Parks And Recreation - Season 7 [*Spoilers*]

JP Liz V1

http://tvline.com/2014/11/20/parks-and-recreation-rob-lowe-rashida-jones-returning-season-7-chris-ann/


Chris and Ann back for final season

Thrill

Mad Mens Jon Hamm to make return for Parks and Recreation's final season.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/20/parks-recreation-jon-hamm/

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Now all we need is a premiere date. I'm assuming it'll return to Thursdays at 9 or 9.30 sometime in January...

ancapailldorcha

Best US sitcom going at the minute. Can't wait for it to return.

rob316

This made it to season 7? Christ I watched the first season a while back it was terrible stuff, real bottom of the barrel American stuff. Does it get better after season 1 or something?

jack presley

rob316 wrote: »

This made it to season 7? Christ I watched the first season a while back it was terrible stuff, real bottom of the barrel American stuff. Does it get better after season 1 or something?

Major upswing in quality after season 1. There isn't a better character in a TV sitcom in the past 20 years than Ron Swanson

Also Starring LeVar Burton

rob316 wrote: »

This made it to season 7? Christ I watched the first season a while back it was terrible stuff, real bottom of the barrel American stuff. Does it get better after season 1 or something?

I hated season 1 (thankfully it's only 6 episodes), but I was advised to power through it - it's essentially a different show from season 2 onwards...

ancapailldorcha

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

I hated season 1 (thankfully it's only 6 episodes), but I was advised to power through it - it's essentially a different show from season 2 onwards...

I'm the same. Seasons 2 and onwards might as well be a different show.

JP Liz V1

jack presley wrote: »

Major upswing in quality after season 1. There isn't a better character in a TV sitcom in the past 20 years than Ron Swanson

Do you think Ron might get a spin off show?

pixelburp

rob316 wrote: »

This made it to season 7? Christ I watched the first season a while back it was terrible stuff, real bottom of the barrel American stuff. Does it get better after season 1 or something?

Watch season 2. Seriously, say nothing else here and go do it. Then come back and thank us when you've finished seasons 3 to 6

Everyone involved in the show knew the first season was a massive misstep, you'll find no one inside or outside the show saying otherwise, and the uptick in quality in season 2 is borderline miraculous really.

rob316

Cheers guys that sounds good, I'll add it to my watch list so and give it a whirl soon.

jack presley

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Do you think Ron might get a spin off show?

I don't know and I'm not sure how I'd feel about it either if they did. One side of me would love to see more of him but I'd hate for them to ruin his legacy but putting him some second rate spin-off.

S.M.B.

A Ron spin off show sounds like a horrible idea.

JP Liz V1

jack presley wrote: »

I don't know and I'm not sure how I'd feel about it either if they did. One side of me would love to see more of him but I'd hate for them to ruin his legacy but putting him some second rate spin-off.

Could go way of Joey or of Frasier

AnonoBoy

rob316 wrote: »

This made it to season 7? Christ I watched the first season a while back it was terrible stuff, real bottom of the barrel American stuff. Does it get better after season 1 or something?

It certainly gets better in season 2 but I for one didn't think season 1 was "bottom of the barrel" at all. Have you ever seen 'Dads'? Now - that was pure sh*te.

Thargor

I think they've already ruined Ron by taking the character too far, it was better when he was more subtle, they did the same thing to Eagleton Ron with his spirit questing in the woods crap, it was funnier when he was just a version of Ron who wore sandals and cared about the environment.

deisedude

Season 1 wasn't that bad. Bring back Mark Brendanawicz!

phasers

You mean Mark Blandanowicz. What a bore!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Back January 13th with 2 episodes a week, finishing on February 24th...

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/12/01/parks-and-recreation-final-season-to-premiere-tuesday-january-13th/334282/

pixelburp

Wow, that's a little uncommon, isn't it? The cynic in me wonders if they just want rid of Parks & Rec. as quick as possible!

Is there any word yet on how this season will play out, given season 6 ended with

that jump three years in the future with everything seemingly rosy

(spoiler texting just in case, but then if you haven't seen season 6, get the hell out of this thread )

Also Starring LeVar Burton

pixelburp wrote: »

Wow, that's a little uncommon, isn't it? The cynic in me wonders if they just want rid of Parks & Rec. as quick as possible!

Is there any word yet on how this season will play out, given season 6 ended with

that jump three years in the future with everything seemingly rosy

(spoiler texting just in case, but then if you haven't seen season 6, get the hell out of this thread )

I think NBC are actually showing a good bit of love for the show by putting it on Tuesdays (their strongest night) rating wise and the reason for the back to back episodes is that it's the first "Event" show of the year, which seems to be the new thing to do. Fox used to do it with 24 by showing 4 episodes in the space of 2 nights at the start of the season and the last 4 over 2 nights at the end. I think if they threw it in on Thursdays or Fridays it would've been a case of just getting it out of the way, but just because of the timeslot I think they're attempting to give it a good send off.

First episode is titled

2017

so I reckon we'll be getting what we expect.

Thargor

If it really is set in the future wont Lesley need a load of new political heroes to worship? I doubt they'll be brave enough to say Hilary Clinton is in the White House.

Greyjoy

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

I think NBC are actually showing a good bit of love for the show by putting it on Tuesdays (their strongest night) rating wise and the reason for the back to back episodes is that it's the first "Event" show of the year, which seems to be the new thing to do. Fox used to do it with 24 by showing 4 episodes in the space of 2 nights at the start of the season and the last 4 over 2 nights at the end.

I dunno, showing episodes of P&R back to back really feels like NBC are trying to rush the series out the door. The comparison with 24 doesn't really work, it's a bit 'apples & oranges'. A season of 24 is a single story chopped up into 24 episodes each one following into next so in that case it makes perfect sense to show them back to back. But P&R isn't the same, sure it'll have an overall arc for the season but each episode will be a self contained story.

The Pooka

pixelburp wrote: »

Wow, that's a little uncommon, isn't it? The cynic in me wonders if they just want rid of Parks & Rec. as quick as possible!

Is there any word yet on how this season will play out, given season 6 ended with

that jump three years in the future with everything seemingly rosy

(spoiler texting just in case, but then if you haven't seen season 6, get the hell out of this thread )

I've heard

we'll get flashbacks to the missing years

phasers

NBC is definitely burning it off. Sitcoms don't go into double blocks for any other reason.

Poochie05

This is definitely a burn off, pity but I suppose it means we get to see the episodes sooner

Machismo Fan

The lead in for the series finale will be The Voice, one of NBC's most watched shows, so it's not like they don't care at all about it.

Precious flower

I think they should have stopped at season 5 really. Her whole pregnancy was stupid and unfunny. I love the show but they should have stopped it earlier. Sometimes it's better to stop it at its high than continue going and ruin it. I don't have high hopes for season seven and I'm glad they aren't making any more. It's a pity whatever happened after season 6 the show just went in the wrong direction. I hated the characters from Eagleton as well especially the guy who's name I can't remember but who just shouts everything. I just found the actor now and it says he's a comedian which astounds me. In parks and rec the guy is horribly unfunny.

thelad95

Hey guys, I started binge-watching this over the Christmas break and am up to the start of season 6. I know that Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones leave in season 6 but without any spoilers, how does the series hold up without them? Chris was never that funny and the only 'joke' with him was his ridiculous positivity although his mental breakdown was also funny.

Ann Perkins was always a meh character and worked best as a foil for other characters. eg April's abuse or Ann's compliments. Overall, I always thought the series could survive without her though.

jack presley

Precious flower wrote: »

I hated the characters from Eagleton as well especially the guy who's name I can't remember but who just shouts everything. I just found the actor now and it says he's a comedian which astounds me. In parks and rec the guy is horribly unfunny.

I quite like him. I had watched his 'Billy on the Street' sketches on YouTube before I saw him in P&R and thought they were good (he does the same shouty thing in that too so maybe I'm just used to him).

Diabhal Beag

thelad95 wrote: »

Hey guys, I started binge-watching this over the Christmas break and am up to the start of season 6. I know that Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones leave in season 6 but without any spoilers, how does the series hold up without them? Chris was never that funny and the only 'joke' with him was his ridiculous positivity although his mental breakdown was also funny.

Ann Perkins was always a meh character and worked best as a foil for other characters. eg April's abuse or Ann's compliments. Overall, I always thought the series could survive without her though.

It loses nothing and focuses on one new character in particular that steals nearly every scene he's in (not Jean Ralphio).

jack presley wrote: »

I quite like him. I had watched his 'Billy on the Street' sketches on YouTube before I saw him in P&R and thought they were good (he does the same shouty thing in that too so maybe I'm just used to him).

This guy basically. And I didn't know him from before P&R and didn't find him annoying at all.

OU812

Just watched Episode one. It's a cracker. If they keep this standard up, I'll be wishing it wasn't the last season.

squonk

The shouty guy was a complete fúcking tool. Spoiled every scene he was in and was about as funny as an ingrown toenail and having a tooth pulled without anaesthetic both at the same time. You have to hand it to them for mixing the show up but that gob****e was someone they could have done without.

Machismo Fan

Good first couple of episodes, particularly the second episode and the scenes with Ron, Leslie and Jamm.

deisedude

squonk wrote: »

The shouty guy was a complete fúcking tool. Spoiled every scene he was in and was about as funny as an ingrown toenail and having a tooth pulled without anaesthetic both at the same time. You have to hand it to them for mixing the show up but that gob****e was someone they could have done without.

Yep reminded me of poochie in that simpsons episode. I can't think of one redeeming feature of his character

FortuneChip

squonk wrote: »

The shouty guy was a complete fúcking tool. Spoiled every scene he was in and was about as funny as an ingrown toenail and having a tooth pulled without anaesthetic both at the same time. You have to hand it to them for mixing the show up but that gob****e was someone they could have done without.

The wine connoisseur skit was about the only decent scene he was involved in.
Otherwise, yeah, tool.

Greyjoy

Yeah, I found Craig/Billy like nails on a chalkboard. He was just a one-note joke who overreacted to everything. He also didn't feel like a proper counterpart to Donna in the way that the other Eagleton staff did with their Pawnee versions.

Diabhal Beag

Didn't think the two eps were anything to ride home about but Megan Mullaly was very good. Werner Herzog's cameo will be hard to top in terms of fun.

johnny_ultimate

The second episode was the stronger of the two, but the first had Werner ****ing Herzog in it, which speaks for itself.

Precious flower

I actually thought they were good (eating my words there). I didn't like the whole hippie guy that Ron was helping out (he was very John Ralphio and I loved him but I don't like two different characters to have the same personality). Loved the name of Ron's business Very Good :P. But overall it still is missing something that it had in seasons 2-5. But yeah, surprisingly it still made me laugh.

Noticed that on Hulu episode 2 is available in two versions, a normal 22 minute episode and a 5 minute longer producers cut.

jack presley

Deleted User wrote: »

Noticed that on Hulu episode 2 is available in two versions, a normal 22 minute episode and a 5 minute longer producers cut.

Same on the NBC site. Should probably have just watched the longer one but didn't so have to watch it now to see what I missed.

I didn't think either episode was brilliant to be honest. Only ok in my opinion. The second with Tammy was the better of the tow but not enough laughs.

LizT

Wasn't overly impressed with either episode but loved Joan's 'commissioner Gordon and people of gotham' bit

Basq

I'm 5 minutes into the first episode, and really don't know what to think to be honest..

Diabhal Beag

By far Jon Hamm's best work

Not sure what to think of the two episodes, Werner Herzog was by far the best thing about either but I did love Jamm becoming Ron. I think that much as I would love the show, it's time to bow out gracefully has came.

squonk

I only had time to catch the first episode last night. I'm not sure I'm convinced so far. I still got some laughs and, relatively speeking, I got more laughs than I get normally from comedies so it's still good in that regard but it's just not really near as good as P&R can be! I think the time shift isn't helping and splitting the group into Team Leslie and Team Ron isn't really that particularly interesting.

Once I'd watched the first episode it occured to me that the episode with the Pawnee gig and Little Sebastian last season had more of a feel of a real finalé to it. The way I'm looking at it is that that was the Finalé and anything afterwards is just a victory lap really.

pixelburp

Yeah, chalk up another person on the 'somewhat disappointed' list. I didn't really want a whole season dedicated to what was essentially a sweet little coda for Leslie & Ben's story and sure enough, it just felt like a case of wheel-spinning on a bunch of stories at the end of their lifespan.

The Andy/April story was kinda funny as they fought against becoming responsible adults, and 'Very Good Building & Development Co.' was so beautifully Ron, but everything else? It actually felt like those generally terrible reunion episodes other sitcoms indulge in, long after the fires have been snuffed out.

phasers

Eh, not a great season opener but not bad either.

I hate their stupid Star Trek looking tablets they're all using, and I really hope they don't keep making 'hilarious' jokes about crazy things that will apparently happen in the next 3 years.

It makes no sense that Ron started his own company, we know he doesn't need the money and seemed to only be working to slow down the government. He hates things being done officially, and to set up a company like that would be nothing but paperwork and official inspections.

It was also kind of weird that they didn't show Leslie and Ben's kids, even though they were both on screen for the majority of the episodes, day and night. Poor kids, they've been shuffled off to sitcom daycare never to be seen again.

ThunbergsAreGo

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Didn't think the two eps were anything to ride home about but Megan Mullaly was very good. Werner Herzog's cameo will be hard to top in terms of fun.

This made me a laugh alot

TarfHead

So, it wasn't just me then :rolleyes:

I was really looking forward to the new season, but my anticipation was not sated by what I saw. The actors are playing slightly different versions of their characters, but not the characters that drove the show up to now.

It looked like the actors were enjoying themselves. Lesley slapping Jam was good physical comedy. Pity the same enjoyment wasn't to be had this side of the screen.