How the ‘Parks and Recreation’ Characters Would Handle Quarantine
Parks and Recreation fans everywhere rejoiced at the news of the show’s brand-new reunion episode, Thursday, April 30, on NBC.
The episode will focus on how the Parks Department crew is handling social distancing and the pandemic and serve as a fundraiser for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
Before we catch up with everyone’s favorite civil servants, here are our predictions for how each of the Parks and Rec characters is handling social distancing, ranked from best to worst!
A Parks and Recreation Special, Thursday, April 30, 8:30/7:30c, NBC
Leslie and Ben (BEST)
Leslie and Ben would definitely be following social distancing guidelines. Even though the decrease in social interaction with their friends would slowly kill them, they know that they must do what they can to keep everyone safe. In addition to working from home, both would find other ways to staying occupied.
Leslie would be hard at work making scrapbooks about how her family is handling the crisis. She also would have created multiple informational binders so her family would be prepared for anything that comes its way. Ben would be working on the sequel to his questionably popular “Cones of Dunshire” board game and might even pick up his short-lived claymation hobby.
Ann and Chris
With Ann’s nursing background and Chris’s healthy lifestyle, they would know exactly how to handle this situation. Ann would be keeping up with the latest information about the pandemic and how her family can take preventative measures. Chris would be washing his hands constantly and wearing face masks everywhere, maybe even around the house.
To keep busy, Ann would FaceTime Leslie all the time, updating her on the latest information and gossip. Chris would spend his free time exercising as much as possible so that his health would not be compromised. At the end of the day, Ann and Chris would simply want to keep their family safe, happy and healthy.
Jerry
Jerry would handle quarantine very well. Even though he is always the butt of the joke among the Parks gang, he has the perfect home life. Being stuck at home with his lovely wife and daughters would be a breeze for him. He loves his family more than anything, so he would use the quarantine to spend as much time as he could with them.
Donna
Donna is a social butterfly, but she also loves to pamper herself. Quarantine would give her all the relaxation time she could ever ask for. She and her husband, Joe, would constantly be coming up with fun things to do to occupy themselves. She would make every day a “Treat Yo Self” day, making face masks and body scrubs at home and buying lots of unnecessary things online. She and Tom would host virtual happy hours and game nights so that they could stay connected with all of their friends.
Ron
In typical Ron Swanson fashion, he would not believe any of the government’s information about the pandemic. Despite that, he would want to make sure that his family stayed safe. He and Diane would take the kids to his cabin to escape the craziness in Pawnee. He would spend his free time building anything he could think of. Being a loner by nature, Ron would love this break from his regular day-to-day life.
Tom
Tom is the ultimate people person, and this time alone would drive him crazy. Other than creating new business ideas and focusing on his restaurant, he would go stir-crazy very quickly. Even with his wife, Lucy, there to keep him company, he would secretly hang out with Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa in-person. Once Leslie found out, he would take her advice and stay at home, enjoying his time alone with Lucy.
April and Andy (WORST)
April and Andy would be the worst at handling this situation. They both need social interaction to function, so they would find any way they could to meet up with people. While they would recognize social distancing guidelines, they would find ways to cheat it, such as talking to people through windows or hanging out with friends in person while wearing masks and gloves.
Leslie already acts as a motherly figure to both of them, but now more than ever, she would have to step in and remind them to do what’s right, including reminding them to wipe down surfaces. We learned in the finale that Andy and April don’t have their son until 2023, so this could serve as a time for them to mature and think about their future.
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