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Episode 1:4 -- Boys' Club

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  Written by Alan Yang Directed by Michael McCullers COLD OPEN: We join Leslie and Tom as they are headed out to a hiking trail to investigate reports that local teenagers are having fights with bags of dog poop. While Leslie initially doubts that this report is true, upon their arrival, they find a group of boys doing just that -- flinging bags of dog poop at each other. Tom immediately walks away, refusing to get involved, but Leslie approaches the boys to demand they stop. Of course, they start flinging bags of poop at her. She tries to deflect them with a trash can lid. Repulsed by the smell, she picks up a bag and throws it back at the boys and soon realizes that it IS fun and joins in on this dog poop battle. MAIN PLOT: A gift basket of wine and cheese arrives from a local business (Norton Construction), but before Jerry and Tom can open it, Leslie stops them, reminding them that they are bound by ethics to refuse any gifts over $25. She tells them they live in a fish bowl as...
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Episode 1:3 -- The Reporter

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Written by Daniel J. Goor Directed by Jeffrey Blitz COLD OPEN: Jerry leads a group of kids on a pre-teen nature hike, which, Leslie explains, used to be a teen nature hike until one of the kids got pregnant. While Jerry is showing the kids some honeysuckle, Leslie grabs some, admires its scent, and takes a bite of it, not realizing that it is not edible and her tongue swells up.  MAIN PLOT: Leslie tells Ann that she has arranged for a reporter from the Pawnee Journal (Pawnee's answer to the Washington Post, according to Leslie) to write an article about the park project. The subcommittee meets and Leslie tells them that it's vital that they all stay on message when talking to the reporter. After the meeting, Leslie asks Mark if she can "pick his brain" over coffee and seeks his advice on how to handle the reporter.  She brings to their meeting 30 discussion topics, and Mark tells her that she's insane which leads to some awkward, cringe-worthy flirting on Leslie...
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Episode 1:2 -- Canvassing

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  EPISODE DETAILS     Title: Canvassing     Written by: Rachel Axler     Directed by: Seth Gordon COLD OPEN: It's Easter in Pawnee, and the Parks Department is hosting an egg hunt. Leslie tells us that Tom was in charge of hiding the eggs this year and did a great job -- she has yet to find one.  We then cut to Tom who tells us he did not hide any eggs, so we now know that the children of Pawnee will not find a single egg on this Easter egg hunt.  PLOT: Leslie's excitement over her subcommittee continues as she goes to visit her mother, Marlene Griggs Knope. Leslie tells us that her mother is a big "muckety muck in the county schools," and it is clear that Leslie's huge motivation is her quest for her mother's approval. Leslie "casually" tells her mother that she has been given a subcommittee, news that seems to both surprise and impress her mother. Leslie invites her mother to attend a community forum she's hosting the next night and gets a...
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Episode 1:1 -- Pilot

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Okay, folks, we're going to dig right in with where it all started. In each episode post, I'll give you a breakdown of what happens in the episode in terms of plot, include what I'm calling "stray observations" about important moments or trivia, and then give an analysis of the episode.  So with that being said, let's take a look at the pilot episode! EPISODE DETAILS:     Title: Pilot     Written by: Greg Daniels and Michael Schur     Directed by: Greg Daniels COLD OPEN: In the cold open (pre-credit scene), we meet Parks and Recreation department employee Leslie Knope as she quizzes a child about the level of fun she is experiencing in the park. While she is talking to this little girl, another child runs to her and tells her that a drunk is stuck in the slide. Leslie begins the difficult task of extracting him. This is all juxtaposed with Leslie's confessional introducing herself and espousing her belief in the power and responsibility of the governm...
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Welcome to Pawnee Commons!

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 Hello, friends, and welcome to Pawnee Commons. This is a site devoted to Parks and Recreation . My goal with this site is to provide analysis of each episode, deep dives into each significant character, and engage in some observations and conversations about this show. Feel free to comment with your thoughts and ideas.  
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