As the ex-president returns, the masterly comedy about local government can feel like a fantasy. But its message is more relevant than ever

It’s been nearly a decade, and three presidential administrations, since Parks and Recreation aired its final season. In that time, the sunny comedy about local government has become a modern classic. It’s also become a time capsule for a certain Obama-era mindset: its relentlessly upbeat protagonist, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope, wholeheartedly believes in government’s power to make people’s lives better. In 2009, its optimism was contagious.

The show concluded in 2015 after seven delightful seasons. In the intervening years, many observers – including the show’s co-creator, Michael Schur – have described Parks and Recreation as the product of a different time. America’s recent re-Maga-ning has made that assessment even more trenchant. In its time, Parks felt like a small-town sitcom; in 2024 it can feel like a fantasy.