The Parks and Recreation reunion special brought the show's cast and characters back for one night, and it was just enough to satisfy viewers who have been missing their favorite characters from the NBC sitcom. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NBC decided to create a special Parks and Rec reunion episode featuring the return of the show's core cast. The network partnered with Feeding America to raise money for the pandemic's response.
Parks and Rec originally aired for seven seasons between 2009 and 2015. The mockumentary sitcom, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, followed the Parks Department of Pawnee, Indiana, and the quirky characters who worked there. Amy Poehler headlined the comedy as Leslie Knope, the ambitious Deputy Director of the department. By her side were Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), Donna Meagle (Retta), and Jerry Gergich (Jim O'Heir).
Schur and his crew took three weeks to create a new episode for the Parks and Rec reunion, which features the cast reprising their respective characters. Though the Parks and Rec series finale revealed many of their fates, the new episode fills in many gaps leading up to 2020. Many of the original writers returned and the visual effects were taken care of by the team from The Good Place. At the start of the reunion, Paul Rudd appears as his character, Bobby Newport, whose completely unaware of the coronavirus while hunting in Switzerland. Here are the biggest reveals from the Parks and Rec reunion episode.
Leslie Is As Selfless As Ever
Leslie still works at the Department of the Interior, but due to the pandemic, she was forced to shut down all of the national parks in her region. To fill her schedule, she started several committees while Ben is at home helping the kids with their schooling. As always, the well-being of others is Leslie's top priority so it should be no surprise to learn that she begins a daily phone chain to keep in touch with her friends and former colleagues.
Ben Has A New Cones Of Dunshire Idea
While cleaning the house, Ben came up with an idea involving the combination of Cones of Dunshire and his love of claymation. During the video chat with Leslie, Ben shares that he's writing a script for claymation based on the board game he once developed while unemployed. Thankfully, Ben is still an active congressman so checking up on citizens of Indiana distracts him from enacting on his new Cones of Dunshire idea.
Ron Was Prepared For The Pandemic...But Not For Tammy 2
Ron is the first person that Leslie contacts through video chat. He's taking shelter in his cabin and has no worries about resources considering he acquired a 12 year supply of meat through hunting. Ron, of course, isn't struggling with social distancing since he's been practicing it since he was a child. The Swanson family's safety is at risk, however, because Tammy 2 broke in since she still had her sights set on Ron. Diane helps to tie her up but Tammy broke through the ropes and escapes into the woods.
April & Andy Haven't Changed
April and Andy haven't changed since moving to Washington, D.C. years prior. April, whose video chat name ID is "Satan's Niece," creates a new method of dressing herself which involves pulling out five random pieces of clothing to wear each day. Andy gets himself locked in a shed and reveals to Ron that he's been in there for two days. He refuses to ask April for help because Burt Macklin can get himself out of any situation.
Ann & Chris Are Saving Lives
Ann and Chris are still living in Michigan but are forced to stay on opposite sides of their house. She went back to being a nurse and works in outpatient care. Chris, on the other hand, is staying with the kids and shares that he's donating blood multiple times a week by recommendation of the CDC. It turns out that Chris' perfect health has made him a "super healer."
Tom & Donna Are Living Their Best Lives
Tom is still married to Lucy and he's video chatting from Bali. He was on a book tour when the pandemic hit, so he was forced to stay in Bali since it was the last stop on the itinerary. While on lockdown, Tom has been brainstorming new business endeavors, including face masks with other people's mouths on them, mini iPads for fingers, and lasagna toilet paper. Tom calls Donna, who living happily with her husband, Joe. He now has a Mercedes that matches hers.
Nobody Wants To Talk To Jerry
Jerry, also known by his real name of Garry, is supposed to be one of the first contacts on the call chain but everyone passes over him. Donna avoids directly calling Garry by fooling Leslie into the call. He tries to update them on Pawnee seeing as he's still the acting mayor. Instead, he keeps using ridiculous face filters through the camera to their annoyance.
The Rest Of Pawnee Is Adapting
Joan Callamezzo (Mo Collins) is still producing regular content with a new show called At Home with Joan. She invites Leslie and Ben as her guests to give Pawnee advice about resources on mental health and how to keep the townspeople safe. Leslie and Ben provide their worry about people who may live alone, specifically Joan as she has surrounded herself with dolls. A commercial from Dennis Feinstein (Jason Mantzoukas) then plays revealing that he made a new fragrance called "Miracle Cure" which can repel people and kill living things, including germs within the body.
Leslie and Ben then serve as guests on Ya Heard? With Perd. The couple discusses the importance of staying connected to friends and family during this difficult time. In the middle of the show, a few more commercials play including one by Dr. Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser). He now has a quarantine mohawk and started a dental delivery service which sends patients the rightful supplies while he shows them what to do through video chat. Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Ben Schwartz) then pops in to share that he received a ton of money after being run over by a Porsche. He now needs people to call him because he's extremely lonely in his huge house. To end Perd's show, Andy drops in as Johnny Karate to tell kids to wash their hands and "karate chop the virus."
Lil Sebastian Is Still Greatly Missed
Leslie is so busy looking for others, but Ron realizes that they need to look out for her. With April's help, Ron organizes the entire Parks and Rec group on one big video chat. To lift Leslie's spirit, Andy sings "5,000 Candles in the Wind," the beloved memorial song for Li'l Sebastian. They all sing together and get emotional thinking about their favorite horse. The Parks and Recreation reunion special then closes with Leslie thanking Ron, her lifelong friend.