Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces the often imitated but never duplicated Swanson Pyramid of Greatness!  The government shutdown is over, and the Parks Department is back, although on a shoestring budget, with Chris and Ben only letting them conduct existing park maintenance. Wanting to offer and do more, Leslie has a brainstorm when she learns Chris has continued to ask out Ann... convince Ann to go on a date with Chris in order to persuade him to increase the parks budget! (What could go wrong?) Meanwhile, due to popular demand, Ben did allow one exception to the maintenance-only rule, and allocated money for the youth basketball league, although with only two teams (they're gonna be GREAT rivals) coached by Ron and Andy, with Tom chosen to referee their first game. Finally, ever since the disaster when April learned about Ann kissing him, Andy has been calling April non-stop hoping to get in touch with her, explain, and smooth things over.  What Andy didn't know is that April was in Venezuela all this time.  When he finally sees her return, he excitedly jumps at the opportunity to connect with her... only to learn that she is back in town with mysterious, handsome new boyfriend Eduardo.  Holy cow!  Do we have questions to tackle?  You bet we do!  Important questions, such as ...  Will Ann go out with Chris?  Are she and Leslie sneaky enough to pull this off?  Will Ron's team win, or will Andy's team pull a stunning upset?  Whose team has the better battle-cry?  Will Tom learn basketball in time to correctly referee the game?  Is April truly over Andy?  Will Eduardo encourage Andy to follow his dreams?  Loyal podcast viewers, this is a great start to a great season!  Keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times - it's going to be a wild ride.  Many thanks to our mystery sponsor, providing a new product from the makers of the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness - you'll just have to listen to find out!

Mark and Allen are enjoying some well-earned time off this week but they've left newly promoted Constantine in charge and are confident he will play the right Episode...this time. After all, he is no longer confusing the 8-Track's with the Digital archives and we've locked up the Vinyl collection just in case too. Join us as the guys interview the very kind and very gracious Christopher Murray! Christopher talks Parks and Rec as well as giving us a special inside look at growing up in Hollywood  and his wealth of experience including co-starting alongside huge movie stars like Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne and Sean Connery - 007 himself! Even our frequent guest pitch-man (who is also off this week) was slightly star struck...You know him better as Swanson...Ron Swanson!

In this Special Revisited episode, not only do we recap the last two-thirds of Season 2; but, we also spend some time introducing and giving first impressions of Ben and Chris as well as being joined by special guest Josh Kraus (@ParksAndRecNow) on for an interview to discuss his terrific spec script "The Return of Mark Brendanawicz”! Don't miss out on this chance to catch up and level set before we jump headfirst into Season 3!

https://twitter.com/ParksAndRecNow

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that bids farewell to Mark Brendanawicz. Due to the government shutdown, the kids' concert featuring Freddy Spaghetti is cancelled - but not without a fight from Leslie! Hosting the concert on Lot 48 by Ann's house, Leslie pulls together the gang to save the day.  Ron has been assigned to the Emergency Budget Task Force, and is initially giddy at cuts proposed by Chris and Ben, but objects when he learns they plan to fire Leslie.  Meanwhile, Andy tries to talk to April, Ann struggles with what's next in her life, Chris and Ben try to shut the concert down, Andy breaks his arm - non stop action folks!  As always, your Prolific Podcast Pundits dive into the questions keeping you up at night, such as ... When should you play Boyz II Men 'On Bended Knee'? What is the proper name for a turkey leg covered in bacon? How many minutes does a Bounce House need for premium bounce? What is Leslie's favorite Freddy Spaghetti song?  Is the song 'Pickle Hair' kid friendy? (Edit by Constantine: NO. The answer is NO.) Tune your podcast dials in for this one, folks, you won't be sorry! Our sincere thanks goes out to our sponsor, BLAH BLAH BLAH, as well as you, all of our loyal Live From Pawnee podcast viewers. (Edit by Constantine: These guys are idiots. We KNOW you're not viewers.)

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces Chris Traeger and Ben Wyatt!  We start out learning [a] April is turning 21 and having her birthday party at The Snakehole Lounge, [b] Ann has ended things with Mark, and [c] Leslie has prepared a budget proposal for the Lot 48 Park. However, later that morning city manager Paul Iaresco announces all proposals are postponed indefinitely due to the budget crisis, and state auditors have been sent to solve the issue. Leslie fears severe cuts, while Ron is delighted. Meanwhile, Andy is clearly showing interest in April, but worries about the 8 year age difference. Also, Mark shows confusion about his breakup with Ann because they never fought or argued, while Ann explains they just didn't have the right chemistry/passion. We learn Tom has ulterior motives for April's party to invite (then hit on) every available hottie he knows. Auditors Chris Traeger and Ben Wyatt arrive, with Chris painting an optimistic picture of how they will fix things. When Ben finally explains they need to slash the budget by 40 to 50 percent, Leslie lashes out at Ben, who reminds her the poorly-managed government is to blame. Later at April's party, Leslie and Ann get extremely drunk. Tom is frustrated at his inability to pick up women. Andy and April are getting along, but when he goes to the bar to get April's drink, a drunken Ann flirts with him. This upsets April, who tries to make Andy jealous by flirting with Jean-Ralphio. Ben arrives and tries to smooth things over with a drunken Leslie, but she once more lashes outand tells him to get lost. The next morning Ann enlists Leslie's help in figuring out... who she made out with the prior night!  Holy cow, folks, these are the sort of questions that send others running for cover, but we refuse to shy away from, such as... Will Pawnee's budget crisis get resolved? Can Ann ever forgive herself for flirting with Andy? Does Tom's bottlecap game yield any fruit? Can Leslie ever get along with Ben? Will April make Jean-Ralphio her new boyfriend? Does Ann find out who she made out with?  Loyal podcast viewers, this extra-long, extra special episode is one-of-a-kind, and we encourage everyone to watch it.  Many thanks to our sponsor, JJ's Diner.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that has Joan Callemezzo, Perd Hapley, MC Martin Housely, and Joe from the Sewer Department all under the same roof!  Given a 4 hour programming block (2am to 6am) for the 24-hour "Pawnee Cares" diabetes telethon starting that night, Leslie (who has already been up for 24 hours) gets everyone involved, including sending Tom as the body man for retired basketball player Detlef Schrempf. With time to kill, Tom brings Detlef to the Snakehole Lounge, bringing a LOT of business in, but resulting in owner Freddy refusing to let him go. Several "talents" go on-air, including songs by Mouse Rat, Ron's chair-caning demo, and accountant Barney demonstrating QuickBooks Pro. Remembering that Mark told her earlier he plans to propose to Ann, a desperate Leslie tells Mark he should do it on-air.  Folks, this is what we're here to do, get the bottom of such riveting questions, like ... Exactly how tall is Tom? Will Mark propose to Ann on the air? What precisely is sleep-fighting? Can Detlef Schrempf make it to the telethon? Will Leslie fall asleep before her programming block is over? What the **** IS Perd Hapley doing on-air?  Loyal podcast viewers, this episode is absolutely chock-a-block full of guest stars - you won't be able to keep track of them all!  Many thanks to our sponsor Entertainment 720 and their award-hopeful film: "Identity Crisis: This is Mouse Rat".

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that finally introduces us to April's family and casa Ludgate!  Forced to deal with 93 meetings in a single day (due to a mistake by a guilty and embarrassed April), Ron enlists the aid of April, Andy, and Ann.  As the day progresses, meetings are handled with mixed results: Ron just silently listens saying as little as possible, and is on the verge of snapping; April embraces complete fantasy (e.g. Ron is dead and she's his daughter); Andy struggles to not make promises (and is also just Andy); and after revealing she is a nurse, Ann provides several free medical consults.  Meanwhile, Leslie attempts to help Ron, but her first meeting reveals that Turnbill Mansion is being altered by Jessica Wicks while planning an extravagant birthday party for her new husband, the wealthy Nick Newport Sr, founder of Sweetums. Leslie and Tom spring into action to mitigate the damage as best they can. They find several extreme alterations are already done, and Leslie is outraged to learn Jessica plans to demolish a gazebo in the backyard.  Viewers, we have never avoided the tough questions, and we're not starting now, such as... Will April earn back Ron's trust? How can Leslie prevent the destruction of the gazebo? Does Andy promise away the entire city? Will Tom get sufficient time to suck up to Jessica Wicks? Can Ron make it through the day without exploding?  Stay tuned folks, this will be a doozy!  Many thanks to our sponsor, the one and only Sweetums:  "If you can't beat 'em, Sweetums!"

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces the three men that preceded Ron as Pawnee Parks Director!  Working on the Pawnee Summer Catalog, Leslie puts together a reunion between Ron Swanson and his three Park Director predecessors. She hopes it will be a joyous occasion and plans to write a letter about it for the catalog. However, they all suck. None of the four men get along with each other, and they each have their own less than admirable traits: Clarence (sexist), David (litters, doesn't care about parks), Michael (obsessed with marijuana), and Ron is...well... Ron.  Meanwhile, Tom has been tasked with taking the cover photo for the Summer Catalog, and convinces Ann and Mark to pose for photos at a community park. Tom is repeatedly frustrated with Ann, who has a difficult time appearing happy. When the photos are finished, Ann agrees that she looks miserable and asks that the pictures not be used. Mark appears concerned that Ann's unhappiness is a reflection of their relationship.  Additionally, April and Andy have been hanging out more and growing closer. After helping Leslie set up the Park Director reunion picnic, Andy asks April to get drinks after work, and she quickly agrees. But when they arrive at the bar, the bouncer notices April appears to be underage, and her ID confirms she is 20... which makes Andy uncomfortable.  Loyal viewers, as always we tackle the hard-hitting questions so you don't have to, such as...  How does one accurately convey "slithering"?  Why would anyone eat anything other than breakfast food?  What exactly IS Tom thinking in that hi-res photo?  Will Leslie's letter ever get written?  Does Andy get over his discomfort with April's age?  Folks, you don't want to miss this one.  NOTE: Our intern, Constantine, has requested that those who join us please bring sufficient bacon for trail snacks... we don't want any tantrums.  Many thanks to our inimitable sponsor, JJ's Diner.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that reveals the secret to Jerry's approach to life (you'll have to wait until the very end).  When Jerry gets mugged while refilling the park's hummingbird feeders, Leslie feels bad about how much they make fun of him, and urges the gang to refrain, while also working with LOUD park security ranger Carl to try and make the parks safer. Going on Pawnee Today, Leslie says the Pawnee government failed the parks, security is poor, and they need more funding. Although angering City Manager Paul Iaresco, the TV stunt worked, causing Mayor Gunderson to offer $2,500 towards fixing the park. However, at a press conference Jerry makes a confession to Leslie that perhaps things happened a little differently than he said.  Meanwhile, we observe some odd love-triangle-esque interactions and behavior from Ann (who says Andy is a fun person but completely reliant on others), April (who likes Andy, and plain doesn't like Ann), and Andy (who is a dim-witted but loveable goofball). After Andy is accidentally knocked out by Ron during a self-defense class, Ann brings Andy gifts at the shoe shine stand to help him feel better... also making April jealous. However, we've seen Andy think of others lately... particularly April. Once again, we address the toughest questions known to mankind, such as... What is the confession Jerry makes to Leslie? Will the gang continue to make fun of him? Is it okay to attack a criminal's bean bag? Did the movie Avatar truly live up to the hype? What exactly does "walking Lord Sheldon" mean? Loyal viewers, this is a memorable episode for sure - don't miss it!  NOTE: Our intern, Constantine, asks that if you join us, please refrain from getting breakfast burritos... it could be unpleasant for all involved.  Many thanks to our awesome sponsor, the Ron Swanson Self-Defense and Self-Respect Couse (or RSSDSRC).

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that not only introduces Pawnee Animal Control, but also gives us a sneak peak at Ron's Haven!  When Mayor Gunderson's dog Rufus (everybody loves Rufus) is bitten by the infamous possum Fairway Frank at Pawnee Municipal Golf Course, mayoral representative Evelyn Roushland asks Leslie to take action. Leslie forms a Task Force (including two burnout Animal Control workers) and searches for Fairway Frank at the golf course.  After Andy dives on it and captures it, Evelyn promises Leslie a special favor from the mayor's office. However, Leslie later sees a second possum and fears they have captured the wrong animal.  Meanwhile, Ron wants to expand his home woodshop and seeks a quick approval from Mark, who informs Ron an inspection is needed to ensure it meets zoning code standards. During the inspection, Mark finds numerous code violations, frustrating Ron. Ron tries to bribe Mark with a canoe, which frustrates Mark.  As always, we face the hard-hitting questions straight-on, such as...  Do they confirm Fairway Frank's identity?  Will they send an innocent possum to fry?  Will Andy become known as a famous possum tackler? Will Ron acknowledge his wood shop needs a tune-up? Will Mark canoe his way up the Swanson river without a paddle? Podcast viewers, there's enough content here to choke a possum... maybe literally!  Sit back, relax, and drink it all in.  Many thanks to our awesome sponsor, Offerman Woodshop.