Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast
S05E08 - Pawnee Commons
S05E07 - Leslie vs April
S05E06 - Ben's Parents
S05E05 - Halloween Surprise
S05E04 - Sex Education
S05E03 - How a Bill Becomes a Law
por Live from Pawnee
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduced us to a new April alter ego! After asking the public for park design submissions for Lot 48, Leslie receives only one decent submission ... from one Mr. Wreston St. James ... who lives ... in Eagleton. As you might expect, Leslie wants to reject him outright, but Ben convinces her to at least meet with Wreston before making a decision. They do so, in a beautiful Eagleton park (some of Wreston's handywork), and discover Wreston is very cheerful and enthusiastic. Ben loves him. Leslie hates him. Wreston assures them he's on the up and up, and that it's about the people - as it should be - but Leslie doesn't trust him for a second. After meeting with Wreston in City Hall, Leslie ends up being very rude to him. Taking Leslie aside, Ben insists she move past her hatred for Eagleton, apologize to Wreston, and agree to have him be the architect for the park on Lot 48. Meanwhile, Tom asks the gang to help him refurbish his new Rent-A-Swag store. Although it's a fixer-upper, the gang gets to it, and Tom initially impresses them with his cool, calm demeanor. He thanks them appreciatively, and compliments their hard work. At the end of a long day, with Rent-A-Swag's facelift finally complete ... it definitely looks better ... but still far from great. Tom thanks them one last time, but the gang start to see the cracks in his armor, as he gives them a pizza party with one small topping-less pizza, 2 cans of soda, and yells for them to turn off the lights to save electricity. Finally, Andy begins his new job as weekend security guard. However, he quickly gets bored and asks April to join him and keep him company. This starts a classic round of role playing, with Andy bringing out his crime-fighting alter ego, Burt Macklin, and April playing ... a new villain. While in the midst of their cat-and-mouse game, Andy and April come across a new player in the game ... a small, nervous boy named Joey, who got separated from his mother in City Hall. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie manage to apologize to Wreston St. James? Will Rent-A-Swag ever get off the ground? Who is April's new alter ego, and can Macklin defeat her? Will Wreston double-cross Leslie and Ben? Can Tom avoid having a cheapskate meltdown? Is Joey actually a child spy, sent to derail Macklin's investigation? Why are there palm trees in Eagleton? Why is Chris working on a stairway to nowhere? Will this be Burt Macklin's final case? Podcast viewers, this one has a ton of important and interesting plot points - tune in to see how everything gets reconciled! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, from Pawnee Public Radio, the new interview show "3Q's and an A" with Derry Murbles.
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that was responsible for first casting then Vice-President Joe Biden! April practices her presentation with Leslie on her proposed dog park for Pawnee. However, the two clash heads after April suggests the dog park be located at Lot 48, a lot Leslie has been trying to create a park at, for four years. Leslie suggests April find a new location, but they are all clearly not suitable. Leslie tries desperately to distract April from her dog park agenda, but April stays the course, and informs Leslie she has the support of Councilman Jeremy Jamm to place her dog park at Lot 48, both angering and worrying Leslie. Meanwhile, Ben has just accepted a job at Barney Varmn's accounting firm, Tilton and Radomski Accounting. When Tom asks him to assist him with the accounting side of his new business venture, Rent-A-Swag, Ben agrees to help Tom, but only as a friend. Tom and Ben meet with several people throughout Pawnee, each time Ben pitching either Tom or his company. Unfortunately, each time Tom is turned down, while apropos of nothing, Ben's talents are recognized, with Ben receiving several job offers. Tom cannot believe Ben's luck, and is kind of upset Ben is getting all these opportunities, when he and Rent-A-Swag are not. Finally, Andy has asked his co-workers to steal things from his desk so he can practice for the police academy entrance exam, part of which will involve how to investigate a crime. When Andy comes in to work one morning and notices his laptop missing, he becomes excited and starts his investigation right away. Andy interrogates several members of the gang, finally getting to Chris, who tells Andy another computer was reported stolen, and he believes City Hall was actually robbed. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Councilman Jamm be trusted? How will Ben enjoy working at Tilton and Radomski Accounting? Will Chris and Andy find the computer thief? Will April and Leslie resolve their differences? Will Tom give up Rent-A-Swag? How does Chris end up trying to help out Andy? What one last thing does Ben do before he leaves Washington DC? Why does Andy keep taking his shirt off? What is ... the "Human Farm"? Loyal podcast viewers, we've said it before, and we'll say it again ... Season 5 shows no signs of slowing down! Tune in and see if you agree! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, The Pawnee Police Department.
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces us to Ben's parents, Julia and Steve! Leslie and Ben announce their engagement to the gang and go through engagement party details with Ann, although Ben is nervous about his parents coming because they are divorced and hate each other. When Ben's parents arrive, all hell breaks loose. Ben's father, Steve Wyatt, brings his much younger girlfriend, Ulani, whom Ben's mother, Julia Wyatt, completely detests. The two waste no time taking shots at each other, and their catty behavior becomes completely unbearable. Leslie does her best to diffuse the situation, but Ulani's presence was something Leslie and Ben hadn't predicted. Finally, Leslie calls upon the thing she is sure will fix everything ... her masterpiece: the Knope-Wyatt Unity Quilt. Meanwhile, Tom and Jean-Ralphio are preparing to pitch Tom's idea, "Rent-A-Swag", to Ron, who is considering investing some start-up money. After a flashy, loud, ridiculous rehearsal in front of April and Andy, April convinces them they need to start over and tailor their pitch to Ron - simply, to the point, etc. At the engagement party, Ron learns Tom is partnering with Jean-Ralphio ... a fact that does not make him happy. Determined to make the pitch work for Ron, Tom prepares to pull an all-nighter, but Jean-Ralphio lazily implies he has no interest in the project, and instead wants to go clubbing. Finally, when Leslie and Ben's engagement was announced, Chris was very happy for them, yet disproportionately affected by this news. Later, at the engagement party, and feeling raw from his therapy sessions, Chris has an emotional breakdown, happy for his friends, but depressed because he's alone. Desperate to not let Chris' unexpected happy-sad outburst ruin the engagement party, Ann, April, and Andy try their best to comfort and contain the delirious, giggling, blubbering mess that is Chris Traeger. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie convince Ben's parents to get along? Will Ron like Tom's business pitch? Can Champion, the 3-legged wonder dog, help Chris out of his funk? Will Leslie's mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope, make things better or worse? Can Tom be successful partnering with Jean-Ralphio again? Will Chris be able to get past this outburst and start clean? Does the Knope-Wyatt Unity Quilt save the day? What new idea does Jean-Ralphio come up with? Is Dave Matthews Band considered a "good" thing, or a "bad" thing? Podcast viewers, tune in for another great episode, and also to support Benslie! Hopefully they can make it past this. Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, Pawnee "What If".
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that shows us the origin of Tom's "Rent-A-Swag" business idea! When Diane Lewis invites Ron to go trick or treating with her and her daughters, he initially declines, but an excited Andy wants to join them, and gets Ron to agree. That night, Ron and Andy go trick-or-treating with Diane and daughters Zoe and Ivy, but in the middle of it, Diane gets a call about some sort of "vice-principal emergency". Fortunately, Andy assures Diane (to her relief) that he and Ron will continue taking the girls trick-or-treating while she deals with the emergency. Unfortunately, Ron's attempts to provide direction and counsel for the young girls goes ... let's say poorly ... ruining their Halloween. Diane leaves Ron an angry voicemail, causing him to reflect that ... maybe ... he isn't ready for an entire family. Meanwhile, Leslie (with bestie Ann as support) is viewing houses in preparation for she and Ben to move in together when he returns from DC. In DC, Ben announces the campaign he's been working on is complete, and they have won! April leaves immediately because, why not, while Jennifer Barkley talks to Ben about what he's doing next, and offers him the opportunity to work on another campaign. When Ben relays this to Leslie, he promises that nothing is set in stone, and everything is still preliminary ... but Leslie still feels like everything is now topsy-turvy, the future is very uncertain, and has no idea what will happen with her and Ben. Finally, Chris announces to the gang that for Halloween, the City Manager's office will be throwing a scary movie night in the courtyard, specifically a screening of the 1986 horror camp classic, "Death Canoe 4: Murder at Blood Lake". Excited about just receiving a "Most Improved Patient" award from his therapist, Dr. Richard Nygard, Chris has become more introspective, and has decided to "face his fears", so to speak. For Chris, this means attending the scary movie night dressed up as his greatest fear. During the scary movie night, Leslie talks with Ann regarding Ben's situation, and Ann tries to cheer up Leslie by having them both scare Tom when he comes out of the bathroom. They do so, but instead surprise Jerry, apparently causing him to have a mild heart attack. Jerry is rushed to the hospital, where Ann confidently assures everyone Jerry will be fine, and Jerry is in a good mood, except a bit worried about the medical bills. To help out Jerry, Leslie arranges for the Parks Department to hold a garage-sale-slash-fundraiser to help pay hospital expenses. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Jerry really be okay? Can this be the end for Ron and Diane? Does Leslie end up leasing the house? What is Chris' greatest fear? What items does the gang bring to the fundraiser? Is there some sort of gift Ron can bring for the girls? Will Ben take the job in Florida? Why did Dr. Richard Nygard give Chris his "Most Improved Patient" award? What is the deal with Ann's "ex-boyfriend" boxes? Loyal podcast viewers, Season 5 seems to keep getting better and better ... will this episode continue the trend? Only one way to find out - tune in and see how we score it! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, The Pawnee Mystery Closet.
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces Marcia Langman's husband Marshall! With STDs running rampant among Pawnee's senior citizens, Leslie decides to give a sexual education seminar, and asks Ann, Donna, and Andy to help out. Things are going well until Leslie's seminar is stopped by Marcia Langman (and her husband Marshall) from the Society for Family Stability Foundation. When the Langmans claim the seminar is against the law, Leslie and gang protest that abstinence-only sex education applies only to schools, but Chris reveals the law in question was drafted so that it applies not just to schools, but citywide, and Leslie's seminar is shut down. With the Langmans breathing down her neck, seemingly with overwhelming public support, Leslie is hesitant to put up a fight ... but at the next seminar, knowing her bestie Ann supports her, Leslie finds herself unable to go along with the Langmans' abstinence-only view, and ends up defiantly throwing handfuls of condoms into the audience ... much to the seniors' delight. Meanwhile, after a car accident due to phone use while driving, Tom is taken to court and sentenced to one week without looking at any electronic screen. Seeing Tom struggle without technology, Ron decides to take Tom to his cabin in the woods so he can "detox". Thinking Tom just needs to get it "out of his system", Ron invites Tom to share with him everything he does with technology on a daily basis ... which takes an entire day. Later, Tom asks for Ron's keys to go buy steaks ... but instead ... drives to Best Buy and purchases another cell phone ... a fact he is not able to hide from Ron. Finally, Ben and April meet Congressman David Murray, whose reelection campaign they are working on. Immediately, April becomes a bit disturbed by Congressman Murray's almost robotic-like manner and becomes convinced ... he may actually be a robot. When April confides in Ben, he initially scoffs at the ridiculous notion ... but as the day goes on ... even Ben becomes put off by Murray's complete lack of personality, rampant use of generic friendly chat, and non-offensive political talk. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Does Chris reprimand Leslie for her actions? How does Ron find out about Tom's new cell phone? Can April convince Ben the congressman is actually a robot? Will Mayor Gunderson reprimand Leslie for her actions? Will Ron turn in Tom to the judge for breaking his sentence? What do others on the congressman's team think of his robotic nature? Can Leslie turn things around by going on-air with Perd Hapley? What will Ron ask Tom to do to make amends? Is this the dawn of ... the rise of the machines? Why the hell has Ann turned into a cowgirl? Loyal podcast viewers, the Season 5 train is chugging along and doesn't show signs of stopping! Join us for a thoroughly enjoyable episode. While we don't have a sponsor spot this week, we do have a PSA addressing supply chain issues from the OG, the GOAT...Mr. Ron Swanson! Enjoy!
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Ron finally meets Diane, This Ben and April decide to take a Road Trip to Pawnee, and Leslie tries to pass her "Fun in the Sun" act. Unfortunately, a combination of garish rouge blush, a very common DC event, and a self-centered Councilman/Dentist put a crimp in everyone's respective plans! Tune in to hear the guys cover Potholes, Princesses, Presidential motorcades and Invisalign's as they walk us through this classic Season 5 Episode: "How a Bill Becomes a Law"! You'll be glad you did! We wish to also thank this week's unofficial sponsor, Pawnee 311, as we go behind-the-scenes for the making of their staff training video hosted by yours truly, the one and only Ron Swanson!
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Leslie proposes her first bill to tax the city's sodas, hoping to discourage citizens from drinking them. She meets with Pawnee Restaurant Association spokeswoman Kathryn Pinewood to discuss the terms of her bill and to question the reasoning behind the city's growing drink sizes. Kathryn warns Leslie that if her bill passes, local restaurants will suffer, causing massive job losses. Kathryn goes on to say that if Leslie doesn't vote against the bill, a press release will be issued, putting the blame solely on Leslie for the layoffs. This puts Leslie in the middle of a moral conundrum: vote her conscience and risk job layoffs, or save jobs by going against her gut. Meanwhile, Ben and April are still settling into their new environment in Washington DC, with Ben trying to get his interns in line, while April remains her irreverent self, putting in minimal effort. Displeased with his interns' behavior, Ben attempts to be more assertive, but to no avail. After seeing crude, mocking drawings of him on the wall, Ben calls his boss Jennifer Barkley to request intern changes, but upon realizing how connected they all are, he changes his tactics and attempts to "kiss their asses" instead by ordering pizza and setting up frisbee games. Finally, Chris and Tom volunteer to help Andy get into shape for his police entrance exam, which is 3 months away. Chris and Tom coach Andy during his two-mile run at Pawnee Community College, which must be done in less than 25 minutes. When Andy's first attempt takes around 30 minutes, Chris asks Andy why he wants to be a policeman. After coming up with a good reason ("do it for April"), it serves to motivate Andy, but depresses Chris, as he realizes his reasons for keeping fit are purely physical. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How will Leslie vote on the bill? Does April ever rise up above minimum effort? Can Andy complete 2 miles in under 25 minutes? Is Kathryn Pinewood bluffing? Can Ben find his way into the interns' hearts by ordering pizza and rocking scoobers? Will Chris snap out of his depression? Why do they call their 512-ounce cup a "Child Size"? Who is drawing pictures of Ben, and will it stop? What changes does Tom make to the pace car? Podcast viewers, Season 5 shows no signs of slowing down! Tune in to enjoy this episode with us, and then stick around for a sneak preview of our interview with the talented actress behind Kathryn Pinewood herself, Mary Faber! Many thanks to our sponsor, the Pawnee Restaurant Association.
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Leslie Knope first meets John McCain (even though she doesn't realize it)! Leslie and Andy are visiting Washington, D.C., to see Ben, who accepted a temporary job there for a congressional re-election campaign, and April, who decided to join Ben as his intern. Thrilled to be in the nation's capital, Leslie also hopes to secure federal funding to clean the Pawnee River, but her optimism is dulled when she is unable to meet with anyone at the United States Department of the Interior, resulting in her proposal being tossed into a giant pile with numerous other unread proposals. Ben invites Leslie, April and Andy to a cocktail party that night, but Leslie becomes intimidated by the numerous tall, smart, successful women that Ben works with every day, and feels her position on the Pawnee City Council is feeble in comparison. Meanwhile, back in Pawnee, Ron has an announcement for the gang. THE GOOD NEWS? With Leslie absent, he will take over the "Leslie Knope Employment Enjoyment Summer Slam Grill Jam Fun-Splosion", an annual barbecue for the Parks department. THE BAD NEWS? He plans to make it only about meat, with no other types of foods, or even any activities. During the event, Ron brings a live pig named Tom that he is planning to slaughter and cook right then and there, but is (thankfully) informed that it violates numerous laws. An annoyed Ron makes a trip to Food N Stuff, getting pounds of meat which will take several hours to cook, refusing to buy any other food for his hungry and bored subordinates. Chris notices the frustration of the Parks department and repeatedly gives Ron suggestions to improve the barbecue, but the stubborn Ron ignores him. Finally, at the employee appreciation barbecue, Tom and Ann appear to still be together. However, we quickly learn via talking head that they have LONG since broken up, they are pretending to still be together since everyone was so smug about it not lasting, and Tom apparently made a $1000 bet with Donna that they would still be together in another month. As the barbecue drags on, we see Ann having a tough time keeping up their ruse due to Tom being ... well ... Tom. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Which people on Leslie's List of Amazing Women does Ben introduce her to? Can Ron turn things around and make the employees feel appreciated? Is there anything Tom WON'T add glitter to? Who tries to comfort a spiraling Leslie in the coat closet? How does Chris handle things with Ron later? How does Ann retaliate for Tom's glitter-based offenses? Can Leslie snap herself out of this funk, and if so, how so? Whatever happened to Pig Tom? Who will win the bet between Donna and Tom? Loyal podcast viewers, welcome to Season 5 of Parks and Recreation. Please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times. Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, "Food N Stuff".
It's time to talk about the Parks and Recreation Season 4 Finale! That's right, this week Mark and Allen break down the long-awaited Episode where the City Council race finally comes to a end! Election Day has arrived - all the hard work, all the long nights, all the sacrifices, it's all come down to this. The gang is pumped, excited, and a little stressed, as the latest polls have Leslie and Bobby Newport neck-and-neck with each other. As the day proceeds, Leslie tries her best to keep her crowd pumped up, while also trying to distract herself and not freak out, as more and more of the polling results come in. Late into the day, the Leslie Knope crowd gathers in, as the final results are reported ... Meanwhile, Jennifer Barkley was so impressed with the way Ben handled Leslie's campaign, that she offers him a job working for a congressional reelection campaign in Washington DC, but if he takes it, he'll have to leave in two days, and be there for six months. Despite all the election craziness going on, Ben discusses it with Leslie, who is a bit upset, since it would mean Ben moving away just as their lives return to normal. With both Leslie and Ben conflicted about the Washington job offer, they both seek advice from others as they try to come to some sort of conclusion and agreement. Finally, as election day preparations go underway, Andy gets a call from a panicked April, asking for his help. Apparently, April was tasked to do something with files, blah blah blah, it froze, blah blah blah, she got annoyed, blah blah blah ... and she accidentally deletes all of the department's files on ALL the computers ... blah blah blah. Andy tries his "best" to help (which, you know, is only worth so much), but fails to retrieve the files. April is freaking OUT. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... What final voter machine shenanigans do the Newports try? How does Ann attempt to distract Leslie? What advice does Ann give to Leslie? Who does Andy end up calling to help out April? What advice does Ron give to Ben? Do they recover the files? Does April get fired? Will Ben accept the job offer? Can our gal, Leslie Knope, pull off victory? Loyal podcast viewers, this is it, the Season 4 finale - we PROMISE you won't be disappointed! Don't miss out. As a bonus, stay tuned during the break for a very special feature involving Bobby Newport attack ads!
They're back! Join us this week Mark and Allen break down the penultimate episode of Season 4! Leslie is only 2-points behind Bobby Newport going into the last day of the Campaign. Listen as Leslie, Ben, April, Andy and Jerry board the S.S. Knope (a giant RV with Leslie's face all over it and future home of Benslie) and hit as many last minute stops as possible while avoiding Political boobytraps set by Bobby and his Campaign manager Jennifer Barkley! Also aboard the S.S. Knope, Andy (in his Bert Macklin persona) works to solve the mystery of a pie-attack earlier in the Campaign using Jerry and several dozen pies to recreate scene of the attack. Meanwhile Ron, Tom and Donna, visit BBB Auto and it's lovely owner (jerk) Bill Butler who, despite having taken their money previously is now refusing to rent vans to the Knope Campaign who needs them to help Seniors get out to the polls on Election day. Did we mention Bill is a top-class jerk-nozzle? And, finally, Chris occasionally joins the gang on the S.S. Knope but is more often biking, cleaning, running errands and anything else that will keep him "out of his dark place"! We feel you Chris! As you would expect, we tackle ALL of the tough questions this week, like ... Can the Bus Tour team avoid political pitfalls and close the 2-point gap in Bobby's lead? Can Ron, Tom and Donna convince Bill Jerk-weed Butler come around and be a man of his word? Will Andy identify the Lone Pie-man before Jerry drowns in whipped cream? And, last but not least, will Chris find something to finally help keep his mind off of his failed relationships? Tune in to....yeah, you know the drill! Many thanks to BOTH of our sponsors this week: "The Committee to Elect Bobby Newport" and "The Friends of Leslie Knope 2012".