I’ve been watching a lot of Parks and Recreation lately (for research purposes, of course). While I was watching, I realized how many current moments this show seemed to predict. From elections to tech companies to life during a pandemic, Parks and Rec seems to have it all covered to the point where I’m wondering if the writers are time travelers and trying to warn us about what’s to come.
In honor of this amazing show – which tragically left Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime on October 1st – it’s time to look back at the show’s best moments and all the times it seemed to predict the future.
“Flu Season” (Season 3)
Parks and Rec’s episode about the flu has a lot to say about the current pandemic. A contagious respiratory illness sweeps through Pawnee, making everyone nervous about getting sick. They even show Chris wearing a mask to avoid getting sick. I wish I could go back to a time when I saw his N95 mask and thought, “Huh, what’s that?”
I think we can all relate to at leat one of the character’s reactions to the flu, whether it’s Leslie trying to get her work done regardless of everything else going on, Ben watching the chaos and trying to stay sane, or Chris panicking because “the microchip has been compromised!”
“The City Council Election” (Season 4)
This storyline came out in 2011-2012, and wow it really predicted the insanity of the elections that would follow. A longtime civil servant running a campaign against a clueless billionaire’s son definitely has some parallels to 2016. The city council election was ridiculous, in the best possible way, from the campaign ads to Jennifer Barkley as the campaign manager. Watching the recent debates and thinking, “I can’t believe this is happening,” reminds me a lot of the absurd city council debate in the show which may honestly be more civil than the real life debates.
Also, Ben starting a Claymation project to kill time after being fired is basically all of us trying to stay entertained while social distancing.
“The Piemary” (Season 7)
In this episode, Leslie is criticized for refusing to participate in the traditional pie baking contest for candidates’ wives. In the end, Ben participates in the contest in her place, and they make a statement about how unfair it is that women in politics get questioned about things that have nothing to do with their qualifications, like where their kids are or if they got a haircut recently. Even in the most recent few elections, it’s clear that female candidates receive unfair judgement over their outfits or seeming “too emotional.”
For a show that’s about government employees and elections, Parks and Rec has remarkably little content about actual politics. However, “The Piemary” is one of my favorite episodes because it makes some great points about feminism while still being hilarious and ironic. And yes, men’s rights groups are still a thing.
Drones delivering boxes with personalized goods that an algorithm chooses for you? Sounds like something many companies are trying to do in 2020. When Gryzzl, the tech company in the show, chooses Pawnee as a place to build a new company campus despite the controversy, it reminds me a lot of Amazon choosing where to build their new headquarters in 2018.
This episode totally predicted how technology would become even more ingrained in our lives, and even the potential privacy issues this can cause. Sadly, the technology shown in the show’s version of 2017 is a lot better than what we had. I’m still waiting for a glass phone and holographic FaceTime.
I really can’t believe this show came out in 2009. Parks and Rec is so heartwarming and has great characters, but it’s also funny and sarcastic in the best possible way. Watching the Parks Department navigate the ridiculous and crazy world of Pawnee politics feels really relatable, especially in such a crazy year. Plus, writing this article was a great reason to re-watch Parks and Rec – which you should be totally doing, by the way.