The Parks and Recreation reunion special was exactly what we needed — and left us wanting more

The cast of Parks and Recreation returned last night for a reunion to raise funds for charity — and the hilarious and heartfelt special left us wanting more.

How many times have Parks and Recreation fans lamented that they wanted to see a reunion between the characters of the popular NBC series? And that finally came to fruition last night, when the cast came together to raise money for Feeding America — and to spread some much-needed cheer to those of us staying indoors during these difficult times.

The reunion special consisted of each member of the Parks and Rec crew calling one another to video chat. They’re all sheltering in place too, so the characters spoke a bit about the situation — and lightened things a bit, because that’s what they do best.

Opening the 30-minute event was Paul Rudd as Bobby Newport, who, hilariously, didn’t know what coronavirus was. It’s so on brand for Newport to have no idea what’s going on, and Rudd’s performance was as ridiculous as ever. (Also, can we talk about the fact that the actor seemingly just had a Knope 2012 sweatshirt with him wherever he is?)

From there, Leslie and the gang pick up and call one another — most of them attempting to avoid calling Jerry/Gary in the process. There are all sorts of callbacks to the show, from Ben playing Cones of Dunshire again (that meme just never gets old) to Tom attempting to come up with a new invention to make him rich and famous during the quarantine.

And it wasn’t just the main group of characters who made appearances. Familiar faces from Pawnee popped up throughout the night, from Jean Ralphio to Perd Hapley. Even Ron’s ex-wife Tammy made an appearance (and let’s be honest, it’s no surprise that she’d be stalking Ron even with a pandemic underway).

The entire event was a love letter to the series, and its closing moments were heartfelt enough to get any Parks and Rec fan in their feelings. The special ended with the main characters all onscreen together singing “Bye Bye, Li’l Sebastian” — and even if the miniature horse couldn’t make an appearance himself, it was a perfect parting gift.

Of course, the 30-minute reunion also left many fans wishing there was no parting at all. If anything, the event was a reminder of why Parks and Rec was such a hit to begin with. And with all the madness that’s gone on in the past few years, it’s safe to say that many of us would like to see more from these characters than just this special. It’s unlikely to happen, but getting updates on the Pawnee gang is always a welcome surprise.

What was your favorite part of the Parks and Recreation reuinion special? Would you want to see more from these characters in the future? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!