The citizens of Pawnee, Indiana

[Ben Wyatt]

May 29, 2020 14:18:55 GMT -5 Stu said:

Season one and part of two are surreal simply from Andy and April not being together. It's easy to forget Andy and Ann were actually a couple first.

I like that they kept the 'will they or won't they' aspect alive relatively short, and once Andy and April *did* get together, there was no screwy breakups or anything. Once they were together, they were together. 

Honestly, the Mark Brendanawitz character is what jars me about the first 2 seasons.  He just never clicked and was always kinda just....there. 

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

I'm amazed that Lil' Sebastian isn't running away with this poll.

[I'm Team Bayley and Indi]

May 29, 2020 15:19:02 GMT -5 Hulkshi Tanahashi said:

I'm amazed that Lil' Sebastian isn't running away with this poll.

I don't get it. At all. It's kind of a small horse, I mean what am I missing? Am I crazy?

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

May 29, 2020 15:21:46 GMT -5 I'm Team Bayley and Indi said:

May 29, 2020 15:19:02 GMT -5 Hulkshi Tanahashi said:

I'm amazed that Lil' Sebastian isn't running away with this poll.

I don't get it. At all. It's kind of a small horse, I mean what am I missing? Am I crazy?

[BRV]

May 29, 2020 15:06:25 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

May 29, 2020 14:18:55 GMT -5 Stu said:

Season one and part of two are surreal simply from Andy and April not being together. It's easy to forget Andy and Ann were actually a couple first.

Honestly, the Mark Brendanawitz character is what jars me about the first 2 seasons.  He just never clicked and was always kinda just....there. 

I always liked Mark's character and I've felt that he's historically been given a raw deal because he was only around for the first two seasons, when the show really only found its groove about a quarter of the way into the second season. I thought he was the perfect straight man to play off of the zany, oddball characters throughout City Hall and across Pawnee, the jaded career bureaucrat who sort of can't believe what he's seeing around him. But that character sort of fell to Ben upon his arrival at the end of season 2, so there was really little room for the two of them.

But give me a million Mark Brendanawicz's over the likes of Craig, Mona-Lisa, Donna's husband Joe, Jeremy Jamm, what Jean-Ralphio became, or any of the other gratingly annoying characters they continued to give ample amounts of screen time as the show withered and died an unrecognizable husk of itself in seasons 6 and 7.

[Stu]

Ben was a better straight man than Mark because he had his own personality and quirks. I don't remember Mark doing anything funny.

[Deleted]

May 29, 2020 14:32:25 GMT -5 Rican said:

Also I wanted to put this in my original post but kudos on such a comprehensive character list. It is truly impressive.

I wanted to chuckle just reading the character list. I love that wacky ass show.

I chose Leslie, Ben, Ron Swanson, and Ann. Leslie might annoy me at times, but she'd probably do anything to help me if I needed her to, and being a naturally quiet person I think the other three are the ones I'd just get along best with.

[Ben Wyatt]

May 29, 2020 15:49:06 GMT -5 BRV said:

May 29, 2020 15:06:25 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Honestly, the Mark Brendanawitz character is what jars me about the first 2 seasons.  He just never clicked and was always kinda just....there. 

I always liked Mark's character and I've felt that he's historically been given a raw deal because he was only around for the first two seasons, when the show really only found its groove about a quarter of the way into the second season. I thought he was the perfect straight man to play off of the zany, oddball characters throughout City Hall and across Pawnee, the jaded career bureaucrat who sort of can't believe what he's seeing around him. But that character sort of fell to Ben upon his arrival at the end of season 2, so there was really little room for the two of them.

But give me a million Mark Brendanawicz's over the likes of Craig, Mona-Lisa, Donna's husband Joe, Jeremy Jamm, what Jean-Ralphio became, or any of the other gratingly annoying characters they continued to give ample amounts of screen time as the show withered and died an unrecognizable husk of itself in seasons 6 and 7.

I will not allow you to besmirch Jean Ralphio.

[Ben Wyatt]

May 29, 2020 17:42:45 GMT -5 Stu said:

Ben was a better straight man than Mark because he had his own personality and quirks. I don't remember Mark doing anything funny.

He had a few moments, but even for a "straight man", he was generally boring and unmemorable

[Ben Wyatt]

May 29, 2020 15:49:06 GMT -5 BRV said:

May 29, 2020 15:06:25 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Honestly, the Mark Brendanawitz character is what jars me about the first 2 seasons.  He just never clicked and was always kinda just....there. 

I always liked Mark's character and I've felt that he's historically been given a raw deal because he was only around for the first two seasons, when the show really only found its groove about a quarter of the way into the second season. I thought he was the perfect straight man to play off of the zany, oddball characters throughout City Hall and across Pawnee, the jaded career bureaucrat who sort of can't believe what he's seeing around him. But that character sort of fell to Ben upon his arrival at the end of season 2, so there was really little room for the two of them.

But give me a million Mark Brendanawicz's over the likes of Craig, Mona-Lisa, Donna's husband Joe, Jeremy Jamm, what Jean-Ralphio became, or any of the other gratingly annoying characters they continued to give ample amounts of screen time as the show withered and died an unrecognizable husk of itself in seasons 6 and 7.

I think part of my issue with Mark is that I just never got the sense that Paul Schneider wanted to be there.

[BRV]

May 29, 2020 18:53:47 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

May 29, 2020 15:49:06 GMT -5 BRV said:

I always liked Mark's character and I've felt that he's historically been given a raw deal because he was only around for the first two seasons, when the show really only found its groove about a quarter of the way into the second season. I thought he was the perfect straight man to play off of the zany, oddball characters throughout City Hall and across Pawnee, the jaded career bureaucrat who sort of can't believe what he's seeing around him. But that character sort of fell to Ben upon his arrival at the end of season 2, so there was really little room for the two of them.

But give me a million Mark Brendanawicz's over the likes of Craig, Mona-Lisa, Donna's husband Joe, Jeremy Jamm, what Jean-Ralphio became, or any of the other gratingly annoying characters they continued to give ample amounts of screen time as the show withered and died an unrecognizable husk of itself in seasons 6 and 7.

I will not allow you to besmirch Jean Ralphio.

Jean-Ralphio in seasons 2 through 4 was consistently one of, if not the, funniest characters on "Parks and Recreation," particularly during the Entertainment 720 story arc. Everything he said was quotable and every mannerism was perfectly timed from a comedic standpoint. But seasons 6 and 7 Jean-Ralphio was just as awful and unfunny as the show was around him. I can't defend him there.

[Stu]

I like Tom the least out of the main cast. He's obnoxious and is a jerk to Ben and Garry/Jerry/Larry/Terry. April is too, but at least she's a jerk to everyone else except Ron and Andy.

[Ben Wyatt]

May 29, 2020 20:21:56 GMT -5 Stu said:

I like Tom the least out of the main cast. He's obnoxious and is a jerk to Ben and Garry/Jerry/Larry/Terry. April is too, but at least she's a jerk to everyone else except Ron and Andy.

April at least was shown to have genuinely cared about everyone time and time again.

[Stu]

This was Ben's finest moment.

[Ben Wyatt]

May 30, 2020 13:55:47 GMT -5 Stu said:

This was Ben's finest moment.

Agreed. Though his reactions to Lil Sebastian are up there.