It’s been a little over 5 years since the Parks and Recreation finale, but the gang have joined forces once more in a one-off reunion special.
The main cast, responsible for delivering our favourite Pawnee residents, all blessed us with their much-anticipated presences. Yep, Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Scott, Jim O’Hare, and Retta all in one Zoom-type meeting. A real 2020 isolated mood.
So what are Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson & co. up to 5 years on, and how did they excuse that the fact that they’re all in different locations?
Well, for one, Leslie was obviously away on super important National Park Service-related affairs, because she, herself, is a super important queen. Meanwhile, her second-in-command Ben Wyatt was at home with the kids. He’s trying his damndest to keep things in order but keeps getting a little loopy thanks to the fumes from all the household cleaning products.
Ron – who proclaimed “I’ve been practicing social distancing since I was four” – is cooped up in a cabin. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally (AKA ex-wife Tammy 2) are married IRL, so Tammy had a cameo in which she was bound and gagged in the cabin’s background.
Although Tom Haverford initally claimed to be in Bali, his backdrop then changed to a picturesque mountainscape. So, at this point, we just have to accept that Tom is doing Tom… and is wherever he is. Great. Moving on.
While Donna Meagle chimed in from a Seattle closet, Ann Perkins has been volunteering as a nurse amid the pandemic. She’s self-isolating in a separate part of the house to avoid contact with Chris Traeger and la familia.
Andy Dwyer and April Ludgate – my favourite duo in existence – are still together, however Andy locked himself in their shed two days prior and doesn’t want to ask April for help… So, uh, yeah, I guess they’re physically separated.
The 30-minute affair was packed full of goldmines, as the gang caught up with each other for the first time in yonks. Personal highlights have to include Garry Gergich having to controversially cancel Pawnee’s “Popsicle Lick ‘n’ Pass”, Jean-Ralphio getting banned from Cameo and – of course – the entire gang belting out “Bye Bye, Li’l Sebastian” in a surprisingly emotional affair.
Peep some of the best reactions below. (Disclaimer: it mostly involves crying.)
#ParksAndRec I’m not crying you’re crying pic.twitter.com/NWxLLtqz0V
— Dr. Lawren is Openly Black (@pedsmd2b) May 1, 2020
Every #ParksAndRec fan right now pic.twitter.com/HVV0S2EZQp
— AD1NF1N1TUM – 1NTO THE VO1D OUT 2/14 ON BANDCAMP! (@_AD1NF1N1TUM) May 1, 2020
I was like “HOW IS TAMMY TWO ACTUALLY THERE THEY ARENT SOCIAL DISTANCING” then I remembered Ron and Tammy 2 are married irl #ParksAndRec pic.twitter.com/VXQBFYultX
— joshua (#1 ivy stan) (@TSlifestyle13) May 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/destiny_ane/status/1256025537291714561
I love that Chris Pratt is wearing an “I Met Li’l Sebastian” shirt under Andy’s Johnny Karate costume #ParksAndRec pic.twitter.com/IwBQOHvT1g
— Nora Dominick (@noradominick) May 1, 2020
Like this tweet if you immediately called (930) 1-RALPHIO #ParksAndRec pic.twitter.com/Mbzt7DC39O
— joshua (#1 ivy stan) (@TSlifestyle13) May 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/spidermanffh/status/1256027142149849090
We’ll just leave this one here. #ParksAndRec https://t.co/K9mpju2fHP pic.twitter.com/QZdTtkaVND
— Parks and Recreation (@parksandrec) May 1, 2020
It still hurts. Little Sebastian I miss you #ParksAndRec pic.twitter.com/E08BquFrJM
— . (@ToastedGhost25) May 1, 2020
ron teared up at the song, ben was annoyed by it, april waved a lighter around… everything was so on character. this was the most perfect thing i have ever seen. i can’t thank the cast and crew enough for this. adam scott was right, i did love the episode. #ParksAndRec
— macy (@wyattperalta) May 1, 2020
Although I’m typing through the tears, I now feel like I can conquer isolation thanks to the Parks and Recreation reunion. They have that effect on me. On another related note, we are unworthy of Amy Poehler, and I will continue to shout that from the rooftops any chance I get.
Thank you for blessing our eyeballs, Pawnee gang. Until next time.
