The Small Detail Parks And Recreation Fans Can't Get Enough Of

NBC's sitcom about hilariously inept small-town bureaucrats, "Parks And Recreation," ended its well-loved run in 2015. And as of 2022, the show has actually been off the air for longer than it originally ran — feel old yet? In the intervening years, fans have done what fans will always do and that's religiously re-watch their favorite content until every button on the remote is worn away to a rubbery nub of its former glory. For not an insignificant percentage of the population, that includes "Parks And Rec," an assumption entirely based on how frequently users across a variety of social media platforms continue to discuss the series.

When such posts aren't counting how many times the individual in question has binged the series (it's often in the double digits), they usually see fans sharing details, jokes, or bits that they'd missed in previous viewings, or the types of trivia that only real "Parks and Recreation" superfans would know. And all these years later, fans are still joyfully sharing one particularly underappreciated visual gag.

In a subreddit dedicated to the NBC series, u/Similar-Channel-3857 posted, "Minor Parks and Rec detail. When Chris is playing depressing music during the Valentine's Day dance (S4E14) the only person enjoying it is Orin." Along with the text, they shared a picture from the aforementioned episode capturing Orin's (Eric Isenhower) little smile, which is endearingly hopeful. For those who might not remember Orin, he's the incredibly emo, waif-like friend of April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza). His whole schtick is that he's rarely happy, rarely talks (and when he does, his words are deeply haunted), and is known for being, in general, incredibly unnerving to those around him. Even this moment, which is shared with the usually inspirational Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) when he's spiraling into depression, isn't enough to cement a bond between the two.

As another user, u/udat42, noted, "Orin and Chris have a few moments. I liked their bit at Andy and April's wedding/party where Chris's positivity makes Orin uncomfortable." The term "uncomfortable" hardly covers it — Orin straight-up runs away from the overtly friendly Chris like whatever the opposite of a moth to a flame is. These kinds of throwbacks are fun to share because every background character on "Parks And Recreation" functions like a fully developed being. Sure, they're usually overdramatized for comedic effect, but they're more than just extra bodies. They have stories worth remembering.