Parks and Recreation season 5 episode 1 review: Ms. Knope Goes To Washington

This review contains spoilers.

5.1 Ms. Knope Goes To Washington

It feels like forever since the last episode of Parks and Rec aired back in May, but here we are! A brand new season ahead of us. Can it be as good as the previous ones? Probably. It’s a series that has the potential to go from strength to strength and here at Den of Geek we've always been ready to chat excitedly about it, so let’s get to the chat!

So where did we leave off? Leslie won the election against Bobby Newport, Ann and Tom decided in a drunken haze it would be the best idea in the world to move in together, Ben was offered a job in Washington which he accepted on the insistence of Leslie, April took on extra responsibility with Leslie’s old job, Andy realised his true dream was to become a police officer, Chris realised what was missing in his life (love) and Ron…well Ron’s just carried on as normal.

This episode starts off with Leslie and Andy visiting Ben - who has hired April as his intern - in Washington. Leslie has some important meetings about federal funding to clean up the river in Pawnee, while Ben is a busy man with important dinner dates and contacts. However, when Leslie’s important meeting is cancelled and she goes to a party with Ben, the realisation of how low she is on the political food chain becomes overwhelming for her.

Back in Pawnee, Ron decides to take on some of Leslie’s duties by holding the annual BBQ, or the “Leslie Knope Employment Enjoyment Summer Slam Grill Jam FUN-SPLOSION”, only with no fun or enjoyment this time round. Ron even brings his own pig, Tom, for them to slaughter and roast, as he declares, “meet your meat”. So Ron is on fine form you'll be glad to know. The way he manages to ooze such sour disdain at the mere mention of vegetables at a BBQ is one of the many reasons on an ever-growing list of reasons Ron Swanson is one of the greatest TV characters ever. Bold claim I know, but I fully stand by it.

Thankfully, Tom and Anne’s relationship is kaput, that was never going to be a credible storyline and it genuinely felt like Anne’s character had become a bit of a spare part in the last series after her break up with Chris. Partnering her with nerd extraordinaire Tom Haverford was really a low blow, the Anne we knew from Season two would never have done this! With the break up a solid one this time, hopefully Anne can become a significant character on her own again, and not the girlfriend of such-and-such.

All the other characters chimed together beautifully, with Donna’s dry quips making her one of my new favourites and Chris Traeger’s energetic persona never faltering. I honestly do not think Chris Traeger saying “literally” will never not be funny. It literally, never fails.

Amy Poehler’s contacts from Saturday Night Live probably came in handy for tonight’s episode as John McCain makes a surprising and pretty amusing cameo, but with them visiting the capital it would have been a missed opportunity not to tie those in.

Obviously, seeds have been sewn for future plot points, the long-distance relationship between Ben and Leslie is going to be a big one which hopefully will not go down a clichéd route, and we also have the reshuffle of the office with Ron taking on several of Leslie’s old tasks. These will most likely fuel many of the funnier moments of the season and all done well, this is great fodder for the season ahead.

Parks and Recreation never barrels in with an over the top, ridiculously funny first episode. It eases you in and it gains momentum from there. This was a great start to what will hopefully be an awesome season of twists and turns. With a show that makes you so connected to the characters and their lives, it’s hard not to be excited about what the future holds for them. For a sitcom, that’s actually pretty damn rare. On to the next episode please!