things and the rules and the leaders, he's kind of awkwardly sweet, too, like how he calmed Leslie down (like he always does) by telling her to go make herself brownies. And then later on when he patted April on the shoulder?! Too fantastic. I can't stand it. Every aspect of this character is crazy, but every bit of it is natural and believable and always, always makes me smile.

Yay, Rob Lowe being kind of funny in the background. He was amusing! And that quick montage of him and Ann made me laugh very hard. And him doing chin-ups in the background of a scene for no reason.

And yay, Natalie Morales! I loved her on Middleman, I hope she's used well here. And I can't wait to see her bartender character more with Tom, because they're pretty 'shippable.

Speaking of 'shipping: So this Adam Scott guy (from Party Down? I want to see this now?) dropped by, and I saw his Ben with Leslie and thought, "oh, these two would be kind of great together", and then I got worried because I thought maybe I shouldn't be wanting to see that. Then they had that scene at the bar at 10:30 in the morning and I was relieved, because they clearly hit it off, and that is pretty damn awesome. I can't wait. Ben as a character is great, too, with his 18-year-old mayor background and having to work up towards something just like Leslie but doing it a little differently? Love it. (Also, if anyone else is as excited about possible Leslie/Ben as I am, you will be just as giddy as I am to find out that while Rob Lowe is a bit of a temporary guest star, Adam Scott may be a more long-term fixture? YAY! Can't wait to see how this one goes.)

And that's something else this show does really well, by the way - these characters are all fully-fleshed to a point where any background that's given to them either enhances or fully explains their behaviour or character, rather than being something that's tossed away for something funny. And the best part is: these throwaway bits are still funny! I love it.

"This is a real town with real people in a real building with real feelings." "This building has feelings?"

"Leslie, what do we do when we get this angry?" "We count backwards from a thousand by sevens and we think of warm brownies." "Go do that in your office." "Go do it in your office." "And we'll wait for these guys to show up." "We'll wait for you to show up."

I like that even Ann kind of hates Jerry, too. This showww.

I can't wait for the finale. I love this show.

Community was great as usual, obviously ("Annie is the Ark of the Covenant!"). And The Office was as surprisingly-not-bad as it's been this season! :P 30 Rock, though -

Why do I not care about the Jack love triangle? If I don't want either of them with him, the show is probably doing it wrong.

Drew is insane. It's funny but I also kind of hate it? I don't know why.

Liz is so much greater when she isn't being pathetic, just struggling a little. She's so sad. I hope you're happy, Liz! Let her be happy, Tina!!

Wesley is perfect! His comment about England not being able to control people the way China can made me laugh so hard I choked. on air.

I can't wait for the finale, too, though. This is going to be fun!

I'll go be productive now. Maybe listen to Glee music in the background. THE LEAKED SONGS ARE EXCITING.

-- rachu