Pawnee Zoo/Trivia

• Ron enters Leslie's office to tell her the situation, Leslie guesses that it's:
  • his parents are on vacation
  • they left the keys to the brand new Porsche
  • then, she white-girl-raps part of "Parents Just Don't Understand" as Tom accompanies her with a little beat-boxing
• after she finishes, Jerry and Donna stand just outside her door and applaud her
• basking in their admiration, she asks Ron what he wanted
  • he tells her someone is on fire in Ramsett Park and they need her to get down there "right away"
• Leslie has spent her summer doing promotions for the zoo, including marrying the 2 new penguins
• the penguins names are, Tux and Flipper
  • they are South African Black-footed Penguins
• April attends the mock penguin wedding ceremony holding the bouquet and wearing Chuck Taylors and a white gown with a ruffled lacy collar
  • over a purple t-shirt and black Capri pants
• Tom also attends wearing a business suit
• Leslie presided over the wedding asking, "Tux, do you take Flipper to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
  • she pronounces them "husband and wife" by the power vested in her "from the Department of Parks and Recreation"
• Leslie plays Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" on a small boombox
• the marriage is immediately consummated
  • April watches intently
  • Leslie says "okay, well at least they're married"
  • a young white, bespectabled boy in the front of crowd asks if they are "making babies"
• a man wearing safari-like khaki clothing (including a hat, shirt and shorts), and who presumably works for the zoo (he also has a name badge), informs the young boy, "not those two; those are both boy penguins"
  • technically, he tells Leslie, "you should have pronounced them husband and husband"
  • April thinks it's "awesome"
• Leslie pronounces that you "couldn't have asked for better weather"
• back in the courtyard at city hall, Leslie playfully punches Mark Brendanawicz's arm as she walks by, calling him a "big sandwich eater"
  • aware of the presence of the documentary filmmakers, Leslie and Mark make abundantly clear that there is no romantic element to their relationship whatsoever
• Mark characterizes the night with Leslie at the pit as hitting "rock bottom"
  • he literally fell to the bottom of a pit and hit a rock
  • he reflected on how he got where he's at and how he's still single and how he needs morphine
• Mark says Leslie's latest activity with the two male penguins is
  • making history
  • sticking her neck out
  • out of the mainstream and consequently cool
• Leslie defensively disagrees, saying it was accidental and that she's in the mainstream not out of it
• Mark calls her a "social activist"
  • Leslie adamantly denies this
• Leslie explains that people don't like their government employees to be activists
  • a garbage man was suspended for wearing a Live Strong bracelet
• Jerry enters the Parks Department "bullpen" with a cake for Leslie
  • the cake is from a man who owns a gay bar
  • it is a 1/8th sheet, covered in white frosting with two penguin figurines in the center
• Leslie was not aware that Pawnee had a gay bar
  • Ron states that yes there is and it's behind his house
• Pawnee's only gay bar is called The Bulge
• Tom reads the card that accompanied the cake:
  • "Leslie; Hey girrrrrrrrl. (with 8 rs) Thank you for supporting the cause of gay marriage. You rock. The boys at The Bulge."
• Leslie asks Tom to come into her office
  • Tom reminds her it is also his office
• Leslie knows Tom isn't gay but, she says, he's effeminate because of the peach-colored shirt with a coiled snake on it
• Tom is wearing dress slacks and a plain white tee under a peach-colored polo shirt with a cobra on it
  • Tom says because it was featured in Details magazine
  • Leslie insists on still calling that effeminate
• Leslie asks Tom if he thinks marrying gay penguins made a statement
  • Tom says the statement she made was that she is lonely and needs a pet
• Jerry comes in with some t-shirts that came with the cake from the boys at The Bulge
  • the name of bar is printed in black in over-sized 1980's-style plain block letters
  • the color of the shirt matches Tom's exactly
  • but, Tom points out, his has a collar on it
• April introduces Leslie to her boyfriend Derek (whose hand she is holding)
  • and Derek's boyfriend, Ben (who are also holding hands)
• Leslie is confused by their "situation" and asks how it works
• April explains:
  • Derek is gay
  • but he's straight for April and gay for Ben
  • and Ben is really gay for Derek
  • and April hates Ben
• Leslie sits in her office sharing what she knows about youth culture with the documentary crew
  • "I don't understand it"
• Derek and Ben really wanted to meet Leslie because she's kind of like their hero now
• Leslie tries to downplay her activism by saying,
  • "It was just penguins."
  • "I'm a public servant and I'm not allowed to take a political stance."
• April rolls her eyes
• Ben thinks what she did was awesome
• Derek agrees and says it means a lot to "the whole gay community"
• April tells her there will be a party at The Bulge and they want Leslie to come as the guest of honor
  • Derek uncurls a letter-sized poster of Leslie Shepard-Fairey-style with "KNOPE" on the bottom in place of "HOPE" and hands it to her
• Leslie is flattered by it, asking who made it
  • they all did
• Overwhelmed, Leslie asks how
  • April says "Photoshop"
  • still confused, Leslie seems relieved by Ben's explanation: "Computers."
• the next day, as Leslie enters the office, Donna asks why she's "all dolled-up"
  • Leslie tells her about the party at The Bulge and how "gay men are starting to like me now; I guess they think I'm fabulous or something."
  • Leslie laughs as Donna tells her "she looks good" and that she's going to "turn somebody tonight"
• That was, hands-down, the best interaction Leslie has ever had with Donna
• Ron, wearing a suit and tie, introduces Leslie to Marcia Langman of the Society for Family Stability Foundation
• Marcia asks if Leslie has a moment to discuss the events at the zoo the other day
  • Ron declares that he had "nothing to do with this" and leaves
• Leslie asks what she can do for the SFSF
  • Marcia tells her that she could resign "if you're up for it!"
  • Leslie replies, "Oh, you're serious?"
• Marcia explains how Leslie symbolically took a stand in favor of "the gay marriage agenda" when she used tax-payer money on government property to marry gay penguins
• Leslie tells her that it was unintentional
• Disbelieving, Marcia asks, "Why else would you marry penguins?"
  • Leslie explains that, "I firmly believed that it would be cute! And it was!"
• Marcia asks Leslie if she's married
• when Leslie confirms her suspicions that she is not, but is focusing on her career, Marcia says, "I thought so," adding, "... you couldn't possibly understand that when gays marry, it ruins marriage for the rest of us."
• Marcia then gives her ultimatum:
  • Leslie annuls the wedding
  • or Marcia will publicly call for Leslie's resignation
• when exiting the Parks Department offices, make a left for the parking lot
• Ann comes to City Hall to have lunch with Leslie, but she's busy so Ann sits with Mark until Leslie is done
  • Mark was at the hospital for a week after falling into the pit; Ann thinks something got "knocked loose" because he's "a pretty nice guy now"
  • after their breakup, Andy told Ann that he was going to Kansas to climb mountains
• Mark invites Ann to see a documentary about food [presumably Food, Inc.]
  • Ann declines because "it would be like a date"
• Ann finally has lunch with Leslie
  • they each have salad, which Leslie hates
• Ann tells her she doesn't want to ever keep secrets from her
  • Leslie suggests inventing their own secret language
  • Ann tells Leslie that Mark asked her out
• Leslie bites into an Oreo as she is "feeling a lot of confusing things right now"
• Ann tells Leslie that her friendship is "the most important thing to me" and Mark is "off limits"
• Leslie hugs Ann
• Leslie and Tom enter The Bulge
  • Leslie still cannot believe it's a gay bar
  • pointing to a poster of a male model with an animal print jacket barely covering his bare-chest Tom agrees, "especially with that heterosexual cowboy greeting us on the way in."
• Leslie wonders where she can go for a drink now
  • Tom suggests the place on 8th Street called "Pitchers and Catchers"
• Leslie reminds Tom that their official position is "we have no position"
  • Leslie will thank them for the party, but "regretfully decline your offer to honor me"
• April, Derek and Ben welcome them
  • other patrons excitedly realize who she is and talk and stare
  • Ben gives Leslie a 5-second hug
• Leslie tries to state her official position, but is interrupted when someone hands her a drink saying, "this one's on us"
  • Leslie accepts saying, "Well, as long as it's free."
  • she's downs the drink
• Derek shouts, "Leslie Knope!" and the rest of the bar erupts in cheers
• several people wave copies of the Knope poster as Derek leads her to a small stage with:
  • a sequined curtain
  • a larger Knope poster
  • a microphone on a stand
• April and Derek join her onstage; April announces to the crowd, "She's Leslie Knope and she wants to recruit you!"
• Leslie thanks the raucous crowd for throwing her this party "especially on a night when the Colts are playing"
  • the crowd goes silent
• a man standing behind Tom and wearing a black Tux and Flipper t-shirt breaks the silence by shouting, "We love you, Leslie!"
  • the crowd goes wild again
  • the man who gave Leslie a drink before gives her another one
• Leslie accepts, tries to repeat her official position, notices the drink is green and chugs again
  • the crowd reacts with a spirited chant of "Leslie, Leslie, Leslie!" and waves their posters
  • her enthusiasm for her official position is dampened by the on-going chant of her name
  • they chant her name 34 times, before she finally says, "You're chanting my name," she looks out at the crowd, then "I just have one thing to say: Together we can change Pawnee forever! Let's dance!"
• Tom takes the mike saying, "Leslie Knope's in the building, y'all; let's get wild!"
• Leslie leaves the stage to dance and a crowd forms around her
  • her lame attempt at the robot causes April to try to save her from embarrassing herself
• at the bar, Tom comments on how crazy it is that he recognizes so many guys from City Hall there
  • then he realizes they see him there too
• Ann shows up in response to a text from Leslie
  • Leslie tells her about the party in her honor and if she's Leslie's friend she can drink for free
• Ann acknowledges the coolness, but asks Leslie next time not to use the phrase "medical emergency"
  • Leslie tells Ann that she's glad she came
  • Ann replies, "I'm really sober"
• Leslie realizes why "tonight's fun"
  • everyone's so gay
  • they know how to have fun
  • and the dancing
  • everyone is just who they are, and who they are is stone cold gay
• wearing bunny ears, Leslie dances at the D.J. booth singing Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"
• Leslie is having such a nice time tonight; she got the phone numbers of the two bisexual guys there
  • she wrote their numbers on each hand
• the next day at the office, Leslie is at her desk working on her computer singing "Poker Face"
  • Tom says, "all morning"
• Ron asks if she had fun last night
  • The Bulge named three drinks after her
  • Derek and Ben will be taking her shopping Saturday and she will find out her actual bra size
• Leslie now believes she's "Queen of the Gays"
  • Ron tells her, "Bully for you."
  • and "that Marcia Langman from the family thing is calling for your resignation"
• Leslie has to go on the local TV show Pawnee Today to defend herself
  • Pawnee Today is like "Meet the Press" of Pawnee
  • Tom calls it "the big time"
• Joan Callamezzo sneaks up behind Tom asking him to "guess who"
  • Tom guesses Megan Fox or one of the Desperate Housewives
  • Leslie explains that Tom comes on the show all the time and that Joan "loves him"
• A clip of one of Tom's appearances plays where they openly flirt
• Andy shows up at Ann's door wearing a business suit and tie and his hair frshly cut
• Ann's street number is 5655
• she asks him how mountain climbing went
  • he laughs and asks her what she means, apparently forgetting that he told her he would be mountain climbing in Kansas
  • he asks if he could come in to talk for a second
• the Pawnee Today studio uses a Grass Valley 100 video switcher in their control room
• the show begins and Joan asks her first guest, Marcia Langman to explain what happened
• Leslie responds, defending her non-advocacy
  • Joan calls Leslie's cute zoo promotion a "stunt" that went "clearly over the line"
• Joan asks Marcia what, if anything, can Leslie do to "make it right"
• Not wanting to be "unreasonable" Marcia lists her demands of Leslie
  • separate the penguins
  • annul the marriage
  • reimburse the tax-payers for the cost of the wedding
  • resign
• Leslie asks if there's anything else she can do, such as:
  • jump off a building
  • perform Harakiri
• Marcia adds "move to another town" (she says she's kidding)
  • Joan seems pleased that her guests are "full of ideas here today"
• Leslie then says this is why people don't get into politics
  • "I bust my ass for the people in this city and I can't win"
  • she says she has one night of fun with "some of the best dancers I've ever danced with" and suddenly everyone is upset
• Joan is excited by the phone lighting up indicating all the calls coming in
  • the first caller (male) says "that lady should resign"
  • the second caller (also male) says Leslie "should resign and repay your salary"
  • the third caller (female) likes the zoo, but thinks Leslie should resign
• back at Ann's house, Andy tells her that she looks "great" and "amazing" Ann tells Andy that he looks "fancy"
• Andy tells Ann:
  • his "monkey suit" cost $3,000, but totally worth it
  • he sold out
  • he has a boring office job in town
  • he's happy
  • feels that he has really matured a lot
  • he loves her
  • he's really sorry for the way he treated her (he was the worst boyfriend ever)
  • thinks it would "behoove us" to give it another shot
• Ann is happy for him
  • and his new job
  • and that he learned some new words
• but, she's sure of her decision
• Andy accepts her decision, invites her to call anytime, then goes to the pit to change clothes
  • when Andy sees the documentary crew, he tries to dive into his makeshift tent
• the hardest part of living in the tent is keeping his suit pressed and the rats
  • "It's like a freakin' rat parade every night."
• Andy feels he has to be close to Ann's house to protect her because "there are some weird people that live around here"
• the calls to Pawnee Today continue
  • a man asks, "If you let penguins marry, where does it end? Would you let me marry my guinea pig?"
  • the man really wants to marry his guinea pig
  • he'll take his answer off the air
• Marcia thinks he makes a valuable point
• Leslie points out zoo attendance is up 30% ("You're welcome.")
• Leslie refuses to annul the wedding because it was "cute, damnit"
• Marcia insists again that Leslie reconsider
• Leslie points out that she has apologized for "having fun and making something cute" and that she didn't
  • murder someone
  • have an affair
  • do drugs
• Joan tries to cut the tension with some small talk
  • (to Leslie): "Where are you from originally?"
• Marcia asks Leslie if she'll be annulling
  • "No, I will not be annulling. No."
• Leslie stands outside Tux and Flipper's exhibit, which has been vandalized
  • someone spray painted on the rocks the phrase: "ITS FLIPPER & EVE/NOT FLIPPER & STEVE"
• someone pushing a stroller is reflected off the glass barrier
• Leslie watches them waddle around in their own little "penguin love bubble"
  • Leslie guesses that's what it's like when you've met your mate and "know you're going to be together forever"
• Leslie goes to Ann's house to tell her she should go on a date with Mark
  • "We're just animals; we don't know anything about love."
• Leslie knows Mark isn't her "gay penguin," but he might be Ann's
  • what's important is that they're still friends
  • they hug
  • Leslie already called to Mark to tell him Ann's dying to go out with him
• Leslie transfer Tux and Flipper to a zoo in Iowa
  • gay marriage is legal there
  • and they'll be together
• Leslie squirts the two penguins who are secured each in their own "Graco" brand child seat
  • Leslie squirts them 11 times
• on the way to (presumably) Iowa, Leslie spots a Six Flags and wants to take them on a water slide
  • she momentarily fears they might die
  • but it would be so cute

Ron's appearance

• hair parted on his left
• wears a polo shirt and dress slacks

In Leslie's office

• the framed gavel above her light switch has been replaced by Hillary Clinton's official State Department portrait
• the number on the door is 125
• Leslie has a new owl figurine on the cabinet behind her

Opening credits

• the show title is shown when the piccolo begins
• the 20 second version of the theme plays
• Chris Pratt is no longer listed as "Guest star"

Projects Leslie has worked on

Summer zoo promotions, including:

• a 60th birthday party for a Green-winged Macaw
• college graduation ceremony for the smart chimpanzees
  • Leslie was hoping they would fling their hats instead of their feces, but they didn't, much to the horror of the on-lookers
• marriage ceremony for the two newly arrived South American Black-footed penguins
  • because they mate for life

The penguin wedding ceremony

• presided over by Leslie Knope, with the power vested in her "from the Department of Parks and Recreation"
• Tux and Flipper walk out of a miniature pink, rose and white wedding chapel, down the red-carpeted aisle and under a miniature ivy-covered, white, arched trellis
• a pink banner with the words "Together Forever" with cartoon male and female penguins "kissing" inside a darker pink heart
  • the cartoon penguins are between the two words
• a stand-in is available for novelty photos
  • where people's place their heads as 'stand-ins' for the two small penguins inside a lavender heart or the larger penguin one holding a tray like a waiter
• t-shirts are also available for purchase
  • with a silkscreen of 2 penguins beak-to-beak inside a heart outline; above it are the words "Tux & Flipper", below it is the Pawnee Zoo logo
  • available 4 colors: black, white, pink and electric blue

Tom's failed attempts at flirting with Ann

• he tries to dance with her at The Bulge

What Tom and Joan discuss on Pawnee Today

• the softness of each other's skin
• Joan's kids and how tough it must be for them to have "a mother who is so beautiful"
• what it's like to be the most attractive woman in Pawnee
  • Joan tells Tom if he keeps up with his "funnies" she's going to have to invite him over for "supper"
  • Tom replies that he would have to come over for "supper"

Ending credits

• this is the first episode where the credits begin to "roll" as the action on-screen continues instead of playing over a black background