"The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show" is the tenth episode in the seventh season of the NBC television series Parks and Recreation, and the 122nd episode overall.
Synopsis[]
For the final episode of Andy's TV show, Leslie hijacks part of the production, bringing Andy's pals in to honour his efforts.
Storyline[]
The episode starts with an introduction from Perd while Andy fakes karate motions. After Andy tells the kids what the show is about he goes to sing a song, but finds that his guitar has been stolen. Changing his on-screen character to Burt Macklin. The show becomes a noir style cop show where The Chief confirms that Macklin is a loose cannon who gets results, then handing Macklin a clue to help him solve the case. Macklin is determined to find the thief and make them pay the ultimate price: force them to participate in the Funky Monkey Dunk Tank!
After the Johnny Karate show's opening, Andy tells the children that he is moving to Washington DC and lists some of the memorable places there. He brings April out for April's Animal Corner, where she brought a Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula to show the kids. However, Andy had played hide and seek with the tarantula earlier and never found it. The segment changes into "Loose Animal in the Studio" with a long disclaimer attached that Andy doesn't bother to read.
Andy introduces the five Karate moves to success:
- Make something
- Learn something
- Karate chop something
- Try something new
- Being nice to someone
Joining Carpenter Ron , Andy is shown that Ron is making a shadow box frame, for a display. Andy attempts at a Hug Moment with Ron, which immediately fails leaving him with no hug. He moves onto the second segment with Professor Smartbrain (Ben Wyatt) , who is teaching geography today. He talks about how fast Andy can get to Washington DC by plane, car, and train, but Andy argues that teleportation is faster. Ben attempts to explain that teleportation is only theoretical and impossible. However, Andy tells the kids "nothing is impossible", which causes Professor Smartbrain to argue with Johnny, and Andy counters with the Boring Buzzer. After this, Andy is joined by Mailman Barry who brings him hundreds of fan letters and a special letter of his own to say goodbye to Andy. However, before Barry can finish reading it, Andy interrupts screaming it's time to karate chop something, and has the ninjas karate chop Barry instead. Leslie Knope joins Andy to try something new, where she and April take over the show and turn it into a tribute to Andy Dwyer instead.
After a brief commercial break for Ron's inaudible commercial for his company, Very Good Building Company, and the Wamapoke casino, Leslie goes into Andy's history, starting with his fall in the pit. Andy hopes there is a pit in Washington DC to fall into, as Ben and Leslie continue going through his career. They give him a day planner as a gift, which Andy promptly loses. They bring Andy's friend: Lord Edgar Covington onto the show to knight Andy, which Covington can only do because the Queen of England just lets him do what he wants. Ben gets excited and is also knighted by Covington, quoting Game of Thrones. Once again we take a brief commercial break with advertisements for Paunch Burger and Mouse Rat.
When they return, Leslie brings up how Andy failed to become a real police officer, but managed to create Burt Macklin, calling Macklin one of Andy's greatest creations. Randy Killnose, an officer from the Pawnee police department, gives Andy an honorary badge in the shadow box that Ron created, which Andy promptly breaks to get access to the badge. Andy attempts to take the officer's handcuffs but they steer the show back on track, sending Andy to Ben in order to 'solve the mystery of the stolen guitar'. It turns out John Cena stole the guitar and Andy geeks out over his cameo. As it turns out, Andy swapped the lost day planner for Randy's handcuffs and he arrests John Cena and brings him over to the dunk tank.
Leslie announces that Pawnee will keep a Johnny Karate costume to honor the show that Andy created, but while Donna and Ron perform a Jazz rendition of "Kung Fu Fighting", April looks uncomfortable. After another commercial break, Andy gives his thanks to everyone who worked on the show. He attempts to bring April in to do something nice to her, but she flees the studio and Andy chases after her. April doesn't want to be the reason Andy stops doing what he loves, but he tells her how important she is to him and that they'll figure things out. Considering this his good deed, Andy sings the farewell song to send off Johnny Karate. The tarantula ends up on the edge of the dunk tank and April activates the drop-seat, dunking John Cena in.
Disclaimer[]
During the episode, a disclaimer is quickly played. It reads as followed (all credit for the full disclaimer text goes to GeckoRoamin on the Parks and Recreation subReddit):
From the law offices of Fwar, Dips, Winshares, Gritt, Nelsson, Woba, Eraplus, Zswing, Rângé-Factor, Heart, Babip, Pecota, Vorp, & Eckstein, LLC:
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
This document (the “Disclaimer”) is binding in perpetuity. It ensures that Channel 46 (the “Company”) and its parent company, Sweetums Corp., as well as Sweetums Corp’s parent company, Academi, cannot be held legally responsible for any views or actions made by/on “Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show” (the “Show”). The actions of or opinions expressed by, Johnny Karate a.k.a. Burt Macklin a.k.a. Jonathan Karate a.k.a. Andy Dwyer (the “Host”) or his wife, Mrs. Karate a.k.a. Janet Snakehole a.k.a. Judy Hitler a.k.a. April Ludgate-Dwyer (the “Producer”) do not necessarily represent those of the Company. This statement also applies to any and all alter egos or characters generated now, or in the future, by either the Host or the Producer, as well as their cast members, current or future, and their dog Champion a.k.a. Dog World Champion a.k.a. The Three-Legged Wonder Dog a.k.a. Tripod Jones (the “Dog”).
This further acknowledges that the Company has on numerous occasions under the threat of termination and/or loss of privileges relating to the Host’s show instructed the Host and the Producer not to engage in any of the following activities:
-Attempting to ingest or encouraging others to ingest non-edible products, including but not limited to: glue, wood, staples, staplers, toys, wool socks, cotton socks, polyester socks, cotton/polyester blend socks, scientific equipment and any form of US currency, including but not limited to: pennies, nickels, quarters, Susan B. Anthony dollars, Sacagawea dollars, or paper bills.
-Detonation of any sort of explosive device, or non-explosive device that is rendered explosive by the taping or gluing of said device to an explosive device.
-Covering the studio property or any other property in any substance, including but not limited to: glitter, tar, glittery tar, jam, gel, jelly, ice, slush, slime, sludge, slurry, ooze, gunk, glop, goop, foam, froth, muck, or ice cream.
-Using the Company’s telephone for any “crank call” segments to any citizens, including but not limited to: current or former government officials, former classmates, former co-workers, local restaurants, “Lawrence,” “Greg Pikitis,” or any members of the 2001-2017 New England Patriots.
-Claiming to be an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and/or the Central Intelligence Agency and/or the Coast Guard and/or the United States Treasury Department and/or “Special Ops” and/or “Special Ox” [sic] in order to gain access to government or law enforcement buildings.
-Pressing on the Host’s own eyes with Host’s own thumbs in order to “see cool stuff floating around in there.”
-Attempting to break any National or International record for any kind of competitive eating, including but not limited to: pies, hot dogs, cherries, bananas, sunflower seeds, butternut squash, clam chowder, milk, pinto beans, burritos, sweet-n-sour chicken, Paunch Burger Dinner-for-Breakfast Burger Combos, Paunch Burger Breakfast-for-Dinner Burger Combos, Paunch Burger Breakfast-for-Dinner Pancake Combos, Paunch Burger Lunch-for-Dinner Sandwich Combos, or Paunch Burger Everything-for-Dinner Burrito-Pancake-Taco-Teriyaki-Chicken-Waffle-Nacho-Penne-Arrabiata-Steak Combo Supreme.
Specific Note on Liability of “Loose Animal in the Studio” Segment (the “Segment”)
By reading this document, you (the “Viewer”) or your legal guardian, forgo the right to seek any legal action regarding any possible contact with a loose or lost animal (the “Animal”) in the Segment. Viewers are encourages not to seek out or interact with the Loose Animal, and all claims to the contrary made by the Host or Producer are false. No animals were harmed in the making of the Segment; if they were, it was not the intention of the Show, Host, Company, or Producer, nor can those parties be held responsible for the actions of the aforementioned animals. Once the Viewer has entered Studio 46, the Company is not liable for the actions, noises, behaviors, or attacks of any Loose Animal, including but not limited to:
- Barn Owl
- Red Claw Scorpion
- Mexican Plateau Horned Lizard
- Tasmanian Pygmy Possum
- Green Tree Python
- Boll Weevil
- Boa Constrictor
- Hagfish
- Ecuadorian Pudu
- Fire-Throated Anteater
- Albino Wolverine
- Sucker-Footed Bat
- Egyptian Tortoise
- Lithuanian “Garbage Cat”
- Hawaiian Gharial
- Brazilian Thunder Panda
Special Addition to Note on Liability of “Loose Animal in the Studio” Segment (the “Segment”)
The conditions and limits on liability apply to all segments of “April’s Animal Corner,” regardless of whether the segment eventually leads to aforementioned Segment (“Loose Animal in the Studio”). On such occasions when “April’s Animal Corner” proceeds as planned, and the animal in question remains safely in the cage or container in which it was transported, the Company hey it’s me Andy I had a dumb meeting with our dumb lawyer who was yelling at me for something I don’t even know what it was he’s so funny when he yells he looks like Beaker from the Muppets I’m in his office right now he’s on a phone call so I opened his document and clicked in the middle of this paragraph and started typing haha he’s so dumb he’ll probably never even see this I can type whatever I wan Colts rule Colts rule Johnny Karate forever Reggie Wayne forever Greg Pikitis sucks ok he’s coming back I love you April bye! retains the right to apply these limited liability conditions to the Segment as well as all other segments involving animals, now or in the future.
Cast[]
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- The entire episode is in the form of the last episode of Andy's kids TV show, which shares the same name as the episode, complete with fake advertisements from various Pawnee businesses from other episodes of Parks and Rec.
- A website with a domain name consisting of the show's full name is referred to in this episode - viewers are directed there to see "the full MouseRat documentary". The actual website with the URL referenced in the show is, as of October 2019, a scam/spam/phishing website.
- The law firm Fwar, Dips, Winshares, Gritt, Babip, Pecota, Vorp, and Eckstein was mentioned in another episode of Parks and Recreation.
- Tom Haverford is the only main cast member to not appear in this episode.