Andy’s Funniest Parks & Rec Line Justified Chris Pratt’s Casting

Andy Dwyer was originally a temporary Parks and Rec character, but one improvised line proves that making him a series regular was the right choice.

Chris Pratt wasn’t initially intended to be a permanent Parks and Recreation cast member, but one perfectly improvised line made his promotion to series regular worth the change. Starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, the plucky head of the Pawnee Parks Department, Parks and Recreation chronicles her struggles to better her city despite being surrounded by incompetency. Pratt’s Andy Dwyer is one of the goofy citizens who eventually develops into a valuable member of Leslie’s team. Initially, Andy was meant to be a temporary character, but Pratt was bumped up to a series regular in season 2. One line early in season 3 proves that this was the right call.

In Park and Recreation season 3, episode 2, “Flu Season,” Leslie and other members of the Parks Department come down with a bad case of the flu, but Leslie doesn’t want to admit that she might be too sick to give her speech to the Chamber of Commerce. In a completely improvised moment as she is led out of her office, Andy points to a computer screen saying, “Leslie, I typed your symptoms into the thing up here and it says that you could have ‘network connectivity problems.’” The unexpected line was so funny, it stands out in this comedy-packed fan-favorite episode.

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Andy’s “Network Connectivity Problems” Justifies Pratt In Parks & Rec

Chris Pratt was originally supposed to play a temporary role, but Andy proved to be such an enjoyable character that the writers decided to add him into the show as a series regular. Throughout Parks and Recreation season 2, Andy’s character develops significantly, transforming from a selfish child into a loveable goofball. Still, he remained the only character without any sort of vested interest in the Parks Department, and adding his character was a calculated risk. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the Parks and Rec writers to see that decision pay off.

Andy has many outstanding scenes, but Pratt’s improvisation in “Flu Season” is ozone of his besstIn fact, according to Michael Schur, Parks and Rec’s showrunner, Pratt’s improvised line is the funniest joke in the entire series. Here’s what he had to say after revealing that the line was improvised:

That’s certainly high praise from the show’s showrunner, especially with Michael Schur being behind shows like Brooklyn-99 and The Good Place, and other beloved comedies. Schur went on to say he thought the joke was so funny, he almost didn’t include the line in the episode’s final cut out of spite. Luckily, he kept it in and the rest is history.

Chris Pratt’s Parks & Rec Success Shows How Much Has Changed

Chris Pratt’s success in Parks and Rec opened the doors for his career to take a big turn, notably landing more serious roles in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the Jurassic World franchise despite his start as the silly Andy. In recent years, his success has been marred by various controversies and unpopular casting choices. As a result, the lovability that he was met with earlier in his career has twisted into contempt. But if his Parks and Rec success story is any indication, his popularity can enjoy a revival if given the right chance. Perhaps the Super Mario Bros. movie will provide that opportunity.

Though Andy was largely a silly character in the show’s first two seasons, the third season marks the beginning of a huge amount of character development, which comes with an increase in screen time. Andy’s “network connectivity problems” line showcases the genius behind upgrading Chris Pratt to a series regular and proves that Andy wouldn’t be going to waste. Over the course of the following seasons, Chris Pratt continues to use his unique comedic talents to the story of Parks and Recreation, but that improvised line in “Flu Season” is one of his best moments.

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