I.C.Y.M.I.: 'Parks and Recreation' Airs Reunion Special, 'The Goonies' Cast Assembles Online & More

Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week 12 of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series. Our museum may be temporarily closed to visitors based on guidance from public health officials to slow the spread of coronavirus, but we're still here to recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week in popular culture, in case you missed them.

Last Friday, we plugged a prominent musician who paid tribute to some local music legends (and raised nearly $3 million for COVID-19 relief efforts in the process). This week, reunion specials seem to be all the rage. Let's get down to it.

Parks and Recreation Special

Pawnee, Indiana's finest group of public servants returned to television this past week. Parks and Recreation, NBC's documentary-style half-hour comedy that concluded in 2015 after seven seasons, reunited for a one-time special to help raise money for Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund. The episode centered on how Parks and Rec characters are navigating the current pandemic, delivering a series of laughs and feel-good moments throughout (just check for yourself in the full episode embedded above).

The long list of Parks and Rec returnees included Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope), Rashida Jones (Ann Perkins), Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford), Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson), Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate), Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer), Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt), Jim O’Heir (Jerry Gergich), Retta (Donna Meagle), Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger), Paul Rudd (Bobby Newport), Mo Collins (Joan Callamezzo), Jason Mantzoukas (Dennis Feinstein), Jay Jackson (Perd Hapley), Jon Glaser (Councilman Jeremy Jamm), Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio Saperstein) and Megan Mullally (Tammy 2). The special has raised almost $3 million for coronavirus relief.

Hey, You Guys: The Goonies Reunite

Josh Gad, megafan of The Goonies—a 1985 film set in the Pacific Northwest, hosted "Reunited Apart" reenacting memorable scenes from the cult classic with the movie's stars. Actors Sean Astin (Mikey), Corey Feldman (Mouth), Jeff Cohen (Chunk), Martha Plimpton (Stef), Jonathan Ke Quan (Data), Kerri Green (Andy), Josh Brolin (Brand), Robert Davi (Jake Fratelli), and Joe Pantoliano (Francis Fratelli) all joined the special, as did the film's executive producer Steven Spielberg.

"As many of us watching this wish we could catch up with each other right now, it is my sincerest hope that catching up with some old friends of all of us will bring much-needed joy to each and every single one of you," said Gad, whose The Goonies reunion helped raise funds for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. 

What Else To Watch/Do/Catch Up On This Weekend

• This past week, KEXP released an in-studio performance (recorded January 7, 2020) from Sound Off! alum Travis Thompson (full video embedded above). Halfway through the set, the Burien native says, "I've been waiting to do this since I was a little kid, so I was like 'if I do it, I want to do it right, I want to make it cool.' Some of these songs will never get videos, so this is where they're going to live."
• Hosted by Northwest Film Forum, the Capitol Hill Arts District Streaming Festival started this week and runs through the weekend. The festival celebrates the creativity of the Seattle neighborhood and offers community members a connection to interdisciplinary art while Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders are in effect. A full lineup of performances can be found right here.
• Highlights from last Friday's It's Coming From Inside the House! watchalong Q&A with The Blair Witch Project filmmakers is available on the MoPOP blog.

What'd We Miss?

Now that we've filled you in on a few things, what do you feel we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up with a suggestion on Twitter @MoPOPSeattle. We'll look to include your ideas in our next edition of I.C.Y.M.I.

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