What I’m Watching: Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation: Season 3, Episode 7 “Harvest Festival” (B+)

The big day is here, and it’s just as exciting for us viewers as it is for the people of Pawnee since we’ve been without this terrific show for a whole three weeks! I for one am thrilled to have it back, and I think this is a shining example of how awesome this show can be without even really trying that hard. The Harvest Festival did go off pretty well, and even the problems, semi-ridiculous as they were, ended up being well-handled and generally tempered enough so as not to seem ridiculous and gimmicky. Part of the fun comes from Joan Callamezzo’s outrageous attempts to try to find something wrong with the festival and the media reaction to the notion of this curse, rather than the actual response of the characters. It was hilarious to see Ben’s incomprehension of the big deal surrounding L’il Sebastian, and Ron’s description of his ability to solve the maze in fifteen minutes rather than four hours (or, in Jerry’s case, not at all) was great. April telling Andy she loved him and him responding with “Awesomesauce” was simply superb, and Ron did a stellar job of yelling at everyone on the Ferris wheel and pointing out their individual faults. That final shot of Leslie getting lost in the crowd was magnificent, and a hint that this show has much more to offer than most would assume. That’s a good thing, since this show just got renewed for a fourth season! We’re still less than halfway through this season, so what could be better than a season and a half (at least) of this show to look forward to?