Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast (Allen Pearcy, Mark Raymond, Ten10 Productions)

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Jean-Ralphio's twin sister, Mona-Lisa Saperstein! Leslie is shocked to learn that the Pawnee Video Dome, owned by Dennis Lerpiss, is closing, not a big surprise since video stores are closing left and right, and the Video Dome doesn't even carry mainstream movies. However, Leslie is determined to keep the business afloat and petitions the city council to declare it as a historical landmark. This sends Ron into a tailspin - there's nothing he hates more than the government meddling in private matters. Ron shows up at the city council meeting to express his feelings, stating that this is nothing more than a thinly veiled government bailout. This causes things to get dicey as several other people speak out, some agreeing with Ron, some resentful that the Video Dome was getting a hand out at all, and some wanting a hand out of their own. Meanwhile, Chris has not yet given Ann an answer regarding the "will you be my sperm-donor" question she posed to him in the last episode. Talking with Ben, Chris voices his concerns - the thought of being a father excites him, but Chris is worried he's not qualified to be a parent. Ben suggests that Chris practice his parenting skills on Tom, who could clearly use the help. After some consideration, Chris decides to go with Ben's suggestion, and ends up giving Tom some "fatherly advice" regarding his issues at Rent-A-Swag with Mona-Lisa Saperstein. While all this is going on, Ann is completely on edge waiting to hear back from Chris about whether or not he'll be her sperm donor. In synchronicity to this, Tom's company, Rent-A-Swag, is in full swing and doing well. Due to the high demand, he is forced to hire an assistant. He brings on Mona-Lisa Saperstein, the twin sister of Jean-Ralphio. Mona-Lisa slacks off on the job, and in general, Tom lets her walk all over him. After witnessing this a few times, Ben urges Tom to fire Mona-Lisa immediately. Tom has to consider Ben's advice, in addition to the "fatherly advice" given by Chris. Finally, April begrudgingly comes to Ann, asking for a favor. She's applying to veterinary school, and she needs a letter of recommendation. Ann is thrilled to finally have the upper hand in her relationship with April; she agrees to write the letter under one condition ... April has to be her friend for one whole week and do everything she says. April has no choice but to agree to Ann's terms and takes part in Ann's parade of girly activities, like manicures and boy talk. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Does Leslie's historical landmark initiative pass, or will it get squashed? How does Chris suggest Tom handle the Mona-Lisa situation? Can April put up with all of this gross Perkins-love? Can the Video Dome be saved, or will it fade away like the Blockbusters around it? What will Chris finally decide with regards to being Ann's sperm donor? Will Tom take Chris' advice, or does he go rogue with his own plan? Will Ann write the letter of recommendation for April? Will there be any negative backlash from Leslie's plan? Is there any possible way Jerry could help Chris? At the end of the episode, does Mona-Lisa still work at Rent-A-Swag? Do Ann and April ever have a genuinely sweet moment? Loyal viewers, Season 5 is an unstoppable freight train approaching your station ... all aboard! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, Strackwell Hardware.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Ben's calculator, "Dr. Buttons"! Still losing heavily in the recall election, Leslie uses the press conference covering the Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic to score some cheap points by slamming Eagleton. A bit later, Chris tells Ben their old boss from Indianapolis wants them to take a look into Eagleton's budget problem, something which delights Leslie to no end. At the meeting, Eagleton's city council, including Leslie's counterpart, Ingrid de Forest, prefers not to talk openly about money, instead allowing Chris and Ben direct access to their files, so they can see for themselves. They find out Eagleton's debt-equity ratio is off the charts, and they are now on the brink of an epic financial disaster. Leslie is excited, not only because this is a potential way to get Pawnee back on her side (since she "saved" Pawnee from bankruptcy, and now their worst enemy is about to collapse into bankruptcy), but also, quite simply, because it's a chance to stick it to Eagleton. To that end, while Chris and Ben legitimately want to try and help Eagleton, and come up with a viable solution, Leslie puts together a mock presentation disguised as a financial recovery plan. Either way, unfortunately for Eagleton, having borrowed everything they can from the state, Pawnee is now their only hope. Meanwhile, Ron is disturbed by the lack of privacy he has after receiving a magazine addressed to him at Diane's house, where he has lived for less than a month. Ron recruits Tom and Donna to help him get completely off the grid, although quite frankly Tom and Donna are confused as to why anyone would want that, as they LOVE the grid. Ron gets rid of his cell phone, chops up his credit cards, destroys his City Hall car park access keycard, removes his name plate from his office door, destroys his paediatrician files, and even goes around to all the diners and restaurants in town where he has set food eating records and removes his pictures. Finally, Ann and April take a road trip together to the city of Bloomington, IN. They do so for two reasons: So April can attend her orientation day for Bloomington's School of Veterinary Medicine, and so Ann can shop at some of the nicer baby stores, which far outclass what she can find in Pawnee. Ann leaves April to her orientation so she can do some shopping. However, before long, April shows up at the baby store Ann is at, apparently not a fan of the orientation and bailing almost immediately. Ann insists that April return to the orientation and complete it, but April will only do so if Ann agrees to play along with an embarrassing scheme she's concocted, where Ann pretends to be April's 65-year-old grandmother. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie succeed in getting Pawnee back on her side? Can Ron truly get completely off the grid? Will Ann agree to April's crazy scheme? Is Eagleton truly on the brink of financial disaster? Do Tom and Donna help or hinder Ron towards his goal? Will April finish her orientation? Can the Pawnee gang find a way to help Eagleton ... or they even want to? Will there be any drawbacks to Ron's efforts? Is April still on track to go to vet school? Loyal viewers, there are some big shoes to fill after the fantastic Season 6 premiere ... is this episode up to the task? Only one way to find out! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, "Cozy's Bar and Grill".

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we finally learn Leslie's full name! Leslie wrote the book "Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America" and is promoting it on Pawnee Today, hoping Joan Callamezzo will put her book club sticker on it, which would increase sales AND help Leslie's campaign. Before the show, an anonymous source claims an inaccuracy in the book, which Leslie enlists the gang to find, trying to avoid Joan revealing it on air. When Leslie goes on Pawnee Today, Joan reveals the inaccuracy: Leslie "Born & Raised" Knope was NOT BORN IN PAWNEE, and because she lied, Joan refuses to put her book club sticker on it. Meanwhile, Leslie has hired Entertainment 720 (and by extension Tom) to get that book sticker. Tom is confident he can talk Joan into it because he always playfully flirts with her. But things get more complicated when Joan makes it known that she is divorcing her husband, and warns Tom not to make any promises he can't keep. Finally, when Leslie asks the gang to help her fact check the details, Ann is teamed up with Ron and April. Although Ron and April are traditionally stoic and silent, ESPECIALLY to her, Ann is determined to win them over with kindness and get them to actually have a conversation with her. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Where was Leslie actually born? Will Tom convince Joan to give Leslie's book the sticker? Can Ron finally whittle alone in silence, the way God intended? Who is the anonymous source that provided the tip? How many drinks does it take for Joan to refer to Tom as "an adorable hunk of caramel"? Does Ann have a secret weapon up her sleeve? Podcast viewers, this Joan-tastic episode is one you won't want to miss! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, "Pawnee Public Radio's Newest Show: 3Qs and 2As".

As the name would suggest, this week Mark and Allen have squashed a lot of stuff into one episode for your listening pleasure - a grab bag, if you will. Or, even if you won't. It is what it is. Buckle in. Some of the stuff they will be going over include, but are not limited to: [a] reviewing all episodes in the first half of Season 3, [b] sharing viewer feedback with all the other viewers (although we THINK maybe you're not viewers), and [c] indulging our unpaid producer, Constantine, by including a new segment he came up with. As Constantine says, "Don't be... Late To The Party!"  (EDIT BY MARK AND ALLEN: Subtle, dude. Real subtle.)

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".

This week, Mark and Allen break down the classic Episode that introduces us to Ron's ex-wife Tammy... actually his SECOND ex-wife Tammy (also known as "Tammy Two").  The gang learns that Ron's ex-wife Tammy, deputy director at Library Services, is gunning for Leslie's vacant lot to build a library, and she'll stop at nothing to get it - including manipulating Ron with sexual exploits too graphic to discuss.  Meanwhile, Leslie gets Andy a job in Pioneer Hall as a shoe-shine man, giving him ample opportunity to try and win Ann back.  As always, we tackle the tough questions others are afraid of, like...  Is it better to be Eleanor Roosevelt or Cleopatra?  Why does Tom suggest people take the high road?  What is "the Ron Shuffle"?  There's no telling what could happen here, folks... tune in and find out!  Whatever you do, do NOT go to the library... those people aren't to be trusted.  Don't make us say "I told you so".  A tip of the hat to our wonderful sponsors, the Motel Glen Capri and the Pawnee Library.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where the future of Lot 48 is finally decided! Leslie and Councilman Jeremy Jamm are finally going head-to-head, pitching their proposals for Lot 48 to the Planning Committee. Despite Jamm plying them with fast food during the meeting, Leslie is told in private her Pawnee Commons project is MUCH better for the town, and that they can't approve it because it is short $50,000 ... but if she can come up with that money in the next week, they'll vote for her. To this end, Leslie and Ben plan a black tie gala fundraiser, the gang all work together, things seem to be going well ... until the day of the gala, Leslie finds out the surprise annual Emergency Preparedness drill is happening, and as appointed Pawnee Emergency Czar, she must go to the Command Center immediately. The chosen simulated disaster is avian flu, which Leslie loves, since it is simple, and she's already prepared for it. Leslie attempts to breeze through the proceedings, but just when it looks like they have triumphed, Councilman Jamm (who was supposed to deal with Transit Authorities) dropped the ball, causing the epidemic to spread instead of being contained. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang does their best to get things ready for the gala: Ben coordinates things at Lot 48, including delegating tables and chairs to Donna, as well as dealing with firemen using Lot 48 as a triage center for the drill; Tom travels around Pawnee, desperately looking for caterers willing to supply free food for the event; Ron decides to take Leslie's place on Pawnee Today to promote the gala, which proves challenging once it becomes clear Joan Callamezzo is INCREDIBLY hung over, finally passing out on the floor before the interview can really get started. Meanwhile, the day has finally come for Andy to take the Pawnee PD exam. Very excited (but nervous), he makes his way to the police station, accompanied by April, who gives him a good luck charm and helps him with last minute cramming. After anxiously waiting in the lobby for Andy to finish, April finally sees him come back to the lobby, excited and confident that he did really well on the written exam! A bit later, Andy is once again taken into the back office, this time for his personality exam. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie help Pawnee survive the avian flu, or is the town going the way of the dodo? How did Andy really do on his written exam? Will Ron effectively promote the gala event? Can Tom find any caterers willing to provide food for free? Is Andy prepared to take the personality exam? Where in the world did Jerry go? Does Ben talk the firemen into moving the triage center? Will Andy truly become one of Pawnee's finest? Will the gala happen, or is it destined for doom? What is "The Knope Protocol"? What is the good luck charm April gives Andy? Loyal viewers, Season 5 is on a roll ... will it continue? Stay tuned to find out, dot dot dot ... Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, Chez Chez La Rue.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Ben has his first day as Pawnee City Manager! As Leslie returns to her position as Deputy Director of Parks and Rec on a full-time basis, she expects everything to be the same as it was when she left. However, she instead sees many differences: April is handling Animal Control with ease, and Tom's firing on all cylinders in his new role of Business Liaison. Tom mentions his project to enlist a juice company to run a lemonade stand in one of Pawnee's parks to replace a retiring hot stew chef, and states he will be pitching the idea to the Pawnee Small Business Coalition. While somewhat impressed with Tom's initiative, Leslie is NOT impressed with Tom's decision to do things HIS way, instead of following her presentation guidelines that have been a Parks Department staple for 10 years. Worried Tom will fail in his presentation, Leslie decides to convince the hot stew chef to NOT go into retirement, deciding to represent him, and ultimately planning to go head-to-head with Tom in front of the Small Business Coalition. Meanwhile, Ben has an open house on his first day as Pawnee City Manager. He attempts to show everyone (particularly April, Andy, and Donna) that he is very cool, calm, and laid back. However, he ALSO implements a number of new rules to assert his position as a no-nonsense boss. Sensing Ben is wound very tight, the trio decide to prank him with a false arrest to "lighten him up". Two Pawnee police officers end up escorting a terrified Ben down to the station, trumping up ridiculous charges the whole way, until Ben thinks he'll never see the light of day again ... until April, Andy, and Donna come to the police station and reveal the prank. Even though the trio thinks it's hilarious, Ben is NOT amused. Finally, in the middle of taking pictures around City Hall to show their unborn baby where they met, Chris and Ann consider their situation and their plans for the future, and spontaneously decide they should get married. They head to a jewelry store in Pawnee, where they begin shopping for an engagement ring. Listening to another engaged couple also shopping there, they realize how much forethought is typically put into something like this, and start to question not only whether or not they want to buy the ring, but whether or not they want to get married. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Tom get his lemonade stand idea going? Did Ben pee his pants at the police station? Will Ann and Chris decide to get married? What will happen to the hot stew stand? Will Ben try to do anything in retaliation? What will Ann and Chris buy at the jewelry store? Will Leslie be able to get back into the rhythm of things? Did Andy like the illegal french cheese? Will Jerry die of cracker-dust inhalation? Loyal viewers, Mark and Allen are really on their game during this episode - tune in and enjoy! (EDIT BY CONSTANTINE: Subtle, guys.) Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, "Strackwell Hardware".

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 where we finally meet the Department of the Interior's resident "bad boy", Liam Bonneville!  Leslie is in San Francisco, scheduled to speak at the National Parks Conference about the Pawnee/Eagleton merger. At the conference, Leslie bumps into Grant Larson, who invites her to lunch and introduces her to a number of her idols, including Michelle Obama. Grant tells a starstruck Leslie he needs a final decision from her by tomorrow, and after all this, Leslie is heavily leaning towards taking the job. Later, Leslie gives her speech at the conference, describing the Pawnee/Eagleton merger completing in 6-12 months, but her timeline is ridiculed by the audience, with two department heads suggesting the merger will need 10 years of constant hands-on management, or else risk her precious town losing its cityhood and becoming "unincorporated territory". Needless to say, this shakes Leslie to her core, and despite meeting her idols earlier, and how perfect this job seems ... she is now considering not taking it.  Meanwhile, Tom's Bistro is set to open in 6 weeks, but when investor Mitch Savner mentions how great it would be for the restaurant to be ready in time for the Unity Concert, Tom jumps the gun and promises to have the place ready for a soft opening the next day, and be ready for officially opening at the end of the week. Tom desperately brings all hands on deck, recruiting April, Craig, Ron and Donna to help him get the restaurant serviceable. Things do not go well: Ron is unable to make 20 chairs in time, Craig is unable to do his job as sommelier due to sinus/allergy issues, and Jerry Gergich orders the menus with ... uh ... let's just say, the wrong background image. As the night goes on, Mitch becomes more and more concerned and upset with the way Tom is running things.  Also meanwhile, Ben and Andy are also in San Francisco to meet with tech company "Gryzzl", who is giving away free Wi-Fi to a few cities across the US. Ben meets with them to pitch the idea of Pawnee being one of the cities. Unfortunately, they are only focusing on big cities, so they turn Ben down. After some time to think, Ben is determined to not take no for an answer, and goes back with Andy a 2nd time.  This time, however, he sees a large group of Gryzzl employees - including the Gryzzl owners he spoke to in the first meeting - playing the board game HE invented.  That's right ... they are playing "The Cones of Dunshire"!  Finally, we witness the day we've all been waiting for ... the Unity Concert is here! April and Andy lead the final Unity Concert planning meeting, with a main goal of getting 2000 signatures in support of the Pawnee-Eagleton merger. Andy also tries one last time (unsuccessfully) to get Ron to play as Duke Silver during the concert. Later, we see the Unity Concert in full swing, with headline acts The Decemberists, Ginuwine, Letters to Cleo, Bobby Knight Ranger, and Land Ho bringing in huge crowds. Andy performs as Johnny Karate on the children's stage, and afterwards bumps into Burly. The two reminisce over Mouse Rat's break up and it brings back memories for Andy as he misses being a part of a band. On a similar note, Diane encourages Ron to get up on stage and have fun, but Ron has no intention of doing so.  As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie take the job? Will Tom's investor, Mitch Savner, back out of the deal? How did Gryzzl get their hands on the Cones of Dunshire? Can Andy find a way to deal with the fact that he misses being in a band? Will Leslie move away from Pawnee? Could there be another opportunity for Tom's Bistro to be redeemed? Can Ben leverage the Cones of Dunshire to his advantage? Does Ron become convinced to play as Duke Silver at some point? Can Leslie find a way to have it all? Does Tom find a way to turn things around? Will Pawnee get free WiFi? Will the gang manage to collect 2000 signatures in support of the Pawnee-Eagleton merger?  Loyal viewers, we MADE IT! We are at the END of Season 6! Can you even believe it?!? Will this 53 MINUTE extravaganza blow everything else out of the water? Tune in and find out! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor "Pawnee City Hall's 4th Floor".

Join us for a special Holiday (of your choice) message from the man, the myth, the legend...Ron Freakin' Swanson himself! Recorded live in our studio during yet another special (court ordered community service) visit, this is a Live from Pawnee exclusive!

From all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Enjoy!

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Tom and Wendy officially call it splits ... it turns out even for fake marriages, love hurts!  Finding out Tom and Wendy got divorced, Leslie does everything she can to make Tom feel better, not knowing that it was a green-card marriage. Leslie and gang plan a fun night out for Tom, but it's possible no one knows how Tom really feels about the divorce...  During all the divorce shenanigans, Andy continues his efforts to pursue Ann, including trying to insult and belittle Mark. Finally, Andy challenges Mark to a game of pool with the hopes of hustling him... which don't turn out as he expects.  The stakes continue to rise... the pot grows bigger and bigger... What will happen?  Who will win?  No one knows!  As always, we tackle the tough, gritty questions others shows run screaming from, like ... What is going on with the mysterious 4th floor?  Is it a horrorscape, the Twilight Zone, or a gateway to Narnia?  What would Leslie's stripper name be?  Is it disturbing that Jerry wants Tom's body? (Yes. Yes it is.)  Can you legally win a person from a game of pool?  What is "the perfect spooning size"?  Do dinosaur-themed restaurants ever get old?  (This one depends on who you ask.)  Loyal podcast viewers, so much goodness has been crammed into this episode, we almost made a table of contents just to keep up.  (Yes, we know you're not viewers.)  So come on out with us, and bring your appetite!  We hear that Seabiscuit is waiting for you.  Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors, Jurassic Fork and The Glitter Factory.

In this Special Revisited episode, not only do Mark and Allen recap the best of episodes Season 3; but, they share some stats...er, fun facts, and analysis on Season 3 and and relive some of the Seasons best moments! Don't miss out on this chance to catch up and look back before we jump into Season 4! 

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces us to Ricky's Rock and Roll Bowling Alley! Leslie witnesses a focus group participant named Derek say he won't vote for her because "she doesn't look like someone he could go bowling with". Despite Ben urging her to not let it get to her, Leslie obsesses over winning Derek's vote in particular, even going so far as to have her campaign hold a bowling night for the public. At the event, Leslie good naturedly challenges Derek to a game of bowling, letting him win while providing free food and beer. However, at the end of the game, when asked if he will vote for her now, Derek still says no. Also at the bowling alley, Tom, Ron, and Ann bowl together on a lane, with Tom embarrassing Ann, and ESPECIALLY Ron, with his childlike, two-handed, underhand bowling technique. However, as the game progresses, Tom proves that his technique is quite effective, much to Ron's chagrin. Later, Tom injures his finger when getting his ball, unable to finish the last frame, and leaving the winner in question. Meanwhile, Jerry gets April, Andy, Chris, and Donna to join him in an all-night phone bank at TRFKAB (i.e. April and Andy's house) to raise funds for Leslie's campaign, offering a prize of 2 movie tickets for whoever raises the most money. Chris wants to win so he can go out on a date with his girlfriend, Jerry's daughter Milly. April wants to win because it would take away Chris' happiness. Chris, well in the lead, announces during a break that he's going to ask Milly to move in with him. However, Jerry privately reveals to everyone else that Milly is planning to break up with Chris. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How does Leslie handle Derek's continued rejection? How many phone voices does April have? Was Ron involved with the accident that hurt Tom's fingie? Can Ben help Leslie and Derek get along, or will he make it worse? Who ends up winning the movie tickets? Is Tom in fact a female bird? Loyal podcast viewers, this episode is filled to the rim with comedy gold and meme-worthy moments - come enjoy it with us! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, Ricky's Rock and Roll Restaurant.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are first introduced to both Dr. Nadia Stasky and hairdresser Norman "Typhoon" Montalban! The Committee to Recall Knope is relentless, spending lots of and time and money to sling mud at Leslie. Furthermore, councilmen Jamm and Dexhart openly admit they don't like Leslie, waiting for the day when she is recalled, and to this end effectively block Leslie from doing anything productive on the City Council by tabling bills indefinitely and ending meetings early. To make things worse, an inappropriate, rather spicy tweet was sent by Donna on the official Parks and Recreation Twitter account, mistakenly thinking it was her personal account. Jamm jumps on this immediately to further ruin Leslie's reputation, trying to turn it into a media circus. When Jamm asks the responsible employee to provide a statement, Donna insists she never meant to embarrass the Parks Department and admits her personal account is set to private, so usually, her tweets are only seen by a handful of people. However, in an unfortunate twist, Jamm announces that they have somehow obtained access to Donna's private account, and are now perusing it. Meanwhile, a young, attractive doctor named Nadia Stasky inquires about reserving a park on behalf of her organization, Doctors Without Borders, with the intent of setting up a mobile hospital to provide free vaccinations. Tom takes an immediate liking to Nadia and takes on the responsibility of setting up the reservation. Unfortunately, believing she's way out of his league, Tom adopts a British accent to make him seem more sophisticated. However, it turns out Nadia's only interest is to book a park and get out of there ASAP. Desperate to stall her progress and thus keep her around longer, Tom uses the tactic of "incompetent bureaucracy", providing incorrect paperwork over and over, while constantly trying to gain her attention by putting on different suits, offering to take her out to lunch, etc. Finally, Ben talks to Ron about the will he and Leslie put together, asking him to sign as a witness, and in the course of conversation, discovers Ron does not have a will. With Ron now being a husband and father, Ben manages to talk Ron into meeting with a lawyer to have a proper will written up, warning him that without a will, most of what he owns will go to the government. During their meeting with Trevor the lawyer, Ron is EXTREMELY resistant to disclose ANY information, and only after constant cajoling and urging, he reluctantly agrees to give Trevor a ballpark figure of how much money he has. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How did Jamm and company get access to Donna's private account? Does Tom keep his British accent? How much money DOES Ron have? Will "Twitter Watergate" truly get turned into a media circus? Can Tom manage to keep Nadia around with his stalling tactics? Will Ron listen to Ben's advice about leaving something behind for his children? What further embarrassing facts come out of Donna's private tweets? Will April try to help Tom get a date with Nadia? What do the mysterious symbols on Ron's childhood will mean? Loyal viewers, it's about to get SPICY up in here! Tune in to see just what we mean. Many thanks to our paid Public Service Announcement entitled "MoM" (Memories of Mulligan's).

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".

We've heard of Eagleton before, but this week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that REALLY introduces us to "that" Eagleton which we have grown to know and hate!  Eagleton built a fence in a shared park to keep Pawneeans out, which Leslie suspects is the work of former best friend and Pawnee Parks & Rec co-worker, Lindsay Carlisle Shay (now Eagleton's Parks & Rec director). Leslie meets with Lindsay, who refuses to remove the fence and insults Pawnee in the process. Leslie, Tom and Ben attend a fancy, catered Eagleton town meeting to plead their case to its citizens, which does not go well, leaving Leslie frustrated and seeking revenge.  Meanwhile, Leslie discovers Ron's upcoming birthday, which he has kept secret for years, and promises a horrified Ron she will throw a surprise party. Ron becomes increasingly paranoid, especially after overhearing April and Andy discuss outrageous party plans. Ron eventually becomes so paranoid he resorts to sleeping in his office to avoid any potential surprises, at home or otherwise. As always, we don't shy away from the difficult questions, such as ... Why is Leslie letting Lindsay get to her? How hard can you hit someone with a garbage bag? What mistake by Ron allowed Leslie to discover his birthday? Can we build a second fence around their fence? How does one get assigned to "the kidnap squad"? Do they make bouncy castles for adults?  Loyal podcast viewers, grab your favorite podcast snack and tune in to enjoy this amazing episode with us!  NOTE:  Don't go to Baskin Robbins.  They are VERY loose-lipped with their customer information.  Just sayin. Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, the Pawnee Police Department.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are first introduced to Joe (Donna's ex, and the one she claims is her "Tammy")!  With the Unity Concert only 3 weeks away, the Parks Department is throwing a charity auction to raise money for the event. While Leslie and Ben are organizing the auction, they are distracted by Leslie's pregnancy, which no one knows about yet. Upon meeting with Dr. Saperstein, they are blown away to find out they are having triplets, and are told by Saperstein to avoid stress over the coming months. This is challenging for Ben, who crunches the numbers and can't fathom how he and Leslie will be able to raise three children. Leslie and Ben arrive at the auction, and Leslie manages to run it very calmly and smoothly, which is good for her, but bad for the auction, as items sell for much less than they should. Ben does his best to make sure Leslie is calm and avoids stress, but Ben himself keeps getting more and more stressed.  Meanwhile, Ron recruits Donna to help make costumes for the Unity Concert's youth review segment at his step-daughters' elementary school. Donna agrees as long as Ron keeps her away from ex-boyfriend Joe, who works at the school, and whom Donna considers a nightmare, her version of Tammy. When they get to the school, Joe comes over to greet them, and Ron does his duty and steps in between them. However, as the day goes on, Ron comes to realize what a kind, genuine person Joe really is.  Finally, Andy is still holding onto Leslie's pregnancy secret and does his best to avoid discussing the matter with April. To make matters worse for Andy, he has a hectic schedule over the coming days with a number of Johnny Karate shows to perform. To stop April from asking, Andy falsely tells her that his secret is that Jerry has a deadly disease. April falls for it and in turn, begins feeling sorry for Jerry. She decides to be nice to Jerry and spends time talking with him, thinking she ought to make amends if he is dying. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will the Parks Department raise enough money for the Unity Concert? Does Ron ever admit to Donna that he ... likes Joe? Can April continue to be nice to Jerry? Can Ben find a way to deal with his stress? Will Donna ever come to terms with what she and Joe could have? Does April ever find out Jerry dying is a huge lie? How does the gang react to Leslie being pregnant with triplets? What does the future for Donna and Joe look like? Will Andy be able to keep the secret, or will April make him crack? Loyal podcast viewers, we are nearing the end of Season 6, and things are coming to a head! Will the gang survive these next 3 weeks and make it to the Unity Concert? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, "Wood You Rather".

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces Crazy Ira and The Douche!  Leslie, Tom, and Ben start promoting the Harvest Festival, starting with radio show "Crazy Ira and The Douche". Ben is asked about his time as a teen mayor, where he bankrupted the town, to which Ben responds awkwardly, stammering and unable to defend himself. Ben's past continues to come up during Leslie's interview with Shauna Malwae-Tweep (which she manages to downplay), and Tom and Ben's interview with Perd Hapley, during which Ben launches into a furious, incoherent rant. Realizing several businesses may pull their sponsorships from the Harvest Festival due to Ben's behavior, Leslie tries to stay focused on the upcoming interview with Joan Callamezzo on "Pawnee Today" to perform damage control.  Meanwhile, after discussing some details with Chris, April accepts his offer to work for him in Indianapolis. When Andy finds out, he begs April to reconsider, offering to take care of stuff she hates doing for a month. She agrees, but appears to have no intention of changing her mind. When Ron finds out, he volunteers to help, claiming he doesn't care about their relationship, but he does not want to lose April as an assistant. Andy's difficult day of running errands for April culminates with him getting ARRESTED after April's sister Natalie claims he is kidnapping her when he is merely picking her up from school!  Finally, Ann is growing increasingly frustrated not knowing the future of her relationship with Chris, something which is exacerbated by Chris making a point to ask April if SHE will accompany him to Indianapolis. During a pleasant lunch, Ann drops several obvious hints that she is not tied down to anything in Pawnee, including her house, which Chris does not seem to pick up on. Eventually, Chris does mention to Ann that after Indianapolis, he will be sent to a different city.  Loyal podcast viewers, we have answers to all your questions, such as ... How does one handle getting clubbed in the nuggets? Is there actually a bird flying around Perd's studio? Will Sweetums end up cancelling the Fat-Coaster? What even is the spirit of melancholy? What town in Indiana do cows outnumber people 40 to 1? Does Chris end up defining Ann's bagua?  Unpaid producer Constantine highly recommends this one: Sweet moments, funny moments, plot advancements, space farts... this one has it all, folks! Tune in and see if Constantine was right. (EDIT BY MARK AND ALLEN: If he's not, he'll be sitting in the spank chair.)  Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, the C.R.O.P.T. - the Committee to Relaunch Our Pawnee Traditions!

In the season opener, Leslie has a penguin wedding as a cute zoo promotion, only later realizing both penguins are dudes. With everyone thinking Leslie is making a statement, political waves crash as she deals with Marcia Langman from the Society for Family Stability Foundation, Pawnee Today's Joan Callemezzo, and gay bar "The Bulge". Also, Andy returns! Will Ann get back together with him? Has Mark truly hit rock bottom? Can you climb mountains in Kansas? Is anything more troubling than rat parades? Why don't Pawnee garbagemen wear LiveStrong bracelets? Why is Ron familiar with "The Bulge"? What of this secret language Leslie and Ann are talking about? You've got questions, and we've got answers! Well, opinions, anyway. So get yourself all dolled up and join us - you might just turn someone before the night is over. But only if you have "ma-tured". (P-P-P-Poker Face....) Our sponsor streak continues with Kerston's Rubber Nipples and The Bulge.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we see the triumphant return of Bert Macklin, FBI! Founder's Week is a yearly celebration of all things Pawnee, and to prepare for the momentous day, Leslie brings her entire staff to Ron's cabin in the woods for a brainstorming session. As Leslie encourages everyone to focus and rid themselves of distractions, Tom is still dealing with the train wreck that is his girlfriend Mona-Lisa. Leslie hosts a Founder's Week public forum to help celebrate her first year in office as a Pawnee city councilwoman. To kick things off, Leslie posits the question, "Are you better off now than you were a year ago?" Immediately, however, there is hostility with Pawnee Restaurant Association spokeswoman Kathryn Pinewood speaking up against many of Leslie's changes which she feels restricts citizen's basic personal freedoms. (Or because the Restaurant Association was angry about the soda tax, so they are lashing out against Leslie for it.) Many more stand up against Leslie, and overall, the forum does not go well. Leslie finds the Founder's Week Parade to be a perfect distraction from the drama surrounding her humiliating forum. Meanwhile, while searching through the trash for his sweatshirt at Ron's cabin, Andy comes across a positive pregnancy test, which propels him to reassume his alter ego as Burt Macklin, FBI. There were five women at the cabin over the weekend, and Andy vows to figure out which one is pregnant. Andy confronts Ann first, but it's not her. She is a little annoyed that someone else got pregnant before her, though. Ann hops on board as Macklin's partner, and the two set out to find the woman behind the test. Andy and Ann rule out Donna and Leslie, leaving only Mona-Lisa ... Finally, business is booming at Rent-A-Swag, and a lawyer representing an anonymous client approaches Tom about buying the company. Tom reports back to his investors – Donna, April, Jerry, and Ron – about the opportunity, and Donna is all over the idea, but Ron thinks Tom should continue growing his business as he is clearly doing something right if he is being offered to sell. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Are there any Pawnee citizens that are pro-Leslie, or are they all against her? Is this actually Bert Macklin, or is he back from the dead as some sort of zombie-Macklin? Will Tom sell out? Will the parade go smoothly for Leslie, or will there be a twist? Will Special Agent Perkins make a good partner for Macklin, or is he truly a lone wolf? Who is the mystery client? How many Lerpisses are in this episode? Is Mona-Lisa pregnant, and if so, what has Tom done to humanity? Loyal viewers, this is it ... the Season 5 finale! Season 5 has been a non-stop action ride, and it's coming to a close here. Tune in to see how things turn out! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, the one, the only, often imitated but never duplicated, JJ's Diner.

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.

Listen in for a special Halloween message from the man, the myth, the legend...Ron Master-of-Disguise Swanson himself! Recorded live in our studio for your listening pleasure!

From all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a Happy and Safe Halloween!

This week, Mark and Allen examine an Episode that flirts with underage drinking, political corruption, and other such nonsense. The team receives a gift basket, which Leslie does not let them open, but she gives in to temptation when she uses a gift basket to keep a casual get-together going, leading to internal ethical struggles afterwards. Also, Andy has a secret plan to surprise Ann while she works a double shift. Tune in to learn fun facts: What is Ron's idea of perfect government? What is the Darth Vader Syndrome? Can a couch be shaped like a mustache? Warning... there will be a test afterwards. Don't make us take you to the Disciplinary Committee. A nod to our great sponsors: Mighty Bites and the First Fourth Bank of Pawnee.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Peebo the Ping-Pong Playing Panda! Ben unveils the new city website for Pawnee, featuring an online poll for the new town slogan. Just after this happens, Leslie meets with Grant Larson, Director of the Midwest Branch of the National Parks Service, to further discuss the details of the job offer he made in the last episode. Grant tells Leslie her new role will include overseeing 200 people and be mainly focused on creative, big picture stuff ... and as a result, will no longer involve the everyday minutiae, which she currently does, and loves very much. A bit later, Ben is ready to go live with the slogan poll, and comments the website will do all the work for them. Perhaps drawing a parallel between what Grant told her, and the website, Leslie reacts to this by insisting that they still need to manually do stuff, such as door-to-door promotion, handing out flyers, canvassing, and even holding a press junket. A bit later, the aforementioned press junket starts, with Leslie meeting with notable town icons such as Perd Hapley, Joan Callamezzo and Crazy Ira and The Douche to try and get them to promote the slogan poll. Unfortunately, Crazy Ira and The Douche get their listeners to bombard the poll with votes for "Pawnee: Welcome To Douche Nation". Upon finding this out, Leslie takes it upon herself to go on their radio program in an attempt to get their listeners to vote for a less-douchy-and-more-elegant slogan. Meanwhile, Tom is trying to find the perfect (and affordable) place for his restaurant venture, Tom's Bistro, and calls upon Donna and Regal Meagle Realty to help, with April tagging along to give her opinions on the available properties. For the next two days, Donna, April, and Tom visit a variety of places, but all of them seem to have inherent flaws (e.g. too expensive, too far from City Hall, too small). At the end of the 2nd day, Tom is at his wits end, and laments that ... maybe Tom's Bistro wasn't meant to be ... and plans to inform his investor that he can't find a suitable property. Finally, Andy has been driving all over Indiana looking for bands to play the unity concert, but has been largely unsuccessful. When he asks Craig for any advice, Craig mentions a couple of locations in Eagleton that do pretty well, including Cozy's Bar. Willing to try anything, Andy goes to Cozy's to check it out. There he finds a throng of excited middle-aged women waiting for ... the one ... the only ... Mr. Duke Silver. Noticing how much Duke resembles Ron, Andy goes into Ron's office the next day to tell him about his visit to Cozy's. Seeing now way out of it, Ron admits he is Duke Silver, but insists Andy keep it a secret. Andy, however, is too excited at this news, and insists on booking Ron/Duke Silver to play at the Unity Concert. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How will Leslie do on-air with Crazy Ira and The Douche? Can Donna find a suitable property for Tom? Will Andy really book Duke Silver to play at the Unity Concert? Will Leslie ever be capable of delegating work to others? Does April ever provide positive feedback? Will Duke Silver actually PLAY at the Unity Concert? What will be Pawnee's new town slogan? Will Tom's Bistro ever become a viable up-and-coming business, or will it go the way of Entertainment 720? Does Ron do anything to keep his alter ego, Duke Silver, a secret? Loyal podcast viewers, last episode witnessed the largest scoring gap Mark and Allen have ever had. Will this week be better? Tune in to find out! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, "Cozy's Bar".

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Andy and Ben are knighted! This is an episode that nearly defies description, and is unlike ANY other episode in the entire series ... it truly stands alone. Things get very meta as we actually watch an entire show within a show ... specifically, the final episode of Andy's "Johnny Karate" show! At the start of the show, we learn that Andy ... er, I mean, Johnny Karate ... had his guitar stolen! This is very bad, as this is what he uses to sing both The Welcome Song and The Good-bye Song. With the assistance of Burt Macklin, Carpenter Ron (Ron Swanson), Professor Smartbrain (Ben Wyatt), Mailman Barry (Jerry), Leslie, and a slew of others, Andy (I mean, Johnny Karate) participates in various skits, demonstrates the Five Karate Moves to Success, and goes on a hunt to try and find his stolen guitar, so that he can sing The Goodbye Song and bring his final episode to a successful close. Meanwhile, as all this craziness is happening, we see that April seems somewhat tinged with sadness, which becomes more and more obvious as the show goes on. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Johnny Karate ever get his guitar back? Does Carpenter Ron end up giving Andy a hug? Can Professor Smartbrain find a way to counter the almighty Boring Buzzer? Why is April so sad, and what can Andy do to help? And in general ... what the **** is going on with this episode? Loyal podcast viewers, this might be the very definition of "weird but wonderful". We guarantee it's like nothing you've ever seen before. Are we full of it? Will this show bomb, or will we give it a perfect 10? Stay tuned to find out!                   

Mark and Allen last caught up with Michael as part of their coverage of Season Four's episode "Operation Ann". Check out our full conversation with Michael this week, as he spins many stories and answers many questions about his long and varied career, including his humble beginnings, how he got started in the business, his first jobs, gaining notariety, the hit movies and TV shows he's been involved with, his opinion of Parks & Rec, mockumentaries, single vs multi camera shows, and much, much more! This is a fantastic interview from a very gracious and talented guest - you won't want to miss this one!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Tom and Donna's annual "Treat Yo Self" trip! Ron leads a Boy-Scout-esque club called the Pawnee Rangers, with Andy as assistant. Five years ago, a girl was turned away because the club is for boys only, so Leslie created the girls-only Pawnee Goddesses, with Ann and April as assistants. Leslie is determined to avenge the past rejection by proving her club is better, and arranges a Goddesses camping trip at the same time and place as the Rangers. As the weekend progresses, the Rangers become increasingly jealous of the Goddesses, who are having a lot more fun inside a decorated cabin, with crafts/pillow fights/candy/prizes, while the Rangers remain outside, are told to make a shelter with virtually no materials or training, and have beans-in-a-can. At one point, one of the Rangers actually goes so far as to try and defect over to the Goddesses. Meanwhile, when the Rangers and Goddesses take off, Donna and Tom decide to also take off on their annual "Treat Yo Self" trip, where they spend a day pampering themselves and spending extravagantly on things they don't need. Although typically a Tom and Donna thing, Donna notices Ben seems stressed out and really down, and convinces Tom (just this once) to let Ben join them, hoping it will lift his spirits. As the day progresses, it becomes clear that Ben is wound tight, and Tom and Donna's ideas of how to relax may not be exactly what Ben needs. Finally, with everyone else gone, Jerry is the only one left in the office. When Chris sees this, he gives Jerry the day off. An appreciative Jerry invites Chris to have lunch with him and his daughter Millicent, or "Milly". Chris politely declines, but when Milly comes to the office, Chris sees how attractive she is, "retroactively accepts" Jerry's offer, and goes out to lunch with both of them. During lunch, it certainly seems as though Chris and Milly are hitting it off. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie and the Goddesses allow the boy to join their club? Can Donna convince Ben to warm up to acupuncture? How many Facebook Interest Groups do Chris and Milly share? Can Ron demonstrate all the practical uses for a tarpaulin? Can Tom convince Ben to buy more than a pair of plain white socks? Are there potential sparks in the air for Chris and Milly? Does Leslie have a public forum with Ron and the Rangers? What extravagant purchase does Ben finally land on? How does Chris interact with Jerry, realizing he is Milly's father? Loyal podcast viewers, please join us in watching this episode that encapsulates the good, the bad, and the ridiculous. You won't be sorry! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, SWANSONS - Troup #001. 

Join us for a  message from the man, the myth, the legend...Ron Freakin' Swanson himself! Recorded live in LFP Worldwide HQ studios, this is a Live from Pawnee exclusive! We hope you take a minute to listen , lookback briefly and look forward, with hope, to a  better 2022!

From Ron and all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a very Happy and Safe New Year!

This week Mark and Allen break down the remainder of S06E02 - London Part 2! This is the episode where we get introduced to the bromance between Andy and Lord Covington (aka Lord Fancyface), Diane informs Ron that she is pregnant, Ron proposes to Diane, April goes to Vet School Orientation with Ann, Tom and Donna sleuth out the owner of Tommy Closet (the store trying to put Rent-A-Swag out of business, and Leslie accepts an award in London while creating havoc back at home....damn it Jerry...and, oh yeah, Ann is pregnant!

(DEEP BREATH)

As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie's speech go off without a hitch, or could she encounter some turbulence? Can Andy convince Lord Covington to choose Ben's proposal? Does Ron take pictures of London like Diane asked him to? What is the REAL reason Dr. Saperstein is going so hard after Tom? Will Ann and Chris decide to start telling people? Can Leslie's award change how the citizens of Pawnee see her, or will they continue to be "pee-pee-heads"? Is there anything Andy can otherwise do to help clinch the deal with Lord Fancyface? Is Ron able to talk Leslie down out of the crazy tree? Can Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa help to diffuse the situation between Tom and their father? Can Ann and Chris predict how Leslie will react when she hears their news? Does Leslie's award change how SHE feels, or does she need a boost from another source? Who exactly came up with the nickname "Lord Fancyface"? Where exactly is Leslie's itinerary sending Ron? Does Tom close Rent-A-Swag, or will he continue to fight? Is all this making Ann and Chris feel overwhelmed, and if so, how do they deal with it? Loyal podcast viewers, here we go ... let's wrap up the Season 6 premiere! Can it live up to the legacy Season 5 left us with? Tune in and find out! Many thanks to our non-sponsor, 'Lagavulin Offerman Edition Scotch'! That's right this ad is on us Lagavulin! DM us for our address if you want to send us a sample bottle!

This week Mark and Allen continue (and finish) the Episode where we see what ultimately happens ... to everyone. TO RECAP: As Leslie and the gang face their last day together in Pawnee before everyone goes their own ways, one final little job crosses their path ... fixing a broken swing. Mundane though it may seem, Leslie throws herself into it with her typical level of gusto, convincing the rest of the gang to band together to do this one last task. In the process of going through the necessary motions to get the swing fixed, we do deep dives into every single person, including time jumps into their futures, so we can see how things turned out for them. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will they get the swing fixed?  Will everyone get the story they want?  Can Mark and Allen make it through this last episode review?  How many times will Mark break down?  What will the boys do with Robonstantine?  Will we ever hear from Constantine and Harvey again?  What is WITH that stupid f**king Stargate portal and the post-it notes? Everyone ... hold hands, smile, laugh, and be grateful for the good things in life ... of which this series was certainly one.

As per the oh-so-descriptive name, this week Mark and Allen are going on a grabbing frenzy ... a little viewer feedback ... some score analysis ... episode reviews ... a location guide or two ... even a teaser from a certain interview. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Who did we interview? What did our viewer feedback have to say? Is there any further news regarding our acquisition of MARBUCKS? Will our score analysis be interesting? What the hell is a location guide? Yep, all this, and EVEN MORE coming right up! Stick around, true believers. C'mon. You know you wanna. Did we mention there are snacks? Special thanks to our sponsor Pawnee 311 and to Production Designer extraordinaire Ian Phillips for being our guest. Hang out until the end for a sneak peek at our upcoming full interview! 

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we learn that Jerry has fulfilled a life-long dream and become a Notary Public! Trying to come up with reasons the Newport land parcel should be turned into a park rather than a corporate campus, Leslie examines any historical ties that will help her case. Bill Haggerty from the Pawnee Historical Society tells Leslie that the 9th United States President, William Henry Harrison, had a hunting lodge on that land. Leslie hopes this could make it qualify for Historic Landmark status, but finds out the "hunting lodge" has been reduced to a few remaining boulders and bricks. Determined to make the most of it, Leslie stays positive, and next travels to the nearby William Henry Harrison museum in Vincennes, in an attempt to gather everything she can related to the former president. After hearing that Annabel Porter from Bloosh is on board with Gryzzl (see B-Story), Leslie fights fire with fire, and looks for a face for HER bid. Bill Haggerty tells her that William Henry Harrison has a distant nephew, Zach Harrison, living in the area. Gathering everything together, Leslie plans to have a press conference regarding these new William Henry Harrison-related finds. Meanwhile, When Gryzzl learns about Leslie's efforts to strengthen her case, they call a meeting with Ron, Tom, and Donna, suggesting that they get a local Pawnee celebrity as a minority owner. Ron is reluctant, but when he is made aware of Leslie's further progress, he realizes the potential need to counter, and grudgingly agrees to meet with Annabel Porter of Bloosh (last seen on 6.07 "Recall Vote") to be the celebrity face of Gryzzl's bid. They meet with Annabel at Bloosh company headquarters, and while Tom and Donna are enamored with her, Ron is repulsed by everything to do with Bloosh. However, upon hearing that Leslie is preparing a press conference (see A-Story), Ron accelerates his plans and gives Annabel the green light to prepare their own press conference on behalf of Gryzzl. Also meanwhile, Realizing the land both Leslie and Ron are bidding for lies within Pawnee city limits, Ben (acting as City Manager) has a highly-important Point of Sale document that requires official signatures from both Leslie and Ron. Knowing it will be awkward, due to Leslie and Ron feuding, Ben enlists the help of Jerry, who recently fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a Notary Public. This way Leslie and Ron don't have to be in the same room at the same time - Ben and Jerry can travel to one, and then travel to the other. While this sounds good on paper, things keep going wrong, and Ben has great difficulties getting the signatures he needs - which starts to drive him crazy. Finally, ever since the last episode, when April heard Joan's "Walk of Fame" speech, she has been trying to figure out what she really wants to do with her life. This continues in this episode as well, and we find April brainstorming with Andy about various possibilities. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie get Zach Harrison to help with her press conference? Does Annabel Porter agree to spearhead the Gryzzl press conference? Will Ben ever get his documents correctly and officially signed? Can April draw inspiration from the William Henry Harrison museum? Does Leslie manage to get the giant tin-and-paper ball all the way from the museum to the press conference? Will the Gryzzl press conference go well enough to secure their bid for the Newport Land Parcel? Can Jerry ever stop talking about all the cool things having to do with Notary Publics? Does Andy figure out how to help April? Does Ron try to do anything to ambush Leslie? Will Leslie's press conference succeed in getting the Newport Land Parcel preserved? Loyal podcast viewers, the old adage says "what goes up, must come down". Will that hold true for Season 7 here in the 3rd episode? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, "Pawnee Supersuites".

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Ron says "I love you" to Diane! Realizing there is a criminal lack of women in their government, Leslie decides it is time to do something about it. She meets with Chris, and he wholeheartedly agrees, arranging a meeting to discuss a course of action. During the male dominated meeting, Leslie points out the number one offender of gender inequality is the sanitation department, who acknowledges there are no female garbage collectors, but points out the job is too physically demanding for the average woman. Rising to the challenge, Leslie and April gear up and work a route the next day. They start off well, working quickly and beating the average man's time! However, just as they are becoming confident, they end up getting an "unscheduled request" ... Meanwhile, back at the Parks Department, we see Ron with both of Diane's kids (Zoe and Ivy) in his office. He has apparently agreed to babysit them for the day, and appears to be a bit over his head. Ron even looks to Ann for help, but she is very awkward and not very good with kids. At day's end, Diane asks Ron to babysit again the next day, and while Ron puts on a brave smile, he's clearly worn and ragged. That's why, shortly into day two, he once again reluctantly recruits Ann's help, despite her seeming to have no connection with children. Surprisingly, Ann starts to have some success with Zoe and Ivy when she whips out her nurse's kit and they all play doctor with stuffed animals ... Finally, wanting to do everything in his power to bring in more business for Rent-A-Swag, Tom recruits Andy and Ben to teach him everything they know about basketball, since it seems to be all the kids (i.e. his clients) are talking about these days. To this end, they get on the court, where Andy and Ben start with the basics. However, it becomes very clear that Tom is hopeless. After some "questionable" training, Tom decides it would be a great idea to challenge a group of pre-teens to a basketball game. (This could only go poorly.) As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Why is April so gung-ho to help Leslie? Does Ann continue to have success with Zoe and Ivy? Can Tom, Ben, and Andy make a good showing playing basketball with the pre-teens? What is the unscheduled request Leslie and April have to deal with? Can Ron survive a second day of babysitting? Does Tom ever learn to "do basketball"? Can Leslie and April keep up their momentum? Will the stuffed animals all survive surgery? Will any of this craziness result in more business for Rent-A-Swag? Viewers, get yourself a tasty snack and strap in - this is gonna be a good'un! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, Hanson's ... er ... PERKINS' Day Care.

Join us for the second-half of this GIANT, EPIC 2-Part Episode covering the Parks and Recreation Season 3 Finale! This week Mark and Allen have their lighters...or Candles...out as Mouse Rat is welcomed to the Memorial stage - about to reveal their big number that promises to be 5000x better than 'Candle in the Wind'.  At the same time, the gravity of a full-time Entertainment 720 position tugs at Tom's dream-strings. Meanwhile, Ron is about to light the Ceremonial Torch and Ben and Leslie continue to feel the ripple effects of their deceit and efforts to hide their relationship. And to make the evening's events even more interesting, Tammy 2 shows up to taunt (or tent) Ron in the wake of a major blow-up! Loyal podcast viewers, you won't want to miss our finale...of the finale!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where FINALLY, after all this time ... we get a visual of the often talked about but never seen Mayor Gunderson! Right after the gang tells each other about their immediate plans for the future (Donna & Joe moving to Seattle, April & Andy leaving for DC, Leslie & Ben splitting their time between DC & Pawnee, Jerry retiring again), the gang learns that Mayor Gunderson has passed away. At the memorial, while everyone processes their grief, Ben asks April and Jerry to help find an interim mayor. Together, they begin interviewing several Pawnee citizens as potential candidates for interim Mayor, including such notables as Bobby Newport, Joan Callamezzo, Dr. Saperstein, and Howard "The Douche" Tuttleman. As the day progresses, they realize finding an appropriate candidate that is ABLE to (and WANTS to) do the job is trickier than they thought. Meanwhile, Leslie is somewhat depressed at all the "endings" going on, and desperately wants to find a "beginning" to balance things out. At Mayor Gunderson's funeral, Leslie talks to Tom, who is now back from his trip to New York with Lucy, and Tom tells Leslie how serious the two of them are, and that they've even looked at rings together. Seeing this as a chance for a "beginning", Leslie convinces Tom to go forward with the proposal ASAP, offering to help Tom with such extravagant details as filming a bombastic action movie for the proposal itself, not to mention lots and lots of over-the-top preparations and decorations to celebrate the (assumed) answer of yes. Finally, Ron seems to be rather composed and generally unaffected by the death of Mayor Gunderson. However, at Gunderson's funeral, he learns that Salvatore, his barber for the past four decades, also passed as well, causing him to nearly collapse in shock and grief. Wanting to show his respects, Ron attends Salvatore's funeral, accompanied by Andy and Donna for support. As Ron approaches Salvatore's coffin to say his final goodbyes, we sense Ron's sadness stems from his fear of change in this whirlwind of changes currently happening all around him ... Salvatore was one of the only constants left in Ron's life. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Who seems to be the strongest of all the interviewed candidates for interim mayor? How will Tom's proposal action movie turn out? Does Ron end up crying at Salvatore's funeral? Can Ben make a decision regarding interim mayor given these circumstances? Will Leslie's preparation for the engagement celebration be used as intended, or will it go to waste? Will Ron find a way to process his grief? What actually HAPPENS to the office of interim mayor? Does Tom end up proposing to Lucy, and if so ... what is her answer? Can Donna and Andy help Ron figure out who his next barber will be? Loyal viewers, we are winding down to the VERY, VERY end of this fantastic series! Can this episode possibly live up to the expectations of its fans? Just how big will the guest star list be? Do we actually consider the Parks and Recreation 2020 Special a "canon" episode in the series? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor "Hair by Typhoon."

This week, Mark and Allen serve up the snacks and the answers you've been looking for in yet another Mailbag Day Special Episode. The mail has been really piling up at LFP Worldwide Headquarters, so they have tried extra hard to unearth some gems.  Assisted by unpaid intern Constantine, they peruse through the questions that are keeping you up at night. Or at least those you are curious about. Relationships? Improvisation? Tropes? D-Bag ranking?  It's got all this and more. Be sure to turn your podcast dials accordingly and listen!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we learn that Councilman Jeremy Jamm and Ron's ex-wife Tammy 2 have actually been in a "real" relationship! With the Pawnee city council voting on re-zoning the Newport land for commercial use, Leslie wants them to vote "No", as this will eliminate Gryzzl from the land competition altogether. When she finds out the deciding vote is held by Councilman Jeremy Jamm, Leslie pays him a visit, only to find that [a] he's made himself look like Ron (somewhat), and [b] apparently he's now with Tammy, who completely controls him in all ways, including how he votes. Leslie tries to convince Tammy to side with her in order to torture Ron. This seems like a sure thing, but later when the council heard arguments, Jamm immediately declares his intention to side with Ron and Gryzzl ... a move orchestrated by Tammy to try and win back Ron. Leslie tries to break up Jamm and Tammy, but in the process realizes that Jamm is a broken, miserable shell of a man. Leslie puts her vote agenda on the back burner, instead wanting to help Jamm escape the clutches of Tammy ... even if that means teaming up with Ron to do it. Meanwhile, Ben and April attend a Pawnee "Walk of Fame" inductee ceremony to honor Joan Callamezzo. Despite being quite crazy in many, many ways, Joan delivers a speech which hits April hard, and makes her start thinking about her job, and what she finally wants to do with her life. April ends up confiding in Ben, and he tries to help her figure things out, including having her take an online vocational test, and dialoguing with her about what she might want to do. It then occurs to April that she *might* want to be a mortician ... Finally, Andy celebrates Tom's success with him, but finds out Tom isn't content just being a big-time mogul ... he wants to have someone in his life. As Tom and Andy discuss things (and drink), Andy sees a GryzzlText come through from Lucy, prompting him to drunkenly suggest he and Tom go to Chicago to meet up with Lucy! The pair sober up during the LONG cab ride there, get out, and as fate would have it, immediately bump into Lucy. Andy makes up a story as to why they are there, and they spend the day with Lucy. Tom realizes how much he misses Lucy, and wonders if she could be the one ... but considers how (or if) it could work between them with Lucy living in a different city. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie and Ron put aside their differences to help Jamm? What is the result of April's online vocational test? Is Lucy interested in Tom? Can Jamm escape the clutches of the dreaded Tammy 2? Can Ben convince April to not live under a bridge and ask people riddles before they cross? Will Tom ask Lucy to come back to Pawnee with him? How will Jamm vote regarding the Newport land re-zoning? Will April decide to become a mortician? Does Andy finally get to go to Ben & Jerry's? Loyal viewers, Season 7 started out with a bang - will the greatness continue, or will it fall flat? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, "Tam-Away".

Join us for a special, heart-felt message from Mr. Romance - Ron Swanson himself! Listen as Ron shares his thoughts on the BIG LIE created by the Greeting Card industry and quickly changes the topic to something far more comfortable for him to discuss. Learn about the origins of the now-famous Galentine's Day and bask in the beautifully radiant mid-February weather as we wait out the Spring thaw together!

Mark and Allen last caught up with Ken as part of their coverage of Season Three's episode "Soulmates", which Ken directed. Check out our full interview with Ken this week, as he proves he is as good a conversationalist and guest as he is a director.  

Join us as  as Ken shares a few stories about his work on Parks and The Office and a wide array of experience  over an impressive career spanning nearly every genre and format with something to appeal to everyone. If you haven't seen his work on Parks and Recreation or The Office, it's extremely likely you see something he has  directed elsewhere!

This is an amazing interview from a wonderful and talented guest - we were very lucky to be able to talk to Ken. Tune in and see for yourselves!
 

Join Mark and Allen (and Ron Swanson of course) for a special (and likely to be our final) Thanksgiving message recorded at the LFP Worldwide Headquarters just for you! Yes, we are talking to you! Who else would it be?

From all of us here at the Live from Pawnee studio and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, and yours a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

We are Thankful for YOU!

--Mark and Allen (and Constantine)...(and Harvey)...(and Ron)

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 introduces porn star Brandi Maxxxx!  The gang attends an art show with paintings intended for government buildings. Jerry painted the topless centaur goddess Diaphena, which he accidentally made to look like Leslie. Jerry apologizes, but Leslie is oddly empowered by the painting. The next day Marcia Langman deems the painting unsuitable for government use and demands it be destroyed. Leslie goes on "Ya Heard? With Perd!" to rouse public support for the painting, and Chris convenes the Pawnee Public Arts Commission to rule on the painting.  Meanwhile, now that Ben is permanently in Pawnee, he moves in with Andy and April, since previous owner Burly moved out and left the house to them. The two have only been on their own for a week, but the house is already a wreck, with no items like plates or utensils. Ben decides to teach a reluctant Andy and April how to properly live like adults.  We ask the hard hitting questions, such as ... Are bills somehow less expensive if you freeze them? Will Leslie receive support from porn star Brandi Maxxxx? Will April and Andy each get their own fork? Does the fat little cherub in the painting look like anyone? Can you actually fry marbles?  Grab your favorite podcast snack (Constantine recommends turkey chili in a frisbee) and tune in to enjoy this with us!  Many thanks to our sponsor... er... Art....well, the Pawnee Arts Fair to be precise.

Mark and Allen last caught up with Andy as part of their coverage of Season Three's classic episode "The Fight" but got to talk about a whole lot more that just Parks and Recreation. Check out Andy's impressive resume of TV, Movies and Voice-work including Apollo 13, Fame-LA, Armageddon, Frost/Nixon, Legion of Super Heroes, Austin and Ally, a little show called Weeds...and, of course, our two favorite hard-hitting political shows - West Wing....and Parks and Recreation!  Listen this week to hear the entire interview with Andy and get some great industry insights from the man himself! You won't regret checking out this great full interview!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduced us to not only Jerry's wife Gayle, but also his two other daughters, Miriam and Gladys! When Ron gets an award nomination from the Indiana Fine Woodworking Association for a chair he made, he actually looks forward to the event, and plans to take his girlfriend Diane. As Ron's "self-appointed emotional guardian", Leslie invites herself to support him. Ron and Diane arrive at the ceremony, and Leslie is very excited to finally meet Diane. As Ron inspects all the wood-working equipment like a kid in a candy store, Leslie attempts to get to know Diane, cheerfully peppering her with questions and conversation. After being with Diane for a while, Leslie thinks she's perfect for Ron, and happily tells him so. But just as Leslie is thinking how great things are going for Ron ... who should show up ... but she-who-must-not-be-named ... the being known as ... "Tammy 2". Clearly there to once again mess with him, Tammy beelines for Ron. Leslie ushers her away and warns her not to screw with tonight. Not only does Tammy ignore Leslie's warning, but she goes so far as to arrange a seat for herself at Ron, Diane, and Leslie's reserved table in order to further torment Ron. Meanwhile, Tom, April, Andy, and Donna are planning their annual, sacred December event: "Jerry Dinner". Anytime Jerry does something stupid, they put a dollar in a box, and spend the resulting money on a nice evening out (this year they collected over $500). When Ann learns what they're doing, she tells them how mean this is, but she's dismissed by the group. While en route to Jerry dinner, Donna has a change of heart, saying they should at least invite Jerry to go with them. She turns the car around, drives to Jerry's house ... where they find a large-scale Christmas party in progress, with Ann, Chris, and Ben in attendance. The four of them end up out in the cold, huddled outside a window, peering in at the festivities, and wondering why they weren't invited. Finally, since Leslie is going to Ron's event, Ben is flying solo that night, and takes the opportunity to make plans with Chris to hang out. They decide to both go to the Gergich Christmas Party, for which they both have invitations. During the party, Ben witnesses several things happen that, earlier in the year, would have likely had Chris facing another mental breakdown. However, Ben is pleasantly surprised to find Chris rather level-headed with no visible signs of distress. Chris even goes so far as to look at an old picture of Millicent Gergich, whom he previously dated, with nothing but smiles and good feelings. So far, so good ... As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Ron win an award for ... "chair"? Can these 4 "meanies" figure out why they never received an invitation from Jerry? Will Ben finally get to meet Jerry's wife Gayle? Will Diane end up winning Ron's heart? Does Ann have any sympathy for the "meanies"? Does Chris keep calm when Millicent shows up ... with her fiance? Will Tammy win an award for Ron's ... er ... wood? What penance must the "meanies" perform in order to get invited into the Gergich Christmas party? What fascinating fact does Chris learn about full-fat eggnog? Loyal podcast viewers, this one is not only a great episode, but a great CHRISTMAS episode! Don't believe us? Tune in and see for yourselves. We dare you. We double-dog-dare you. Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, Cozy's Bar.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that lets us finally peer inside the one area of Leslie's life that has remained a mystery - her house! Having been on several great dates with Justin, Leslie wants to plan their best date ever for when he next comes to Pawnee.  It quickly becomes obvious she has bitten off more than she can chew.  In desperation, Leslie reaches out to her friends, then to the Pawnee Rec Center teachers.  However, the teachers, who days ago had been told the reduced city budget would force 5 classes to close, interpret this as Leslie soliciting a bribe from them in the form of free services.  Combine this with potential awkwardness (Andy/Mark, Mark/Justin, Tom/Wendy), borderline gluttony (Ron bringing his own tray of deviled eggs which he does not want to share), underage drinking (April and her friends), and very hot peppers (wait and see), this party could be a royal gala or a powder keg.  Which way will it lean?  What will happen?  Stay tuned, loyal podcast viewers... the answers will be revealed!  This is ramping up to be a good one.  NOTE:  We're not saying we don't trust you... but leave any chewing gum at the door.  Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, the William Percy Recreation Center.

Mark and Allen were extremely lucky to have this opportunity to chat with Tuc in early September 2023. What a nice guy, and a fun person to talk with! Talk about a talented, humble, personable, funny guy ... and on top of that, a great conversationalist, as eager to ask questions as answer them. This interview was simply a blast - yet another in a stream of wonderful guests we've had the privilege to have on our show.

Join us as Tuc talks about his experience with "Boys in the Band", how he and Allen both went to Indiana University (and Mark sucks because he went to Purdue), his twin 10 year old children, his early experiences with show business, his views on movies vs television, how he enjoyed his time on soap operas, and how much he enjoyed being on Parks and Rec, including talks he had with Amy Poehler, the scene where he tries to dunk on the ice and hits his head, and much, much more!

This was an outstanding Pawnee Spotlight from one of our favorite guests. We really enjoyed this, and hope you do too! Enjoy.

You can check out Tuc on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tucwatkins/

This week Mark and Allen breakdown the episode as we get our first glimpse of doofy but sweet protagonist Leslie Knope, anti-government libertarian Ron Swanson, kind but long suffering nurse Ann Perkins, and the rest of the Park & Rec gang as we enjoy the origin of the "Sullivan Street Pit Project". We go through our much-better-than-the-original-AKA's, standout moments, character introductions, deleted scenes, and final scoring. We'll do whatever it takes to make you enjoy this podcast - even if it takes as long as 2 months. We pinky promise. Just don't fall in the pit - we don't want your clavicle broken.

This week, Mark and Allen breakdown this Episode that sees the pit project endangered as Leslie jumps the gun on an town open forum! See Tom Haverford schmooze contractors! (Hey, we all need a #1 sod man.) See Andy Dwyer lead the gang in Guitar Hero! Meet Leslie's mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope, as well as character nemeses Kate Spivak and bird lover Lawrence! See the very first Leslie Knope binder! How many Little Sebastians will this episode get? Who knows? We may be forced to filibuster our own podcast. (Don't make us plant April in the audience.) Many thanks to our sponsors: Don's Cement and the Pawnee Visitor's Bureau.

Join us for a special Thanksgiving message from the man - Ron Freakin' Swanson himself! Recorded live in our studio during a special (court ordered community service) visit, this is a Live from Pawnee exclusive!

From all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

--Mark and Allen

This week Mark and Allen complete their breakdown the Episode where we finally meet the Department of the Interior's resident "bad boy", Liam Bonneville!  Leslie is in San Francisco, scheduled to speak at the National Parks Conference about the Pawnee/Eagleton merger. At the conference, Leslie bumps into Grant Larson, who invites her to lunch and introduces her to a number of her idols, including Michelle Obama. Grant tells a starstruck Leslie he needs a final decision from her by tomorrow, and after all this, Leslie is heavily leaning towards taking the job. Later, Leslie gives her speech at the conference, describing the Pawnee/Eagleton merger completing in 6-12 months, but her timeline is ridiculed by the audience, with two department heads suggesting the merger will need 10 years of constant hands-on management, or else risk her precious town losing its cityhood and becoming "unincorporated territory". Needless to say, this shakes Leslie to her core, and despite meeting her idols earlier, and how perfect this job seems ... she is now considering not taking it.  Meanwhile, Tom's Bistro is set to open in 6 weeks, but when investor Mitch Savner mentions how great it would be for the restaurant to be ready in time for the Unity Concert, Tom jumps the gun and promises to have the place ready for a soft opening the next day, and be ready for officially opening at the end of the week. Tom desperately brings all hands on deck, recruiting April, Craig, Ron and Donna to help him get the restaurant serviceable. Things do not go well: Ron is unable to make 20 chairs in time, Craig is unable to do his job as sommelier due to sinus/allergy issues, and Jerry Gergich orders the menus with ... uh ... let's just say, the wrong background image. As the night goes on, Mitch becomes more and more concerned and upset with the way Tom is running things.  Also meanwhile, Ben and Andy are also in San Francisco to meet with tech company "Gryzzl", who is giving away free Wi-Fi to a few cities across the US. Ben meets with them to pitch the idea of Pawnee being one of the cities. Unfortunately, they are only focusing on big cities, so they turn Ben down. After some time to think, Ben is determined to not take no for an answer, and goes back with Andy a 2nd time.  This time, however, he sees a large group of Gryzzl employees - including the Gryzzl owners he spoke to in the first meeting - playing the board game HE invented.  That's right ... they are playing "The Cones of Dunshire"!  Finally, we witness the day we've all been waiting for ... the Unity Concert is here! April and Andy lead the final Unity Concert planning meeting, with a main goal of getting 2000 signatures in support of the Pawnee-Eagleton merger. Andy also tries one last time (unsuccessfully) to get Ron to play as Duke Silver during the concert. Later, we see the Unity Concert in full swing, with headline acts The Decemberists, Ginuwine, Letters to Cleo, Bobby Knight Ranger, and Land Ho bringing in huge crowds. Andy performs as Johnny Karate on the children's stage, and afterwards bumps into Burly. The two reminisce over Mouse Rat's break up and it brings back memories for Andy as he misses being a part of a band. On a similar note, Diane encourages Ron to get up on stage and have fun, but Ron has no intention of doing so.  As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie take the job? Will Tom's investor, Mitch Savner, back out of the deal? How did Gryzzl get their hands on the Cones of Dunshire? Can Andy find a way to deal with the fact that he misses being in a band? Will Leslie move away from Pawnee? Could there be another opportunity for Tom's Bistro to be redeemed? Can Ben leverage the Cones of Dunshire to his advantage? Does Ron become convinced to play as Duke Silver at some point? Can Leslie find a way to have it all? Does Tom find a way to turn things around? Will Pawnee get free WiFi? Will the gang manage to collect 2000 signatures in support of the Pawnee-Eagleton merger?  Loyal viewers, we MADE IT! We are at the END of Season 6! Can you even believe it?!? Will this 53 MINUTE extravaganza blow everything else out of the water? Tune in and find out! Many thanks to our sponsor Entertainment 720 and their award-hopeful film: "Identity Crisis: This is Mouse Rat."

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

Leave it to Mark and Allen to wait until the podcast is almost done to deliver an interview like this. It was so great to meet with Mike Scully - what a nice guy, a great conversationalist, and a good sport! Not only is his body of work fascinating, but he doesn't mind when we accidentally add credits to his resume that don't even exist (keep your ears peeled to hear Mark make a royal screwup, LOL). The boys were extremely lucky to get a chance like this to talk with Mike around late September 2024. We got to hear about Mike's work on big shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond and The Simpsons (and Parks of course), what he thought about acting as Pawnee citizen Pearl, concerns he had about Champion the 3-Legged Dog, his start in stand-up (and two famous people he met in the process), and many, many other topics. Please tune in and listen to a thoroughly interesting and tremendously entertaining conversation with writer/producer Mike Scully.

Celebrate a very rare LEAP DAY with a very rare and awesome Pawnee Spotlight! Once again, Mark and Allen managed to snag a great person to interview, and what an interview it was! We were extremely lucky to have this opportunity to chat with Yvans in early January 2024. Nice, funny, talented, down-to-earth, a great conversationalist, and just a fascinating person overall. We had a blast talking with him, finding out a little more about him, and seeing what he thought of some of our "Parks and Rec" opinions, especially regarding the City Council. What a great interview ... another in a stream of wonderful guests we've had the privilege to invite on our show.

Join us as Mark and Allen discuss Parks, Grey's Anatomy, mental health and more with Yvans (aka Councilman Howser) who had great insights on all of these! This was an amazing Pawnee Spotlight from an amazing guest - what a treat! We hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we meet the one and only Martin Kernston! Leslie hires Entertainment 720 (and by extension Tom) to organize a meet and greet for her and Pawnee business owners, including Pawnee Chamber of Commerce president Martin Kernston of Kernston's Rubber Nipples, hoping to court their votes for City Council. Leslie is annoyed to discover the meet and greet is one big Entertainment 720 advertisement, with hardly any mention of her. Things continue downhill when Tom pulls Kernston away from Leslie to discuss Entertainment 720, and even more when Tom interrupts Leslie's speech with a huge promotional presentation for Entertainment 720. Meanwhile, Andy and April are throwing a Halloween party at their house, but did not think to inform Ben. As the party progresses, we see several things happening: [a] Ben decides to be passive-aggressive instead of confronting them. After Ben refuses to tell Andy what's urking him, Andy wrestles with him and puts him in a headlock, refusing to let go until Ben talks. [b] Ron finds several things broken within the house, and decides to occupy himself making much needed repairs, eventually asking a hesitant Ann to assist (she has small hands). [c] Chris is dating Jerry's daughter Milly, but decides to not bring her to the party because he knew Jerry would be there. However, Jerry insists he doesn't mind, and to go ahead and ask her to come. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie ever forgive Tom? Can Andy force Ben to confront why he's angry? Will Kernston ever meet with Leslie? Does Ron end up fixing everything in the house? Can everyone fit in the Entertainment 720 Limo Hot Tub? Will Jerry regret telling Chris to invite Milly? Podcast viewers, this one has the good, the bad, and the ugly ... join us as we break it down for you! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, and the newest class at the William Percy Rec Center, entitled "Swanson Handyman In Training".

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Chris tells himself to ... STOP ... POOPING!!!  The flu is sweeping across Pawnee, with Ann caring for many of the sick, including April (who still resents Ann for kissing Andy). While Ron visits April, she asks him not to tell Andy she's there. With April gone, Ron does ask Andy to fill in as an assistant, believing (correctly) that Andy will be ineffective. Meanwhile, Leslie is preparing for a presentation with the Pawnee Chamber of Commerce, and it becomes clear Leslie is not feeling well, but she won't admit it because of the importance of the presentation. Ben finally takes a reluctant Leslie to the hospital, Ann admits her, and Ben tells her not to worry, he and Tom will do the presentation, which Leslie is not happy about. A bit later, a flu-ridden Chris is checked into the hospital, having a total physical breakdown. Ann has been dating Chris, and really likes him, but fears he is too perfect... until now. Meanwhile, instead of helping Ben prepare for the presentation, Tom abandons him to hang out at a spa. As the day goes on, Ron and Andy bond over many things, including food, drink, football, and politics, with Andy eventually feeling comfortable enough with Ron to tell him about his problems with April. To top things off, a delirious and over-medicated Leslie escapes the hospital and heads back to City Hall to do the presentation herself!  Never fear - as always, we answer all the questions others are afraid to even verbalize, such as ... Will April's constant poking at Ann make her break? Will Andy ever find out April is at the hospital? How will Ann feel about Chris now that he is essentially a puddle of goo? Does Tom ever come back from the spa? Will Leslie make it to City Hall? Will Ben decide to introduce himself musically? Will Ron and Andy ever successfully complete a passing play outside? Will the Harvest Festival fail before it even starts?  Loyal podcast viewers, this is one of the BEST episodes of the series - fight us about it!  Or, just tune in and enjoy it.  Yes, that's probably better.  Many thanks to our awesome sponsor, Big Head Joe's.

Normally, we'd have really excellent Notes here which are, frankly, sometimes better than the podcast itself! But, alas, this is just the Teaser and the Episode Summary pretty much covers it. But just in case....

On this Teaser episode, Mark and Allen talk about what to expect on this podcast and talk with special guest Ron Swanson! That's right....Ron. Freaking. Swanson!

Listen to the Teaser and then join us as we drop the first 4 episodes on Election Day November 3, 2020. Trust us...it will be the best thing that happens that day!

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Get out your calculators and count along with us as Mark and Allen breakdown this jam-packed episode that has no less than 5 story lines! In fact this episode has so much going on that we decided to break it into 2-parts this week. We've got Christmas Follies, sex scandals, gift exchanges, liver-ladies, life-altering relationship decisions and did we mention sex scandals? We're talking about, of course, S02E12 "Christmas Scandal"! Tune in to hear what happens when Leslie is falsly accused of an affair with Councilman "Sexy Dexy" Dexhart and the gang does their best to cover Leslie's insane schedule and preparations for the "Winter Wonderland" community event as she takes some time off to clear her name. Meanwhile, Andy has been thinking of April's gay boyfriend all day and Mark and Tom debate the merits of blood diamonds as a Christmas gift for Ann.

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Okay, look. Let's face facts. The series is ending. This wonderful, beloved sitcom, full of equal parts laughs and heart, is coming to a close. No doubt, it's a hard thing to contemplate for anyone, but it's just POSSIBLE that one of the guys is having a harder time than the other. Look, you have to understand, this isn't just a silly little hobby ... this gig has generated monetary kickbacks, medical benefits, travel opportunities, being asked to speak at conventions, movie deals ... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We're not even mentioning all of the other fringe benefits, such as working with world class scientists and engineers to build what is frighteningly close to a sentient AI, or even (slightly flawed) time travel! I mean ... wow. It's so much, that it's ALMOST like we're just making this up. To imagine all that suddenly ending, well ... It's a little scary. But fans of the show deserve the truth. So, ugly or not, we're going to give you a peek into what has been going on, as well as our sincere assurance that the finale review is COMING!  We promise.  No, really ... we pinky promise.  Just like Leslie.  And if you can't believe a pinky promise ... well, then I guess the world is in worse shape than we ever imagined.  So bear with us just a few more weeks.  You won't be disappointed, and it'll be worth the wait.  We pinky promise.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode with special guest star Patton Oswalt! The City of Pawnee annually celebrates the great Pawnee tea dump of 1817, but due to how the old-timey script looks, "tea" looks like "ted", so each year the city dumps a man named "Ted" into Ramsett Lake. This year, the "Ted" thrown into the lake becomes very angry, and demands Leslie address the many, many outdated laws still active in Pawnee. To this end, at the next City Council Meeting, Leslie proposes the city purge many of its old and obscure laws. However, citizen Garth Blunden is overtly against changing the laws due to historical significance, and successfully filibusters the meeting to prevent further action. Leslie implores Garth to reconsider. Garth accuses Leslie of having no respect for tradition. Finally, they decide to settle things with a wager: whoever can survive the longest living primitively at the Pawnee Historical House gets to make the other back down from their agenda. Meanwhile, now that April has been promoted to Deputy Director of Animal Control, Chris requires her to complete the Chris Traeger Management Training Seminar, or "ka-tumps". April asks Ron to help get her out of the seminar, but when Chris learns Ron has ALSO never had any management training, it backfires, with Ron getting roped in as well. As one might expect, things do not go well: Chris is overtly cheery, Ron is stoic and grumpy, April is sarcastic and snarky. Ron and Chris completely disagree on the best motivational methods, so Chris challenges Ron to see whose method works best: encouragement/appreciation/smiles (Chris), or money/fear/hunger (Ron). Finally, Ann's custom holiday with Leslie, "Breakfast Day", is coming up, and she found a waffle maker from JJ's Diner on an online auction. Unfortunately, somebody is bidding against her ... and she discovers that someone is Ben, who is shopping for a present for HIS custom holiday with Leslie, "Waffle Day". The two of them battle it out, trying to win the waffle maker, but ultimately lose to the owner of the Pawnee Pawn Shop, who they then have to deal with. While all this is happening, both Ann and Ben come to the realization that they are EXHAUSTED trying to keep up with the thoughtful but never-ending custom holidays Leslie has come up with for both of them. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Who will win their competition, Leslie or Garth? Will Ron or Chris win the competition, and what side will April be on? Who will win the coveted JJ's waffle maker? Is Garth cheating, or is he just really good at old-timey gibberish? Can Ron and Chris find a suitable mindless worker drone for their test subject? Can Ann and Ben continue dealing with all these custom holidays? Can Leslie get all the chickens out from under her dress? Will April and Ron be able to keep their conductor hats from the seminar? Loyal podcast viewers, this is competition cranked up to 11, just like in Spinal Tap! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, "Ron's One Minute Seminars", or ROMS.

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".

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that heralds the triumphant return of DJ Roomba!  After City Manager Paul Iaresco has a heart attack, Chris comes back as acting city manager, asking Leslie for more revenue generating ideas. Leslie organizes a camping trip where the gang can brainstorm. Nobody comes up with anything good, assuming Leslie's ideas will be used. Leslie is finally forced to confess she's got nothing. Leslie becomes crazed and suggests they keep working straight through the night until they have something, but everyone is ready to throw in the towel, pack up, and head home... but they can't, since Tom hooked up all his electronics to the van battery and drained it!  Meanwhile, Ann feels weird with Chris back, especially given how they broke up. Ann tries to read into an awkward jokey exchange they had, but Leslie shuts that down and invites Ann to go camping with them. During the retreat, Chris shows up on his nightly jog and asks about their ideas. Ann convinces Chris to leave with her so [a] they can talk, and [b] the gang can keep working in peace. Ann and Chris have a nice talk, with Chris suggesting they continue things over dinner at a rustic diner.  Finally, April vents to Andy about how she's dreading the camping trip, but Andy loves camping, and wants her to love it too. He gets balloons, decorations, rose petals, champagne, etc. and sets up a romantic campsite for her... in the wrong place. A miserable April calls him, and when Andy realizes he's in the wrong place, he packs up and treks through the wilderness to find everyone.  As always, we tackle the hard-hitting questions, such as ... Can Tom survive without his SkyMall electronics? Will the rustic diner have healthy food for Chris? Does Andy drink all the champagne during his trek just to stay alive? Will Leslie end up being known as a one-hit-wonder? Settle back with your head massager and your fondue pot, and enjoy this episode with us! Many thanks to our tremendous sponsor, "Wood You Rather".

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This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Ben's sister, Stephanie Wyatt! Leslie and Ben head to his hometown of Partridge, Minnesota, where he was mayor at the age of 18, drove the city to 30% unemployment when he attempted to create a winter sports complex called "Ice Town,", and got impeached two months later. As a gesture of goodwill, all these years later, the town is offering Ben the key to the city, a distinction given to all city mayors. Ben is pleased that the city has finally gotten over the Ice Town debacle, and starts to feel at home again. Before the ceremony, they visit Ben's sister Stephanie at her home, where Ben practices his acceptance speech. Out of nowhere, Ben suddenly falls down in pain and is taken to the hospital, where it is revealed he has kidney stones. With Ben hopped up on morphine, the doctor insists he is unable to go anywhere, and needs to stay there. Trying to salvage things, Leslie plans to go to the ceremony on Ben's behalf to accept the key to the city. Meanwhile, Ron is being sued by Councilman Jamm for punching him in the face on the night of Leslie's wedding. He later meets with Jamm and his attorneys where Ron calls upon Andy, April, and Tom as witnesses. Although well intentioned, both April and Tom provide false statements about Ron to make him look better. Ron is not happy about this, ultimately asking them to recant their original testimonies and, instead, tell the truth, even though it will likely portray Ron in a bad light. Finally, now that Chris has officially agreed to be the sperm donor for Ann's baby, both of them are taking a lot of time trying to establish exactly how compatible they will be as parents. This starts with them both taking an online parenting quiz for compatibility, at the suggestion of Ann's doctor, Dr. Van Dyne. They do NOT do well, scoring only 58%. They then proceed to attempt a myriad of other approaches, including carrying around an egg for the day, carrying around a coffee cup for the day, and finally visiting Dr. Van Dyne to help them assess the situation. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Ben escape the hospital to be there at the ceremony? How damning will April and Tom's testimonies be? What does Dr. Van Dyne think of Chris and Ann's high level of incompatibility? Will the ceremony in Partridge go smoothly, or will there be hiccups? If he loses, will Ron be able to afford the court-ordered settlements? Is there a final test Chris and Ann can take to determine if the two of them co-parenting is at all viable? Does Ben regret not meeting the Partridge city mascot, Fred The Sled? Does Councilman Jamm win the day, or can April and Tom come up with a plan to help Ron? Will Ann have to start all over with her sperm donor search? Loyal podcast viewers, whether we're in Pawnee or Partridge, Season 5 has never failed to deliver ... so far. Can it continue? Tune in and find out with our review! In lieu of a commercial, Ron is doing a PSA "The More You Know" reviewing Seven Unknown Laws of Pawnee.

This week, Mark and Allen examine the EXTENDED PRODUCER'S CUT of the season finale to see which story lines are wrapped up, and which are left hanging. This episode is chock-full of talking points - so strap in and listen closely! This week the gang celebrates Andy getting his casts removed as his band puts on a concert, but lies are everywhere as Ann learns a nasty secret, Leslie deals with a political tete-a-tete, and Mark Brendanawicz hits on anything that moves. Meet Tom's hot surgeon wife, Ron's ex-wife's more attractive sister, and the other band members! Find out how to play "Dead or Asleep"! Is Scarecrow Boat better than the Everly Brothers? Are Leslie's boobs dead? Where is Ann's missing iPod? All this and more!  Now... Sit still and open your mouth... You need to try some of this chicken.  Much gratitude and respect to our fine sponsors, Paladino's Bar and Grill and the Pawnee Milk Association. How many Little Sebastians would YOU give an episode this full of goodness!?

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".

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode featuring another return to that great female-themed celebration started by Leslie Knope, Galentine's Day! After two months without Ann, Leslie is really missing her, which gets exacerbated when Ann leaves a voicemail to say she can't make their weekly chat session. Trying to do something constructive, Leslie organizes an impromptu Galentine's Day and invites Donna, April, Shauna Malwae-Tweep, Ethel Beavers and Evelyn (a.k.a. "Fake Ann"), with an ulterior motive of testing them to see who would be the best candidate for her new (local) best friend. During the brunch, Leslie asks the ladies several questions to figure out each of their qualities. Unfortunately, her plan backfires when the women find out she is ranking them, and everyone angrily leaves ... except Shauna Malwae-Tweep. Meanwhile, Ben is looking to rent a tent for the Unity Concert, and recruits Tom and Jerry to accompany him to Tent World to finalize a deal. Upon meeting with Harvey, the owner and CEO of Tent World, it becomes clear that Harvey is a no-good-nick, and Ben is not receiving a fair deal for the tents he originally asked for. Standing firm, he turns down Harvey's deal, and decides to take his business elsewhere. Unfortunately, this leads to Ben's next realization ... every tent store in Pawnee is owned by Harvey. He has a Tent Monopoly. He has a Tent-opoly. Finally, tired of the constant noise in his life (whether from children or co-workers), Ron volunteers to do the park survey for the Unity Concert himself, looking forward to spending the day outside and alone. Unfortunately, Leslie assigns Andy to help Ron. This puts a kink in Ron's plans, as Andy's childishness greatly annoys Ron, who just wants to do his work in peace and quiet. Things come to a head when Andy knocks his tooth out and requires Ron to drive him to a dentist. Ron tries to leave, but it becomes clear Andy is lost with the paperwork, so he stays. After a while, though, Andy grows antsy, and asks Ron if they can just leave. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Shauna be Leslie's new best friend by default? Does someone come up with a secret weapon to use against Harvey? Does Andy end up leaving the dentist? Can Donna and April forgive Leslie for pitting them against each other? Can the guys actually get a tent for the Unity Concert? Can Ron ever take a break from parenting those around him? Why did Ann have to postpone their weekly chat session? Will Ben ever admit in public that he actually likes Jerry? Will Andy ever get his tooth fixed? Loyal viewers, it's a rare thing for an episode to share the exact title as an episode the aired earlier in the series. Can it live up to the name? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, "C.T. Tavis Medical Center".

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Ron first learns April and Andy will be moving away to Washington DC!  With the Harvest Festival once again in full swing, Ben's busy congressional campaign continues, and he and Leslie make the call to skip a few Festival-related things, one of which is the "Pie-Mary", a Southern Indiana tradition where the wives of congressional candidates face off in a pie-baking contest ... something which Leslie would have refused to participate in anyway due to its antiquated and retrogressive nature. Unfortunately, several reporters pounce on this, which, combined with the yellow journalism of Mike Patterson, quickly makes this a point of controversy. Not wanting to make things harder for Ben, Leslie decides to reverse her position and participate in the Pie-Mary ... but unfortunately, THIS gets the attention of the Indiana Organization of Women, who threaten to protest both Leslie and Ben at the event. Scrambling to figure out the right move, Ben comes up with an idea that would sidestep the controversy, refocus the campaign on the candidate, and flip the antiquated tradition on its head ... HE'S going to enter the Pie-Mary instead of Leslie.  Meanwhile, April informs Ron that she is about to move to Washington with Andy to take on a new job. Ron tells her that she has to return the key to his house. April realises that she has changed the hiding place of the key, and that she left a trail of clues, the first being 4 human teeth and a Twilight ticket stub. She and Andy tell Ron, but Ron is very excited to solve this mystery. They first visit Donna, who informs them that she and April watched that movie together years ago, when April removed her wisdom teeth. Donna also informs them that April also visited the shoeshine stand that day. The trio runs to the shoeshine stand, only to find that it was removed during the remodeling of the city hall.  Finally, during the search for Ron's key, Andy finds a small brown box where April used to hide things outside in the City Hall courtyard. The box did NOT contain Ron's key, but it DID contain Jerry's wedding ring that he lost down the sewer grate 6 years ago. Jerry is overjoyed to have it again, but then in typical Jerry Gergich fashion ... drops it in the sewer grate  ... AGAIN. As Jerry attempts to fish the ring out, Donna notices him, and chooses to stay with him and keep him company. Donna and Jerry enjoy each other's company, reminiscing with each other about the old days. As Jerry ends up losing more and more things down the grate, Donna keeps things light by laughing about it and ordering them dinner.  As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Does Ben have any ideas about redefining what a pie is? Are there more clues to find, or is this a dead end? How does Donna feel about hanging out with Jerry all day? Can Ben entering the Pie-Mary instead of Leslie prevent the IoW from protesting? Will Ron ever get his key back? Does Jerry get an earful when he returns home? Will any other protestors rise up to complain about anything political or pie related? Will April ever get satisfying closure from Ron? Will Jerry ever get his wedding ring back?  Loyal viewers, this looks like a great episode with a lot of nice callbacks, but will it live up to the hype? Could it be a perfect 10? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor ... The Calzone Zone.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces the one and only Janet Snakehole!  Leslie and Ron are traveling to Indianapolis to receive a commendation for reestablishing the Pawnee Harvest Festival, even though Ron only cares about eating at his favorite restaurant, Charles Mulligan's Steak House. Ann tells Leslie her last talk with Chris seemed reassuring, but (now in Indianapolis) he's grown distant, and she's worried he's cheating on her. Promising to poke around and see what's going on, Leslie and Ron visit Chris' apartment, where Leslie discovers a woman's razor and pink swimming cap in the bathroom. Hearing this, Ann drives up to Indianapolis to confront Chris. To Ron's horror, Mulligan's Steakhouse has been shut down by the health department, so Chris invites everyone back to his place for food. To Ron's further horror, Chris prepares vegetarian dishes, Ron threatens to pass out in hunger and despair, and then Ann storms in and demands an explanation for the things Leslie found!  Meanwhile, back in Pawnee, Tom is attending a launch party for cologne maker Dennis Feinstein at the Snakehole Lounge, where Tom hopes to pitch his own cologne "Tommy Fresh". Since Ben's job requires him to move a lot, he turns down the invitation, not wanting to get too attached to anybody. However, Ben relents when Tom invites him again at Leslie's urging. Meanwhile, April and Andy are now dating, and April suggests they go to Tom's launch party. When they get there, Andy becomes bummed out, realizing he is broke and unable to buy anything, embarrassed to admit this to April. Tom approaches Dennis, who insults "Tommy Fresh" and quickly dismisses Tom.  We brave the onslaught of questions, such as ... Have Tom's perfumery dreams been destroyed? Will Leslie receive her commendation? What will April and Andy do on their date with no money? Does Chris explain what is going on? Is Ben really one of the gang, or is the gang just being polite? Can Ron recover from the Mulligan's Steakhouse debacle? How will they get back at Dennis Feinstein?  Grab a Tommy-tini and relax, podcast viewers... this will be a great one!  Many thanks to our paid Public Service Announcement entitled "MoM" (Memories of Mulligan's).

This week, Mark and Allen, assisted by the new surprise Intern, dive deep into the mountains of viewer email, snail mail, texts, DMs, voicemail transcriptions and WWII-era "Pigeon Posts" (for LFP eyes only!) to read some of YOUR questions! And, if that weren't enough (which it clearly is), they go one better and discuss their TOP Leslie Knope moments as part of a Season One recap! So, sharpen your Pencils and get out your official City of Pawnee branded notepad (so that you can play along at home) and join us for this special episode!

In this classic episode of the show AND the podcast, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that not only introduces Galentine's Day, but also Dennis Feinstein's unforgettable perfume line!  When Leslie's boyfriend Justin hears a story from Marlene (Leslie's mom) about Frank "the one that got away", Leslie and Justin track him down to reunite them at the Valentine's Day dance at the Senior Center.  Meanwhile, Andy and his band are nervous about playing "old fogey" songs for the dance.  As it turns out, the senior center ends up being the stage for several relationships to progress (or perhaps regress), including Mark and Ann, Tom and Wendy, our favorite throuple April/Derek/Ben, Leslie and Justin, and of course... Marlene and Frank!  Once again, nothing is safe from us, as we fearlessly pursue the answers to questions such as...  What is the old lady version of flashing?  Is it okay for someone to blackmail you into a date?  What is Leslie's definition of a nooner?  How should a daughter refer to her new step-dad?  (UPDATE: The scientists at LFP Worldwide Headquarters have done some research, and the answer is "Poo-Paw".)  Podcast viewers, tune your dials accordingly for this iconic episode, it's going to be great!  Constantine asks you also stick with us through the rest of the series.  Please don't be a tourist.  Many thanks to our irreplaceable sponsor, J.J.'s Diner.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are first introduced to former Eagletonian Craig Middlebrooks! When we last left our heroes, at the end of "The Pawnee-Eagleton Tip Off Classic", Eagleton was absorbed back into Pawnee, with the 2 cities returning to how it was in 1817. Leslie is charged with sorting the Eagleton government into their new departments, and as a result, the Parks Department takes on 4 new employees from Eagleton.  Donna is paired with Craig, who is crazy and intense but loves his job and is very good at it.  April is paired with Tynnyfer, who is vapid and useless.  Ron is paired with Ron Dunn, who initially seems very much like Ron, thus causing Ron to like him ... at least at first. Finally, Tom is paired with ERIC, which he soon realizes is not a person, but a computer program, which stands for "Eagleton Reservation Information Center".  Worst of all, this overload of employees leads to Leslie having to make some hard decisions, as she is forced to cut down the number of people on staff. While Pawnee re-absorbing Eagleton may be a brilliant move in many ways, the unfortunate reality is still that Eagleton's government lost millions of taxpayer dollars, and need someone to swoop in and clean up the obscene mess they made. Enter Chris and Ben ... auditing bros!  The pair is excited to be back working as auditors, and once again have an opportunity to demonstrate their amazing teamwork via their now-infamous good cop/bad cop routine: Chris gets everyone in a good mood ... and then Ben hacks their budgets to ribbons. They really get into the task, realizing once again how well they work together, and how much fun they have. Finally, continuing the plot line brought up in the last episode, Ann and Chris are now seriously considering moving away from Pawnee to raise their child. Knowing Leslie will NOT take this well, Ann tries to strategize the perfect way to break the news to her. First, she introduces Leslie to her Eagleton equivalent, Evelyn. Once that breaks the ice, Evelyn leaves the two of them to talk ... and Ann gently tells Leslie about what she and Chris are thinking about. Before Leslie can fully react, though, Ann has several Leslie-specific distractions on hand, including, but not limited to, a giant plate full of waffles and whipped cream, and a framed picture of a shirtless Joe Biden riding a horse. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How does each member of the gang react to their Eagleton counterparts? Are the Auditing Bros ultimately successful at slashing the Eagleton budgets? Will Ann's well thought out diversions prevent Leslie from melting down? Will Ron find a rare friend, or is this a false alarm? What can the Auditing Bros do to keep the excitement and momentum going? Are there any side effects of Leslie trying to absorb Ann's news? Seeing as there are now too many employees ... who will Leslie get rid of? Has Chris told Ben about he and Ann potentially leaving Pawnee? Can Leslie get to a point where she truly accepts that Ann is leaving? Loyal podcast viewers, what better way to improve upon our beloved Pawnee gang than to introduce their DOPPELGANGERS?!? Tune in to see how effective this was! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor, "Mitchell's Mean Machines".

This week, the upper brass at LFP Worldwide Headquarters have been kind enough to allow Mark and Allen to take some much deserved time off, so our onion-loving, unpaid producer Constantine is once more at the helm. (EDIT BY MARK AND ALLEN: Constantine, buddy, all you have to do is hit the bright red button. That's it. We even labeled it "Go For Mo". You can't miss it. C'mon, dude.) Intrepid interviewers Mark and Allen were lucky enough to catch the kind, gracious, and talented Mo Collins between shootings of Fear the Walking Dead, and proceed to enjoy a lengthy conversation with her about a plethora of subjects, including but not limited to her take on Pawnee Today host Joan Callemezzo, as well as the rest of the gang. Tune in - you won't regret it!

We know you are a giant Parks and Recreation fan otherwise you wouldn’t be here! But just in case you got lost, this episode celebrates one of the best sitcom relationships in the history of ever: Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt. 

In their recent coverage of the Season 5 episode, ‘Leslie and Ben’, Mark and Allen covered the episode that finally made them husband and wife. Spoiler alert: the guys gave this landmark episode a score of 10 Llttle Sebastians - marking only the second  time in five seasons that they’ve given a perfect score! So, make sure to listen to that episode first, and then come back here and check out our special tribute based on the article ‘Parks and Recreation: Leslie and Ben are the Best‘ by Matt Fowler published the day before the episode aired in 2013 on IGN.com.

The article’s author and the guys both argue that Leslie and Ben are, if not the best, among the top few sitcom couples in the history of television. Why are they different? What makes them work? Check out this first ever special Pawnee Short and all will be revealed! Leslie and Ben, we love you and we like you! Enjoy!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we learn Craig is now head of the Parks department! Leslie and Ron have been trapped together by the gang in their old stomping grounds, the Parks Department. The gang refuses to let them out until [a] they work out their differences, or [b] 8:00 am the next morning is here. Neither wants to be alone with the other for 10 hours, but are unable to escape. Leslie proposes they simply wait a few minutes, turn on the baby monitor Ben left for them, LIE to him that they made up, and wait for Ben to come release them.  Unfortunately, the two cannot agree on what their fake apology should sound like, and Leslie ends up smashing the baby monitor on the ground, destroying their only means of an early exit. Ron chooses to sit in silence while Leslie pesters him to get him to talk. He eventually can't take any more of Leslie's nonsense, and agrees to speak with her for three minutes. Leslie uses a whiteboard to draw a timeline including a number of key events that may have contributed to the demise of her friendship with Ron, culminating in the infamous "Morningstar" incident. It is revealed that Morningstar was a luxury apartment complex built by Ron's company, positioned adjacent to Leslie's park, Pawnee Commons. Leslie was furious with Ron for not telling her in advance about the plans, especially since it included the removal of many surrounding houses, including Ann's old house. Ron tells Leslie, "that's not the whole story" ... but then Leslie's three minutes is up, Ron goes into his old office, closes the door. As a result of Ron's unwillingness to converse, Leslie begins quizzing him directly outside his office. Ron eventually has enough and commits to using excessive measures to escape. He finds his old "partially defused" claymore mine that Leslie gave him 10 years ago, but is disappointed to discover that what he always thought was an actual landmine was merely a gimmick that Leslie bought as an anniversary gift for being Parks Director for five years—she had bought the empty shell online and filled it with balloons and confetti. A couple of hours go by, and as Leslie is searching through documents, she stumbles across something very interesting ... her original Parks Department job application, including a written description of Ron's very first impressions of her. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... What was Ron's REAL first impression of Leslie? Can Ron forgive Leslie for the fake claymore mine? Is there a way Leslie and Ron can escape before 8am? Why did Ron really leave the Parks Department? Will Leslie and Ron ever be friends again? Loyal podcast viewers, we triple-dog-dare you to not get emotional during this episode. You'd have to be a freakin robot to not cry at this one. (NOTE: No offensive, Robonstantine.) Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, the often imitated but never duplicated "JJ's Diner".

This week, Mark and Allen utilize the varied talents of unpaid intern Constantine to select the questions. This could be dangerous, but our intrepid hosts are not afraid! As always, Mark and Allen answer some questions that have been on the viewers minds for quite some time, including questions about Mike Schur, podcasting in general, Kevin Symons, our impression of characters so far, and more! As well, we may tackle some tangential questions, such as...  Are the awesome and loyal LFP podcast viewers actually viewers? Will we be interviewing any more Parks and Rec cast members?  This is ten pounds of goodness in a five pound bag, folks. So kick back, get your favorite beverage, tune your podcast dials as needed, and enjoy the ride.

As the name would suggest, this week Mark and Allen welcome our newest "viewers" and do a quick review of the first 15 episodes of Parks & Rec we covered on the podcast. The episodes and their scores will be listed, grouped, tiered, summarized, triangulated, and other nonsense mathematical terms until the abacus breaks from stress!  Will any episodes get re-scored?  Who knows?  Anything could happen.  Before he left, Constantine left us these questions to tackle:  "Why are these two still on the air?"  "How do I change the station?"  "Where are my onions?"  "Are they really viewers?"  (EDIT:  Ha ha, Constantine.  Please report to HR when you get back.)  Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, Apple.

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!

Join us for a  message from the man, the myth, the legend...Ron [BEEP]ing Swanson himself! Recorded in the Swanson cabin (geo-location undisclosed), this is a Live from Pawnee exclusive to kick off your 2023 and put the continued dumpster fire that was 2022 in the rearview mirror! We hope you take a minute to listen , lookback briefly and look forward, with hope, to a  better 2023!

From Ron and all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a very Happy and Safe New Year!

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces the inside of the famous Snakehole Lounge nightclub!  A letter to the department makes Leslie think she is being named Woman of the Year, but instead it is going to Ron! While Ron knows this is a dumb mistake, he uses it to tease Leslie for caring about "crap like this", fully intending to later recommend her as the rightful recipient. Meanwhile, Tom is doing his best to invest in the Snakehole Lounge, but the shares are $10,000. Dreaming of being a club owner, Tom seeks assistance from several people, including Donna, Jerry, Mark, and the fast-talking Jean-Ralphio. Finally, Andy has been living with bandmate Burly rent free, and is told to change his living habits or move out. This leads April to help Andy find his own place... perhaps one close to April's place so they can carpool to work together?  As always, we attack the scariest of questions, such as...  How do you create a Bag of Smells, and what would that experiment teach us?  What is a Smurf Girl Trophy?  How would Tom's face look on legal tender?  When will Andy realize April is WAY into him?  Loyal podcast viewers, this is a good one, be sure not to miss it!  NOTE: Constantine asks you not spill your soup all over everything - take it like a man.  Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, Pawnee Super Suites.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that reveals where Jerry met his wife Gayle! Ann is preparing for Leslie's bachelorette party with what might be considered "typical" choices: dancing, Jell-O shots, strippers, anything that can be penis shaped WILL be penis shaped - you know, the usual. Unfortunately, despite Ann's diligent efforts, Leslie is not able to enjoy things when it is revealed that Councilman Jamm (in conjunction with Pawnee Restaurant Association spokeswoman Kathryn Pinewood) is moving forward with his plans to turn Lot 48 into a new Paunch Burger restaurant. Desperate to counter this unexpected move by Jamm, Leslie contrives a plan to litter the pit with what she hopes will pass as sacred Wamapoke artifacts, thus halting all construction on the lot. Unfortunately, she quickly realizes she's made a horrible mistake, confesses her mess to the girls, and recruits them to help her fix it.  Meanwhile, Chris is preparing for Ben's bachelor party, which, at Ben's request, is going to be very low-key, essentially beer and board games. The guys gather at Ben's house to indulge him in a game of Settlers of Catan. When finished, Tom convinces the guys to visit Eagleton's hot new molecular mixology bar, Essence. While there, they chat and realize none of them got to experience their own bachelor party. In a moment of inspiration, Chris declares that tonight, everyone gets their own bachelor party experience, custom tailored to them, and whatever they want to do. While this seems great on paper, some of the requests get a little complex. Not only that, but poor Chris doesn't have a chance to have his moment in the spotlight, as he's never been married. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Does Leslie come clean to Ken Hotate? Can Chris pull off everyone's bachelor party requests? Will Councilman Jamm and Kathryn Pinewood get their Paunch Burger site? What do the guys do to show their appreciation to Chris? What is the "Gettysburg Undressed"? Is there actually a "wrong way" to consume alcohol? Loyal viewers, Season 5 so far as been a freight train of goodness ... will this episode continue the trend? Only one way to find out! Many thanks to our wonderful NEW sponsor, St. Elmo's Steak House!
 

As you might expect from the title, this week Mark and Allen are combing over the details of Season 6 in the way only they can do. There's a lot of stuff in this one, including interviews, some delightful banter, and a lot of fun. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... What interviews are we talking about? Will our score analysis be interesting? How does Season 6 compare to past seasons? All this and MORE coming up right now! Stick around, true believers. C'mon. You know you wanna. Did we mention we have free pizza?

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 that introduces us to Barney Varmn's accounting firm! Trying to keep busy during her two-week suspension, Leslie attempts to sneak work out of the office to do at home ... unsuccessfully. She then attempts to focus on her City Council campaign, but her advisors tell her to lay low until post-scandal poll numbers come back. Finally, Leslie acts on Ben's suggestion and forms a Citizens Action Committee, the Parks Committee of Pawnee (PCP). Meanwhile, after resigning in disgrace, Ben decides to look for a new job. He interviews with several places, including Barney Varmn's accounting firm, and cologne maker Dennis Feinstein. Despite his impressive resume, Ben seems ultimately unsure what he wants to do next. Finally, when the gang once again receives thoughtful holiday gifts from Leslie, Ron suggests they work together to give Leslie a great gift, and they all collaborate to make her a miniature model of the Parks and Recs office, made out of candy. They are certain Leslie will love their confectionary model ... However, the gang has one last gift for Leslie waiting in the wings. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... What will Leslie's post-scandal poll numbers look like? Will Barney's accounting firm react well to Ben's sense of humor? What precisely is "salger"? Did April really kill the Black Eyed Peas? What role will Jean-Ralphio play in Ben's final decision? Where did Donna get her shiny silver M&M's? Podcast viewers, this is a fantastic episode, be sure not to miss it! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, the often imitated but never duplicated JJ's Diner.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces Councilman Bill Dexhart, Channel Four Eyewitness Newsperson Perd Hapley, anger peeing, sham marriages, and the legendary Duke Silver!  Leslie is nervous about her first date with Officer Dave Sanderson (like, REALLY nervous), so best friend Ann tries to help her prepare by immersing her "in a tank of bad date"... but Leslie gets a bit TOO confident (and drunk), and... well, we don't want to spoil it.  Also, the gang at City Hall plays a game to see who can dig up the juiciest dirt on the others - Ron has two ex-wives (and a mother) named Tammy, Tom has Taliban robes, Jerry finds out he is adopted ... and these aren't even the dirtiest secrets!  So put your moral high ground aside and join in - Jerry Springer has nothing on this episode!  Hats off to our fantastic sponsors, Travel Agency "Dank and Damp" (specializing in caves) and Cozy's Bar in Eagleton.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode that introduces us to Champion the three-legged dog! Leslie and the gang are planning a comeback for her campaign, and despite Ben's experience, Leslie fears he may remind voters of the scandal, so Ann is asked to be campaign manager. The gang organizes a rally at the Pawnee Sports Building. However, as they drive a large truck with their supplies to the rally, an officer pulls them over and makes them abandon the vehicle (nobody has a commercial license). They cram what they can into Leslie's car, but have to leave most of the supplies behind, and must make do with what they have. Meanwhile, Ann manages to land high school basketball legend "Pistol" Pete Disellio, who is willing to endorse Leslie, but is tired of talking about his one famous game, and doesn't want the campaign to associate him with basketball or his nickname. As Ann tries to talk him into dunking the ball during the rally, Pete opens up more and more about his life problems, and Ann gets more and more uncomfortable. Finally, Chris visits an unshaven Ben at home, where he's clearly trying to adjust to unemployment. Chris sees Ben involved in several dubious "hobbies", but Chris believes Ben is depressed, using the hobbies as a distraction. Ben eventually throws down the gauntlet, intending to prove to Chris how NOT depressed he is by showing him the claymation video he created over the last three weeks. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Is Champion the three-legged dog a better kisser than Andy? What does Chris think of Ben's new calzone-related dining idea? Who ends up crying harder, Pistol Pete, or Ann? Will Ben's "clay-maish" serve to bolster or weaken his "I'm fine" argument? What unfortunate choice does Leslie make for her rally theme song? Loyal viewers, this episode is chock-a-block full of meme-worthy moments - tune in so you don't miss any of them! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, Derwin Ham Loaves.

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that shows us how great team building can be... and how awful some noises can be.  After a mural in City Hall is defaced, the Pawnee departments compete to design a new replacement. Leslie and gang face adversity in the process, both from without (Sewage Department) and from within (disagreement in the ranks).  Meanwhile, business is booming for Andy's shoe-shine stand, and Ron shows support by getting his shoes shined.  In the process, Andy and Ron share... an uncomfortable moment... and are unsure how to deal with it.  As always, we tackle hard questions that would break lesser men, such as...  Which is better, a lizard puking up Skittles, or a human-sized hamster wheel?  What does a death row convict's art therapy look like?  Who would sit at the head of your table: Greg Kinnear, a NASCAR, or Ron Swanson?  Whose idea is the best?  Who will win?  Join us and see.  And for God's sake... If you ever get your shoes shined, keep your eyes open, look straight ahead, and keep QUIET.  Many thanks to our awesome sponsors, the Pawnee School of the Arts University (a.k.a. PSAU) and Dr. Harry's Podiatry.
 

This week, Mark and Allen talk through facts, opinions, questions, answers, and a few audio clips as they look into why Michael Schur is so... freaking... awesome.  We peel back the layers of the onion as we talk about his early days at Harvard, his time spent at SNL, shows he has connections to, such as The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place, why he is so liked by those that work with him, and more!  We can speculate what the future holds for him, but one thing we know for certain... Michael Schur has had an undeniable impact on the world of sit-coms.

Mark and Allen were fortunate enough to chat with Ian a few weeks back.  What a great interview, and a fascinating discussion!  It's always nice to take a look behind the scenes and get a deeper appreciation as to "how the sausage is made", so to speak, and Ian really delivered. He is intelligent, a great conversationalist, and has an uncanny knack for diving into interesting details while at the same time keeping it lively and fun.

Join in as the guys talk to Ian about all of the incredible, creative work that goes on behind-the-scenes and turns Pawnee, and even Eagleton (spit) into real life places occupied by our favorite Pawneeans!  Ian has worked on hundreds of productions as both an Art Director and Production Designer, working across dozens of TV Series, Videos, Shorts, TV movies and films - not the least of which is a little show we like to call Parks and Recreation! In fairness, NBC actually called it that too; but we like the title enough to skip the AKAs!

This was a very enjoyable Pawnee Spotlight, and Ian is definitely one of our favorite guests. We hope you all like it as much as we did! Enjoy!

P.S. You can check out Ian's work at imdb.com/name/nm2214641/ and https://adg.org/directory/1318-ian-phillips/ and you can follow Ian on Instagram at @ijpdesign_tv/ where you can see some of his beautiful furniture too!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we witness the long-awaited return of both Officer Dave Sanderson and Duke Silver! Leslie and Ben visit retiring Police Chief Trumple in hopes of winning his endorsement for City Council. While at the police station, they run into Officer Dave Sanderson, who's visiting from San Diego to attend Trumple's retirement party. Leslie invites Dave to dinner with her and Ben. At dinner, Dave privately tells Leslie [a] he is still in love with her, [b] he wants her back (even though Leslie is with Ben now), and [c] he may stay in Pawnee permanently to become the new Police Chief. Meanwhile, Andy has finished Leslie's campaign theme song "Catch Your Dream" and asks the gang to join him and his band, Mouse Rat, at Doubletime Studio to sing it. Hearing this, Ron realizes it is the same studio where he records as Duke Silver, and privately asks April to hide or destroy any Duke Silver evidence she finds there. At the studio, Tom acts like he and Ann are a couple (even though Ann regrets their brief date), and is determined to win her over. Andy, meanwhile, makes everyone sing "Catch Your Dream" over and over, but angrily berates them, insisting it's not good enough. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie get retiring Police Chief Trumple's endorsement? Does Tom successfully woo Ann? What will Ben do when he finds out Dave is in love with Leslie? Will the gang find out about Ron's secret identity as Duke Silver? Will Leslie leave Ben for Dave? Can Andy record the perfect campaign theme song for Leslie? Tensions flare as things get real ... and real funny!  And as if that weren't enough, we also feature clips from oun interviews...that's right, we said interviews with an "S" as in multple...with episode Director Robert B. Weide AND recurring guest star Eric Pierpoint a.k.a. Chief Trumple himself! Loyal viewers, don't miss out on this great episode! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, "Chez Chez La Rue".

Paid spokes-shill, Ron Swanson, has a special message for you this week from LFP Worldwide HQ! Listen in as he spills the tea on our special, 2-part rewatch of Parks and Recreation's Season 2 Christmas Scandal! Be sure to tune in that podcast dial when the fellas are back from their break and listen to the special interview with Sexy Dexy himself!

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we first visit the office of Dennis Feinstein! When Leslie and Chris visit Animal Control, they find a mis-managed department building and ineffective staff. After Chris accidentally steps on a coyote trap in the middle of the floor, he fires Harris and Brett, the stoners working there. Soon afterwards, Leslie begins discussions at a city council meeting regarding who they should hire as Director of Animal Control, but finds out the councilmen usually just take turns appointing department heads. This does not go over well with Leslie, who insists they all find suitable candidates and bring them in for consideration. This proves challenging, as the list of candidates is short (Harris and Brett even show up just hours after being fired). After throwing out numerous candidates of her own, and seeing what poor candidates the councilmen bring in, Leslie has an idea ... and surprises April by asking her to take the position. Meanwhile, Ben is in the process of getting more big companies to donate to the Sweetums Foundation, and he gets his chance after Tom organizes a meeting with Dennis Feinstein, Pawnee's premiere manufacturer of perfumes and colognes. It becomes clear quickly though that Feinstein is very shallow and has no compassion for anyone or anything. Ben feels uncomfortable with the situation, but could really use Feinstein's money to help needy people. Ben finds it difficult to discuss anything specific with Feinstein, as he rudely insults and rebuffs any attempts to come to a deal. Feinstein takes Ben, Tom and Andy Dwyer to the Pawnee Smokehouse where he continues to be rude and arrogant. Peeved at the way Feinstein is treating Ben and Tom, Andy loses his cool and calls Feinstein "a dick". Finally, after spending the night watching a movie with Diane and the kids, Ron catches whatever Zoe and Ivy had, becoming sick. Ron is determined to get past this in his own Swanson way, but Ann isn't having it, and manages to coerce Ron into going to the hospital, at this point he is examined by the curmudgeonly Dr. Harris, who tells him he has strep throat. Ann also offers the results of his blood tests, but Ron tells her he's not interested, takes Dr. Harris' prescription for penicillin, says "good day", and walks out. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie maneuver April into getting the Animal Control job? Can Andy salvage the rest of their meeting with Dennis Feinstein? How does Ron's bloodwork look? Does April even WANT the Animal Control job? Will Ben manage to secure a donation from Dennis Feinstein? Will Ron be able to Swanson his way past this bout of illness? Is there another, better solution out there to the Animal Control situation? If Dennis Feinstein turns them down, are there any other donation paths to victory here? Are there any changes Ron needs to make to his life? Loyal viewers, with Harris, Brett, Dennis Feinstein, and Councilman Jamm to add to the hilarity, how can this episode go wrong? Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, the Pawnee Restaurant Association.

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we learn Leslie lost her father when she was 10 years old! When we last left our heroes, Leslie and Ben decided to get married that very night at the gala, giving them only 2 hours to get everything ready prior to the gala's 11pm finish. The gang gathers at Ann's place for an emergency strategy meeting, and the Pawnee Chapter of the Avengers once again Assembles, as they divide and conquer the tasks in front of them: Ann (wedding dress), Ron (walk Leslie down the aisle), Ben + Chris (wedding rings), April + Andy (marriage licenses), Tom (wedding officiant), Donna + Jerry (keep gala running smoothly). As time rolls on, we see the following happen ... Since Leslie needs her dress 3 months early, it is not ready, so Ann makes some last-minute changes ... Ben and Chris have no luck with finding suitable rings, so Ron attempts to use his woodworking skills to create two rings from a wall sconce ... April + Andy successfully locate the marriage licenses at City Hall, then go to Ethel Beavers' home to have her sign it ... Tom runs into a snag, since it takes 24 hours to get a minister certification, but it turns out Jerry is actually already ordained, so the two team-up to co-host the celebration. Everything seems to be going pretty well. The gala ends, they start the wedding, everything is awesome and wonderful, until ... the gang gets "Drunk Jammed", as a very inebriated Councilman Jeremy Jamm shows up at the gala, peeved at Leslie for stealing Lot 48, and sets out to ruin everything ... by any means possible. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Does Ron successfully create the rings? How many quotes from the movie "Hitch" will Tom use during the ceremony? What does Jamm do to try and ruin everything? Does Jamm succeed, or does the gang stop him, and if so, how so? Does Leslie really see a ghostly apparition of her beloved Li'l Sebastian? Will Leslie and Ben actually get married? Podcast viewers, we double dog dare you to watch this episode without a handkerchief - it's a good 'un. No, seriously! Curious exactly HOW good? Tune in and see! In lieu of a commercial, Mark and Allen have decided to air their first ever "Pawnee Short", covering the interesting (and weird) Lerpiss dynasty within the town of Pawnee, IN. Enjoy!

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 where we are first introduced to the "Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show"! Continuing a few seconds after the Season 6 finale concludes ... we see Leslie and Ben exit the elevator and make their way to an assembly in Council Chambers, where lawyer Trevor Nelsson (on behalf of Jessica Wicks) announces the Newport Family Trust intends to sell a 25-square mile parcel of land. While Leslie wants the land for a new national park, tech company Gryzzl wants it for a new Pawnee campus. Furthermore, Gryzzl has hired Ron, who is now a private business owner running the "Very Good" building and development company. During the City Hall assembly, Leslie and Ron see each other, and it is clear they are not on good terms, and haven't been for some time. Leslie learns the land will likely sell for around $90M, and with only $2-4M available to her, realizes she can't go toe to toe with Gryzzl. Later that night, at the Pawnee Bicentennial Gala honoring Ben, Leslie confronts Ron about "stealing" Tom and Donna away from her (Tom is looking to build a new restaurant on the Gryzzl campus, while Regal Meagle Realty was hired by Ron to broker the deal), and when Ron brings up something called "Morningstar", Leslie flies into a rage. Meanwhile, in 2017 we see April and Andy living a stable, normal life together. In many ways this could be considered a good thing. However, the day of the Pawnee Bicentennial Gala, April looks around and has a bit of an epiphany ... she and Andy have gone from spontaneous and weird, to boring and organized. Andy assures her that's not true - they are still young, fun and crazy, and he promises they will prove it that night at the Pawnee Bicentennial Gala. When April and Andy arrive at the gala, they immediately start brainstorming various crazy things they can do, but appear to have some difficulty when their acquired maturity and sensibilities take some steam out of their actions. Finally, Andy comes up with the perfect solution that can't fail ... he's going to streak the stage. Finally, Ben is being honored at the Pawnee Bicentennial Gala, a black tie event taking place that night, for all of his work organizing festivities for the celebration of Pawnee's 200th year.  Tom, who has done extremely well with Tom's Bistro and is a successful business owner, is scheduled to introduce Ben at the gala.  Given Tom's track record, Ben is a little nervous about how Tom's introduction will go, despite Tom assuring him everything will be fine. That night, at the event, Tom gets onstage and begins speaking at the microphone, and at first everything seems to be going well ... but then we see Tom put away the cards with his planned speech, and starts using the stage time in front of Pawnee's rich and famous to promote himself. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Why are Leslie and Ron fighting? Will Andy streak the stage as planned? Does Tom course-correct during his introduction speech? Can Leslie raise enough money to compete with Gryzzl? Does April feel better after the gala? Will the rest of the gala go well for Ben? Is there any other strategy Leslie can employ? What happens the following day that turns their lives around? Can Tom make amends with Ben for grabbing the spotlight for himself? What is "Morningstar"? Loyal podcast viewers, we're here ... the FINAL season of this great series! Will Season 7 be as amazing as the prior seasons? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our fantastic sponsor, "???????".

Mark and Allen last caught up with John as part of their coverage of Season Four's episode "Citizen Knope". Check out our full conversation with John this week covering his span as Barney Varmn over six seasons of Parks and Recreation and even hear a little about his other works including Star Trek and The West Wing!  Listen this week to hear the entire interview with John as we speak to him from his home in San Francisco and get a peek into the man behind the laugh!  Once again, we apologize that  someone...we won't say who, but it was totally Constantine, spilled Dr. Pepper on the mixer and screwed up Allen's audio. But, the interview is so good, we promise you won't regret checking this one out!

This week, Mark and Allen break down the episode that introduces Officer Dave Sanderson from the Pawnee Police Department! (Well, his Mother calls him David.) Someone has planted marijuana in Leslie's community garden (in the pit), so she and Tom are going to have a stakeout to catch the "kingpin". Meanwhile, Ann is going out on a date with Mark, and Ron has an excruciatingly painful hernia. Now, you'd *think* these storylines wouldn't cross... and for Ron's hernia, you'd be right... but the other two do! Why does Ann make such good coffee? Is it possible to throw an entire value meal into your mouth? Do some candy necklaces come without strings? How do you best care for a batch of Souljaboy Tellems? Can whipped cream be used for therapy? Does Ron have syphilis? These and many other questions will be answered! So come on, join us. No seriously - join us. JOIN US. NOW. Step out of the van. (And no, not your momma's van.) Thanks to our wonderful sponsors: the Offerman Woodshop and the Pawnee Police Department.

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/

Join us for a special, motivating and heartfelt message from the man, the myth, the legend...Ron Freakin' Swanson himself! Recorded live in our studio (using a responsible social distance), this is a Live from Pawnee exclusive! It's exactly what the doctor ordered and will help you put out the dumpster fire that was 2020 and focus your positive vibes into a great 2021!

From all of us at Live from Pawnee and the LFP Worldwide Headquarters, we wish all of you, our viewers, a very Happy and Safe New Year!

Enjoy!

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode that reminds us all just how awkward being setup can actually be! For starters, while Leslie is interested in Justin, an old attorney friend of Ann's, Ann is clearly saving him for herself and sets up Leslie with a really...interesting...doctor she kind of knows. A really awkward dinner date leads to an even more awkward MRI. Meanwhile, Mark is having a bad day as he suspects Ann's motivation vis a vis Justin AND has to endure 'Marley and Me' to make matters even worse. Finally, and most importantly to Ron, Tom helps Ron search for an taxpayer funded assistant to help save Ron from the taxpayers themselves! We meet lots of unmemorable candidates before meeting "The Worst" of them all - the one and only Jean-Ralphio Saperstein!

This week, Mark and Allen break down the Episode finally addressing the pesky pit that's been with us from the beginning.  Leslie and the gang volunteer to help the organization KaBOOM! build a playground for Eagleton (don't judge) in just one day!  Frustrated at the lack of progress with the pit, Leslie takes advice from Mark to cut through the red tape.  In the process she injures Andy, opening Pawnee up to a possible lawsuit.  As usual, the tough questions are addressed, such as...  What does a man-pillow look like?  Do pigs purr?  How many doing caps does Tom own? And, where are Andy's clothes....again?  Look for special guest appearances by Bob Belcher... er... I mean Archer... er... I mean attorney Scott Braddock (played by H. Jon Benjamin) and Keef 'Kaboom' Slertner (played by Paul Scheer).  Don't bother looking for April or Donna ... they are still vacationing with Jhonny.  Many thanks to our amazing sponsors:  Bucket of Cake and the City of Pawnee.