Is there a better opening imaginable to the season premiere of "Parks and Recreation" than Amy Poehler rapping the words to Will Smith's breakout hit "Parents Just Don't Understand"? I think not. Thursday night's opener (which preceded the brilliant start of the sixth season of "The Office") started strong, but with all the change in the air the show soon became a bit hard to follow.
I hate to give any indication that "Parks and Recreation" is anything less than wonderful, for the simple fact that Poehler is one of the greatest female comedic talents out there. Her natural physical comedy rivals that of Steve Carell, whose portrayal of manchild Michael Scott in "The Office" is one of the funniest and most brilliantly-executed performances in television history. But the fact remains that without Poehler, the show is an island unto itself - and not a very interesting one at that.
Moving Leslie from an overbearing bureaucrat to an idiotic but enthusiastic administrator is a wise move, as is creating a little bit of humanity in the narcissistic douchecraft of Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari). Nick Offerman, who plays the ever-unimpressed Ron Swanson, is always a joy. But outside of those characters, the show doesn't hold much water. Rashida Jones' talent is wasted in a will-she-or-won't-she subplot about dating Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider), the sleazy office guy who may not be so sleazy after all. There's no gravity to it, no chemistry between the characters, and ultimately the side story throws the show's momentum off entirely.
As a huge Poehler fan I had very high hopes for "Parks and Recreation," and while there may be an entertaining tie-up to be found yet in the season premiere's main thread - involving gay penguins and a call for Ms. Knope to resign after marrying them in a zoo ceremony - it just doesn't leave you wanting more. The potentially hilarious gay bar scene falls flat, and potential goes to waste for the sake of quirkiness more often than not.
I can't say I'll skip next Thursday's episode, but that has a lot more to do with the fact that I'll be parked on the couch waiting for "The Office" to start than any real excitement for another dose of "Parks and Recreation". With any luck, Poehler and Co. will step it up and find some real chemistry before it's too late.
