"When life hands you lemons, you sell some of your grandma's jewelry and go clubbin'."
That's the kind of timeless advice we've been missing in the many long months that Parks & Recreation has been off the air, and even though this clip from the September 26 premiere episode finds Tom Haverford in some hot water, it at least gives us a chance to check in on Jean Ralphio and his stomach full of cheese. If you want to find some of the characters in cheerier circumstances, though, check out this lengthy clip from Andy and Ben's visit to England:
Catch that conversation at the beginning about Andy giving up beer and dropping 50 pounds? That's what looks to be the show's only nod to Chris Pratt's dramatic weight loss for his lead role in Guardians of the Galaxy, in which he plays the wise-ass Star Lord. Parks & Rec's creator Mike Schur has said that the "little tiny acknowledgement or nod" you see here is likely the only way they'll address Andy's new look: "The only possible explanation for why someone looks that good is that they're planning to play a superhero in a summer blockbuster. […] I don't think beyond a little joke about it that we'll end up doing anything significant. We're not going to suddenly say that Andy became a fitness nut because that doesn't ring true."
If you thought that Ben and Andy stuck out like sore thumbs in London, though, take a look at one more clip from the premiere episode, in which Ron Swanson has no patience at all for Big Ben, British currency or especially the royal family:
Aside from Ben and Andy's efforts for the musical charity we don't totally know why the Pawnee gang finds themselves in London for the premiere episode, but happily we don't have much longer to wait-- the show finally returns next week, and we'll be seeing not only the future of Rent-A-Swag and what brings them across the pond, but preparations for the departure of Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger. Neither of them seem to have made the trip to London in this episode… possibly because Ann is finally pregnant? Feel free to share your own speculation in the comments.
