From his bodily comedy abilities to his dedication to any bit, Chris Pratt was at all times bringing the humorous all through Parks and Recreation. Nonetheless, one in every of his best property, and what made Andy so hysterical, was the actor’s capability to improvise, which was confirmed throughout the Season 3 episode titled “Flu Season.” It seems the story behind Andy’s hilarious line throughout my favourite episode of the Amy Poehler-led sequence makes the second even funnier, so let’s break it down.
In Season 3, Episode 2 of Parks and Rec, most of the characters catch the flu. This results in Leslie working whereas she’s sick and denying her illness, and Andy filling in for April as Ron’s assistant whereas she’s on the hospital with the flu. As Amy Poehler’s character is headed out of the Parks Division and to the hospital, she and Ben stroll by Pratt’s character, who says:
Leslie I typed your signs into the factor up right here, and it says you will have community connectivity issues.
The second is quick, and in case you blink you would possibly miss it. Nonetheless, followers and people who labored on the crew, instantly realized how humorous Pratt’s line about mixing up precise signs and wi-fi issues was. And to at the present time it stays one of many funniest strains in one of many finest episodes of Parks and Rec.
Why Michael Schur Was Hilariously ‘Upset And Offended’ About Chris Pratt’s Line In ‘Flu Season’
So, again in 2012, when the present was nonetheless on, the solid of Parks and Rec did a panel with The Paley Middle for Media, they usually spoke about improvising throughout the present. Amy Poehler defined that whereas they get to make up bits, sometimes, what ended up within the closing reduce was what was written within the script. Nonetheless, the showrunner, Michael Schur, famous that everybody within the sequence has had an improvised line included at one level or one other. This led to him explaining Chris Pratt’s iconic “community connectivity” joke, and the way he reacted when the actor mentioned it for the primary time, he mentioned:
The funniest line ever spoken on our present is improvised by Chris Pratt. It’s when Leslie has the flu, and she or he’s being led out, and he’s simply sitting on the laptop, he’s filling in at [April’s] desk, and he says: ‘Leslie I typed your signs this factor up right here, and it says you might have community connectivity issues.’ Improvised. Line.
Persevering with to talk extremely about one of many funniest members of the Parks and Rec ensemble, Schur defined why he was jokingly indignant over not arising with the road himself. He mentioned:
I’m not kidding, as a author it made me livid. I’m nonetheless actually upset and indignant. He did it as soon as, the digital camera occurred to be on him, he did it as soon as, and I feel it’s the funniest joke that’s ever been on our present. It’s my favourite joke from the present.
It actually is without doubt one of the funniest quips within the sequence, and it reveals one of many the explanation why Parks and Recreation is one in every of Chris Pratt’s finest initiatives. The NBC comedy highlighted the actor’s comedic timing and present for bodily comedy. It additionally proved how naturally hilarious he’s via strains like this one. Because the sequence went on, there have been numerous one-liners from the actor that had been tremendous humorous, nonetheless, this one he made up in Season 3 is a basic.
Chris Pratt Explains Why Improvisation Works On Parks And Rec
Together with Michael Schur giving Chris Pratt his flowers for the dialogue, the Guardians of the Galaxy star additionally defined why he was capable of efficiently improvise on the present. He mentioned in the identical panel that the NBC comedy is filmed “documentary model,” and due to that they had been capable of stay within the scenes. He in contrast engaged on the present to performing in “an improv theater,” as a result of the actors at all times needed to be on, they by no means knew after they’d be included in a shot.
Going into extra element about how he discovered the most effective moments to improvise in, Pratt famous that they might shoot a scene 15 to 30 occasions. This led to him explaining:
Ultimately, it simply takes by itself life. It takes its personal kind of form, and also you’ve caught the joke 4 or 5 occasions the best way it is written, and it really works, it’s nice. Hopefully a kind of takes will work. However they’re nonetheless attempting to get one thing else, and within the meantime, you provide you with one thing and also you say it. Perhaps it makes the episode. It’s sort of a testomony to the format.
Effectively, that point to assume and actually work out a humorous one-liner labored so nicely in “Flu Season.” Since Andy shouldn’t be concerned within the scene actually in any respect, he’s simply within the background, I assume Pratt had a number of time to consider how he may very well be concerned within the sequence. What he got here up with was really genius, and it reveals off one of many many the explanation why Parks and Rec is so good. That line was so sudden and inventive, but additionally so relatable, which is a sort of joke the present managed to drag off episode after episode.
Together with Pratt, this solid is genuinely hilarious, they usually bought to indicate off all their abilities in “Flu Season.” This episode is only one zinger after zinger one other, from Rob Lowe’s iconic “my physique is a microchip” gag to April and Ann’s hospital standoff to Andy and Ron’s unlikely bonding second. It additionally gave us one in every of our first glimpses of how hilarious the longer term energy couple Ben and Leslie are collectively. The solid was firing on all cylinders, and with every rewatch I seen much more nuanced foolish strains or actions packed into the half-hour.
To see Chris Pratt’s hilarious and legendary improvised second from my favourite episode of Parks and Rec, you may stream Season 3, Episode 2 — “Flu Season” — (in addition to all the present) with a Peacock subscription.