An Unstopple Force Of Energy: Parks And Recreation Season 6 Ep 7 "Recall Vote"

 Parks And Recreation is my comfort show, yes there are dated things in it, things that have not aged well in the nature of race and representation, but there is still value in many aspects of it, and this is one of them. This episode happens to land on Halloween, the holiday that is fast approaching at the time this post is being written. Costumes, pumpkins, and candy are put through this entire episode, the setting of Halloween is the backdrop of this one and appears to tie into the setting a time or two. But under this episode, there is a great theme, some great jokes, and a powerful message.

There are four plots in this episode, April missing her husband Andy with Chris trying to help her still enjoy Halloween, Tom grappling with his business woes, Ron's chair being featured on a show by an influencer that he could care less for which also ties in with Tom, and the big central one, Leslie's recall election which ends with her being recalled. Aside from Leslie and Ben dressing up as the leads from The Princess Bride along with the rest of the cast donning costumes, making city hall a haunted house, and jack o lanterns the cast, Leslie's fear comes to life, she gives her all, and was still kicked out of office. 

As she believes she has peaked, gives in to sorrow, and even sleeps on a bench, her friends and husband rally to show their support, but mostly Ann in this case. The other plots are entertaining, have some laughs, a heartwarming moment or two, or even a lesson about the value of your name, but Leslie's plot is where I want to focus.

Losing something you have put your all into, whether in work, school or even a creative project can be crushing. With nothing left but to do what you can or start over. In the case of this episode, Ann shows her best friend all her ongoing projects and tells her to use the remaining time she has to give her all. Ending with a speech Ann wrote for her, accepting the loss, being grateful for the past, but moving forward saying "Because I am Leslie Knope, and I am an unstoppable force of energy." 

This episode still inspires me every time I watch it. The theme of getting back up again has been done in countless pieces of media of all types, but it simply has to be done well to win me over, no matter how many times I see it. In this case, our lead has been working her dream job for a whole season, and now after fighting with all her might, doing the right thing, and giving her all it's gone. Though her reactions are comedic and so are some of her choices such as trying to get a tattoo at a pawn shop, the feelings are very real. 

The message also shows that there are some things we can not control, and to focus on what we can. The latter half of this season dives even more into this and I just might cover that someday, but for now, this episode shows that we can power through the low moments and still give our all. With the help of those we love, we can control some things and still put good into the world, and even when we expect to be settled, we might be called elsewhere. We can still create, have projects, and work with what we have. 

One of my favorite episodes, in one of my favorite shows, is that proves sometimes Halloween may bring some unexpected fears or scares, but with the ones we love, and remembering what we can control, we too can be an unstoppable force of energy.