On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Six of Parks and Recreation!
PARKS AND RECREATION: SEASON SIX
2013-2014
22 episodes
The sixth season of Parks and Recreation continues the show's streak of stellar television as it starts to catapult toward its end game. This season does have one unfortunate addition (more on him below) and an on-going story about Leslie's recall that works at times. But the second half of the season really sends it towards its surprising twist ending and set up for the final season. This is also the final season with Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe in the main cast as they both depart at midseason. From a rating standpoint, it's the fourth straight season with a very similar score showing just how consistent this show became.
Starring
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (22 episodes)
Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford (21 episodes)
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson (22 episodes)
Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate (22 episodes)
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson (22 episodes)
Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate (22 episodes)
Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt (22 episodes)
Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer (16 episodes)
Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich (21 episodes)Retta as Donna Meagle (22 episodes)
Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger (13 episodes)
Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins (11 episodes)Jay Jackson as Perd Hapley (11 episodes)
Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks (10 episodes)
Jon Glaser as Councilman Jamm (8 episodes)
Marc Evan Jackson as Trevor Nelsson (6 episodes)
Kevin Symons as Bill Dexhart (6 episodes)Yvans Jourdain as Councilman Howser (5 episodes)
Ben Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (5 episodes)Henry Winkler as Dr. Saperstein (5 episodes)
Richard Burch as Herman Lerpiss (4 episodes)
Mo Collins as Joan Callamezzo (4 episodes)James Greene as Councilman Milton (4 episodes)
Helen Slayton-Hughes as Ethel Beavers (4 episodes)Andy Forrest as Kyle (3 episodes)
Lucy Lawless as Diane Lewis (3 episodes)
Rylan Lee as Ivy Lewis (3 episodes)
Jenny Slate as Mona Lisa Saperstein (3 episodes)
John Balma as Barney (2 episodes)
Alison Becker as Shauna Malwae-Tweep (2 episodes)Andrew Burlinson as Burly (2 episodes)
Mel Cowan as Mel (2 episodes)
Eric Isenhower as Orin (2 episodes)Joe Mande as Morris (2 episodes)
Mike Mitchell as Bjorn Lerpiss (2 episodes)
Mark Rivers as Rivers (2 episodes)
Sadie Salazar as Zoe Lewis (2 episodes)
Alan Yang as Chang (2 episodes)
Susan Yeagley as Jessica Wicks (2 episodes)
Colton Dunn as Brett (1 episode)
Kathryn Hahn as Jennifer Barkley (1 episode)Will McLaughlin as Officer Killnose (1 episode)
Jim Meskiman as Martin Housely (1 episode)
Megan Mullally as Tammy Swanson (1 episode)
Cooper Thornton as Dr. Harris (1 episode)
Harris Wittels as Harris (1 episode)
Leslie tries to revitalize her polling before a recall vote and April gets Leslie an award to accept in London. Tom deals with a rival store to Rent A Swag opening across the street. Ann and Chris announce they are pregnant. Ron and Diane get married and Diane is pregnant.
Season six kicks off with a one hour episode and a trip to London. The plot was brought on because the newly buff Chris Pratt was filming Guardians of the Galaxy in London. I love that even as Pratt became a big movie star, he was still fully dedicated to Parks and Rec even though he does miss a few episodes in this season. This episode gives a good opportunity for some cast members to take a trip even if the plot reason is a little flimsy. It also has the addition of the great Henry Winkler as Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa's father, adding to my favorite family of side characters. There's a little bit of a weird Jerry moment that feels quite out of character. I think the show probably would have run the risk of Jerry becoming a major caricature (like some side characters on The Office) if it had run much longer but the time jump helps negate that (more on that in Season Seven). Finally, there's a really wonderful Ron scene towards the end of the episode.
RATING: 8/10
93. The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic (10/3/13)
Ben and Chris are asked to audit Eagleton when they find out the city is in trouble financially. Ron becomes concerned with privacy when a Penny Saver addressed to him arrives at Diane's. Ann takes April to an orientation at vet school.
This is somewhat of a follow-up to the third season episode "Eagleton" and the start of a fun arc. While Kristen Bell is delightful as the snobby city councilwoman from Eagleton, it's a shame that Parker Posey wasn't back for this episode because no one pulls off snobby like Posey. Still, we have Leslie's complete hate for Eagleton and that's very enjoyable. Chris Pratt is missing from this episode and that is felt because Andy is such a force and presence in every episode. Ron's privacy plot feels a little bit like a retread of past episodes and it is going back over some similar Ron character traits so it feels unnecessary.
RATING: 7/10
94. Doppelgangers (10/10/13)
After merging with Eagleton, Leslie pairs up each member of the Parks department with their Eagleton equivalent. Ann tells Leslie that she and Chris are considering leaving Pawnee.
The Eagleton-Pawnee merging arc continues with this episode which has a couple really great moments but also the introduction of one truly terrible character. The idea of each Pawnee department member dealing with their Eagleton equivalent is ripe for comedy and there are some highlights with a truly hilarious performance from Aubrey Plaza embodying her counterpart and a strong guest appearance from Sam Elliott as the anti-Ron. However, this is the first of many appearances from Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks. I typically don't find Eichner funny and he is especially grating in this role. He's one of the worst elements of the last couple years of Parks and Recreationi.
RATING: 7.5/10
After Donna inadvertently sends a tweet from the Parks department, Councilman Jamm holds a hearing in the midst of Leslie's recall battle. Ben encourages Ron to put together a will. Tom thinks he's met his soulmate.
It's a little odd that this episode basically ignores all the new characters introduced in the previous episode as it turns the attention back to the Recall vote. However, the Recall vote is ripe for comedy and this episode has some great moments as it thrusts Donna into a more prominent role. I love that Perd Hapley's show calls is "Twitter Watergate" instead of "Twittergate." There's also a strong guest appearance from the always reliable Tatiana Maslany and a pretty solid story for Ron's character involving his will.
RATING: 7.5/10
96. Filibuster (11/14/13)
On the night of an early 90s-themed birthday party for Ben, Leslie has to filibuster a meeting to allow former Eagleton residents to vote in Pawnee. Andy comes back temporarily from London and has reservations about going back. Ron gets very involved in an arcade shooting game.
Although this is the second "Leslie filibuster" episode (the first was way back in season one), it's still a great showcase for Amy Poehler. Forcing Leslie into this situation is ideal for the character and the actress. I also love the details of the "early 90s" birthday party (including the "Wyatt Ben can't jump" sign). I wish that Tatiana Maslany had become a recurring character. She had such a natural chemistry with Aziz Ansari. Finally, it's just wonderful to have Chris Pratt back if only temporarily. He has a couple great lines in this episode and he was missed.
RATING: 8.5/10
97. Recall Vote (11/14/13)
Leslie loses the recall vote and gets very depressed on the same day as a Parks department Halloween party. Ron's chairs catch the eye of a lifestyle guru.
I think it was an interesting call by the show to have Leslie actually lose the recall vote. On one hand, it's a little bit of a surprise turn in the plot but on the other hand, it also seems like a little bit of a forced story. I don't think the show needed this ongoing story to make Leslie's city council career interesting. There are some fun moments in this episode though (Amy Poehler and Adam Scott play a drunk couple very well and Mo Collins has a very funny moment as Joan). There's also a fun guest appearance by Erinn Hayes in an otherwise pretty useless B story.
RATING: 5.5/10
98. Fluoride (11/21/13)
Leslie tries to use the Eagleton reservoir to add flouride to the water in Pawnee but runs into objection from Councilman Jamm. Ron and Chris bond over being impending first time Dads. Donna and April bond after naming spirit animals for people in the office.
This episode starts with another cameo parade of Indianapolis Colts. The first time many of them appeared in season five was a little awkward but still fun. This time it feels like unnecessary cameos, a hallmark of shows later on in their runs but a trope that Parks and Rec should be above. There is one strong story is this episode and it's the flouride one, which has some funny moments from Leslie and Councilman Jamm. The other two are less interesting. The pairing of Ron and Chris doesn't lead to much and the Donna-April story is disappointing especially with the return of the awful Billy Eichner.
RATING: 4/10
Leslie and Chris try to charm Councilman Jamm into securing money for Leslie's park plan. Donna and Tom help Ron sell his cabin. Ben returns to the accounting job he quit twice.
This episode has Ben's famous game, The Cones of Dunshire, which must have been fun for the writers to create (I have often thought that Mike Schur certainly has elements of Ben in him). I also love Ben's on-going back and forth with the accounting firm. It's a really fun plot that pops up once in awhile. However, the "A" plot of this episode - Leslie and Chris with Councilman Jamm - feels so tired by this point. Jamm is not much more than a one trick pony and the show sometimes uses him much more than they should. What really was different here than the mini golf episode?
RATING: 6/10
100. Second Chunce (1/9/14)
On her last day in office, Leslie sees a chance to run again when Congressman Dexhart gets embroiled in another sex scandal. Tom listens to pitches from others for business ideas after selling Rent-A-Swag. Ann and Chris decide to find out the gender of their baby.
I really like this episode, which begins to catapult Parks and Recreation toward its end game. The pivotal moment is the scene with Jennifer Barkley, who hasn't been seen in a long time. I love her short speech to Leslie at the end so Leslie begins to see for the first time that she's bigger than Pawnee and as much as she loves it, she can only give so much before she needs to reach higher. It's the biggest character development for Leslie in awhile. There's also some great moments with two of the three Sapersteins and serviceable stories from the rest plus the return of Andy!
RATING: 9/10
101. New Beginnings (1/16/14)
Leslie returns to the parks department and finds out things have changed since she left. Chris and Ann decide to get married. Ben starts his job as city manager and April, Andy and Donna decide to mess with him.
This episode focuses almost exclusively on the main cast and it feels like it's been awhile since that has happened. While the last episode moved Leslie's story forward, this one took a necessary step back where she starts to see for herself that the Parks department can function without her (viewers started to see it before this episode). It's not about them not needing Leslie, it's that she's left a legacy there and should be ready to make her mark elsewhere. Ben trying to pull a prank and failing miserably is a pretty funny scene too.
RATING: 7/10
102. Farmers Market (1/23/14)
Leslie and Ben are at odds over a vendor's sales tactics at the Pawnee Farmers Market. Ann is tired of late pregnancy symptoms and Chris' optimistic attitude. Andy plays guitar for Craig's nephew's birthday party.
It seems like Ann got super pregnant all of the sudden in this episode. Anyway, it does allow for some funny moments from Rashida Jones who often fades into the background. The main story is a good one for Leslie and Ben. Being constantly married to the job in the same building while being married to each other means there will be some tensions. Ben and Leslie working closely together with Ben the superior hasn't happened that much. So it's a good episode despite Billy Eichner's best attempts to ruin it.
RATING: 8/10
Leslie throws a goodbye party for Ann and also tries to have the groundbreaking at the lot that brought them together. The guys try to come up with a thoughtful goodbye present for Chris.
Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe say goodbye in this episode and it's a nice goodbye to the characters. Parks and Recreation is a wonderful show and does so many great things but I think a pretty glaring weak spot was they never really knew how to use Ann and, after the first year or so he was on the show, Chris. Ann is really a character that exists through Leslie's eyes more than as her own character. Even this finale is just as much about Leslie as it is about Ann. I like Jones and Lowe as actors and I'm sad for the other characters on the show that they leave, but the most essential characters are still there.
RATING: 7.5/10
104. Anniversaries (2/27/14)
Leslie uses an elderly couple to try to bring Pawnee and Eagleton together. Ben tries to plan a surprise for Leslie a day before their anniversary but she is too busy. April leaves a bad review of Donna on Yelp for her work at the animal clinic.
The first post-Ann and Chris episode is a pretty standard one but it does allow for some different pairings, most notably Ben and Jerry/Larry/Garry. The two of them, who have rarely have significant interaction, spend the day doing the anniversary activities Ben planned for Leslie and it has many comedic moments. There's also a very minor, but very funny, story with Ron leaving reviews (via snail mail). I think the Donna/April story didn't need to happen because it feels like we just had a Donna-April feuding story and this felt like the same thing.
RATING: 6/10
105. The Wall (3/6/14)
Leslie plans to tear down a wall between Pawnee and Eagleton but it ends up being infested with bees and stinging Eagleton residents. Tom and Ben go in together on a business proposal. Ron takes on a new hobby at city hall.
There's something I love about this episode and something I hate about this episode. The thing I love is that Ron Swanson just suddenly became a father. We knew Diane was pregnant but it was totally true to the character that there's no birth episode. Instead, it's handled so matter of factly and I'm glad the show didn't try to do more. On the other hand, Craig is becoming a more prominent member of the ensemble and that is just terrible. I wasn't always an Ann or Chris fan but I would take them 110 times out of 100 over Craig. For a show that usually has very layered main characters and hilarious side characters, he is neither. A complete caricature hanging out with the main cast and one who's terribly unfunny at that. Yuck. I will try not to complain about him for the rest of the episodes he's in.
RATING: 6/10
106. New Slogan (3/13/14)
Leslie and Ben work on a new slogan for Pawnee but the internet vote gets hijacked by Crazy Ira and The Douche. Andy discovers Ron is Duke Silver. Tom tries to find a location for his restaurant.
This is another episode that makes a conscious effort to move the Leslie character forward. I like how they were laying the groundwork for their Season 7 plans and end game plans once again. It allows us to see how Pawnee can function without Leslie, even if it's pretty inept to start (thanks Larry!). Some of the non-Leslie stories fall flat this season though and the Tom's Bistro one is a good example, one that doesn't really go anywhere. We do get another Duke Silver appearance though and that is always enjoyable.
RATING: 7/10
Leslie plans a Galentine's Day to try to find a replacement for Ann. Tom, Ben and Larry deal with a difficult tent owner. Ron helps Andy when he loses a tooth.
After only a few episodes away, Rashida Jones returns for a short guest appearance in this episode after Ann and Chris have their baby. It's a nice tie-in to the idea of Leslie finding a new Ann and I guess it's important to follow up on the baby story. Leslie's Galentine's Day lunch is fun especially when each of them share their favorite TV show (I especially love Ethel Beavers choosing Diagnosis Murder). The Ron and Andy story is also pretty solid as they are always an underrated combo of characters who don't get a ton of plots together. Finally, Ben's declaration that he likes Larry at the end of the episode is a great moment for the whole group.
RATING: 8/10
108. Prom (4/3/14)
Leslie organizes a prom for the local high school and fights with Ron over a summer job for a high school girl they work with. April worries about how different she and Andy were in high school. Tom is depressed when he thinks he's too old to know what kids like.
This episode is a fun one all the way through but ends with a pretty hilarious callback (although wouldn't Greg Pikitis be well out of high school by this point? Or maybe he was younger than we thought the first time around). These types of episodes are always fun because they give a very organic reason to get the entire Parks Department together at an event and then have some fun with them. There's a real sweetness to the Andy and April story and while it's a tried and true divide between Leslie and Ron, it still allows for some fun moments.
RATING: 8.5/10
109. Flu Season 2 (4/10/14)
Flu season has hit the Parks Department again but Leslie finds out her symptoms might indicate pregnancy. Tom, Donna, April and Craig go to a wine conference while Tom tries to find someone for his restaurant. Ben gets drunk while talking with Ron.
"Flu Season 2" is a little bit of a misnomer for this episode because it initially seems like it's playing off of the classic Season 3 episode "Flu Season" but then diverges pretty quickly and doesn't really have anything to do with the flu after the first couple minutes (which, admittedly, do have some funny moments for both Andy and Jerry). Of course it is a momentous episode for Ben and Leslie even though they spend the majority of the episode apart. The wine conference plot is only okay thanks to Craig's presence.
RATING: 6/10
110. One in 8,000 (4/17/14)
Leslie and Ben find out they are having triplets. Andy has a hard time keeping Leslie and Ben's news a secret. Ron meets Donna's ex-husband.
There's a little bit of an eyeroll from me when Leslie and Ben find out about the triplets. Multiple births on TV is just so much more common than in real life and it's a tired "twist." That being said, it does provide for a lot of comedy from Ben's freak-out to Leslie's calm demeanor at the auction. The funniest part of this episode though is Andy having to keep a secret. Chris Pratt is such a master at comedy of all kinds. This is the only episode to not have Aziz Ansari and it seems weird to not have Tom in the final scene when the pregnancy is announced (speaking of which, did we need to have Craig there?)
RATING: 6.5/10
Leslie speaks at a National Parks Conference in San Francisco while trying to decide about her future. Tom opens Tom's Bistro before the unity concert. Ben finds out Cones of Dunshire has gained popularity around the country.
I remember watching this episode when it first aired and it felt like a series finale until the final seconds when the flash forward happens. I do think Parks and Recreation could have ended with this episode and it would have been okay but I also like the ambitious choice for the final season and the actual final episode. It's just so perfect that Leslie's final act in her current role is a big event. The show always did those well. There's a guest appearance by Michelle Obama, who was First Lady at the time. While I do love Mrs. Obama, it feels a little bit gimmicky though it is mostly saved by Amy Poehler's performance in the scene. Plus, I think this performance of "Bye Bye Li'l Sebastian" tops the original!
RATING: 9/10
AVERAGE RATING FOR SEASON SIX:
7.3/10
The Best Episodes
1. "Moving Up" (#111/112) - 9/10
2. "Second Chunce" (#100) - 9/10
3. "Prom" (#108) - 8.5/10
4. "Filibuster" (#96) - 8.5/10
5. "London" (#91/92) - 8/10
The Worst Episodes
1. "Fluoride" (#98) - 4/10
2. "Recall Vote" (#97) - 5.5/10
3. "The Wall" (#105) - 6/10
4. "Anniversaries" (#104) - 6/10
5. "The Cones of Dunshire" (#99) - 6/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at the seventh and final season of Parks and Recreation!
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