The story comes from the events of the day-Pawnee's most dedicated civil servant, Leslie Knope, is determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing.
It's fun. I loved it. Spending 30 minutes visiting these fake characters who I haven't seen in five years ranked right up there with many of my Zoom calls to friends and family who I haven't seen in what feels like five years.
Parks and Recreation managed to raft a reunion special that, while satisfying on a base level, also speaks directly to the challenges we're facing today.
Well, I cried, of course. But it was the nice kind of crying. Maybe I even needed it. And hey, sometimes that's all you can ask for from a visit with old friends.
"A Parks and Recreation Special" doesn't need my charitable pass because it's a delight. Given the technical limitations and difficult circumstances, the Parks team is able to create something that feels like a satisfying reunion.
Groundbreaking or not, we need that warmth and that hope now more than ever and, with a characteristically good cause, "A Parks and Recreation Special" more than delivered.
Watching the reunion special, I found I could still enjoy its bighearted comedy, albeit less as optimistic realism and more as utopian science fiction.
Rather than pure escapism or cringe-worthy seriousness, the Parks and Rec writers created something that feels urgent without being self-important, and sweet without being saccharine.
