The 2010s played host to some of the best television shows of all time. That included tense dramas, epic fantasy series, and some of the funniest comedies ever crafted. Among those hilarious sitcoms was the impressive political mockumentary Parks and Recreation.
Initially, some felt that the show was just a ripoff of the more popular mockumentary The Office. Over time, it evolved into its own phenomenal show with tremendous beloved characters, memorable plot points, fantastic guest stars, and so much more. Looking at the average ratings on IMDb, it's interesting to see when Parks and Recreation was at its very best.
Season 1 (7.3)
The inaugural season of Parks & Rec actually feels like the entire pilot rather than what is typically reserved for the first episode. It comes across as the series struggling to learn what it is and some characters don't feel like who they would end up becoming. One major gripe with this season is that it seems like it's trying too hard to replicate the awkwardness that made The Office a success.
It didn't click as well for this series. What this set of episodes does do well is set things in motion, including establishing the friendship between Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) and Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), and explaining who Apil Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), and the other main characters are.
Season 2 (8.1)
It's quite clear that Parks & Rec finds its footing during the sophomore run of episodes. With 24 installments compared to a mere six in season one, it gets a bigger opportunity to showcase what the world of Pawnee, Indiana is. There are some slip-ups early but right around the outstanding "Greg Pikitis" episode, things take off. A few major recurring storylines are put in motion here.
There's the romance between April and Andy (Chris Pratt), the aforementioned Greg Pikitis appearance, Jerry (Jim O'Heir) being the butt of everyone's jokes, and Tom's divorce. This is also the final season where Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider) is part of the main cast. Some of the guest stars included are great like Will Arnett and Fred Armisen.
Season 6 (8.2)
The sixth season is around the time where you can really tell that the show is nearing the end. That often happens in a long-running series when characters begin moving into different phases of their lives. For example, this season begins with Andy taking a job in London, sees Ron (Nick Offerman) get married, and marks the exit of Ann and Chris (Rob Lowe) as they head off to live in Michigan.
Another major storyline sees Pawnee merging with their hated counterparts from the nearby city of Eagleton, which allows the likes of the talented Kristen Bell to join the cast. It also sets up the wonderful unity concert in "Moving Up" that could've worked as a series finale. Leslie's main plot sees her struggling with getting recalled from her City Council position, while Tom opens a restaurant.
Season 5 (8.2)
After being voted in as a City Councilwoman, Leslie learns that the job isn't all that she hoped it would be. The residents of Pawnee are generally terrible and Leslie must fight for everything she tries in her position against fellow council member Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser). This season also sees the start of the Ron/Diane romance, as well as Andy's road to becoming a police officer, and Ann's attempts to get pregnant.
There are some true standout installments, with the high points probably being "Two Parties" (8.9), "Ron and Diane" (9.0), and "Leslie and Ben" (9.3), with the latter being the emotional wedding for the beloved couple. Another great moment comes in the season finale, where Andy tries to figure out which woman from the office is pregnant, only to discover that it's Diane.
Season 4 (8.3)
The level of consistency with this series following the debut season is remarkable. There's next to no dip in quality or even a huge raise in it. It's all steadily great. The fourth season focuses on Leslie's running for a city council seat and how all of her friends come together to assist her because of how much she does for them.
Some of the guest stars are fantastic. Patricia Clarkson as Tammy One, Paul Rudd as Bobby Newport, and Kathryn Hahn as Jen Barkley are the standouts. Meanwhile, some of the side plots are hilarious like Ben (Adam Scott) living with April and Andy. However, a few things do miss the mark like Tom dating Ann.
Season 7 (8.4)
It can be difficult to wrap up a series that has been going on for so long in a satisfying way. It's even tougher to do when the show does a time jump, which is just what Parks & Rec pulled off. Season seven sees the show advance three years into the future following the events of season six and things change in a major way. For one, Ben and Leslie now have triplets.
Leslie is also at war with Ron until they become friends again in the outstanding "Leslie and Ron" episode (9.6). Tom goes through major highs and lows as a mogul, Andy has his own television series, and April moves on to work outside of the government. Ann and Chris return, John Cena shows up as a guest star, and of course, the series finale is one of the show's best episodes. "One Last Ride" (9.6) manages to wrap everything up perfectly.
Season 3 (8.5)
In the season two finale, Ben Wyatt and Chris Trager arrive in Pawnee. Starting in season three, they join the main cast and their inclusion helps turn the show from something really good into something truly great. Things start with the Parks Department opening back up after a three-month government shutdown.
Some of the most iconic episodes in the series happen in season three including "Flu Season" (9.0), "Harvest Festival" (8.8), "The Fight" (8.9), and more. From the incredible unexpected wedding between April and Andy to the Li'l Sebastian memorial service, this set of episodes is basically Parks & Rec at its very best.