The 2000’s masterpieces of NBC, “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” are frequently compared to each other and viewers have taken sides on which one they like best. The both of them, produced by Michael Schur, tell the stories of employees working together in a building as a whole and the daily events that occur in the workplace. Now that both shows are leaving Netflix, it’s time to decide which one’s the best. 

The Office is better because it’s more relatable to, realistic, excels in relationships storytelling, and has funnier scenes than “Parks and Recreation”. 

Similar to “Parks and Rec”, a major part of “The Office” are the relationships between coworkers that are built along the way. Stories like Jim and Pam’s (John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer), Dwight and Angela’s (Rainn Wilson and Angela Kinsey) or Michael and Holly’s (Steve Carell and Amy Ryan) are often followed up while the show progresses. Unlike the relationships in “Parks and Rec”, these ones took time to build. “The Office” has longer relationship development, making it more intriguing for the viewer since they’re rooting for the characters to be together. “Parks and Rec” relationships just came and went with few exceptions, such as Ben and Leslie (Adam Scott and Amy Poehler). 

Another aspect these shows have in common is that they’re both comedy mockumentaries. However, “The Office” includes more memorable comedic scenes and quotable lines than “Parks and Rec”. With funny moments such as the fake fire drill, Kevin’s (Brian Baumgartner) chili accident, Michael hitting Meredith (Kate Flannery) with his car, the countless pranks Jim pulled on Dwight, among many others, “Parks and Rec” just doesn’t reach that level. Every day in the “Dunder Mifflin Paper Company” there were always some ridiculous moments or acts that caused the viewers to laugh. “Parks and Rec” has more serious moments since the characters work for the government and have to do their job with more caution and dedication. As for quotes from “The Office,” there were several that were special and hilarious that came from each character. Not to mention, fans have turned these quotes into memes that can be found all over the internet. In “Parks and Rec,” there weren’t that many quotes that stood out other than Ron’s (Nick Offerman) when he talked about his political views or when April (Aubrey Plaza) said something negative or dark. The writers from “The Office” did a better job at being more inclusive and equal when assigning funny lines and scenes to everyone, rather than giving great lines to just a few characters like “Parks and Rec” writers did.

Even though both shows convey very well the setting of a workplace and its problems, “The Office” is more relatable and realistic. Similar to the employees in “The Office,” those of us who work and attend school just want that clock to hit the time when we leave. Also, the characters of “The Office” face real life problems that businesses all around the world go through, such as downsizing, employees having their pay reduced, the fear of losing their job or their bonuses being shorter than they were the last time. However, “Parks and Rec” doesn’t include any of these situations. The employees are constantly going outside, when in reality they should be inside doing paperwork, going to meetings, answering calls and, at times, throwing events. The characters in “Parks and Rec” seem to have way more free time than a real life government employee has. 

“The Office” is the show that made many of us laugh, the one that made the flourishing of relationships enjoyable to watch and the one that can be related to the most among fellow viewers when compared to “Parks and Rec.” Since this is a controversial topic, some viewers may agree with this opinion, while others don’t. But it’s no secret that we’ll all be sad when they leave Netflix this year.