‘Tis the season for festive binging!
As Christmas inches steadily closer, holiday enthusiasts are finding any excuse they can to rewatch old festive favorites. Even after they’ve worked their way through all the Christmas classics, a number of treasured television series remain to keep the holiday spirit alive and well.
Between all seven seasons, only three Christmas episodes appeared in NBC’s beloved sitcom Parks and Recreation. The list is painfully short for fans of the show, but it’s hard to beat Leslie Knope when it comes to celebrating the season. For your viewing pleasure, here are all of the Christmas episodes of Parks and Rec that you can, and should, treat yo’ self to immediately.
“Christmas Scandal” (Season 2, Episode 12)
The first Christmas offering from the spectacular series that is Parks and Rec arrives mid-way through its second season. The episode isn’t purely Christmas-centric, similar to how The Office‘s holiday episodes operate, but instead focuses on several different storylines at once.
The primary one revolves around a purely fabricated scandal between Leslie and Councilman Bill Dexhart. Following the parks department’s annual sketch comedy show, the councilman asks to meet privately with Leslie. This private meeting escalates into a genuine Pawnee scandal, with predictably humorous results.
A side storyline is more directly holiday-themed, following several members of the parks department staff as they seek out the perfect gifts for their loved ones.
“Citizen Knope” (Season 4, Episode 10)
Almost exactly two seasons after airing its first Christmas episode, Parks and Rec returned to the festive theme for another Yuletide entry. “Citizen Knope” sees Leslie embroiled in scandal yet again, this time after being suspended from the department for two weeks. In typical Leslie fashion, she absolutely refuses to stop working, instead starting a citizen action committee to pester her colleagues from afar.
The more festive part of the episode centers around Ann’s campaign to combine everyone’s talents into the perfect holiday gift for Leslie.
“Ron and Diane” (Season 5, Episode 9)
The final Parks and Rec Christmas offering appeared in episode nine of its fifth season. One part of the episode’s storyline follows Ron, his girlfriend Diane, and Leslie as they attend an event honoring Ron’s woodworking talents.
The real Christmas action is brewing between Donna and Tom, along with April and Andy, all of whom are prepping for their annual “Jerry Dinner.” A change of heart ultimately leads the team to discover that Jerry throws a yearly Christmas party, which all of them are invited to, and introduces many of the cast to his lovely family.
Where to stream Parks and Rec
If you’re not sure where to track down these jolly episodes of Parks and Rec, you’ve got a few options. It’s no longer available on Netflix, but subscribers to a few other streaming services have full access.
Anyone with a Hulu subscription that includes Live TV should have full access to the series and every one of its holiday-themed episodes. The show also appears on NBC’s own streaming service, Peacock, and can be rented or purchased from a number of sites. If viewers simply wish to rent the show’s Christmas episodes and skip the rest, each individual episode can be rented from Amazon Prime for between $1 – $3 apiece.