Parks and Recreation

Mark Seen

Pilot Apr 10, 2009 Indiana government worker Leslie Knope is given the assignment to convert an abandoned quarry pit into a community park. A documentary film crew follows Leslie through her mishaps and gaffes as she tries to make her assignment a reality.

Mark Seen

Canvassing Apr 17, 2009 Leslie decides that she and her committee need to go door-to-door to gain support for the park project as well as support for an upcoming town hall meeting, but their mission does not go as planned. Meanwhile, Tom wanders away from the canvassing group and uses his own creative recruitment tactics.

Mark Seen

The Reporter Apr 24, 2009 Leslie arranges for a reporter to do a story about her park project, but she and her committee have the worst time staying on topic. She then calls Mark to help her save the story, but it ends up hurting more than helping. Meanwhile, Tom does all he can to suck up to his boss.

Mark Seen

Boys Club May 1, 2009 Leslie attempts to break into the political "old boy's club," causing an ethical dilemma. Meanwhile, Andy plans a surprise for Ann.

Mark Seen

The Banquet May 8, 2009 During a banquet honoring her mother's public service, Leslie tries to convince a local zoning official to support her proposed park project. Meanwhile, Mark and Tom try to meet some ladies.

Mark Seen

Rock Show May 15, 2009 Leslie attends what she believes is a business meeting with an elderly local government bigwig, unaware that her mother has secretly set her up on a blind date. Andy plays his first gig since breaking both of his legs in the pit.

Mark Seen

Pawnee Zoo Sep 18, 2009 "Pawnee Zoo" is the second season premiere of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the seventh overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009. In the episode, Leslie accidentally takes a stand in favor of same-sex marriage when she holds a marriage for two male penguins during a publicity stunt for the zoo. The episode was written by Norm Hiscock and directed by Paul Feig. The writing staff sought to address more topical issues during the second season, and the gay marriage plot was inspired by the real-life pairing of Harry and Pepper, a pair of romantically involved male penguins at the San Francisco Zoo. Although Hiscock said he was focused more strongly on comedy than making a political or social statement, both the script and the show's protagonist ultimately takes a position in favor of same-sex marriage. "Pawnee Zoo" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators claiming it showed improvement and growth compared to the show's first season, which received lukewarm reviews. According to Nielsen Media Research, "Pawnee Zoo" was watched by 5 million households. Among viewers aged between 18 and 49, the episode was seen by 30 percent fewer viewers than the first season pilot episode. In March 2010, "Pawnee Zoo" won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode.

Mark Seen

The Stakeout Sep 25, 2009 "The Stakeout" is the second episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the eighth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 24, 2009. In the episode, Leslie conducts surveillance on a community garden in an attempt to find out who planted marijuana there. The episode was written by Rachel Axler and directed by Seth Gordon. It marked the first in a series of guest appearances by stand-up comedian Louis C.K. as Dave Sanderson, a Pawnee police officer who develops a romantic interest in Leslie. A scene in which Sanderson arrests Tom Haverford in his own van mirrors the real-life controversial 2009 arrest of Henry Louis Gates. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by 4.22 million households, a 800,000-household drop from the previous week's season premiere, "Pawnee Zoo". "The Stakeout" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators saying it marked a continued improvement over the first Parks and Recreation season.

Mark Seen

Beauty Pageant Oct 2, 2009 Leslie gets to judge a beauty contest, but ends up having conflicting opinions on "the ideal woman" with the other judges. While on a date with Mark, Ann learns Andy has been living in the pit.

Mark Seen

Practice Date Oct 9, 2009 "Practice Date" is the fourth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the tenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 8, 2009. In the episode, Ann takes Leslie to dinner to help prepare for her first date, while the rest of the parks department tries to learn secrets about each other as part of a game. The episode was written by Harris Wittels and directed by Alex Hardcastle. It featured stand-up comedian Louis C.K. in his third guest appearance as Dave Sanderson, a Pawnee police officer who develops a romantic interest in Leslie. The episode also featured a fictional sex scandal mirroring the real-life 2009 scandal of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. "Practice Date" was the first episode to establish the personality of Jerry as the co-worker everyone else in the office picks on, and marked the first of several appearances by Jay Jackson as news reporter Perd Hapley. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by 4.97 million household viewers, an improvement over the previous week's episode, "Beauty Pageant". "Practice Date" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators praising it for fleshing out the characters of Ron and Tom.

Mark Seen

Sister City Oct 16, 2009 Leslie plays host to the Parks and Recreation department from Pawnee’s sister city, Boraqua, Venezuela, and is shocked at the cultural differences. Tom becomes an errand boy, and April plays hard to get.

Mark Seen

Kaboom Oct 23, 2009 Leslie, Ann and the rest of the Parks Department volunteer to help the organization KaBOOM! build a playground for a neighboring town. After building an entire playground in one day, Leslie gets frustrated at the lack of progress with the pit, and takes some advice from Mark to cut through the red tape.

Mark Seen

Greg Pikitis Oct 30, 2009 Leslie enlists the help of Dave and Andy in order to catch a local teen vandal. Meanwhile, Ann struggles to make her Halloween party fun, and ends up getting help from an unlikely source.