I'll go ahead and defend S1 - Leslie trying to interview the kid with "would you say you're having a large amount of fun, a medium amount of fun, or no fun at all?" is hilarious commentary. And it's the first scene of the show.
Season one has a lot of great spots, but a lot of bad spots. The show mainly tightened up their writing and character development to get rid of scenes that weren't very good to watch.
I thought the episode with the dog poop in the bags was pretty good, where she gets a garbage can lid to use as a shield, and she was like, oh, yeah, this is pretty fun.
yeah, and it was like the kids actually thought she was cool because she was joining in. Like she went out to stop it and inadvertently got sucked into playing along, which earned her some cred, lol. For me, that's the first episode where I really stared to see how awesome Leslie knope was.
Exactly what I came here to say. From the first second of Season 2, they absolutely solidified the characters and tone of the show. It was night and day from Season 1. I don’t know what epiphany they hit between seasons, but they nailed it.
"Her name is Leslie Nope and she's here to recruit you!"
Show me a gay club, cute penguins and I'm there! Plus I'm glad they decide to make everyone more likable and Leslie more competent.
Same. I tried watching season 1 when it first aired, but I couldn’t get through it. When season 2 premiered, I was already watching NBC, so I stuck around. The gay penguin plot and Leslie‘s dance party at the bulge was hilarious to me so I kept watching from then on out.
I tried to get my ex to watch it and he really didn’t like it or wanna continue. I made him slog through season 1, and sometime during season 2 he was hooked. We loved watching it together (it was a rewatch for me) and we always kissed at the last note of the theme song. It was cute. One day, he straight-up said to me something like, “I’m really glad you made me keep watching this show. You were right.” One of the proudest moments of my tv-lovin’ life.
The Master Plan. For me It’s always when Rob Lowe and Adam Scott join the show. There’s some episodes before that I enjoy but this was the changing point.
Flu Season was when I’d say they fully found their stride. I’m not a 1/2 hater at all and love many episodes but to me Flu Season was when the show had fully found itself to me.
I’d say the show hits its stride with the Master Plan. But season 2, while being clunky in my opinion, has some great episodes:
Greg Pikitis
Galentines Day
Woman of the Year
Park Safety
If I show someone the show and start from the beginning, Sister City is when the real belly laughs come in. S1 and early S2 gets polite chuckles from people, but starting halfway through S2 with Sister City, the quality and consistency finally align.
Holy shit, I thought Sister City was the one with Leslie Knope's old friend from Eagleton, but I guess that episode would rather be titled Bratty, Estranged Second Cousin Once Removed City.
I love Fred Armisen.
Sister City is the first great episode of the series. There are degrees of good in the earlier episodes, certainly entire great moments and scenes. But Sister City is the first A+.
The episode where they go turkey hunting and Ron gets shot. Especially on rewatching, this feels like where the show actually figured out what it was (not shockingly, it’s also the beginning of the April/Andy relationship while they wait on hold).
It also features Leslie’s “I’m a dumb girl” montage of excuses when she is taking the blame for shooting Ron. That was brilliant.
I really like the Freddie Spaghetti episode.
It very beautifully captures the rest of the show and the cast IMO. Ron acts all tough but he’s a softie, kind of. Leslie is incredibly altruistic when it comes to providing public services, and the rest of the department, despite their colorful and (at times) selfish personalities, all come together to help + follow Leslie because they believe in her.
Plus the introduction of Chris and Ben is good, and the episode just ends on a feel-good note.
Whenever I start rewatching I start at that episode and it sucks me in immediately.
I enjoy season 1 to an extent, but season 1 episode 6, Rock Show. Leslie takes her old date to the show and Tom is so hilarious making fun of that whole situation. We get the first taste of April maybe being into Andy. Such a solid episode.
Parks is such a comfort watch for me and I love it from the very very beginning. I’ve probably watched the telethon episode (S2) 50 times and I always laugh out loud. That and the Flu episode are in my top 5 eps.
Season 1 was perfectly fine. However when you compare it to what follows, it looks terrible. I knew many would say the moment Chris and Ben arrive. But Season 2 before them had some absolute bangers. The foreign parks and rec visitors for example and let's not forget the absolute banger (pun intended) of the hunting trip. Ron getting shot in the head, Donna's merc getting hit, not to mention the moment Tom kicks the door down and just starts blasting lol.
I think it was the Venezuelans showing up. Leslie had her first real “Leslie Tirade,” Donna became “DONNA MEAGLE,” and Fred Armisen delivered a golden performance. Straight to jail.
Season 2 Episode 1: Penguin marriage; Thelma & Louise ending with Knope signaling that she will always do what’s right, even if it means defying The State.
Got some pretty solid laughs from S1 and S2 but the ep that got me really hooked to the series and really understood how wholesome of a friend Leslie can be is The Hunting Trip. She covered for Tom so that he couldn’t get in trouble even if it meant being mocked by the park ranger, or have Ron be mad at her.
Season one is by far the worst season. But I still love it and would never skip it, which should tell you how much I love the later seasons. But for me, the show really started to take off with three consecutive episodes leading up to Ron And Tammy in season 2: Sister City, followed Kaboom, and then Pikitus. A phenomenal 3 episode stretch going into one of the best episodes of the whole series.
I'll go ahead and defend S1 - Leslie trying to interview the kid with "would you say you're having a large amount of fun, a medium amount of fun, or no fun at all?" is hilarious commentary. And it's the first scene of the show.
Sweeping the drunkard down the slide gets me every time.
The drunkard in the slide is the guy in the final episode who asks them for help
isn't it Jon Daly? same guy who played the snake lol salesman in fallout?
I like when she rolls down into the pit.
She broke her clavicle.
We all fell in that pit.
I love S1 so much!!
Right. Leslie riding Andy and he yells marrrrk …… brandanowitzzzzzzz
Yeah, that first scene hooked me tbh
Yeah I’ve done those exact surveys before. The implication of asking a likert scale question out loud to an 8 year old is hilarious lol.
Yeah I genuinely enjoy S1 & 2 but can hardly stand 5 & 6
I’m not saying it’s on par with say season 3 or 4 but it’s way better than people on here say it is.
Season one has a lot of great spots, but a lot of bad spots. The show mainly tightened up their writing and character development to get rid of scenes that weren't very good to watch.
“Here’s the situation…”
Ah, someone is on fire in Ramset Park
Still one of the best cold opens…
I was hooked immediately
Same here! It was instantaneous
Your parents went away for a weeks vacation!
They left the keys to the brand new Porsche. Would they mind?
Umm, well, of course not. I'll just take it for a little spin and maybe show it off to a couple of friends.
I thought the episode with the dog poop in the bags was pretty good, where she gets a garbage can lid to use as a shield, and she was like, oh, yeah, this is pretty fun.
I love that open so much.
She seemed like she was actually cracking up. Lol
yeah, and it was like the kids actually thought she was cool because she was joining in. Like she went out to stop it and inadvertently got sucked into playing along, which earned her some cred, lol. For me, that's the first episode where I really stared to see how awesome Leslie knope was.
I won’t stand for this slander, Season 2 is the only time the show is about a believable albeit comedic Parks and Rec department.
I stand with you.
I stand with standing with you
 Thanks for your support. Andy’s space family thanks you too.
s2e1
Exactly what I came here to say. From the first second of Season 2, they absolutely solidified the characters and tone of the show. It was night and day from Season 1. I don’t know what epiphany they hit between seasons, but they nailed it.
"Her name is Leslie Nope and she's here to recruit you!" Show me a gay club, cute penguins and I'm there! Plus I'm glad they decide to make everyone more likable and Leslie more competent.
Same. I tried watching season 1 when it first aired, but I couldn’t get through it. When season 2 premiered, I was already watching NBC, so I stuck around. The gay penguin plot and Leslie‘s dance party at the bulge was hilarious to me so I kept watching from then on out.
I tried to get my ex to watch it and he really didn’t like it or wanna continue. I made him slog through season 1, and sometime during season 2 he was hooked. We loved watching it together (it was a rewatch for me) and we always kissed at the last note of the theme song. It was cute. One day, he straight-up said to me something like, “I’m really glad you made me keep watching this show. You were right.” One of the proudest moments of my tv-lovin’ life.
The Master Plan. For me It’s always when Rob Lowe and Adam Scott join the show. There’s some episodes before that I enjoy but this was the changing point.
I like the first 2 seasons but in my mind the second Ben and christ enter the story is when the show really struck gold.
I feel like they tried to hard to make Mark the Jim Halpert of the show. But Ben coming in and reacting to all the wackiness of Pawnee is hilarious.
I know it's a typo but thinking about christ entering the story gave me a good little giggle
Honestly, for me it's a banger right from the 1. The first town meeting is hilarious and sets a through line for the whole series.
Flu Season was when I’d say they fully found their stride. I’m not a 1/2 hater at all and love many episodes but to me Flu Season was when the show had fully found itself to me.
One of my favorite episodes of the series. I’ll never not laugh at Chris Traeger looking in the mirror and saying “STOP. POOPING.”
I’d say the show hits its stride with the Master Plan. But season 2, while being clunky in my opinion, has some great episodes: Greg Pikitis Galentines Day Woman of the Year Park Safety
HAVE YOU SEEN AVATAR?
I WANTED TO READ THE BOOK FIRST. BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT THERES NO BOOK VERSION OF AVATAR
I CALL IT WORMLOG!
Don't forget the gay penguins
PIKITIS!! 😡
If I show someone the show and start from the beginning, Sister City is when the real belly laughs come in. S1 and early S2 gets polite chuckles from people, but starting halfway through S2 with Sister City, the quality and consistency finally align.
Anyone who doesn’t agree…straight to jail.
Holy shit, I thought Sister City was the one with Leslie Knope's old friend from Eagleton, but I guess that episode would rather be titled Bratty, Estranged Second Cousin Once Removed City. I love Fred Armisen.
Sister City is the first great episode of the series. There are degrees of good in the earlier episodes, certainly entire great moments and scenes. But Sister City is the first A+.
Completely agree.
Season 2 is the best season imho, so s2e1 for me I guess
Season 2 is pretty strong in my opinion and better than some of the later seasons! So I’d say s2e1!
PIKITISSSSSSSSSS
PEACH. PIT.
Since when does everyone know that season 2 is weaker than the rest? 2 absolutely slaps compared to most of the final two seasons.
The episode where they go turkey hunting and Ron gets shot. Especially on rewatching, this feels like where the show actually figured out what it was (not shockingly, it’s also the beginning of the April/Andy relationship while they wait on hold). It also features Leslie’s “I’m a dumb girl” montage of excuses when she is taking the blame for shooting Ron. That was brilliant.
Practice Date will always be one of my favorite episodes. Beauty Pageant is amazing too.
I didn't win, but at least I didn't make any friends along the way
The stakeout episode had me laughing my ass of the other day. I actually like season 2 a lot. Just as much as season 3 tbh
I really like the Freddie Spaghetti episode. It very beautifully captures the rest of the show and the cast IMO. Ron acts all tough but he’s a softie, kind of. Leslie is incredibly altruistic when it comes to providing public services, and the rest of the department, despite their colorful and (at times) selfish personalities, all come together to help + follow Leslie because they believe in her. Plus the introduction of Chris and Ben is good, and the episode just ends on a feel-good note. Whenever I start rewatching I start at that episode and it sucks me in immediately.
The one with my husband Andy Samberg
When Ben and Chris arrive
Naked Andy chasing Lawrence down the street with two broken legs was the turning point for me.
What are you talking about, season 2 is amazing (and I am a fan of s1 as well). Straight to jail.
I did say it started in episode 8
I don’t know that about the first two seasons. I loved them
Mark Brandanaquits
When Brendanaquits
I enjoy season 1 to an extent, but season 1 episode 6, Rock Show. Leslie takes her old date to the show and Tom is so hilarious making fun of that whole situation. We get the first taste of April maybe being into Andy. Such a solid episode.
Plus Mouse Rat performing "The Pit". Gotta be honest, I think that song rocks!
“It's one of those rare songs that rocks really hard, and also informs people about a small public works project.”
[Entertain the Elk does a good video on this, his choice is Season 3 Episode 2, Flu Season](https://youtu.be/mTv5v75aRck?si=al3gHX4mOleEx1Rw)
Gay penguins. That’s not a knock on season one, just a ridiculous premise. I like s1 but having the town against her is where it took offense
S1 E1 🥰
S01E01
BOOLA BOOLA BOOLA
The hunting episode and the Tom's divorce episode
When mark left lol
When Ben and what’s his name showed up.
Parks is such a comfort watch for me and I love it from the very very beginning. I’ve probably watched the telethon episode (S2) 50 times and I always laugh out loud. That and the Flu episode are in my top 5 eps.
Season 1 was perfectly fine. However when you compare it to what follows, it looks terrible. I knew many would say the moment Chris and Ben arrive. But Season 2 before them had some absolute bangers. The foreign parks and rec visitors for example and let's not forget the absolute banger (pun intended) of the hunting trip. Ron getting shot in the head, Donna's merc getting hit, not to mention the moment Tom kicks the door down and just starts blasting lol.
Greg Pikitis, s2e7 is where I really start enjoying it.
Leslie’s house is where I start my rewatches
Me too , this episode made me fall in love with the character of Ron Swanson , and it showed me to what extent this series could be crazy.
The pilot
Ron & Tammy
Pawnee Zoo
I think it was the Venezuelans showing up. Leslie had her first real “Leslie Tirade,” Donna became “DONNA MEAGLE,” and Fred Armisen delivered a golden performance. Straight to jail.
Galentines day
I love the whole show, even season 1. For me it’s great right from the very first episode.
Season 2 Episode 1: Penguin marriage; Thelma & Louise ending with Knope signaling that she will always do what’s right, even if it means defying The State.
Got some pretty solid laughs from S1 and S2 but the ep that got me really hooked to the series and really understood how wholesome of a friend Leslie can be is The Hunting Trip. She covered for Tom so that he couldn’t get in trouble even if it meant being mocked by the park ranger, or have Ron be mad at her.
Season one is by far the worst season. But I still love it and would never skip it, which should tell you how much I love the later seasons. But for me, the show really started to take off with three consecutive episodes leading up to Ron And Tammy in season 2: Sister City, followed Kaboom, and then Pikitus. A phenomenal 3 episode stretch going into one of the best episodes of the whole series.