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.

Mark and Allen are in the studio this week working on the latest Season 5 Episodes and will be back with a new episode next week! Recently, they were fortunate enough to chat with Dorian recently and dive into her experiences as a casting director, as well as an actress and a singer! Check out the full exclusive interview with Dorian this week ... as charming and interesting a guest as we've ever had on the show.

This was a really fun interview from a perspective many people don't often think about. The guys got to learn about the casting process and get some background on how their favorite Parks and Recreation guest stars were cast. Dorian was a wonderful and gracious guest, willing to dish on whatever questions we had for her. Tune in and see for yourself!

Check out Dorian's website at https://dorianfrankel.com/

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".

Mark and Allen recently had the pleasure of catching up with the one and only Burley - AKA Andrew Burlinson - a few months ago. Check out our full interview with Andrew this week - he is friendly, down-to-earth guy with a great story, and a lot of fun to talk with. What's not to like?

Join the guys as Andrew shares many stories and answers many questions about his career including reminiscing about his experience on Parks and Rec, playing in the most Awesome-Sauce band in America - Mouse Rat - along with his other work since and also his earlier gigs, some of which involved an extraordinary amount of Blue Paint! 

This is a great interview that the gang really enjoyed a lot! After all, who in their right mind wouldn't get excited at the prospect of interviewing a Mouse Rat band member?!?  Tune in and see what Andrew has to say - you won't be disappointed!

Check out And rew's website at http://gentlemanrockstar.com while you're at it!

As the name would suggest, this week Mark and Allen are grabbing a little of this, some of that, a bunch of who-knows-what from over there, and calling it a show ... it's a GRAB BAG!  We start off with introductions, followed by Constantine's new segment.  We then have some in-depth (well, in-depth for US) analysis on Season 4, how it compares to other seasons, and what we thought of it in general.  Finally, we end the show with a heartfelt tribute to everyone's favorite band, Mouse Rat!  Stick around, you'll be glad you did.  Or not.  Makes no difference to us.  We're just here for the snacks.  (EDIT BY CONSTANTINE:  Way to advertise, idiots ...)

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".

Mark and Allen had the pleasure of catching up with Emmy Award-Winning Set Decorator Kim Wannop a few backs and got a chance to learn about the art of Set Decoration including her work on Parks and Recreation Seasons 2-7.

Join the guys as they chat with Kim about her work on long running shows like Parks and Recreation, Veep, The Good Place and Bones as well as movies like Fanboys and Moxie. Kim has a lot to share about her career in the Art Department and we got a chance to learn about a whole new piece of the storytelling puzzle going a little deeper behind the camera than we have to date. 

So, strap on your ear-goggles and settle in for a very interesting interview, not only with a terrific and talented guest, but from a perspective that too often doesn't get the attention and credit it deserves. Tune in and see for yourselves!

PS, we wanted to let everyone know that with Summer now in full swing, Mark and Allen will be taking a little time off and working a  new project (hint, hint: it might be another podcast) so you might see a slight, occasional change to a bi-weekly release schedule for a while.  The guys will talk more about this on the next episode. So, stay on the lookout for updates!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode we finally see Leslie and Bobby Newport go toe to toe! The day of the debate is finally here. Ben gives everyone final assignments, and helps Leslie continue to prepare for the debate. Before the debate starts, they discover Bobby Newport is freaking out, thinking this may be good news. The debate starts. Leslie is prepared and confident, but Newport campaign manager Jennifer Barkley is strangely calm. As the debate rolls on, 3 things become apparent: 1) Bobby is spouting a combination of broad prepared answers, combined with bouts of utter nonsense. 2) Bobby is still charming, his nonsense is largely unoffensive, and the crowd (including moderators Perd Hapley and Joan Callamezzo) seems to be swayed in his direction. 3) Leslie going on the offensive with attacks against Newport makes her seem like a bully, prompting Ben to tell Leslie to ease back a bit. Meanwhile, Ben has assigned Chris, Ann, and Tom to be the Knope Campaign Spin Team. Tom is upset because Ann once again broke up with him (for reals this time), and it appears that Ann and Chris have been acting very close, further upsetting him. Later in the Debate Spin Room, Chris opens up to Ann and tells her that he wants to give their relationship another chance, which Tom witnesses, further upsetting him, and causing him to undermine their efforts at positive spin, by lashing out at reporters. Finally, Ben has assigned Andy, April, Ron, and Donna to hold a viewing party of the debate at TRFKAB for Leslie's donors. Everything seems to be going okay ... until they turn on the TV, ready to watch the debate ... and they get a screen telling them their cable service is off ... apparently SOMEONE forgot to pay the cable bill. With none of them knowing what to do, and wanting to keep the attention of the donors, Andy ... starts acting out movies he likes. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Ben come up with the right pivot strategy? Can Chris convince Ann to get back together with him? How will the donors react to Andy's one man show? Will Leslie win back support from the audience? Will Tom's grumpiness cause the Knope Spin Team to fail? Can Ron help them to get the cable working again? What is Jennifer Barkley's secret weapon? Loyal podcast viewers, Amy Poehler wrote this episode, and it shows ... one of the best of the entire season, and maybe the entire series. Don't miss it!  Many thanks to our sponsor Entertainment 720 and their award-hopeful film: "Identity Crisis: This is Mouse Rat".