"Donna & Joe" is the seventh episode in the seventh season of the NBC television series Parks and Recreation, and the 119th episode overall. It premiered on February 3, 2015 to 3.45 million viewers.
Synopsis[]
April tries to keep Donna and Joe's wedding running smoothly; Ron creates awkwardness between Tom and Lucy; Jen Barkley arrives at Ben and Leslie's home with an opportunity.
Storyline[]
It's the day before Donna and Joe's wedding and Craig is on high alert. Donna asks her maid of honor, April, to make sure the Meagles behave themselves at her wedding. Her family loves drama but they also give good presents.
Leslie and Ben prepare for the rehearsal dinner and thank their nanny, Roz, for her effort at the impossible task of watching the triplets. Jennifer Barkley arrives and Leslie assumes she's going to ask her to run for an office but instead she asks Ben to run for Congress.
The rehearsal party is held at Tom's Bistro. Leslie wants Ben to run for Congress but she tells him she's neutral. She suggests he pretend as if he were running to see how it feels. After falling intoxicated, the pair party the night away. Meanwhile, Ron accidentally tells Lucy that Tom could imagine marrying her, which upsets Tom. Ron tries to backtrack but only makes things worse by telling her Tom wants kids and to live on an island. In the kitchen, April and Andy have wrangled all the trouble-causing Meagles. Donna compliments April on how smooth the event is going.
The next morning, Leslie and Ben wake up hungover and discover Ben left drunk messages for Jennifer, accepting the offer to run for Congress. As a result, Jennifer releases a premature campaign video. They meet Jennifer at JJ's Diner, where Jennifer suggests to not back out, as it could destroy his career.
At the wedding, Ron tells Tom and Lucy to bury the hatchet and be honest with each other about their relationship. The wedding ceremony proceeds without a hitch, with Leslie as a bridesmaid and April as maid of honor.
Outside the church, the press confronts Ben about his decision to run for Congress. He is frustrated because he is currently trying to deal with an issue for the triplets but he realizes he loves solving problems and his work at City Manager speaks for itself, so he officially declares his run for Congress.
At the wedding reception, everyone teases Terry for the name of "Garry" on his name card, which leads to everyone calling him Garry—his real name—via another name change. Donna winks at him and he realizes it was her doing. The whole group congratulates Ben on his decision to run for Congress and he toasts Donna and Joe's future.
Donna mentions to April that she misses some of the usual Meagle drama. As Craig prepares to serenade the happy couple (in reality serenading himself), April lets Donna's estranged brother LaVondrius into the wedding with a microwave they were fighting over decades ago. He smashes the microwave on the dance floor, to which Donna thanks April for the absent drama she was missing.
Cast[]
Quotes[]
Leslie: I love you more than Ben. [Ben looks at Leslie then at the camera surprised; Leslie briefly looks back at him] I do. If Ben left me, I would be sad but I would get through it.
Trivia[]
- When Ron tells Tom he brought his own tri-tip to eat at the rehearsal dinner, the large slab of meat he places on the bar is a brisket.
- Joe states that "Vitalogy" by Pearl Jam was written about Donna. In Halloween Surprise, Andy talks about the hat he was wearing when he first heard it.
- Leslie mentions drunk dialing the phone number 867-5309 after the rehearsal dinner, a reference to the song performed by Tommy Tutone.