Something you don't expect any NBC show that isn't The Voice to be asking: "Are you better off than a year ago?" Leave it to cockeyed optimist Leslie Knope (the sublime Amy Poehler), the hopeful heart and resilient soul of Parks and Recreation, to set herself up for a smackdown in the too-soon season finale (Thursday, 9:31/8:31c), by posing this question at a public forum that she naively sees as a "victory lap" to celebrate her one-year anniversary in office. While Leslie contends with a Pawnee version of Tea Party-style opposition — in this town, more like "sweet tea," with extra sugar in a 512 oz. cup — Andy (Chris Pratt) adopts his bumbling "Burt Macklin, FBI" persona (always a win) to solve a mystery that could change one of his co-worker's life forever. NBC is certainly better off for sticking with this show as it has improved over the seasons to become the network's most reliably enjoyable comedy — even though this already eventful and possibly pivotal episode would have been better off without the subplot involving Tom's "Rent-a-Swag" business and his contentious relationship with Jean-Ralphio's horror-show sister Mona Lisa (Jenny Slate).
read moreLeslie tries to help a local video store stay in business, while Ann blackmails April into being her friend. watch
We all miss Jean-Ralphio — but Tom has found a way around that.
After hiring his twin sister Mona-Lisa Saperstein (Jenny Slate) at Rent-a-Swag on Parks and Recreation, Tom (Aziz Ansari) has decided to mix business with pleasure, 'natch. But he may come to learn that you really shouldn't dip your pen in the company ink. Check out an exclusive sneak peek of Thursday's all-new Parks to get a glimpse at their, ahem, interesting relationship:read more