By Alyssa Opdyke
Following the season 6 finale of NBC’s beloved sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” many fans, myself included, were shocked and confused by the surprise three-year time jump to Pawnee 2017. Would we ever get to see Ben and Leslie’s triplets? How many names did Jerry/Terry/Larry/Gary go through in the past 36 months? Had Craig ever stopped yelling?
But, comedy is not about comfort. Comedy is about risk-taking and improvisation, and “Parks and Recreation” takes just enough for the lost three years to work. Showrunner Mike Schur and his writing and production teams have always promised “comedy with heart,” and as seen in last week’s back-to-back episodes, “Gryzzlbox” and “Save JJ’s,” they don’t fail to deliver.
“Gryzzlbox,” the first of the two episodes and fifth of the final season, picks up on the ongoing drama in Pawnee and main plot point of the season: the fight between Leslie Knope versus Gryzll, a hilarious and not-so-“chill” parody of Google, for a large plot of land owned by Pawnee’s infamous Newport family.
However, a new twist in the continuing conflict appears when Leslie discovers that Gryzzl is data mining all of Pawnee’s mobile devices, then leaving mysterious “Gryzzlboxes” of data-matched presents on many of town’s doorsteps. The conflict is undeniably creative (Leslie’s own Gryzzlbox, complete with a Joe Biden Amtrak poem book, led to big laughs), and is representative of Parks’ “mining” of its own audience. From resurfacing jokes from past seasons (a mention of Chris Traeger and Dr. Richard Nygard was a personal favorite), to April and new intern Jen’s deadpan standoff, to Tom and Andy’s partnership in defending Johnny Karate, the “Parks and Rec” team truly has a grip on its niche comedy.
The episodes conclude on a high note: Leslie’s workplace proximity associate turned Season 7 frenemy, Ron Swanson, shows up at her home, soaked from the rain and carrying one of Gryzzl’s drones. Ron had an attitude toward Gryzzl, but after the company targets hig young son, Ron finally joins Leslie in her fight against Gryzzl.
Though not as memorable or plot-forward as “Gryzzlbox,” “Save JJ’s” does satisfy as much as the eponymous diner’s breakfast food. Though the fight to save Pawnee’s longtime favorite eatery does bring a number of laughs, the episode ends quite predictably: JJ’s simply relocates, while Gryzzl, hoping to save its suffering reputation, promises to renovate a dilapidated area of Pawnee for its new headquarters and donate the controversial Newport land for a national park.
However, it is evident that the resolution to this conflict is needed, as only eight episodes remain in the series. Nonetheless, the highlight of the episode is again a nostalgic reference: Donna and Tom’s Treat Yo Self 2017. Unlike many reminiscence-heavy sitcoms (looking at you, “Arrested Development” season 4), “Parks” is able to revitalize the longtime joke to a refreshingly new take, writing true to character without relying too heavily on the nostalgia from the original gag. From face shields to a guest appearance by Josh Groban himself, the event is a perfect contrast for the economic disaster in Pawnee.
Overall, “Parks and Recreation” continues to thrill both its new and longtime fans in its concluding season. Like Pawnee and its devotion to JJ’s, it is undeniable that viewers will not take the end of a seven-year legacy lightly.
