Brigette Watches the First 1/2 of Parks & Rec, S7

Sometimes, when I get really into a TV show, I have this fantasy that I've never seen it before and I can watch it all at once instead of waiting week to week. When I was in high school, I actually day dreamed about being in an accident, going into a coma, waking up when Friends was over, and watching the remaining seasons all at once from my hospital bed. I'm a sick woman. Well, with Parks and Recreation, a version of this fantasy was able to come true.

After several recommendations, I finally started watching Parks and Recreation a few months ago. I binge-watched all six seasons in probably about six weeks. I was actually starting to fear for my sanity, especially one time when I kept hearing Rob Lowe say "Ann Perkins! Ann Perkins!" until I had to run home and turn Parks back on to make the voices stop. But still, I was living the dream. 

It's difficult waiting each week to see a new episode of Parks after watching it in such a way, but it's not been letting me down. While other shows tend to lag and sag in their final days, Parks knows what it's doing and means business. These episodes have been great. We're a little over half-way done (NOOO) and here's the verdict so far: 

THINGS I'VE LOVED

-- Andy & April buy a haunted house *

-- Amy Poehler's Megan Mullally impression (Leslie's Tammy impression, whatever)

-- Shia Labeouf designs wedding dresses, and basically all of the 2017 pop culture facts that they've been creating. 

-- Leslie and Ron's falling out & friendship rebuilding:  sad, believable, super sweet and moving.

-- Amy Poehler's hair.

-- Treat Yo Self 2017

-- Gryzzl drones

-- Donna's brother Levondrius and the microwave.

-- Garry Jerry Terry Larry Gary

-- How all the episodes connect, flowing in a way where it almost feels like one continual episode.
-- The lighting and colors. Is that weird? Everyone and everything looks exceptionally gorgeous this season.

THINGS I'VE HATED

-- Nothing

CONCERNS

--* I'm truly obsessed with the fact that Andy & April bought a haunted house with no functioning kitchen and a fireman's pole. I want an episode--storyline--or hell, even a SCENE to take place in this house SO BAD that I've actually been frequenting TV Guide.com, checking the synopsis for upcoming episodes for some mention of this. If the writers seriously never do anything with this damn house I'm gonna throw down. I don't know what that means, but something bad's gonna happen. 

-- Tom's arc. I don't know. I'm feeling like Tom's "getting the girl" plot has been a way too easy. I kinda wanted to see a little more growth/maturity/emotion from Tom where he really has to stretch himself out of that shallowness and be more vulnerable through this storyline, and I'm not really sure if I have yet. But maybe I'm speaking too soon?

-- I love Billy Eichner's Billy on the Street and his Twitter is literally my most favorite thing that exists, but Craig has never worked on this show for me. I know we don't see a ton of Craig, but I could see even less.

-- Is all of this leading to Leslie & Ben leaving Pawnee for Washington? I don't want them to leave. I like that Leslie loves this disgusting little town and thinks it's the greatest place on the planet. That's so endearing. She can't leave it, ever.  Why do they want to hurt me?!

HOPES/PREDICTIONS

-- I know there's not enough time for a pregnancy arc, but I really want April & Andy to be parents. I feel like they're SUPPOSED to be parents, since they're both such weirdo kids themselves. Oh my god, don't you just want to be one of their children?! Anyway, what if this directionless, meaningless feeling April's been having leads to her decide that she really wants to be a mom? After how alternative & strange April's always been, I think it would be so great if she ends up deciding on this really traditional thing, maybe even morphing into some type of demented Betty Crocker. (I would also accept anything that could lead to a procedural crime drama meets Cheaper by the Dozen spin-off, as Aubrey Plaza & Chris Pratt suggested themselves.)

-- I know Chris & Ann are coming back, but how and when? I fear it won't be until the very end, but I'd love at least two episodes, or even six, which would mean they're allowed to come back next week. Do we predict that Chris and Ann will also end up in Washington for some reason? Yes. Yes, we will go ahead and predict that. That's the only way that Leslie leaving Pawnee will be okay.

-- I feel like Ron & Leslie are going to work together again, and not just on their shared goals like saving JJ's Diner. I'm sensing "job job," but I'm doubting Ron would move to Washington. Hmmm. Probably 100% wrong on this one.

What have you guys been loving so far? Any concerns, hopes, or predictions? What will you do if we never have a haunted house storyline? Who will peel me out of the deep pit of depression I will fall into when the show ends on February 24th?