History YMMV / ParksAndRecreation

* MisaimedFandom: Similar to ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', April Ludgate has a lot of fans due to her snark tendencies, deadpan nature, and sarcastic attitude, with a lot of fans saying “I’m just like April” or “I’d be friends with April.” Ron Swanson put it best: “You know who April hates? People!” Also, for all her “coolness” she is still, essentially, a child in terms of maturity. She nearly ruined a relationship with the love of her life just because she was mad another woman kissed him and it took Ron to make her realize she's being cruel and petty towards Andy.

** During everyone's game of getting dirt on each other, Mark responds to Jerry's very poor shot at him (a single parking ticket) with Jerry's adopted mother's arrest for marijuana possession. In and of itself, it's a huge slap back for such a poor play on Jerry's part. The reveal that Jerry ''didn't know he was adopted and Mark stumbling over himself to apologize''? Hilarious in the darkest of ways.

* HypeBacklash: For all the acclaim the show has received during its run, it has gained some backlash that only increased since its conclusion with much of the criticism aimed at its overt optimism. Amidst increased political polarization, greater awareness of government corruption, and a backlash towards Obama-era liberalism, some saw the show's positive portrayal of bipartisanship governance as an unrealistic fantasy far removed from actual modern politics. Even putting aside politics, some saw the show as so saccharine that it become difficult to create stakes or build-ups for cathartic payoffs.

* AwesomeEgo: Ron is very confident in himself. [[RatedMForManly It's hard to blame him]].

* TheScrappy: Mark was meant to be a StraightMan, but his [[TheGenericGuy lack of quirks]] and comedic chemistry with the other characters made the fans dub him the weakest link of the cast and he was considered a bland [[Series/TheOfficeUS Jim Halpert]] clone, to the point many fans admitted to having forgotten all about him after his departure and were surprised to see him again when they rewatched the show. Many others also disliked him for being an underwhelming love interest for Leslie (whom he didn't always treat very well) and Ann (who has her own fair share of detractors who find her similarly boring as a character). Eventually, he was PutOnABus and the fans didn't really miss him when he left, nor did they clamor for his return when it became a LongBusTrip. It's to the point that many who rewatch the

* TheScrappy: Mark was meant to be a StraightMan, but his [[TheGenericGuy lack of quirks]] and comedic chemistry with the other characters made the fans dub him the weakest link of the cast, to the point some considered him a bland [[Series/TheOfficeUS Jim Halpert]] clone. Many others also disliked him for being an underwhelming love interest for Leslie and Ann. Eventually, he was PutOnABus and the fans didn't really miss him when he left, nor did they clamor for his return when it became a LongBusTrip.

** "All Will Be Well" by the Gabe Dixon Band as used in the season 4 episode "End of the World," where Andy and April drive to the Grand Canyon.

* MorePopularReplacement: Ben Wyatt for Mark Brendanawicz. While both essentially served the same role as a StraightMan, {{Foil}} and potential LoveInterest for Leslie, Mark was seen as TheGenericGuy and the [[TheScrappy weakest link]] of the main cast, which only became more evident as [[CharacterizationMarchesOn the other characters]] and [[GrowingTheBeard the show as a whole]] came into their own while he was finding himself throughout his second and last season. Ben, in contrast, [[BreakoutCharacter was an instant hit with fans]], who found him to be both endearing and funny as well as a perfect fit for the show's newfound style. By the end of the series, Ben had graduated to the position of [[{{Deuteragonist}} Leslie's co-lead]] while Mark [[LongBusTrip was never heard from again following his departure at the end of season 2]].

** Tom's "[=WhyNoSequel=]" tweet regarding the long-standing lack of a followup to ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', as not only did it get a [[Film/{{Split}} quasi-sequel]] a few years later, it later got [[Film/{{Glass}} an actual one]] to boot.

** In "Tom's Divorce", which aired in 2009, when Tom realizes he actually did like Wendy and becomes saddened over their divorce, Ron (who doesn't realize it's the real deal) tells Tom to lighten up on faking his sadness, saying, "you've already won your Oscar, [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]]," with the joke being that Ron has PopCulturalOsmosisFailure (and the MemeticMutation of how [=DiCaprio=] still hadn't won one). Come 2016, and [=DiCaprio=] finally wins one for ''Film/TheRevenant''.

** In "Ann and Chris", Chris (Played by Creator/RobLowe) dons a JFK mask and spouts the famous, "Ask not what your country can do for you..." Later that same year, Lowe would go on to play Kennedy in ''Killing Kennedy''.
** Ron's extreme paranoia and CrazySurvivalist tendencies take on a funnier note with ''Series/TheLastOfUs2023'', in which Creator/NickOfferman once again plays a CrazySurvivalist named Bill whose over-preparation and paranoia turn out to be [[ProperlyParanoid justified]] and help him survive the ZombieApocalypse.

* InformedAttribute: From about the third season on, Leslie's generosity becomes this. Ann and most of the cast is constantly talking about how much Leslie does for others. While Leslie does display a few examples of generosity in the first couple of seasons – like getting Andy a job at city hall, giving Ron the perfect birthday, staying overnight at the police station to bail out Tom and staying up all night to talk to Ann about her relationship with Mark – that generosity is often used to excuse some terribly ''selfish'' and aggressive behaviour. She goes as far as to repeatedly sabotage her friends and colleagues because she wants them around her all the time. She's especially aggressive in the fifth and sixth seasons, interfering with Ann's desire to have a child her way, pushing her views on the citizens of Pawnee and expecting special treatment from Ben at city manager.

** Ben is this with regards to both Andy ''and'' April when he moves in with them. They're childish and irresponsible to a comedic degree, and Ben is seen as an uptight stickler for asking them to improve their habits. They only come up to the most basic, minimal levels of decency at the end, and still use his money to buy toys and games. Ben's resolution must become to take it all in good humour.

** The majority of this happens between Leslie and Ann, so much so that they're [[LampshadeHanging repeatedly mistaken for a lesbian couple]]. And Leslie does spend an unusual amount of time complementing Ann on her beauty.

* MorePopularReplacement: Ben Wyatt for Mark Brendanawicz. While both essentially served the same role as a StraightMan, {{Foil}} and potential LoveInterest for Leslie, Mark was seen as TheGenericGuy and the [[TheScrappy weakest link]] of the main cast, which only became more evident as the other characters and the show as a whole [[CharacterizationMarchesOn came into]] [[GrowingTheBeard their own]] throughout his second and last season. Ben, in contrast, [[BreakoutCharacter was an instant hit with fans]], who found him to be both endearing and funny as well as a perfect fit for the show's newfound style. By the end of the series, Ben had graduated to the position of [[{{Deuteragonist}} Leslie's co-lead]] while Mark [[LongBusTrip was never heard from again following his departure at the end of season 2]].

** To a lesser extent, Chris. Fans generally felt that he was a bit [[FlatCharacter flat]] and his overwhelming positivity and propensity for being InnocentlyInsensitive grating. In Seasons 4 and 5, opinions began to turn more favorably for him with the show deconstructing his [[ThePollyanna Pollyanna-ish]] traits into a load of personal problems that made him a more RoundedCharacter, and his going to therapy further solidified his rescuing.

** In "Wine, Lose or Draw," the campaign for a wealthy political candidate tried to install voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election. In 2020, the campaign for [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump a wealthy political candidate]] falsely claimed its ''opponent'' tried to use voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election. Crosses into HilariousInHindsight when one considers that Leslie is a noted FanGirl of said opponent, UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, and that Biden actually makes [[TheCameo an appearance on the show.]]

** In "Wine, Lose or Draw," the campaign for a wealthy political candidate tried to install voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election. In 2020, the campaign for [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump a wealthy political candidate]] falsely claimed its ''[[UsefulNotes/JoeBiden opponent]]'' tried to use voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election.

** In "Wine, Lose or Draw," the campaign for a wealthy political candidate tried to install voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election. In 2020, the campaign for [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump a wealthy political candidate]] falsely claimed its [[UsefulNotes/JoeBiden ''opponent'']] tried to use voting machines to engage in voter fraud and steal an election.

** The episode "[[Recap/BlackMirrorNosedive Nosedive]]" was written by Mike Schur (one of the creators of ''Parks'') and Rashida Jones (Ann), and in that one, the high-class society of TheBeautifulElite is almost like Eagleton taken up to eleven. Also, much of the CrapsaccharineWorld aesthetics of that episode would be reused in one of Schur's next big shows ''Series/TheGoodPlace''.

* AcceptableTargets:
** Christian fundamentalists, and MoralGuardians in general, as represented by the character of [[ActivistFundamentalistAntics Marcia Langman]].
** Men's Rights Activists have also been subject to a fair amount of lampooning.
** Fat people in general. The running joke of Pawnee being a fat city is played for laughs, and Jerry's weight is the subject of jokes.
** Libraries and librarians are another source of mining jokes, due to the Parks Department's longstanding rivalry with them.
** Government and bureaucracy is this as a whole for the entire show. On the other hand, so are libertarians and people who don't believe in government (or bureaucracy.)
** For how much it makes fun of fat people, this show takes a lot of jabs at healthy food. (Sue's Salads and Chris Traeger's [[StrawVegetarian healthy alternatives]], among others.)
** The elderly are frequently mocked by all of the characters.

** In "Tom's Divorce", when Tom realizes he actually did like Wendy and becomes saddened over their divorce, Ron (who doesn't realize it's the real deal) tells Tom to lighten up on faking his sadness, saying, "you've already won your Oscar, [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]]," with the joke being that Ron has PopCulturalOsmosisFailure (and the MemeticMutation of how [=DiCaprio=] still hadn't won one). Come 2016, and [=DiCaprio=] finally wins one for ''Film/TheRevenant''.

* ArcFatigue: The Ann/Tom romance arc. It only lasts for ten episodes (counting the one where they break up for good), but it's very clear from the start that they are completely wrong for each other, highlighted by the fact that the main joke involving them during that time is [[Relkahow often they break up. What's worse is that it pushes back Ann getting back together with Chris (the guy Ann should be and did get with) another 28 episodes despite that Chris was ready to get back together with her.

* AlasPoorScrappy: As disliked as Mark is by the fans, it is pretty hard to not feel sorry for him when Ann breaks up with him the same week he was planning to propose to her (especially if you have experienced liking someone a lot more than they like you).

** The politics in Seasons 5 and 6, ultimately culminating in [[spoiler:Leslie being recalled from the city council in a landslide vote]] is generally regarded as an emotional low point that sets up Leslie to [[spoiler:leave the Pawnee city government and go on to brighter and better things]]. But it's also possible to interpret it as a natural consequence of Leslie repeatedly pushing through legislation the people loudly and clearly didn't want. Ultimately, the Aesop could've just as well been about not forcing people to do what you want them to do, even if you think you're in the right. And let's not forget she won by ''21 votes'' - a politician who wins in a race ''that'' contested would do well not to immediately rock the boat, force through unpopular legislation, or otherwise get involved in a scandal.

*** Additionally, the recall campaign was funded by Paunch Burger, a company that Leslie went up against several times as a city councilor. So there are undertones of corporate interference in politics as a whole.

* ArcFatigue: The Ann/Tom romance arc. It only lasts for ten episodes (counting the one where they break up for good), but it's very clear from the start that they are completely wrong for each other, highlighted by the fact that the main joke involving them during that time is how often they break up. What's worse is that it pushes back Ann getting back together with Chris (the guy Ann should be and did get with) another 28 episodes despite that Chris was ready to get back together with her.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Many fans just kind of ignore the first season, as its humor is [[GrowingTheBeard generally considered weaker]], and the characters [[CharacterizationMarchesOn don't act anything like they do later on]]. Posting "I don't like ''Parks & Rec''" on a message board will almost assuredly be responded to by at least one person instructing the complainer to skip Season 1 altogether. It rises to MemeticMutation levels given its acknowledgment by the cast and creators; during a panel between the cast, Greg Daniels mentioned a moment between April and Andy in "Rock Show", which he mentioned was in ''season 1'', then gave a knowing pause at what he just said, causing everyone in the audience to laugh and Aziz Ansari to yell, "[[SelfDeprecation Don't bring up those shitty episodes, man!]]"

* GrowingTheBeard: ''Parks'' is generally regarded as having come into its own in Season 2, when it stopped trying to be a clone of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' and started finding its own voice, and by the end of the season, had outgrown its EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and come into its own identity. This is remarkably similar to ''The Office'' itself, where it too grew the beard in its second season by establishing a distinct identity and brand of humor away from [[Series/TheOfficeUK its inspiration]] and found an audience. Fitting enough, when the show aired in Germany, the entire first season was cut out. It grew the beard further in Season 3 as Ben and Chris get more focus and Mark had left. Leslie's push for the Harvest Festival and the subsequent story arc at this point locked in the stronger characterization of the cast.

** Tom's flashforward in "One Last Ride" revealed that the Bistro went under due to a combination of factors, including a massive dip in the stock market and the fact that the USA ran out of beef. Thanks to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, the economy entered a severe recession (with the service industry taking an especially hard hit) and caused the food supply chain to break down amid concerns of spreading the disease in meat packing plants, which actually led to [[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-01/u-s-beef-output-is-down-way-more-than-shutdowns-suggest a nationwide beef shortage for a time]].

** Ben is also this when he's first introduced, when Pawnee is declared bankrupt. We're supposed to cheer Leslie on for trying to preserve the parks department, which Ben declares takes up the biggest budget of all non-utility and emergency departments. It's worth noting that the size of the department is totally bloated – there are six full-time employees at the time of the shutdown. While Pawnee's size shapeshifts depending on what the plot requires, the administration for P&R would be considered ''really'' big for a small town. When Ben tells Leslie that Pawnee is not special, he's supposed to be the cold one - but Leslie simply believes she can appeal to emotion to get him to change his mind. And it works! The worst part is, at the end of Season 2, Leslie talks about how important the department's ''programming'' is to Pawnee youth. When they come back in Season 3, every job is saved, but programming has been cut to almost nothing besides youth basketball. In order to save a few full-time jobs, Leslie let tons of programming be cut.

* LoveToHate: When he's not being TheScrappy, Jeremy Jamm qualifies due to his actor awesomely embracing the CardCarryingVillain role.

* MisaimedFandom: Similar to ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', April Ludgate has a lot of fans due to her snark tendencies, deadpan nature, and sarcastic attitude, with a lot of fans saying “I’m just like April” or “I’d be friends with April.” Ron Swanson put it best: “You know who April hates? People!” Also, for all her “coolness” she is still, essentially, a child in terms of maturity. She nearly ruined a relationship with the love of her life just because she was mad another woman kissed him and it took Ron to make her realize how wrong she was for blaming Andy.

* MorePopularReplacement: Ben Wyatt for Mark Brendanawicz. While both served essentially the same role as a StraightMan, {{Foil}} and potential LoveInterest for Leslie, Mark was seen as TheGenericGuy and the [[TheScrappy weakest link]] of the main cast, which only became more evident as the other characters [[CharacterizationMarchesOn came into]] [[GrowingTheBeard their own]] throughout his second and last season. Ben, in contrast, [[BreakoutCharacter was an instant hit with fans]], who found him to be both endearing and funny as well as a perfect fit for the show's newfound style. By the end of the series, Ben had graduated to the position of [[{{Deuteragonist}} Leslie's co-lead]] while Mark [[LongBusTrip was never heard from again following his departure at the end of season 2]].

** Ben whenever his past as an impeached mayor comes up. In "Media Blitz" he's a total wreck when questioned about it. In "Harvest Festival", he's convinced he's cursed and it's all his fault that Li'l Sebastian ran away and the power went out. It's even stronger in "Partridge", where Ben's eponymous hometown invites him back to reconcile years after the Ice Town collapse but it's actually a set up to humiliate him and all the residents still hate him. Thankfully Leslie is there to provide him support so he doesn't have to face it alone, but his bitter realization that his hometown still sees him as much of a failure as ever despite everything he's done to fix his mistakes is painful to watch.

** Ron is this with certain circles. While the whole point of his character is to essentially be a joke on his {{hypocrisy}} as a libertarian working in the government (albeit, a saboteur but not a particularly great one), some viewers find it works a bit too well and call him a perfect example on everything wrong with the philosophy, especially where real life people who idolize him are concerned.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Andy asking for ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' to be brought back - at the time, the show was brought back from cancellation and was airing on Nickelodeon. In fact, it'd only been off the air for one year before that, and even ''that'' was 3 or 4 years earlier. Then again, this does fit nicely with Andy's [[TheDitz characterization]].

* TearJerker: See [[TearJerker/ParksAndRecreation here]].

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: The only person who can stand Jean-Ralphio in-universe is Tom (and even ''he'' has admitted he could use better friends). Out-of-universe, he's one of the most celebrated recurring characters on the strength of Ben Schwartz's gloriously obnoxious performance.

** Some that came about after Creator/ChrisPratt was cast as Star-Lord in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'':
*** One of the things on Andy's bucket list is to be an action star. Sure enough, Chris Pratt would be the leading star of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' and ''Film/JurassicWorld'', both shot while ''Parks and Rec'' were still running.

* GrowingTheBeard: ''Parks'' is generally regarded as having come into its own in Season 2, when it stopped trying to be a clone of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' and started finding its own voice, and by the end of the season, had outgrown its EarlyInstallmentWeirdness and come into its own identity. This is remarkably similar to ''The Office'' itself, where it too grew the beard in its second season by establishing a distinct identity and brand of humor away from [[Series/TheOfficeUK its inspiration]] and found an audience. Fitting enough, when the show aired in Germany, the entire first season was cut out. It grew the beard further in Season 3 with the introductions of Ben and Chris, adding some more variety and chemistry to the cast after getting rid of the bland and uninteresting Mark at the end of the second season.

** The politics in Seasons 5 and 6, ultimately culminating in [[spoiler:Leslie being recalled from the city council in a landslide vote]] is generally regarded as an emotional low point that sets up Leslie to [[spoiler:leave the Pawnee city government and go on to brighter and better things]]. But it's also possible to interpret it as a natural consequence of Leslie repeatedly pushing through legislation the people loudly and clearly didn't want. Ultimately, the Aesop could've just as well have been about not forcing people to do what you want them to do, even if you think you're in the right. And let's not forget she won by ''21 votes'' - a politician who wins in a race ''that'' contested would do well not to immediately rock the boat, force through unpopular legislation, or otherwise get involved in a scandal.
*** Alternatively, one could see it as a lesson about [[MyCountryRightOrWrong the pitfalls of blind loyalty to one's birthplace]]. Leslie repeatedly calls Pawnee the "greatest city in the world" and looks at the town with rose-tinted glasses, despite its abhorrent history and the fact the Pawnee citizens are generally completely whiny idiots at ''best'' and selfish and entitled assholes at worst. As councilwoman, she aims to make the town better, healthier, and safer, and the town responds by recalling her for her efforts. Add in how she was basically bullied by most of the other city councilmen (who are openly corrupt or morally bankrupt), who worked to squash anything she tried to do out of selfishness, or petty cruelty. In short, Jen Barkley's summation of Pawnee as a WretchedHive that's (in her own words) "run by monsters and morons", feels hard to argue with and Leslie comes off as too blinded by her loyalty to the town to see that.

** Additionally, the recall campaign was funded by Paunch Burger, a company that Leslie went up against several times as a city councilor. So there are undertones of corporate interference in politics as a whole.

* ArcFatigue: The Ann/Tom romance arc. It only lasts for 10 episodes (counting the one where they break up for good), but it's very clear from the start that they are all wrong for each other, highlighted by the fact that the main joke for them during that time is how often they break up. What's worst is that it pushes back Ann getting back together with Chris (the guy Ann should be and did get with) back another 28 episodes despite that Chris was ready to get back together with her.

** The base also broke regarding the show as a whole after the 2016 election. Some believe the show (particularly its politics) has [[ValuesDissonance aged terribly]], as some felt that friendship of a liberal like Leslie and a conservative like Ron [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief seemed too farfetched]] given the increasing political polarization of American society in the years since. On the other hand, some enjoy the show even more now because it invokes nostalgia of a time when people weren't so bitterly divided (never mind that even now, such a friendship isn't technically ''impossible'', just rare).

** Some ''Parks and Rec'' fans are known to get in angry and heated debates online with fans of the US version of ''The Office'' over which series was better in the long run. Granted, it's an ''extremely'' small VocalMinority that engages in this and they're mostly FriendlyFandoms (as detailed below).
** It's mostly one-sided, but many fans of ''Series/PartyDown'' admit to still holding a grudge against ''Parks and Rec'' due to main star Creator/AdamScott leaving ''Party Down'' to play Ben and blame his departure for ''Party Down'' getting cancelled (although that's not exactly a fair assessment; see {{Misblamed}}).
* FanonDiscontinuity: Many fans just kind of ignore the first season, as its humor is [[GrowingTheBeard generally considered weaker]], and the characters [[CharacterizationMarchesOn don't act anything like they do later on]]. Posting "I don't like ''Parks & Rec''" on a message board will almost assuredly be responded to by at least one person instructing the complainer to skip Season 1 altogether. It rises to MemeticMutation levels given its acknowledgement by the cast and creators; during a panel between the cast, Greg Daniels mentioned a moment between April and Andy in "Rock Show", which he mentioned was in ''season 1'', then gave a knowing pause at what he just said, causing everyone in the audience to laugh and Aziz Ansari to yell, "[[SelfDeprecation Don't bring up those shitty episodes, man!]]"

** Also extends to ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' and ''Series/ModernFamily''. ''Parks & Rec'' shares creators, writers and cast members from former, and ''Parks & Rec'' and the latter both stared in 2009. All three are mockumentaries with very relatable characters and a heartwarming comedy style.
** Also has a bit of this going on with the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse due to the presence of Creator/ChrisPratt, Creator/PaulRudd, Creator/KathrynHahn, and Creator/TatianaMaslany.
*** Particularly with ''Series/WandaVision'', due to both shows featuring Hahn [[spoiler: as a MagnificentBastard villain.]]
* {{Glurge}}: In the final episode, Leslie finally holdsa high-responsibility job (on her way to become Governor of Indiana and even possibly the White House), Ron finally "gets" the awesomeness of Government, April blooms and is still HappilyMarried to Andy, Jerry becomes mayor, Typhoon and Craig get married, Tom is a successful author, Ann and Chris decide to come back to Pawnee... It's a bit ''much'' for a show that was known for its tastefulness and tact.

** In "Gryzzlbox", it's mentioned that Gryzzl used the premiere of ''Film/StarWarsTheForceAwakens'' to distract Ben while they quietly changed their user agreements to allow them to legally datamine people. This is PlayedForLaughs. A couple years later, the real-life FCC attempted to use the premiere of ''Film/StarWarsTheLastJedi'' to distract people from their decision to repeal net neutrality.

** The Season 2 episode "Sister City" revolves around Leslie hosting dignitaries from a sister city in UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}} with the running gags of the dignitaries [[NouveauRiche bragging about their oil wealth]], throwing wads of money around and mocking Pawnee for being a backwoods place. The episode aired at about the peak economic growth for Venezuela. Five years later after the episode aired, between the drop in oil prices and general financial mismanagement, [[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/venezuela-army-controls-huge-queues-people-waiting-buy-food-basic-necessities-1570783 Venezuela is in a dire economic position that's far from funny]].
** Leslie's comment in Season 7 about ''Series/GameOfThrones'' having "gone off the rails" seems almost prophetic considering the [[SeasonalRot disastrous reception of its 7th and 8th seasons]].

*** In "Operation Ann", Andy accidentally breaks a glass case with a large block of wood and raccoon in it, which quite a few users on social media made note of after ''Guardians''.

** Yet another MCU related one: One episode has Leslie Knope accidentally getting an animal shelter shut down, and Jen Barkley says, "I just think that her actions raise some questions. Like, for example, [[spoiler:is she a dog murderer?]]" Kathryn Hahn, who plays Jen, would later star as "Agnes" on ''Series/WandaVision'', who is revealed to have [[spoiler:killed Wanda's dog Sparky]].

** Ingrid de Forest, played by Kristen Bell, has a polite upper-class smugness and frequently namedrops celebrities. One of Michael Schur's [[Series/TheGoodPlace later shows]] would star Bell as the rival to such a character, Tahani, who ramps Ingrid's traits up to eleven.
** When Tom proposes a soft opening for Tom's Bistro, April points out the sign on the door isn't even fully painted, so it just says "Tom's Bi". April then says, "Actually, no, that's good. We're ready." April's actress Aubrey Plaza would later come out as bisexual.

* HypeBacklash: For all the series's acclaim during its run, the series gained some backlash that only increased since its conclusion with much criticism aimed at its overt optimism. Amidst increased political polarization, greater awareness of government corruption and a backlash towards Obama-era liberalism, some saw the show's positive portrayal of bipartisanship governance as an unrealistic fantasy far removed from actual modern politics. Even putting aside politics, some saw the show as so saccharine that it become difficult to create stakes or build-ups for cathartic payoffs.
* InformedAttribute: From about the third season on, Leslie's generosity becomes this. Ann and most of the cast is constantly talking about how much Leslie does for others. While Leslie does display a few examples of generosity in the first couple seasons – like getting Andy a job at city hall, giving Ron the perfect birthday, staying overnight at the police station to bail out Tom and staying up all night to talk to Ann about her relationship with Mark – that generosity is often used to excuse some terribly ''selfish'' and aggressive behaviour. She goes as far as to repeatedly sabotage her friends and colleagues because she wants them around her all the time. She's especially aggressive in the fifth and sixth seasons, interfering with Ann's desire to have a child her way, pushing her views on the citizens of Pawnee and expecting special treatment from Ben at city manager.

** Nearly anyone who hurts Andy's feelings is subject to this. Early on, he stalks Ann, which is played off as funny because of the absurdity of his living situation. When it rains and she doesn't want to let him in her house, Mark guilts her, and her letting him in is seen as a compromise. He was stalking her.
** When Andy has no idea who April's favourite band is, despite her mentioning it many times, the story doesn't become about how Andy should pay more attention to April's interests. Instead, Andy becomes a pouty child because ''his'' band isn't her favourite. The solution April arrives at, thanks to advice from Ann, is to treat Andy like a rock star and play up ''his'' achievements – there's nothing said to him about listening to her more.
** Ben is this with regards to both Andy ''and'' April when they move in with him. They're childish and irresponsible to a comedic degree, and Ben is seen as an uptight stickler for asking them to improve their habits. They only come up to the most basic, minimal levels of decency at the end, and still use his money to buy toys and games. Ben's resolution must become to take it all in good humour.

*** At least once she showers April with similar compliments.

* MisaimedFandom: Similar to Westernanimation/{{Daria}}, April Ludgate has a lot of fans due to her snark tendencies, deadpan nature, and sarcastic attitude, with a lot of fans saying “I’m just like April” or “I’d be friends with April.” Ron Swanson put it best: “You know who April hates? People!” Also, for all her “coolness” she is still, essentially, a child in terms of maturity. She nearly ruined a relationship with the love of her life just because she was mad another woman kissed him and it took Ron to make her realize how wrong she was for blaming Andy.

** To a lesser extent, Chris. Fans generally felt that he was a bit [[FlatCharacter flat]] and his overwhelming positivity and propensity for being InnocentlyInsensitive to be grating. In Seasons 4 and 5, opinions began to turn more favorably for him with the show deconstructing his [[ThePollyanna Pollyanna-ish]] traits into a load of personal problems that made him a more RoundedCharacter, and his going to therapy further solidified his rescuing.

** The final season sets up Leslie and Ron having to go against each other over conflicting interests. While their OddFriendship was a heartwarming and beloved part of the show, their stark ideological differences is a central aspect of their relationship. Considering Leslie's political ambitions and Ron's hatred of the government, it was only a matter of time before they'd come to blows, [[FightYourFriend with the friendship they had forged across the series making their inevitable conflict all the more tragic]]. Instead, Leslie persuades Ron to stand down an episode later and we don't get to see much of them as reluctant enemies at all.
** "Ben's Parents" finally gives viewers a look into Ben's family, and it's ''incredibly'' dysfunctional. His mother and father can't stand to be in the same room as each other, and his father's [[MayDecemberRomance much younger girlfriend]] is pregnant, a bomb that even ''Ben'' didn't see dropping. The whole episode has Leslie and Ben struggling to try and unite the Knope and Wyatt family, but in the end, all they can see to do is keep them as far apart at the wedding as possible. However, not only are they not present for the two's impromptu wedding later, but they are also ''never'' brought up again.

*** Tom's Entertainment 720 plotline and the aftermath of it's probably the peak of this for Tom. Tom was only able to open the business in the first place because he happened to best friends with Jean-Ralphio (who, let's face it, is one of the most privileged people in the entire world) and then he sits on his ass for weeks without doing any actual work while spending all of the company's money buying overpriced furniture, way overpaying employees (who aren't doing any work either), and paying famous basketball stars to hang out. Went the business naturally goes under, you are still supposed to feel sorry for him despite the fact that he was given a huge opportunity that few people ever will, and it is 100% his own fault that he blew it.
** To a lesser extent, Leslie [[spoiler:after she gets recalled from the city council]]. It's supposed to be a low point for the character, but during her entire tenure as a councilwoman, she kept on pushing through legislation that the townspeople clearly and vocally did not want and often resorted to backroom politics to do so. Most of the time, instead of trying to explain to the people why they would benefit from it or simply asking the people in her district what kind of legislation they do want passed, she would just dismiss their complaints and pass the laws anyway.