Song of the Day: “April Come She Will” by Simon and Garfunkel (Parks and Recreation)

This week*, I’ll be writing about songs featured in some of my favorite musical moments from some of my favorite TV shows. Be warned that I don’t shy away from spoilers… * I know it’s been longer than a week, but I have more songs in shows I want to write about.

We didn’t deserve a show as good as Parks and Recreation. A network sitcom that featured great writing, unforgettable characters, and — most astonishingly —  a sense of purpose, P&R was very good for seven seasons, and truly great for about three of them.

While it thrived on perfect executions of hilarious premises like “Flu Season” (most of the characters get sick and delusional) and “Soulmates” (two characters unexpectedly connect on a dating site) and “The Fight” (they get drunk), the show also had heart.

The obvious comp is The Office, which it was originally planned to spin off from. While its warm moments weren’t quite as striking as its forefather, it had just as much earned emotional payoff… possibly more.

One of the show’s peak moments was when two main characters — hyper-sarcastic April and doofy Andy — spontaneously decided to get married. It’s an odd choice (sitcoms usually avoid weddings until they get desperate), but one that came across perfectly. The accompaniment of a Simon and Garfunkel song pondering the passage of time makes the moment even more perfect.

Five years later, Chris Pratt is a mega-star, and Aubrey Plaza isn’t too far behind him. But I can’t think of anything other than this scene as each of their career highlight.

Click here for the full list

Click here for the full list


Dan and Brian from Earn This now have a film review site and podcast:

The Goods: Film Reviews

The Goods: A Film Podcast

Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and more.

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