An ode to Chris Pratt's genius on 'Parks and Recreation'

Welcome to Chris-mas in July, a week-long celebration of our four favorite Hollywood Chrises. We'll be analyzing old movies, digging deep into past roles, and exploring everything there is to know about Evans, Hemsworth, Pine and Pratt. We hope this totally made up holiday makes you smile. 

Back before he was a Big Hollywood Chris™ (I mean, he was still "Chris" but he wasn't a Chris), Chris Pratt was a small screen darling with major roles on Everwood and The O.C. before stealing our hearts as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation.

Parks and Rec ran from 2009 to 2015, with the final seasons coinciding with Pratt's rise to blockbuster movie star in Guardians of the Galaxy (and later in 2015, Jurassic World). In honor of Chris-mas, we look back at what made Andy so gosh-darn likable and why he remains Pratt's best role to date.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

We met Andy as Ann's (Rashida Jones) hapless fiancee, whose first notable act on the show is literally falling into a hole. He starts as a textbook side character, since he isn't initially close with anyone in the Parks department – but as often happens with sitcoms, the writers and cast got to know each other and Pratt's knack for physical comedy and improvisation were too good to squander.

Thus, Andy became as integral a part of Parks and Rec as any of the actual City Hall employees, infusing every storyline and drunk night with his lovable idiocy. He was always up for a heist as Burt Macklin, F.B.I., and even charmed curmudgeonly libertarian Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) with his love of football and the phrase "meat tornado."

What's beautiful about Andy is that while he is the show's resident dummy, none of the other characters look down on him for it (other than maybe not assigning him certain tasks). They admire that wholesome loyalty, which wouldn't be possible if Pratt himself didn't feel the same affection for his character.

A crucial turning point was the sweet romance that developed between Andy and April (Aubrey Plaza) in Season 2. A friendship fueled by mutual rejection of rules (and sometimes hygiene) blossomed into one of the show's great love stories. It redeemed and legitimized a lot of the problems with Ann and Andy's relationship; the carefree attitude that didn't jive with Ann meshed perfectly with April's sarcasm and detachment.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Years later, Parks and Recreation is the most enjoyable rewatch and a prime example of comfort TV. Pratt's performance is indelible and a welcome reminder of what we love about him as a performer before the overexposure of major movie studios and flaming duds like Passengers.

He may not be your favorite Chris, but there's a reason Pratt made it to the big leagues. The humor and sincerity he brought to Parks changed the Marvel universe, which does some of its best work when the Avengers are allowed to be funny. We're glad to have him in the Chris Conversation, and we hope to see some Andy Dwyer make it to the big screen.