(S7Ep8) Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes To Washington!

We're headed back to DC! April deals with telling Leslie her work/future woes, and Andy, Ben and Ron try to help in the best way they know how. Except Andy, who... tries. We also get to hear bloopers and Series Wraps, which is so emotional! 

Thank you to Herbert Russell for sending in fantastic voice memos explaining working with Nick Offerman and more! So lovely! 

https://www.instagram.com/herbertrussell/?hl=en

Thank you so much to our theme song writer and friend, Sean Trainor for joining us this week! Please be sure to follow him on social media if you need help with anything musician-related and follow his band, Southern Call below and on Spotify! Forever grateful for Sean's help from start to finish with this podcast, it has meant so very much. That's a series wrap on Sean Trainor! 

https://www.instagram.com/southerncallmusic/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/53PsWWbMQgX5IOsMAxLS00

https://www.instagram.com/seantrainormusic/

Sources: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/re-share-our-conversation-with-john-balma/id1551856074?i=1000739626387&l=ko

https://www.lincolnswaffleshop.com/

https://supportfas.com/

https://www.americorps.gov/

https://www.statecommissions.org/

https://ironglasstapminooka.shopsettings.com/

Transcript

sean (00:00.253)
Must have been a couple of seasons ago. But

Madi (00:02.607)
Mm.

H (00:03.61)
Because I mean at least because this is yeah, I'm when I was going through the schedule I was like we really have like two months left, maybe and and so I was like that would be fun to bring back people that have been on the show before.

Madi (00:12.002)
Mm-hmm.

sean (00:16.775)
Yeah. How does it feel like almost coming to the end of it? I mean, this has been such a long endeavor for you guys. I mean, it's crazy that it's almost done. 'Cause there's only like four five episodes.

Madi (00:25.582)
Yeah.

H (00:28.518)
left, yeah. Well five including this one, but it'll probably be six because last the last one, one last ride is an hour, so I might I'll probably split that up into two.

sean (00:38.249)
Yeah.

Madi (00:38.526)
Mhm. Yeah. It's bittersweet, I would say. Like it's you know, it's it's been so many years. We started this in like twenty twenty, huh, Holly? And so twenty twenty one. Yeah, but I think we started talking about it in twenty twenty. And so like it's just been so many years of our our life now. So that's why I think why it's it's like it's sweet to see what we've accomplished and that we've made it through the entire series and

sean (00:41.991)
Yeah.

sean (00:49.119)
my gosh.

H (00:49.193)
twenty twenty one.

H (00:53.933)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (01:07.841)
that we've gotten to talk to so many guest stars and people who have been on the show and like just the all the work that Holly's put in to bring those those people in and to to make this thing happen. but then it's also super bitter because, you know, it's been six years of hard work and and of Holly and I getting to see each other consistently because we have this scheduled. So I know we'll still keep up with each other outside of this, but yeah.

sean (01:24.19)
Yeah.

sean (01:27.89)
Yeah.

H (01:36.439)
Yeah.

Madi (01:36.617)
I'd say better swi sweep for me. I don't know about you, Holly.

H (01:40.085)
Yeah, same thing. I'm tired if I'm gonna be one hundred percent honest. This is this is a lot of work. It's a lot of work. It is a I f it feels like a full time job in a lot of instances, just because I do everything with the social media in addition to the research and the reaching out and the recording and the paying for the everything and all the things. So I'm gonna be glad to have a little bit of a break. But I have said that I will con I'll continue

Madi (01:43.571)
Yeah. That's real.

sean (02:03.475)
Yeah.

H (02:05.438)
Do interviews if people still want to come on. Like, there's still so many people that I'd love to talk to that we didn't get to talk to. And interviews are just fun and a little less research. I mean, obviously, you know me, I'll research my ass off anyway. just like with the guests that I would get on. But yeah, it'll be it'll be nice to have a little moment where I can like watch the show just as an audience member and not as like, wait, what did they do there? Well, how would they how are they doing that?

Madi (02:08.939)
Mm-hmm.

sean (02:15.283)
Mm.

Madi (02:29.587)
Okay.

sean (02:30.599)
Yeah.

H (02:34.762)
but yeah, it's been, I mean, I'm really proud of it. I'm very that's one of the things that I'm the most proud of. So I'm happy that we did it. Yay. Well, welcome in. if you are hearing another voice, thank you, Sean, for being on. This is Sean Trainer. For those of you who have listened to this or maybe you are new here, Sean did our theme song, which is so exciting and so great, and we love it.

sean (02:41.254)
Yeah, you guys should be really proud. Yeah.

Madi (02:42.059)
Yeah, you should be.

Madi (02:49.118)
Mm-hmm.

sean (03:02.158)
that's right. I totally forgot about that. my gosh, I have to go back and listen to that. that's yeah, that's right.

Madi (03:03.475)
Yeah.

H (03:09.994)
I'll I'll play the full one this time. A lot of times I just do the and there's also therapy too. If it's a long episode, I just like cut it down. say you and yeah, if you've been here for a while or again, if you're new here, we did that because when I first started the show, I was like we were starting to have like 20 minutes where at the end of the show where we were just like talk about our life instead of parks and rec. And then it got to be so intense with parks and rec research that we were like, we don't have time for this. It's gonna be like five hours long. so we were like doing a lot of therapeutic like

sean (03:17.123)
yeah, yeah. Yeah.

sean (03:32.104)
Mm.

Madi (03:35.922)
Yeah.

sean (03:36.87)
Yeah.

H (03:39.792)
discussing and so I was like, okay, there's parks and there's therapy for both of us But now it's mostly just parks, although we do we do hit some tangents and talk about other things.

Madi (03:45.726)
Yeah.

Madi (03:50.503)
Yeah. And sometimes we therapise on the the what's going on in the show.

H (03:56.758)
Yes, one thousand percent. Yeah, and what each character is. But thank you, Sean, for being on here. I appreciate it very much and it's gonna be fun 'cause you've been on before and I I should have looked up which one it was. I know you were on Tom's Divorce. Also, if you've been here for a while, Sean is famous for the Domino's Pizza Order that I put in the show notes at one time.

sean (03:57.15)
Mm-hmm.

sean (04:02.322)
Yeah, of course.

sean (04:09.916)
Yeah.

sean (04:19.774)
You're famous for it. W yeah. I should yeah.

H (04:22.222)
Yeah, but it was you were another half of the team.

sean (04:28.176)
On your last episode I'm gonna send one to your house. You need to let me know when you're recording it. Yeah. Need to get one to you.

H (04:33.194)
Okay, great. Yeah. And I'm very grateful too because Sean, you really have helped me with like audio stuff. I mean, I came over a lot, I feel, during the course of the show asking for help with editing and stuff. So and if anyone needs help with musician work in Nashville or remote, you do remote work as well, right? So I'll post all your information.

sean (04:51.888)
Yeah. Totally. Yeah. Well, it's amazing to see how much you've grown and like the clips and everything. Like everything's gotten so like there's been a real arc of everything and it's gotten so much more professional and like cohesive in like just the style of it. Like you've done a really good job putting it all together. It's it's cool to see like the I don't know how how the trajectory of all of this. It's really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

H (05:16.886)
Thank you. That means a lot. That really, really means a lot. I would try. Okay, people. Thank you so much. All right, well, let's get started. So this is season seven, episode eight. Miss Ludgate Dwyer goes to Washington. this is playing on the episode of season five where Miss Nope goes to Washington when Leslie wants to pitch her river cleanup idea, which is of course playing on the original Mr. Smith goes to Washington from 1940s or whatever the hell.

Madi (05:22.587)
Yeah.

sean (05:23.418)
You have succeeded.

H (05:45.888)
movie that was. the original air date is February 3rd, 2015. And this was directed by Morgan Sackett, who is a producer, director on the show for such a long time. His last episode that he directed was a really long time ago, but he's worked on so many great things. So we've got like the good place, hacks, loot, a man on the inside with Ten Dance in, like so many other amazing projects that I haven't even mentioned in that little spiel. But he's also going to be working on the new Amy Polar Mike Scher show called Dig. Have you guys heard of the show?

Yeah. Okay, so it's a new Amy Polar Mike Shure in the Sherverse. I don't know when it comes out, but they have begun production on it and it is about an archaeologist. And I think I want to say Amy plays an archaeologist, but there's a lot of other archaeologists in there and they're literally on a dig, which is why it's called dig. I believe it'll be on Peacock, but I'm not sure. And I'm super stoked about the Shurverse coming back together.

Madi (06:16.486)
No.

sean (06:27.346)
sean (06:35.355)
wow.

sean (06:42.254)
Yeah, that's cool. So it'll be a comedy like a like a workplace comedy type thing? cool. Cause she hasn't really done that in a second.

Madi (06:42.385)
That's awesome. Yes.

H (06:46.956)
Yeah, it'll be a comedy. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't they haven't I know, yeah, they haven't really released a ton of information exactly, but if you look it up, they are in production and they've released some pictures, so we'll see when it comes out. Very exciting. That'll be our next rewatch show, I guess.

Madi (06:51.119)
That's great. Mm-hmm.

sean (07:05.04)
Yeah.

Madi (07:05.22)
Yeah.

H (07:07.79)
But anyhow, so Morgan Sackett, who directed this, also directed the Parks and Rec special that came out in twenty twenty. And this will be his last directing credit for Parks, but he'll continue to be a producer for the rest of the show. well, I guess it's not his last directing credit because he technically did that special, but for the actual airing of the show, that's his last one last time.

Madi (07:08.644)
For sure.

sean (07:20.456)
Nice.

H (07:29.814)
And then we've got this written by Dave King and he's written so many great episodes of Parks and so many of the same shows that Morgan Sackett has worked on as well in the Shurverse. he also worked on English Teacher on Hulu, which sadly has been canceled, but it's such a good show, you guys. You should really add it to your list. And it's really short, like thirty minute. They're a teacher in a school, or or like a teacher's in a school, and it's really, really good. I wish you got more seasons, but my gosh, it's really good.

sean (07:56.465)
I haven't even heard of that. English teacher? Huh.

Madi (07:58.67)
I haven't either.

H (07:59.68)
Yeah, English teacher. It's created in a lot of it's directed by, I think his name's Brian Jordan Alvarez, who's like funnily famous like on TikTok, but he was an actor before this, but he has really funny TikToks. but it's really good. You guys will really like it. anyway, Dave King, the one who wrote this one as well, he's he's the rabbi, also, which spoiler that marries Craig in Typhoon. so he's made a few cameos throughout the show. and I think but I think

sean (08:16.454)
Cool. I'll check it out.

Madi (08:17.166)
Hm. Yeah.

sean (08:27.08)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (08:29.11)
I forgot about that.

H (08:30.498)
I know, right? I think currently though, I think that he's only been in the deleted scenes, Dave King. so now like to put a face to the name in this season that he actually comes to be in the show is really fun. And he's written seven episodes total and this will be his last writing credit on Parks as well.

sean (08:48.658)
Hmm. Well, everything's coming to an end.

Madi (08:49.814)
Yeah. Crazy.

H (08:49.868)
Yeah. Okay, well, I'm ready for a summary whenever.

Madi (08:55.21)
All right, let's do it. April is at the peak of being ready to leave her job, and while she's in DC with Leslie giving presentations, the park gang comes together to work on finding her the perfect job. Ron only has one brother.

H (09:09.262)
Or does he? Yeah.

sean (09:09.67)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (09:11.935)
I felt a need to say that 'cause he does not. He definitely has more It's just so funny. At least three, yeah. So funny. He's so weird about that.

sean (09:14.044)
I know.

H (09:16.341)
Yes, totally.

sean (09:16.699)
At least three.

H (09:20.374)
My god, I love that addition to learning about him. Totally. Mm-hmm.

sean (09:24.53)
Yeah, that was a good little detail. What was the I there was Don what was the the Lawn V yeah, Lawn.

Madi (09:30.462)
Lawn and Vaughn.

H (09:30.68)
Don yeah.

Lon Von Don Ron.

Madi (09:35.095)
Lawn's the one where I'm like, what is that short for?

sean (09:38.48)
I know. Lonel Lonnie? Lonnie, yeah.

H (09:39.896)
Great question.

Madi (09:41.267)
Lonel I've I've heard people named Lonnie before, but I've never questioned if that was short for something or if that was just their full ass name.

sean (09:52.315)
Yeah.

H (09:54.232)
Who knows?

Madi (09:55.092)
Fascinating. Yeah. I don't know.

sean (09:55.577)
On

H (09:57.986)
Well before we start with the

The rest of the review, I do want to play this series raps that was in the deleted scenes, or well, not deleted scene, it was more so like behind the scenes on the DVDs. Because we've been talking consistently about how each writer, director, even guest stars, it's like their last appearance, it's their last writing credit, it's their last whatever. And this was so sad. It made me really emotional, but also like so beautiful, like bittersweet, like we were talking about. And I really just want to play them rapping everybody on the show, and then I'll probably play it.

Madi (10:17.866)
Mm.

H (10:30.116)
Again, in like the last maybe I'll play it every single episode until we wrap. I don't know. But I just want to hear it, or I want you guys to hear because it's so cute.

Madi (10:40.574)
Yeah.

H (13:05.275)
That was it. It

sean (13:05.406)
Aww. That's awesome. I know. I can't imagine like like being a part of something like that for so long and then like the last couple of days. I mean, that must just be incredible. Wow.

Madi (13:05.532)
I caught

Madi (13:14.981)
Yeah.

H (13:18.752)
It's so insane. Yeah. And I'm glad that she did that, had that little speech moment because it's so true. Like the mundane stuff is what you miss the most, I feel. Not like the huge stuff, 'cause it's just become such a part of your routine and who you are. but that last part I thought that was so beautiful that they put that in because it that last moment where she says two months and here we are seven years later.

Madi (13:18.937)
Yeah.

Madi (13:23.555)
Mm.

sean (13:26.449)
Yeah.

sean (13:38.598)
Yeah. What ep what episode is that from? Is that from the first couple? wow.

Madi (13:39.448)
Yeah.

H (13:43.042)
that was from season one, like yeah, yeah, that was season one, like after she goes to that town hall meeting or whatever at the school and says, like, there's a pit, my boyfriend fell in, all that kind of stuff. which is really crazy. side note, there was a fun BTS that I learned, because when they wrapped Nick and Amy last and they were wearing the things that they were wearing in their Ron and Leslie episode when it's just them.

sean (13:51.713)
yeah.

Yeah, two months.

H (14:09.566)
making up. And so they must have shot that the very end because they were rapping everybody before this, which is really crazy, right? Cause Amy and Nick w Yes. Uh-huh.

sean (14:09.981)
Mm.

Madi (14:10.626)
Mm.

sean (14:16.251)
wow.

Madi (14:18.776)
That is crazy. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it was like the fourth episode, I think. yeah. That's crazy to think that you do like the actual finale and then go back and and film film that.

sean (14:20.36)
That episode's already happened, right? Yeah. Okay. Wow.

H (14:26.498)
Something like that, yeah.

sean (14:34.397)
Yeah.

H (14:36.3)
Yeah, I know, I know. It must have been something with the scheduling. but yeah, I really loved that BTS moment too. And also, Maddie, before you go, I mean, I don't know how long you can stay, but the so last episode we were talking about after Donna's rehearsal dinner, they got the Willy Wonka shirts and they were like really drunk and they woke up in their Willy Wonka shirts and we were like, What fuck is that? Like why are they wearing Willy Wonka shirts? And I watched the bloopers and I'll just play this for you and it explains it.

Madi (14:40.26)
Yeah.

Madi (15:03.802)
Okay, good.

sean (15:31.23)
That's awesome.

Madi (15:32.409)
That's great. Okay. That clears things up. That's good.

H (15:35.47)
So that clears things up that she made t shirts for that, which kind of goes into this episode because she makes t shirts for her in April. But I thought that was really funny because in all the bloopers, not all, but so many of the bloopers, she's like, These talking heads are so fucking annoying to me. I can't get the lines right. Which also side note, we were mentioning in this season the talking heads, like just talking about them. And what I've noticed between the difference between the office and this is that they're really talking right directly to into the camera lens. Whereas with the office there's like an interviewer.

sean (15:48.702)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (15:54.904)
Mm.

sean (16:04.993)
Yeah, they're talking to the interviewer.

H (16:06.086)
And they're like looking a little bit off to the side because we were talking about how that one with Ron and Leslie is the only one where they do not use the talking head technique, which was really powerful and strong. but yeah, I and then everybody online that when I posted that was like putting in their two cents, which is really interesting too, that everybody like no one really notices it. They do it really subtly. but I thought that was really interesting because they were all making comparisons to the office and modern family and all these things of like

Madi (16:06.466)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (16:28.151)
Mm-hmm.

H (16:33.194)
you are told in the office that this is a documentary, whereas Parks and Modern Family, I think they mention it like one time maybe Modern Family. It's not really mentioned. They just have talking heads. and so I mean, not that that really matters, but I think that's really interesting.

Madi (16:44.256)
Mm-hmm.

sean (16:45.117)
Mm.

Madi (16:50.762)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (16:51.248)
Yeah. I didn't even notice that. I gotta go back and watch that episode.

H (16:55.052)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Totally. Okay. So yeah, I had to play the series wraps 'cause it was so beautiful and so cute.

Madi (16:55.39)
Yeah, it seemed very intentional for like what they were trying to get through in that episode.

sean (16:59.388)
Yeah, I can see that.

sean (17:07.23)
Mm-hmm.

Madi (17:07.614)
Yes, I love it. And I do have to go, but I did want to give my my my vibe on this episode before I have to take off. But I absolutely love seeing everybody come together to help April. I think she gives off such a vibe of not caring. and to see everybody care so much and give so much effort to her in this episode is really beautiful. And I also kind of love the the Uno reverse that

April gets that when she tells Leslie, like that's the quickest anybody's been able to help her when she finally kind of just let go and and and gave it up to Leslie. So I think that was really great. And I feel so bad for Bernie. Bernie his his name, right? The arc the accountant who who just keeps getting Barney, thank you. I was like, This doesn't sound right, but it also sounds right. so yeah, the poor guy.

H (17:43.158)
Mm.

H (17:53.336)
Who? Barney, Barney. Yes. I was like Barney Sanders? That's funny. I know. Barney really gets the shit end of the stick so many times.

sean (17:53.854)
Yeah, that counted.

Madi (18:06.286)
but yeah, poor poor Bart.

Yeah, he does. Yeah. That's awesome. And I love that this the job I know that you guys will get there but in the episode, but that it's a job that helps people, but the way April sees it is that she gets to push people away from her. It's so fascinating. So yeah. So I'll be very excited to hear what you guys talk about. So sad that I I have to hop off, but glad that you're here, Sean, to to do it. So yeah.

sean (18:11.568)
I know, poor guy.

H (18:13.425)
Ha ha ha

sean (18:23.794)
Hmm. Yeah.

H (18:25.418)
Mm-hmm.

sean (18:35.516)
Yeah. Yeah. Congratulations with everything with the new baby and everything. Yeah. I know, not so new. I don't know if I've seen you since.

H (18:37.111)
Yay.

Madi (18:41.603)
thanks. Yeah, I'm not sleeping.

H (18:42.486)
I know, not so new anymore, right?

Madi (18:45.789)
Yeah, yeah. I know yeah, that's crazy. Time, I tell you, like time I feel like after you leave college is just like where did it go? 'Cause I graduated ten years ago this year from college and it's like damn I also feel like I just had my kid and he's two and a half years old. So Yeah. Right?

H (18:50.946)
Such a construct.

sean (18:53.766)
Yeah.

H (18:55.788)
Mm mm.

sean (18:59.046)
Phew.

H (19:03.64)
That ain't right.

sean (19:06.874)
Yeah. I still feel like I'm sixteen.

H (19:08.094)
So crazy.

Madi (19:13.51)
I know people are like, so in twenty twelve, and I'm like, so like five years ago. Like, no. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Craziness. But okay. Me too. Yeah. Yeah. Good to see you too. Love you guys. Have fun. And I will talk to you on the next one, Holly.

sean (19:17.394)
Yeah. man.

H (19:17.556)
Right. my god, it's so nuts to think about that.

sean (19:23.016)
Whew. Yeah.

H (19:26.296)
Well, I'm glad you got to come on for a little bit. Thank you for being here.

sean (19:28.51)
Yeah, it was good seeing you.

Yeah.

H (19:33.666)
Thank you. Okay, see you next time. Bye. I don't know how to exit you. I I know, I was gonna say I don't know. okay.

Madi (19:37.683)
Okay. Bye.

sean (19:39.058)
Bye.

H (19:57.144)
my gosh, so funny. Okay, so before we get into reviewing it again, I know I keep saying that, but I do just want to do a quick disclaimer that the politicians in this episode were before a lot of the shitty things that they voted for. And this is not the view of NBC or Parks or even Ushan. I'm only speaking for myself that I do not support a lot of what these politicians have voted for since this aired.

sean (19:59.047)
Yeah.

H (20:23.66)
But we do have to review it and we do have to talk about it because they are in the episode. So we will just review it and move on. But also know that your vote does matter and you can be voting too. And if these people are in your district, you can find them online and email the hell out of them, which I would do, but they are not in my district. So I just wanted to clear the air there, okay? Cause these people are my last fucking nerve. Okay. Okay. Go vote. All right.

sean (20:49.086)
Go vote. Yeah.

Yeah, it's crazy how this episode, there's so many cameos. There's just like so many people being brought back and like there's just I mean, it's crazy how many people are in this episode.

H (21:04.298)
It's truly crazy. And at at this time, I mean, parks had really gotten like its hold on people and the audience. So like people were excited to be a part of it. And like we've talked about in a lot of episodes or a lot of shows rather, the last season is when they're really trying to bring in people that have already been in. Like the amount of guest stars that have been in this season alone, when it's

sean (21:22.151)
Yeah.

H (21:26.092)
the shortest season apart from like season one, I think, is really quite stunning how they've brought back so many people to really round out Pawnee, 'cause we've talked about that a lot. I mean, I know like I said, I know a lot of other shows do this, but especially because it's such a community oriented show with like a small town. So to bring all these people back is really amazing to just like know that you're in that community still and see how it's grown though at in the same time. It's really cool.

sean (21:47.891)
Yeah.

sean (21:51.41)
Yeah. Really is. Yeah. This this is a great episode. There was like multiple moments where I was like laughing out loud, like and I've probably seen this episode, I mean, dozens of times. It's it's just a really good episode. Yeah.

H (22:02.198)
Yeah. It is. This season was amazing. And I don't know, go ahead.

sean (22:08.752)
It really

It was it's like it's like, I don't know, some shows have these arcs where it's like, okay, by the last couple of seasons, you know, the writing's gone down. It it it it felt like watching this episode like like the ev everything's just gotten tighter and like the jokes are quicker and they're they're great and the heart is there and the the the balance of the heart and the humor is there. It's just I don't know, this show did a really good job at like ending on a high note, they didn't overstay their welcome.

H (22:31.095)
Mm-hmm.

sean (22:41.36)
I don't know. Yeah, this is a good and it's a g this episode's a good like I don't know, example of that.

H (22:41.6)
Yeah.

H (22:46.624)
Yeah, that's a really good way to put it, like not overstaying the welcome. Like it c some shows go on and you're like, This could be done, right? Like, yeah, that's true. And I don't know, if you knew this, but for people that are new here, season six was supposed to be their last season. Yes. So that was a whole like breakdown we did where because people at the end of season six were so confused because it wrapped up so perfectly and you know, Leslie got her

sean (22:52.784)
Yeah, yeah.

sean (23:02.854)
Really? wow.

sean (23:11.868)
What's the end of season six? yeah.

H (23:13.718)
Well, so Leslie got her national parks job. Ben is in a suit because yeah, he's like right. And they do that thing where like they w she was gonna move to Chicago, but then they found a way to make it stay in Pawnee and then Ben is the city like planner dude. he so they've got everything. They she's got her kids, like she's got everything. and so it was really wrapped up well. And then NBC was like, Nope, we're just kidding. you can have another season.

sean (23:17.788)
And they do that monta Yeah, yeah, yeah.

sean (23:27.836)
That's right.

sean (23:36.454)
Yeah.

sean (23:43.42)
Wow. So did they did they want it to end or like did they want to do another season where they was like a contractual thing or like they they wanted to do it?

H (23:43.423)
And so

H (23:51.208)
They wanted it Well it's a little bit of a mixture of both. I think they from the reviews that I read and the interviews that I saw, they were ready for it to be done. They were kinda like, Okay, we're moving on because, you know, we they were told that it was I don't know the contractual or legal obligation that they had. but they were just kind of told that it was like done. And then I think NBC was like, No, we're good for another season. And so that's when Mike Sher was like and the writers were like

sean (24:04.722)
Yeah.

H (24:20.49)
let's do a time jump so that we can make something fresh and start three years later down the road when things have already happened, which is kind of the equivalent of I know a lot of high school shows do this where like they skip college and just go straight to them being an adult so that they can like, you know, just kind of push the story forward a little bit more. which that kind of seemed similar to me in this regard. But so and then that and so

sean (24:34.802)
Yeah.

sean (24:38.343)
Yeah.

H (24:44.14)
The shooting though, so it they shot all of this right after season six. So this was all shot in twenty fifteen and then they aired it or sorry, twenty fourteen, and then they aired it in twenty fifteen. And they were aired back to back. So they there was twelve episodes, I believe, total, or I think something like this. But the last one, yeah, it's twelve episodes, but the last one is an hour. And so they aired everything two episodes back to back. Each week was two episodes, and they called it a comedy event.

sean (24:51.849)
wow.

sean (24:55.816)
Wow.

sean (25:06.866)
Yeah.

H (25:12.844)
And to me, I was like, that seems rushed and as a parks fan, I was like, That's weird. I don't wanna that's weird. I feel like you could just try to push them out. But even though you give them another season, but that's just my own opinion. but yeah, so each one when it's like at the end when they said to be continued before Ron and Leslie are like trapped in the little office or whatever, the next one aired directly after that on the same night. So it wasn't like to be continued. Yeah. I know, isn't that interesting?

sean (25:20.369)
Yeah.

sean (25:36.206)
okay. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah. That's that's I yeah, I forgot about that happening. Cause yeah, I think back on that last episode, like of of six. Yeah, I guess that was really like a finale. That's that's crazy. I wonder if they like rapped twice. Like those raps. Like I wonder if like what a little tease. I wonder why and that one is from the last season, the one that you just played.

H (25:47.949)
Mm-hmm.

H (25:56.596)
Yeah, great question. Right, totally.

That one's from season seven, yeah.

sean (26:06.502)
Okay. Interesting. Okay. Well, they didn't shit the bed on the s seven, you know. I they could have just phoned it in, I guess. But no, I th I think this season's really good.

H (26:08.331)
Yeah, totally.

H (26:12.27)
Yeah.

H (26:17.91)
It's really good. They did a great job, like pivoting, I feel, to find another way for Leslie to grow. 'Cause you kinda think that's or and Ben, 'cause you kinda think that they've like made their, you know, career and they've done what they said they were gonna do and all these things. And so to h build on that and then to bring everybody back, it was just like really beautiful done. It's beautifully done. It's so wild. But yeah, I think that they want it to be done technically with season six, but then like you get an offer to do another one and you're like, Well why not? Like that is a fun opportunity. I don't think that

sean (26:27.581)
Yeah.

H (26:47.968)
anyone would like not do that. I guess, you know, like 'cause especially like it's right after. If it was like a sequel situation and then actors are like, I don't want to go back to doing that, then that I get that. But like they were just it was right after. And they f they air they filmed it all in that same year. So I guess it was just like, okay, okay, six more months of obligation and then we'll be good. But I th I know they love it. They all love it. So I don't I don't think that they were like mad about it. You know what I mean?

sean (26:50.578)
Yeah.

sean (26:59.504)
Yeah.

sean (27:09.5)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (27:15.708)
Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense.

H (27:15.712)
But it's just such a bait and switch. Like, imagine being told that you don't have something and then like, shit, we have to go back into the writer's room. So

sean (27:21.233)
Yeah.

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, worth it though.

H (27:26.296)
So anyhow, yeah, it was good. Well, so we start this episode with Leslie going over what the senators are going to ask and why they should invest in the National Park Service because we're talking about making the Grizzle campus the National Park Service. Leslie's all psyched and jazzed and excited, and April is clearly not into it, but I feel like also Leslie is the only person that April could like have this type of

sean (27:29.822)
Yeah.

sean (27:41.103)
Mm-hmm.

H (27:50.688)
interaction with. Like you can't talk to your bosses like that anywhere else. So good luck when she moves on to her next position.

sean (27:55.238)
Yeah.

sean (27:58.876)
I know, like hopefully she's grown enough where she like, yeah, they just have this relationship where like her her like she's like a sham wow where she can just like absorb her negativity and like funnel it into greatness, like or whatever. But yeah, can you imagine talking to like a boss like that? Even like I don't it's not in the opening, but it's in some part where like they're with the other dude and they're talking about

H (28:02.679)
Yeah.

H (28:13.975)
Yes.

H (28:19.665)
my god, I wish.

H (28:24.694)
Yes.

sean (28:24.742)
The plans and and he's like, Is she gonna be okay? And she's like, It should be fine.

H (28:29.71)
Yes, yeah. They don't know her style.

sean (28:34.34)
Yeah. Yeah. So funny.

H (28:36.534)
Well, then Ben approaches her and says that April hasn't told Leslie that she wasn't like she doesn't want to work at the park department parks department anymore and that she's looking for a new job and everything. And Ben's like, You need to tell her because I can't keep like hiding this secret. And April's like, No, cause she freaks out when anything changes. And Ben is like crazy to me because well, first of all, he's losing his mind because again, he can't keep the secret. But it's just so funny. W this is kind of a

I don't know if trope is the right word, but such a character thing for Ben to consistently like give Leslie more credit, like, then like he says, like she can be surprisingly open-minded and she can like really you know, talk it through and everything. And this reminded me of when right. And this reminded me of when Leslie loses the city council, like when she's voted out. and

sean (29:17.51)
Yeah.

sean (29:21.426)
Yeah, she can take it well.

sean (29:29.798)
Mm.

H (29:30.132)
He's like, no, you know what? She's actually handling it surprisingly well. And then she he comes she comes in with a paunch burger and sleeps on a bench. And I'm like, Ben, that's really cute and romantical that you romanticize her ability to recover slash be open-minded, which is sweet as a husband, but I'm like, this is not rooted in reality. You can't set April up for that.

sean (29:33.726)
Yeah.

sean (29:38.865)
Yeah.

sean (29:45.149)
Yeah.

Well you would think this far yeah, this far into like their relationship, like they have kids, like they've gone through all this stuff, like you should really know, like, like a pr this this is gonna be a delicate situation. It's like her best friend, like other you know, like yeah.

H (30:00.202)
Yeah. Right. Yeah. But again, Ben's cute and it's fine. But April proves him right because she says that she wants to change the font on the itinerary and Leslie freaks the F out and like a that's a serious a affront. Like that is really offensive to change the font. Do not mess with that. my god. And Ben's like, Okay, yeah, sure, whatever. I told you that was an absurd idea.

sean (30:07.965)
Yeah.

sean (30:14.482)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (30:20.338)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (30:25.838)
Yeah. Yeah. Such a good joke too.

H (30:29.514)
I know. Okay, so now April is telling Andy that she's not gonna tell Leslie that she wants to leave her job. And we're now getting to see them in their new house, which is really cute because we've really only seen it when they like bought it the first time. which I so I think it's really cute. Mm-hmm.

sean (30:42.746)
Yeah, their creepy house. And who do they buy it from again? It's like Werner H Herzog, yeah. That's so talk about like the weirdest cameo that you probably would never think to be in this show. Like, but such the perfect person, you know?

H (30:48.226)
Werner Hertzog

H (30:58.008)
my God, it was so

Perfect. And now he's gonna go to Disneyland with his fanny pack.

sean (31:03.812)
Yeah, that's right. That's right. I know. Is that really like the only time you see the house other than that?

H (31:12.278)
I mean for now, maybe they might come back and then I haven't done the rest of the episode, so maybe it's really cool. Yeah. also Andy calls April cookie, which I think is really funny because we have never heard him say that before. And I was like, where the hell did that come from? He's like, Don't worry, cookie. Yeah. Like what?

sean (31:12.678)
I guess so, yeah.

sean (31:18.302)
It's a cool old house. Yeah. Yeah.

sean (31:30.886)
I wonder if that was just improv. Yeah. Yeah. That's such like a nickname you would think she would probably be like repulsed by. You know, just like a Yeah. Yeah. Cookie. I didn't even clock that. That's funny.

H (31:39.38)
Yeah. But not from him, I guess. Yeah.

H (31:45.664)
Yeah, it was really funny to me. But it's okay. And then Andy says that they made a list of all the things April needs out of her new job and you think it's a grocery list, but it's actually a list of cool new nicknames that Andy wants people to call him like Count Chocula.

sean (31:57.791)
Count Chocolate him and his namings of things. It's just I love that that that's just like a through line. Like his and then not being aware that like that's a name. Like it's already taken. 'Cause doesn't he get on the phone and he's like, like he says it or something isn't that's an yeah. Yeah. Good joke.

H (32:01.495)
my god.

I know.

Yes. Yep.

H (32:11.534)
Mm-hmm. Right, like that's already taken. my god.

yeah. Yeah. I kind of agree with April in one way because like typically you don't tell someone that you're leaving or like looking for a new job unless you either found a new job already or just like really set on leaving so you're gonna like quit regardless. But yeah, I don't know. I'm I go back and forth with telling with like the idea of telling Leslie that she wants to look for a new job because

sean (32:37.597)
Yeah.

H (32:45.664)
I understand her trepidation here and I understand that that like Leslie and her's relationship is different than like a typical boss employee like we just talked about. But a part of me agrees with her. So I can't say I blame her.

sean (32:51.314)
Yeah.

sean (32:57.074)
Yeah, I don't blame her either. I mean, and also, well, it's kind of happened already in a couple of times. Like she's pretty convincing. So, like, you know, like you tell somebody something and then by the end of the conversation they have one hundred percent convinced you to stay. Just 'cause like they're good at doing that. Like, you know, I could Leslie has kind of already done that. Like, 'cause it's not really the first time that April's wanted to leave. Like, but I I get it. You want to also do and you don't and they're friends, you don't want to hurt somebody's feelings and like you know it's gonna be sad and

H (33:10.763)
Yeah. Yeah, that's true.

H (33:20.982)
Yeah.

sean (33:27.358)
You know.

H (33:27.616)
Yeah. Yeah. Totally, totally. Now I will say I wish that it didn't just like come out. I like the way that she does tell her. But at the same time, sometimes that just is the only way that it can be that it can happen. So I I do get it. But anyhow.

sean (33:34.344)
Yeah.

sean (33:41.02)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No.

H (33:46.072)
So Andy holds up April's list and there's a couple of lit things on her list of, you know, what exactly she wants from her new job, which is get to be my own boss, mostly work one on one, work with zombies if possible. I saw that on the page and I was like, that's really funny. Not too much paperwork and passionate and then they crossed out. So it it did say be be able to dance or something on there, and then they crossed it out and I was like, my gosh, this is really funny. And random.

sean (33:58.752)
Ha ha ha.

That's funny.

sean (34:13.576)
That's funny. Yeah. I can see that being something like Andy says and she's like, No, and he's like, Okay. Yeah. That's funny.

H (34:18.216)
Right. Okay, never mind. So true. Ugh. And then this is I think what you were talking about, where Andy calls Ben, or calls somebody and says, like, I need to meet and tell it was Count Chocula. No. I'm it it it's Andy, Dwyer.

sean (34:29.968)
yeah.

sean (34:33.456)
Yeah. Yeah. Andy.

H (34:38.926)
And then this is where they meet with Ron. Andy. And I know. my god. The whole show is like him just trying his hardest and not understanding. But I do feel like he's similar to Michael in the sense where like they get Michael Scott in the sense that they give him instances of being coherent and competent.

sean (34:42.748)
He just has the best intentions this whole episode and it's just like b basically commits felonies.

Yeah. A little goofball, as Ron calls him.

sean (35:07.684)
Yeah. Well, I mean, and like in the beginning of the show, he starts off, he's kind of like a dick as well as kind of a loser. And he becomes like a good person. He's just like a goofy dude. But yeah, the first couple of seasons you're like, this is just like the loser boyfriend, you know? Like he has he has had a cool arc. So yeah, very similar to Michael in that way. yeah.

H (35:13.368)
That's true.

The lovable.

H (35:23.68)
Yes, that's so true. Yes. Yeah, totally. okay, so now Andy, Ben, and Ron are meeting and they are starting to discuss what jobs would work for April. And I gotta say, this is so sweet and nice to have her friends slash husband really try to work hard for her and help her out in this way. Like, this is so nice, I feel. Like, it's just really sweet to see. Yeah.

sean (35:43.271)
I know.

sean (35:47.728)
Yeah. Yeah, and they basically like get her a job. I mean, it's like a pretty great job. Like I know, it's awesome. Yeah, so they're at the building company, right? Right now. Yeah, yeah. And that's when we meet.

H (35:53.962)
Rates.

H (35:58.112)
Yes, correct. And that's where and well, yes, that we meet the brothers. But that's also where Andy is suggesting working for Ron, even though Andy doesn't even know what Ron does. And this is right, exactly. my God. And Ron shows them around and it's super vague. Like we don't really know what it is if you weren't told that. but then yes, this is where we see the VP, Don Swanson.

sean (36:07.056)
so you're a hitman.

sean (36:20.04)
Yeah.

H (36:25.206)
And we never knew he had a brother. And this I'm so sorry. I laughed so hard because the f it just made me laugh that they called him Don because it reminds me of the porn movie. Dong's ones.

sean (36:25.534)
So funny.

H (36:42.491)
one that would be in the porn movie.

sean (36:45.383)
I totally forgot about that. That is funny. yeah. Dong Songsu Yeah. man. I know, what a great tw and

H (36:50.552)
Video store. my god. And you can totally see no, go ahead.

sean (36:59.554)
yeah. And then when they're like like, you know you worked at the parks department and then the brother's like, Wait, you worked at the parks department? I just love how like secret Ron is. He's like, No, no one knows anything about anything. So funny. Yeah.

H (37:06.016)
Yes.

H (37:11.146)
Yes, absolutely. Even to his family. That's so true. And you can totally see their scrunch face, like facial expression similarities, which is really nice. but speaking of that, fun fact this is Nick Offerman's actual brother in real life. Matt Offerman is his name. Isn't that so funny?

sean (37:26.65)
Really? wow.

Wow, that's cool. Okay, that makes a lot of sense. Cause I was like, it's funny like they found somebody pretty similar, like like just vibe wise. Okay, that makes so much sense. But are the others or just him? Okay.

H (37:41.378)
Totally. No. Just him. Just Don Swanson. Or Don Swanson. Yes. Yeah, so this is Matt Offerman and I looked him up on Instagram. He's the manager of a tap room called Iron Glass Tap in Manuka, Illinois, which is really close to where they're actually from, which I hope I'm not like ruining their spot or anything, but I think it'll be fun. and I'm sure people know him whatever already. but Nick and him are from Joliet.

sean (37:46.898)
That makes that is so funny. So funny. Dong so

sean (37:59.711)
Right.

sean (38:09.511)
Yeah.

H (38:11.252)
Or Juliet, I can't remember how you pronounce it, but it's J O L I E T, Illinois. And it's really close to where Matt Offerman works now. And I believe he also helps with the woodworking business that Nick has too. but I don't know how involved he is in that or if that was a joke online or something. But I did see that they were like in the studio together at one time, so I don't know. Yeah.

sean (38:16.146)
Okay.

sean (38:32.784)
Wow. So this was kind of just a one off acting thing for him. He's not like also an actor.

H (38:36.754)
Yeah, I mean I looked on IMDB and he does have some other things on his IMDB, but I don't know like if he's pursuing that really or if it was just like he does a couple one offs every now and again. I'm not really sure. You know. I know. I think it's so fun.

sean (38:50.876)
Yeah. How cool. That's awesome that they did that. Yeah. Yeah.

H (38:56.992)
And then this is where we see the two other brothers and it's like, my gosh, how do you have your literal family working there and expecting no one to like know or find out? Like, do the other employees were like know, or are there any other employees? You really only see them. Is it just a family business?

sean (39:05.349)
I know.

sean (39:09.67)
Yeah, might just be them. Yeah, you don't see anybody else. Knowing Ron probably. I mean probably doesn't need anybody else. Yeah. So Lawn and yeah. Vaughn and Lawn. Vaughn and Ron.

H (39:17.312)
I mean it would make sense. my god. So we've g Vaughn. Those are the two that we meet. And then Don is the first one. Yeah, Lawn that's a good question though, I guess. I'll have to ask if anyone knows like a like someone named Lon.

sean (39:30.706)
Yeah.

sean (39:37.512)
Lawn. Lawn. Yeah. I don't I know yeah, I know a lawney, but that's it.

H (39:38.754)
I don't know. But anyway. Yeah. Yeah. So Vaughn Swanson is played by Michael Strasser, and Lon Swanson is played by Herbert Russell. And Michael Strasner, who plays Vaughn, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, by the way. And he's an actor, writer, director, and producer known for something called the Baltimorons, which is so funny to me. I like that name a lot. And he co-wrote it with J. DuPlace, who I'm a huge fan of. So and he's the lead of that. So I had no idea. So I'll have to add that to my list.

sean (40:05.478)
H (40:07.842)
But he's also been in Young Rock, Modern Family, English Teacher, which is a fun crossover because English Teacher is the one that I mentioned. what's his name? Dave King worked on. And then we've got Lon Swanson, who's played by Herbert Russell, who's been in a ton of stuff as well. Freaks and Geeks, Stepmom, House of Lies, like a bunch of others. And I reached out to them because you know me. And I, you know, I know they didn't have any lines, but I was also just really interested in

sean (40:16.882)
Yeah, at the beginning there.

H (40:35.192)
how they got the role and what their day like was you know, was on set. And Herbert, who plays Lon, actually got back to me. So we have a couple of voice memos from them. So let me go ahead and play the first one from Herbert. Thank you so much for sending in voice memos.

sean (40:38.141)
Yeah.

sean (40:43.89)
cool.

nice.

sean (40:51.57)
Nice.

H (41:36.928)
That's so funny. I would have never thought that. That's funny that he remembered that.

sean (41:41.212)
Wow, yeah. Does he speak in the thing or that was a

H (41:46.762)
No, he doesn't have any lines. They just kinda like nod at him.

sean (41:48.582)
No. Gotcha. Wow. He was so Yeah. He was so elegantly spoken too.

H (41:56.48)
Yeah, totally. Okay. Here is question two. This is where I ask how the day on set was and, you know, what every what it was like to work with everyone and all that kind of stuff.

sean (41:58.194)
Yeah, that's cool.

H (45:22.74)
Hearing that. Good job, Nick Offerman. Yeah.

sean (45:24.048)
Wow. That's cool. Yeah. Wow. That's funny. What a wild Yeah, it's funny that like the director didn't catch that. That's funny. But I guess, yeah.

H (45:34.71)
Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. And yeah, I mean it's just funny too how like you wouldn't expect necessarily an audition to happen for these two characters 'cause they're not like speaking or anything. 'Cause a lot of times these characters can just go off pictures in a way. and maybe nowadays they would do that or they would just have you s send in a slate, like just say your name and they can go off of that. 'cause everything's self taped now, but

sean (45:46.171)
Yeah.

sean (45:57.106)
Yeah.

sean (46:01.106)
Well it's cool that just the amount of detail they go to, like, you know, just for that one thing. I mean, just hours of work, like to just Yeah. Pretty amazing. Man, he was a Yeah. Yeah. It was funny. Sight

H (46:06.326)
Yeah. To totally just like find the person. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean they nailed it. So Awesome. Okay, well, let's listen to the third one. Yeah, sight gag.

sean (46:22.716)
Yeah, I had never heard that. Okay, that makes sense though. It's like yeah.

H (48:51.02)
Okay, that's interesting backstory.

sean (48:52.946)
Huh. Yeah. So he comes back in the end. I don't remember that. I have to rewatch it.

H (48:57.608)
Yeah, I I know. To be completely frank, I don't really remember that scene either. But Mark Evan Jackson is the one who plays the lawyer that for Grizzle, that's also in the good place. And he also is the one that puts Ron's will together. He's like the resident Pawnee lawyer essentially. so they must have had a scene together. But yeah, we'll definitely keep an eye out for when we review that episode for sure.

sean (49:07.443)
yeah.

sean (49:14.792)
Yeah.

Interesting.

sean (49:21.224)
Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Huh. He seems like a nice dude. That's cool. He had a positive experience. Yeah.

H (49:27.296)
Yeah, totally. And I love that Nick is always so nice. I never really hear anything like terrible about him. So that's amazing. Or anything negative at all.

sean (49:34.89)
Yeah. Yeah. I know. He does seem like one of those people where it's just he's as you what you see is what you get, which is always kinda cool to see.

H (49:44.652)
Yeah. the last one from Herbert is just asking if he has anything that we can promote for him, if he wants us to, you know, promote social media or projects or anything like that and what he's working on now. So I'll go ahead and play that one.

sean (49:46.302)
You know.

sean (51:04.306)
Wow. That's awesome.

H (51:04.364)
Yay, that was fun. Yeah, totally. Okay, so I'll tag him and everything in our so in our show notes, but also on the Instagram as well, so you guys can follow him. And yeah, maybe you can do his record for him.

sean (51:16.358)
Yeah. Come to Nashville, man. Come on. Yeah.

H (51:20.334)
Yeah, thank you, Herbert, so much for those. That was really fun. I always love hearing like things that I'm just never gonna hear or like I wouldn't have heard before. You know what mean? even if they're really random. I just love it.

sean (51:26.163)
Yeah.

sean (51:31.132)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. One sec, I'm gonna close this door real quick.

H (51:36.339)
okay, yeah.

sean (51:45.746)
My little puppies are barking.

H (51:47.416)
Well Hudson.

sean (51:49.202)
Well Hudson. Yeah, that was awesome. That's cool that you got him. You've been you've gotten so many people. It's so cool to see the reach.

H (51:55.148)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Honestly, that's like one of the things that I'll probably miss the most, slash am most so grateful for in the run of this show is like talking to all these people and how nice they are and how gracious with their time and just like so sensitive to the project and like wanting to contribute anything that they can. I mean, I am so grateful too and lucky that this was my first experience with like a rewatch podcast because I know for a fact, like from firsthand experience, but also just from friends and

sean (52:13.627)
Yeah.

sean (52:19.037)
Yeah.

H (52:28.62)
you know, stories that it's just not the case in every show that the guest stars or lead stars or anyone is going to be nice to you, which is so shitty to say, but like it's just the a fact. and so the fact that everybody has been so sweet and sincere and like, you know, communicative, like even if they can't like get a voice memo in or if they're like, I didn't really participate that much, but here's like

sean (52:33.277)
Yeah.

sean (52:38.823)
Yeah.

H (52:52.31)
a little snippet via email. Like it's just beautiful. And that part I really am proud of slash am like really into and will miss that part a lot. That's why I think interviews would be cool.

sean (52:53.383)
Yeah.

sean (53:02.246)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It just speaks to the top down nature, it seems like, of the show where it's just like, yeah, you can feel it come through and yeah, that'd be cool if you keep so would you not to go on a tangent, but would you do more interviews of people from Parks and Rec? Like like or in that the world, or just or were you saying just interviews in general? Yeah.

H (53:04.91)
So

H (53:09.58)
Mm-hmm.

H (53:21.47)
Yeah, that's what I would. No, I mean, well, interviews in general, but like if I wanted to continue with the parks lore, I mean I might try to get more of the leads on I know Jim O'Hare is like open to talking to people. I don't know how I'd get in touch with him, but I could do that or like I really want to talk to more of the crew as well. Like there's a cinematographer who and a camera operator and all these things that were like just in the last

sean (53:36.188)
Yeah.

H (53:46.038)
like three seasons. they changed it up after the I think seasons one through four or something like that. so I'd really like to talk to them, like any art decorators, directors, writers, like any of that would be really fun as well. So like those kinds of interviews really interest me.

sean (53:50.665)
wow.

sean (53:59.933)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. That'd be cool. That yeah. You know what now that you say that there is like season four or season five on, there is like a shift like in how it looks. That's interesting, that's we say that. I was thinking of that 'cause I was watching

H (54:16.311)
Mm. Yeah, it's a little subtle, but yeah.

sean (54:19.654)
Yeah. It's just like a coloration thing and it's just like a different you can tell it's a different perspective. It just kinda like jumps 'cause sometimes I don't love when like a show like it's especially when they do like a reunion or s or whatever, like it looks too good. Like it just it it it and it it like there's too much detail or the color is off. And but yeah, I don't think this I mean, obviously it wasn't like a jump in like time, like you know, it's like a show from the nineties that they're doing now, but

H (54:33.965)
Mm.

H (54:44.661)
Right, right.

H (54:48.504)
Yeah.

sean (54:49.03)
Yeah, but anyhow, but that'd be cool if you should do that. After your break.

H (54:51.018)
Yeah. And they did a good job with the tech and stuff. Yeah. After my break. they did a good job too with the twenty seventeen time jump too, I feel. Like with the tech and the colors and all that kind of stuff, I think, you know?

sean (54:55.677)
Yeah.

sean (55:02.982)
Yeah, yeah, I agree. Yeah, I agree.

H (55:07.116)
All right, so now we're at the airport. Leslie has their itinerary down to a 20-minute unstructured chat time. And okay, so seeing it play out like really sucks. But I can say that I've definitely thought of this when I plan trips, although mine is more of like a like rest time slash nap time like schedule thing, or like let's just

sean (55:07.452)
Well, cool. Where are we?

sean (55:11.954)
That's right.

sean (55:16.541)
Man.

sean (55:27.549)
Yeah.

H (55:28.426)
vibe before we go wherever we're going. but April has no idea what to talk about. And she's like, no, let's just like not talk about anything. Let's talk about nothing. And then this is where Leslie brings up April's future and we should talk about your future. And you can see April's really excited because she's getting close to like, well if Leslie wants to talk about my future, maybe this is my opening and we're gonna talk about this. And she thinks that they're on the same page because Leslie says it's really hard at your age to figure out your path. But then Leslie shows

sean (55:31.773)
Yeah.

sean (55:55.443)
Yeah.

H (55:58.216)
April a binder of April's future, which is then a official five year plan. That's kind of terrifying when you're already like freaked out.

sean (56:09.24)
Yeah, that is like a lot. Like I can't imagine if somebody like just hands you that and they're just like, Here's like what you're gonna do for the rest of your life. I don't know. That's that's like the the that's the thing with like Leslie where you're just like too much. Like, dude, like just like chill just like a second. Yeah.

H (56:28.5)
I know. Yes. This is where we and you we'll see it later, but like I think that they did a good job of having her still have that steamroller like character trait, but also like towards the end, this is probably the fastest I've ever seen Leslie recover. You know what I mean? Z from like a heartbreak in a way. but yeah, I she doesn't understa like she thinks she's doing it April a favor. And she thinks she's really being a good mentor here by

sean (56:45.991)
Yeah.

H (56:58.388)
just giving her all the answers. And she makes those shirts, the Gov Buds for Life, which is really hilarious because she says that she didn't make those shirts at first. and April totally calls it. And this part, okay, this part, the shirt part, probably is something I would do. I do have to say that. I'd make shirts for people to go on a trip with me. But the Gov Buds for Life is not quite me because I don't want to give that

sean (57:16.636)
Yeah.

You would do it. Yeah.

H (57:24.586)
energy out. I don't know if I would like tell people what to do in that way, but I have definitely made people shirts slash pillows with their face on them or pictures of their dogs or something.

sean (57:26.632)
Yeah.

sean (57:33.222)
Yeah. my god. The the p yeah. I I mean yeah. The the the p the the f a little fast forward the pillow one where like she's showing the girl's face and then she's like, you changed your hair like like and it's just so funny. Like I can't imagine that was one of the moments where I laughed out loud because the girl was like one, like she was like, this isn't very good and then two, like, I I don't know if I like your new hair Don't worry, I'll tell you another one. Like just so Leslie.

H (57:52.75)
H (58:01.198)
my god, it's so good.

sean (58:02.046)
I I could see that yeah. I don't think you're that much. Well, no, you're not that much. But like but that's like the little part of Leslie. That is kind of part of you. You but you do it in a good amount.

H (58:14.668)
supportive way. Hopefully. my God. So funny. Okay. So Andy asks what April would be doing if she worked at Ron's company. And Ron says she'd have about six people reporting to her and she could project manage the new warehouse in Snarling. And honestly project management would be really good for April, I think, with like what she's capable of, what she's done at the parks job and but we learn that like the passion and the creative problem solving isn't really like

sean (58:16.56)
Yeah, it's a board of way. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So funny.

H (58:44.264)
in Ron's job that he's offering. So that's not they're like saying that that's not probably a match. But I don't know. I feel like there's creative problem solving. It's not like artistic creativity, but it's like you do have to think of ways to, you know, do things outside of the box.

sean (59:01.244)
Yeah.

H (59:05.261)
I don't know.

sean (59:05.416)
Wait, you're kinda glitching going in and out. I heard like half of what you just said, sorry.

H (59:10.435)
no, that's okay. Is it better now?

sean (59:14.352)
Yeah. You were saying something about creative problem solving.

H (59:18.03)
that it's not creative like art creative, but it's creative to think outside of the box to find solutions.

sean (59:19.784)
sorry.

Yeah.

sean (59:28.422)
Yeah. Yeah.

H (59:31.639)
Is it better?

sean (59:32.688)
Sorry. Yeah, I think I just I missed a part of what you said before, so I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about.

H (59:41.582)
Okay, well can you hear me?

sean (59:44.018)
No, I can hear you now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

H (59:46.198)
Okay, sorry. So basically I was just saying that they are saying that she project management would be really good for April, I was thinking. And they are saying that the creative part and the passion is not really there for her. So they think that it might not be a good fit. And so I was like, but it's not necessarily creative art wise or anything like that, but it's you still have to think outside of the box to be creative and find solutions.

sean (59:48.155)
Okay, you're good.

sean (59:56.082)
Gotcha.

sean (01:00:05.084)
Yes.

sean (01:00:12.594)
Yeah, being creative and using your imagination. Yeah. Is this where I love the line? I I another one of the times I laughed at loud is when Ron was like, Creativity is for people with glasses who like to lie.

H (01:00:26.059)
Yes.

sean (01:00:29.522)
I like busted out. That is my favorite l line of that episode. Not that I agree with it at all, but like, man, such a wrong line.

H (01:00:40.782)
I was like, is he talking about me? Thank you, Ron.

sean (01:00:43.27)
Yeah.

sean (01:00:49.03)
I just like you know so many people from like that like generation are just kind of that brawl and they're just like they hear creativity and they're just like, god, like like, you know, you know, and it's and it's cool to say, like, you know, there's cre everybody is creative. Like, I mean, that's my view, and it's just like, you know, how you express it is or I mean you have to be creative to take a new way to the grocery store when there's traffic. Like there's, you know.

H (01:00:55.798)
Yeah.

H (01:00:59.83)
Yeah. Yes.

H (01:01:09.55)
How you use it.

H (01:01:16.215)
Yes.

sean (01:01:16.258)
creativity in everything. Sometimes it just gets too pigeonholed or it's like if you're not painting a painting, you're not creative. So but it's just funny. That was like such a great who like to lie. I was just like, well, I mean he's not wrong.

H (01:01:22.541)
Right.

sean (01:01:33.118)
You ain't wrong, but you ain't right.

H (01:01:33.986)
You wang right.

H (01:01:40.584)
Also speaking of the generation thing, have you watched Stick yet on Apple TV?

sean (01:01:47.848)
Dick now.

H (01:01:49.366)
Okay, so Owen Wilson and Mark Marin are in it. And Mark has a he's a lead role in that show with Owen Wilson. And it's it's relatively new. I'd say it's in the last like couple years, year or so, something like that. But

sean (01:01:56.988)
Real is it new?

sean (01:02:03.644)
Okay. I gotta get Apple back. I had a free trial and now I we watched that Widow's Bay and now we don't have it, so I'll have to get it back. Okay.

H (01:02:11.266)
Yeah. Yeah, totally. It's so worth it. I think s Apple TV's crushing it. But anyway, Mark Marin has this really fun Ron type line about that, 'cause like th there's this whole portion of the show where it's like generational disagreements of like Gen X or Gen Z or whatever just wants to be happy. And Mark Marin's line like, what is it with your generation and just like wanting to be happy? Like happiness is not always

gonna be the goal or whatever. And I just thought of Ron in that moment. Plus like Mark plays that type of role so fucking well. It's amazing. But but yeah, I just like I thought that was really funny 'cause I don't know, I know this is a tangent, but I was kinda thinking of like Ron and Mark could absolutely have some sort of show together.

sean (01:02:43.699)
Yeah.

Yeah.

sean (01:02:58.65)
Yeah. They they could you know, because it'd be funny because they kinda at the heart they have a lot of like kind of the same things, but like Ron is like would want to sit in silence and then Mark would just wanna like talk. I guess that'd be a funny, like they're similar, but like that would be their like disconnect where that would be funny. I I could see them in a show together.

H (01:03:15.319)
Yes.

H (01:03:19.083)
Yes.

And Mark has glasses and likes to lie. I'm just kidding, he doesn't like to lie, but he is an actor and you know

sean (01:03:24.604)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They both got that curmudgeon thing that's but it's like the endearing curmudgeon. Yes. Yeah. The heart the hearted curmudgeon. That's so funny. Yeah.

H (01:03:35.138)
But with a lot of heart underneath. Yes. my God. Yes. Anyhow. All right. So, let's see, where are we? the he says the Towson method is the only way to stack the sheets or whatever that's going on in the

sean (01:03:45.403)
Anyhow.

sean (01:03:53.196)
Yeah. Yeah.

H (01:03:56.106)
warehouse. And I looked that up and that's not really real. And I was really shocked with that because typically when they talk about woodworking, when they talk about anything that Ron's talking about, when I look it up, it is a real method that just no one knows because you're not woodworking. But I mean, maybe I'm wrong. Somebody who's maybe like more, you know, educated on this, let me know. But I looked it up and it's not it didn't immediately come up that that's real. So that I thought that was really interesting. 'Cause I think that's the first one that it's

sean (01:04:00.72)
Okay.

sean (01:04:08.666)
It's a real thing.

sean (01:04:21.18)
Yeah, maybe I wonder

H (01:04:25.144)
hasn't been real.

sean (01:04:26.992)
Yeah. I mean it's more of a like a construct like vinyl sheathing would be more like a construction thing. But I wonder if it just it sounds like it would be something real, but it also sounds insane that there would be a method of stacking vin I mean, there's I mean it's vinyl sheathing. It stacks on itself. Like, you know what I mean? It'd be crazy at that there and that it's almost like part of the joke, like that there is like it's like stacking a two by four on it's like

H (01:04:32.566)
Yeah.

H (01:04:36.087)
Right.

H (01:04:44.403)
Right. Right, right, right.

H (01:04:50.902)
Right. That's not a thing.

sean (01:04:55.218)
They go on top of each other. Like it's like that's so funny. The talented method. But there is so much stuff. It's funny. I've been doing a remodel project at somebody's house. And there is so many things like that where there's like, this method or this like and they have a name like that. And it's like that is like a trope in like the building world. so it's funny that they use that. It's that's funny that it's not real. I would almost assume that it would be, but yeah.

H (01:05:00.299)
my god.

H (01:05:22.988)
Yeah, I would absolutely assume that it would be, just because everything he says sounds insane but it's real, or like has a weird name, but it's named after some like German woodworker guy. You know what I mean? So yeah, but th you're probably right. That that is part of the joke. And that's where they get the idea that this might be kind of a dead end, 'cause there's really no creative solutions to just stacking vital sheeting.

sean (01:05:30.493)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

sean (01:05:44.774)
Yeah, yeah. So funny.

H (01:05:49.726)
And so April's not gonna work there, that's a dead end, but Ron still wants to help them and gets April out of government. So the three of them are gonna team up even more so and try to look for more jobs.

sean (01:05:49.768)
Yeah. So April's not gonna work there.

Mm mm.

H (01:06:04.918)
Okay. At the Department of the Interior back in DC, we're now in a conference room with Randy, who is helping them meet with the senators. This is the part where that you asked about. We're like, is she gonna be okay? 'Cause she's April says something really out of pocket.

And I thought this was really interesting. So Randy is played by Mike Shoemaker, who is so which is so cool because he is actually really if you're a fan of the comedy world slash if you've been following The Office or SNL or whatever, you'll hear his name everywhere because he's like a huge writer, comedy writer, and he's been all over the place. Primarily known for SNL, which I believe is how Amy and Mike Scher met as well. but mm-hmm. Writer. Yeah.

sean (01:06:36.658)
That's cool.

sean (01:06:42.182)
He was a writer on S at L or he was in the chaos? Okay. Gotcha.

H (01:06:46.974)
And he also worked on late night with Seth Myers and Jimmy Fallon. He writes a lot for award shows and is a producer on a ton of shows as well. but yeah, I thought that was really interesting. I always hear his name in interviews, when we're talking in the comedy world like this. but yeah, so I've never seen him in real life, or at least not that I know of. So that's really cool they brought him in.

sean (01:07:06.374)
Yeah. That's funny you say that 'cause I kinda he did. Yeah. And I almost like kind of assume I there was part of me I was like, maybe he is like a real D C person or like I don't know. There was just something about him, but I like, that's that's cool that he was like a writer. I was like, Maybe he works at the parks department. I don't know, but that's cool because there were so many other cameos. But that's cool.

H (01:07:07.822)
I think you did a good job.

H (01:07:18.604)
Totally.

Yeah.

H (01:07:25.514)
Yeah, totally. Yes, a hundred percent. Okay, so now they're meeting with Barbara Boxer. This is her second time on Parks, one of the other cameos that have already been on Parks. she was in the episode that we talked about before of season five. Miss Nope goes to Washington at the party where Ben introduces her to all the senators. This is when Ben is running the DC campaign. and wildly building on the predictions with the time jump that Parks did, Parks did so many predictions.

sean (01:07:38.609)
Yeah.

sean (01:07:49.255)
Yeah.

H (01:07:53.934)
for the most famous one being that the Cubs won, which is crazy. but this one, I don't know, I don't think that they did this on purpose, but she was in the US Senate until twenty seventeen and this was based in this is supposed to be based in twenty seventeen. I was like, what? That's crazy.

sean (01:07:58.321)
sean (01:08:08.158)
Huh.

sean (01:08:12.674)
wow. Yeah. She's not st she she left, right? Y
So we were talking about Barbara Boxer and yeah, so she's back.

sean (00:09.68)
I wonder if she knew. Yeah.

H (00:18.104)
She retired in twenty seventeen.

And it was based in twenty seventeen. I know. But this was filmed in twenty fifteen, so and yeah, so she represented California in the House of Representatives from nineteen eighty three to ninety three, and then she was in the Senate from nineteen ninety three to twenty seventeen, so pretty amazing.

sean (00:28.092)
Yeah.

sean (00:38.79)
Hm. Yeah. Yeah. Long career.

H (00:41.642)
And then yeah, seriously. And then she says that anything Leslie is for, she's all for and she's all in. And Leslie goes one too far. She takes that win and says her April and Randy should do a historical Lamps of DC walking tour. Which by the way I did look up and that's not real.

sean (00:55.046)
Yeah. What a tour.

sean (01:01.072)
I would assume.

H (01:02.51)
I would feel that for D C I feel like that could somebody could totally make money off of that. But no, that's not real. They do have a lot of like historical tours, but yeah.

sean (01:08.156)
Somebody could Yeah, especially after, yeah, for sure. And then I love how sh Yeah. Then I love how sh she's like, Well I have a meeting with the president. She's like, Can we come? Like Leslie is like the she's like the perfect like she's like the anti politician. She's just like she does it from such a place of enthusiasm.

H (01:19.394)
Can I come?

H (01:30.472)
Yes.

sean (01:31.002)
And not just like a griminess or like trying to get anything from anybody and she's just so j it's funny like just to see all these people and like in this world, like how much she's ingrained herself in politics. Like, you know.

H (01:33.581)
Yeah.

H (01:43.628)
Yeah. She just wants to have fun. Like this is fun for her.

sean (01:47.002)
Yeah, yeah. Just want everybody have fun. Have a good time. So funny.

H (01:48.696)
my gosh.

So now we're at the accounting firm and Andy has a hard time understanding what any business does because for this one he doesn't know, even though the sign behind him literally says accounting and he thinks it's for hitmen or astronauts.

sean (01:58.383)
Yeah, I can

sean (02:03.026)
That's in that Andy. He kind of does like a Kevin thing a little bit where like he kind of also progressively gets dumber. Like, and you're like, like you weren't this dumb at the beginning of the show. I know. Like in the office, like Kevin at the end, it's like, what is happening? Yeah.

H (02:14.314)
Ha ha

H (02:18.474)
You good? That's true.

H (02:26.666)
Yeah. Totally. That's so true. So apparently they I know Barney

sean (02:31.568)
And then poor Barry. Yeah. Barney. Barney.

H (02:37.462)
know, poor guy. Yes, they opened a consulting wing and this would be perfect for April because you know, no one really knows what consulting is, but you f you I mean you're not you're kind of your own boss in a lot of ways and you get to tell people what to do. by the way, John Balma, who plays Barney, is just the sweetest dude in the world. We interviewed him a while ago, and we got to talk to him. So I'll post that in the show notes because it really is so fun. And he was in nine episodes total, and this will be his last episode.

What a legend.

sean (03:09.19)
Wow. Yeah. That's cool that it's his yeah. He was such a funny, small character, you know. Just so good. So good.

H (03:11.981)
Yeah.

H (03:16.214)
Ugh, so good. And then we've got Bob Bancroft, which is the one that is next to him. and he's the one that Ben had to win over. And I remember him. I don't know if you guys remember him, but I remember him from Xenon that from the twenty first century, girl from the twenty first century or whatever. He's like the bad guy.

sean (03:23.121)
Yeah.

sean (03:32.794)
Is he the bad guy? Yeah. my gosh. I need to look up a picture of that. In my mind he looks exactly the same.

H (03:36.598)
I know. And he does. And I Bob Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he like his name is Bob Bancroft and he's the one that like takes the chip or whatever, which I don't even know what the chip was for, but he like steals the chip from somebody and like scams them into giving it to him. And

sean (03:43.546)
What wait, what w bad guy? He's like the suit, right?

sean (03:55.928)
Yeah.

That's right. And he works with the other like older dude or the other who's like the head.

H (04:02.591)
Yeah, I think so. I need to rewatch that movie.

sean (04:07.184)
Wow. We recently watched that movie. I mean, within the past couple of years, I think we were showing one of the bet the bet's kids and it it didn't hold up. Well, it's just like it it's it's nostalgia, but then you're just like, Did they make this for like fifteen dollars? 'Cause it seems like it's just like it's just like cotton balls taped to their heads and stuff. It's just crazy. Yeah.

H (04:15.659)
Uh-huh. Really? Okay.

H (04:27.008)
my gosh, hilarious.

H (04:34.627)
my god, I can't wait to watch it again. It's gonna be so fun. but yes, Frank is his character name in Parks and Rec, and he sent us some voice memos as well a long time ago, and he's really nice. Yeah. not not this, not for this episode, but a long time ago. And yeah, he was in three episodes total, and this will be his last one. So that is a wrap on all these people. And I do love that we never meet Ted either. He just shouts Ted.

sean (04:36.602)
Yeah, you shouldn't.

sean (04:44.287)
no way. cool. Yeah.

sean (04:55.398)
Okay. Yeah. It's just funny that that yeah.

that's right. That's right. We never meet Ted. That's so funny. It's such a good bit, like, yeah, just like, yeah, this one dude that's just enthralled by Ben. And it's you can even see like when he makes all of his puns and Ron's just like, What the fuck? Like this is like the weirdest place. It's like so anti Ron, you know?

H (05:16.843)
Mm.

H (05:21.121)
What's happening?

H (05:27.049)
Yes, totally. I love that kind of technique, I guess you could call it, I don't know, of introducing a character over and over again but never meeting them. Like the same thing with Doctor Richard Nygaard. We never meet him. But he's such a legend. So yeah. Love.

sean (05:37.36)
Yes. Yeah. That's right.

Yeah. Yeah. I know. Good that's a great technique.

H (05:48.256)
Yeah. All right. So then we get to the John McCain moment. again, he also was in the first episode season five. Miss Nope goes to Washington and she didn't even see him in that first episode. She was like, Can I please get some privacy? Because he comes to get his coat.

sean (05:58.597)
Yeah.

sean (06:05.588)
yeah, that's right. Yeah. They have a funny little interaction. And it's funny how he's like you can't be in you're very intimidating to like somebody who was like a prisoner of war. I mean it's just funny. Yeah.

H (06:10.132)
Yes.

H (06:17.873)
Yeah, totally. And like she I I like that they gave him that thing of, you know, boy, immediately seeing her and being like, God, here we go. What's happening next? And she checked his schedule and he has a free half hour. He was trying to get out of it, but she my God. That staffer is in trouble.

sean (06:25.169)
Yeah.

sean (06:31.898)
Yeah. Yeah. Which also 'cause this shows you sh Yeah. She's just the exact right person probably for the job to she's just like above and beyond again. Yeah. How soon was this af before he died? How Jomag he he died kinda after right after this, didn't he? Or how

H (06:43.693)
Mm. All right, so then we've got go ahead.

H (06:53.377)
I don't know when did he die?

sean (06:58.382)
I can't well maybe not. twenty eighteen. So that's all yeah, it's only like a couple of years before. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Not a fan, but anyhow.

H (07:03.935)
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. Okay, so then we've got Cory Booker.

Then we've got Corey Booker of New Jersey and Orin Hatch of Utah. Senator Hatch passed away in 2022, actually. So we've got a lot of people that are no longer with us. Leslie Sang is saying that she's glad that they're seeing eye to eye because famously Hatch was a Republican, Booker's a Democrat. But the real thing that they agree on is the Polynesian folk music. And they have a band that's playing in Georgetown called Across the Isle. Now I will say this was a funny bit. Okay, this was really good. And as much as Booker's on my last nerve, he was funny.

sean (07:21.583)
really?

Yeah.

sean (07:40.102)
Very funny.

H (07:44.161)
Saying this line, I suppose, of like it's like a play on words. It's a punt. And he's like explaining what it is. And I'm like, my God, you're such a dumbass. Gross.

sean (07:48.487)
Yeah.

Yeah. I love the part where they're like, if you buy now it's eight dollars Well It's just like such a good like yeah. Yeah. Were they friends in real life? Like, do you know that or?

H (08:02.379)
Yes, that's i yes, but at the door it's ten dollars. I think they I don't know if friends was the right word, but I I do feel like they work together on some stuff. But yeah. I I think

sean (08:13.55)
Okay. 'Cause at face value it's like, that's an odd pairing, but I don't know if they had a thing.

H (08:18.365)
Right. Well, and I think famously they like butted heads because of them being literally across the aisle and disagreeing on a lot of their policies. and that's why Leslie has that line of like I'm glad to see you're working together on this or whatever. but yeah. I don't know. All right.

sean (08:23.889)
Yeah.

sean (08:30.572)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

H (08:36.001)
So now we're talking to Barney about April working in the consulting wing and Andy asks what consulting is. Again, not knowing what anything is. But to be fair, I feel like a lot of people don't know what it is. So that's okay. And and it's different, I think, for each field. There's like a consulting portion of each department, I feel. So you just never really know.

sean (08:47.708)
Yeah.

sean (08:53.22)
Yeah. I mean sometimes it does feel like a made up job. So Or which is kinda cool.

H (08:57.843)
Yeah. I mean Yeah, exactly. Which is since April like built her own major, it works for that. And Barney is saying the buzzwords of creative solutions problem solving. Don't care if people like me. So consultants aren't always well liked, apparently. And so it kinda works for what they're looking for. But then Barney asks what she majored in, thinking it was maybe like economics or something or the field of accounting, but it was

sean (09:14.983)
Yeah.

H (09:25.227)
The opposite of Halloween studies, apparently.

sean (09:29.452)
Yeah. Where did she go to?

H (09:33.444)
my god, probably somewhere in Indiana. The maybe a state school. I don't know.

sean (09:38.406)
Yeah, that's funny. It's like

H (09:39.671)
But yeah, and it's like it's really it's just really cute though that Ben stands up for her and like says how she's really brilliant, she's a fast learner and and like it doesn't matter what she majored in, she's just gonna be like really good at it. And then this is where Ben tries to win over Barney with the puns.

sean (09:56.113)
Yeah. Par pun he he has a he has a number of good ones in this episode, I will say. Yeah.

H (10:02.125)
And I love that Barney's so sweet because I feel like he doesn't get less dramatic with the puns, like laughing at the puns. Like he thinks everyone is funnier than the last. And I just love that.

sean (10:08.816)
No.

sean (10:13.806)
Except for the last one, did you notice his his maybe we'll get to it. Yeah, his reactions a little there's like more of a heart to it. It the like the the goofness comes off and he's actually kind of in a real moment. I can't remember what

H (10:16.633)
I did.

H (10:25.425)
No, you're yes, I'd notice that too. And I don't yeah, I think shoot, I forgot what it was. Like we it's something I think it was literally the word accounting, like you can accounting on me or some something to that effect. and i I think yeah, 'cause his next line Barney's next line is saying it's too late to apply. And like so I think maybe that was why maybe he was like

sean (10:46.97)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

H (10:47.521)
Trying to let him down easy kind of thing, like laughing and smiling at it, but being like, Well, it's too late. But then a part of me is like, why did you just talk through all of this then if it's too late?

sean (10:57.68)
Yeah, yeah, I know. Yeah.

H (11:00.269)
That was weird.

sean (11:02.812)
Dramatic for the show.

H (11:02.857)
But yeah. Yeah. So Leslie now says that they have five yeses, four no's. Randy says someone called Mike Norbert is stepping down and Leslie calls him a wuss, but he's really stepping down because his marriage is falling apart, slash she was cheated on and they were best friends and all these things. And Leslie's like, my god, I'm sorry, I feel bad about that. I I take it back.

sean (11:21.705)
yeah.

H (11:25.602)
Old Norbs couldn't handle the heat.

sean (11:27.352)
Old norms. Could handle the heat. That's so funny.

H (11:32.353)
Don't think I looked up Mike Norbert and that is not a real like person in the Department of Interior. Neither is Liam Bonneville the resident bad boy of the Department of the Interior. They did make up some names. Yeah, I guess you're right.

sean (11:37.445)
Okay.

sean (11:43.019)
yeah. Yeah. I would hope not for the other guy. Yeah. Liam Bonneville, resident bad boy. Yeah. That'd be kinda shitty if it's like, this guy's life's falling apart. Yeah. So then she gets offered the job, right? Yeah.

H (11:54.838)
That's so funny. my gosh. So true. but this is yes, so this is the where she gets the big news that they want to promote her to Deputy Director of Operations at Interior, and she'd have to move to DC, which I think is a really interesting thing because we didn't really see that coming. the DC part anyway. Like obviously we talked about Chicago before she moved the office to Pawnee, but I don't know. I mean, we've seen DC

sean (12:13.905)
Yeah.

H (12:22.143)
I feel like in her wildest dreams to be a senator, maybe, but not really for parks. So I think that's really interesting.

sean (12:27.002)
Yeah. Yeah, I know. It's a big job.

H (12:33.217)
Yeah, and also like she's been so against moving away from Pawnee for the longest time. and thinking about maybe being governor and all those kinds of things. So like I think the fact that she accepts this so quickly to me was a little bit of whiplash. I was like, But at the same time, we've been at the parks department now for three years, and she's kind of like growing into the idea of not being she had that idea when Jen Barkley told her, like

sean (12:39.1)
Yeah.

sean (12:50.161)
Yeah.

But I guess too like

H (13:02.635)
you might not need to stay in Pony kind of vibes for the jobs that you wanna do, for your dream jobs that you wanna do. So I think maybe she's had more time to like get used to the idea.

sean (13:11.866)
Yeah. And it shows like, you know, she's more open to change and like as you get older, like, yeah, like priority shift and like, yeah, open to new things. And this is clearly like the next chapter for her. And like she's done what she wants to accomplish in Pony and now she's ready for something bigger. And yeah, it's cool. It's it's cool cat character growth. It's almost like Michael Leaven, you know, it's like,

H (13:28.599)
Totally.

Yeah.

yeah, that's true. And I feel like it's really like I don't know, kinda like you said where they could have phoned it in and like not had her really move forward anymore. But I like that they gave her this, option.

sean (13:47.089)
Yeah. And I also like it's not like they were like, and now she's president. Like that would have been like two like what? Like you like that's a crazy it'd be too far fetched. Not that like she couldn't get there, but you would need like a whole show just to see her how she gets to become president. It was cool, like, yeah, that's a job that you could probably see her getting to and then maybe the next one's president. Probably the next one's president. Yeah.

H (13:52.275)
Right. Yes.

H (13:58.446)
Too much of a leap.

H (14:08.759)
Totally. Yes, great point. I think they do a really good job with the timelines of all the characters, really. Yeah, that's so true. And such a great job, like so brilliant. I mean, maybe they broke this at the beginning of the writer session, like of the season, but like such a brilliant job to have Ben be running for Congress now so they can both be in DC. I think that's really smart. And then that leads into her thinking that April could be there too.

sean (14:15.441)
Yeah.

sean (14:28.378)
Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

sean (14:35.514)
Yeah, which

H (14:35.691)
But also before that though, I love I love this whole thing. the senior executive service candidate development program, or as Leslie says, seskodip that she has to complete this program. Like forty four weeks of forty four weeks.

sean (14:45.458)
Yeah, she's so pumped for literally everybody else in the whole planet. Note-taking, and it's like, that is crazy. Just a year course. Like

H (14:58.99)
my gosh. Like well, what's forty four weeks? Is it a a year?

sean (15:04.294)
Well, fifty two weeks is a year, so I mean that's pretty damn close to a full year. Yeah.

H (15:06.645)
my god. Wow, I didn't even put that together. Okay, love that knowledge to know.

sean (15:14.608)
Yeah. That's so funny. It's great little And a hearing too.

H (15:16.237)
And yeah, and there's a co and a confirmation here, and that's exactly what I was gonna say. Yes, which of course Leslie's so excited about. She immediately accepts, like, absolutely, totally. It's gonna be televised, I'm sure. It's like a whole thing. my god. So yeah, so she immediately accepts, but then we get to Ben back with Barney and them saying to convince, like trying to convince Barney to give April a shot. But I don't know if she would like it either, T B H.

sean (15:23.022)
Yeah. Just like a bucket list for her.

sean (15:30.778)
Yeah.

H (15:45.399)
Consulting, so I don't especially for accounting.

sean (15:46.104)
Yeah, no. Can you imagine April having Yeah, and having Barney as the boss like that that they would not get well together.

H (15:53.49)
Yeah. Ha yeah. Cause the temporary thing, like, okay, so they talked about how she handled slash was really a big deal in the accounting for the grizzle paperwork to sell everything. Like that's the accounting firm that handled the sale and all that stuff. And they did have a deleted scene where April was like working and bossing people around and like doing a really good job, but it doesn't seem like necessarily something that she would want to do long term.

sean (16:22.448)
Yeah. Yeah, I don't think that would be the right fit. But again, nice that they're doing it. Yeah.

H (16:26.333)
Yeah. And then Andy has this like goodwill hunting moment where he's like talking about how he solves the math problem and it hasn't been solved. It was such a random ass little tangent that I was like, Was this improvised? And they just let Pratt keep going.

sean (16:39.716)
I I it it feels improv improvised. yeah. And how does he he ends it in a funny way? He's like, I've been trying to say that for thirty years and then and then they give me a math trophy and it's just like

H (16:44.987)
Yeah.

H (16:53.933)
That's the end of that anticlimactic story. So this is where Ron says that they should update her resume and like put on a presentation to Barney essentially and they need all hands on deck and they do this dramatic zoom in and Ben says, get me Gary Gergic. Yep. Exactly. And this was my I I love seeing the different like

sean (16:57.604)
Yeah. Yeah. So funny. Again. Good.

sean (17:10.699)
One. This is one man for the job. Gary Gerges.

H (17:21.429)
techniques that they use camera wise because we don't get a lot of that with with parks because it is supposed to be a mockumentary. But this was so this was like the second one that in my memory anyway, that I remember like zooming in like a really dramatic moment. the first one is when April writes a bad review on Yelp for Donna and they do like a pan up to Donna and zoom in really close where she's like, I'm gonna go mule near on his ass. And yeah.

sean (17:30.31)
Yeah.

sean (17:47.655)
yeah, yeah.

H (17:50.849)
Like with the Avenger moment, and I was like, my god, this is really badass. So this is when I noticed too.

sean (17:52.806)
Yeah.

Yeah. that's funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a good use for it. I love that I love that Gary comes back. Jerry Gary.

H (18:01.325)
Mm-hmm.

Me too. And then his real name is real, 'cause last episode we talked about how Donna changed his nameplate at the wedding to his actual name. And for the first time in thirty years, people are gonna call him his real name. He's just blessed.

sean (18:12.347)
sean (18:15.834)
Yeah. Does Christy Brinkley come back in this episode or is that the one before? Okay, cool.

H (18:21.313)
That's the one before, where they're at Donna's and Joe's rehearsal dinner. So cute. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ugh, so cute.

sean (18:26.01)
That that's right, yeah. 'Cause I had watched that before just to get context. Okay, I couldn't remember. that that is maybe one of my just favorite parts of the whole show, that they just give that it's just the funniest non talked about joke. It just Yeah.

H (18:36.339)
I know. He's such a lovely

Yes. Yeah, totally. And I just always love to like his outside life, man. Or and then I think about Dr. Harris saying that that man has the largest penis he's ever seen.

sean (18:53.786)
Yes. Yeah, no, it's just like the best. Cause like, okay, not to I feel like we're talking about the office of a bunch this episode, but like they kind of like by the end of the office, like Toby's life is just like a shambles. Like it's just like no one likes him, no one like like his daughter doesn't see it. Like he's he gets sadder and sadder, but it's so funny because with like the same character arc or type like with him, but they just give him this olive branch of

H (19:00.298)
No, that's good.

sean (19:21.734)
He's got a huge dick and he has a hot supermodel wife. Like it's just the funniest thing. It's just so funny.

H (19:33.323)
Good, I love it.

sean (19:34.48)
Yeah. I love that. Anyhow.

H (19:38.166)
my God. Anyhow, okay, so yeah, so they've got five to six people doing this for April. And to be honest, I was a little traumatic for me to see people like applying to jobs because I like, this is what it takes these days. When Donna has that binder of like nine hundred resumes. Okay, well, she only had like one resume. But like these days you have to have like nine hundred different resumes for the nine hundred different jobs and nine hundred different cover letters to like

sean (19:54.042)
Yeah.

H (20:01.185)
pertain to each individual thing. And then yeah, I should have thought of that. Like giving five hundred dollars to somebody. But at the same time, obviously I couldn't do that because I was unemployed. But may I should have had a Donna in my life to do that. Ugh.

sean (20:01.97)
That's crazy.

sean (20:08.316)
Yeah.

sean (20:13.176)
I know. I love that when she's like, If you you hired me to win, like it's like so funny. Find a way to win, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Man.

H (20:17.533)
Exactly. You put me on the team. I find a way to win. Yes, that's so true. Ugh, that's so cute. But that's just so nice and it just keeps building on like all these amazing favors and like friendship that's building between this park depart parks department that like loves April and wants her to be happy.

sean (20:36.346)
Yeah. Yeah. Really sweet.

H (20:37.548)
Really sweet.

All right. So now we're at the reflecting pool, which again, I would love to just take a moment of silence for the reflecting pool because God, I mean, it's like it really is. And I have to say, when I I'm so glad that it's captured here, because I have to say, like, if you've ever been to DC and been to the Reflecting Pool, like I have many times, it really does feel like you've got the Washington Memorial on one side, the Lincoln Memorial on the other, there's benches, and it it really does feel monumental.

sean (20:46.374)
Mm.

H (21:09.451)
No pun intended for those monuments, but like historical ma I don't know if magical is the right word, but it feels very like you're on hollowed ground. And it's so actually so beautiful. And so I really hope we get back to that soon. And that I'm just like

sean (21:10.276)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (21:17.66)
Yeah.

Yeah.

sean (21:24.76)
It seems like it's it is, right? I've I mean, I last I heard about it, it's it they're basically taking out everything that was added, right? It's just so

H (21:34.486)
I don't know. I just don't trust I don't trust it to be done within this presidency. I'm just being honest. So I don't know. But hopefully. I just want to focus on the positivity that it did look beautiful. And the way that they show it in this show is actually how it is, I feel. And it is in the picture that Leslie is painting here of like, I'm gonna be.

sean (21:39.676)
Yeah.

It'll eventually go b I mean, it's just it's just it's just one of those things.

sean (21:52.561)
Yeah.

sean (21:57.082)
Yeah. Yeah.

H (22:01.983)
you know, the in and the Department of Interior, Ben's gonna be a senator, we'll be splitting our time and then this will be our bench. It like that it makes a lot of sense, I feel. obviously not to April, but it is a beautiful space to be in when it's nice.

sean (22:10.876)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (22:16.56)
Yeah. Yeah. No, I agree. Yeah. No, this is a nice moment for them. Yeah, when I was in high school, I'd like to go back. We should actually go back and since you're there and do it. We've been talking about one doing a trip. although I'd like to see it when it doesn't turn fucking green. No, but just to do everything in D Ca yeah, I only did it like as a high schooler. So I f I I probably get a lot out of it different now. So

H (22:19.862)
Have you ever been there?

H (22:31.851)
Mm-hmm.

Suck.

H (22:43.295)
Yeah. Yeah, it's totally different. It's nice. Anyhow, so let's see. April and Leslie are now on their bench. Leslie's painting that picture. She's being super super overwhelming because now she has a whole other five year plan. So now April needs a new five year plan. And she's just like going through with all this, assuming that April wants this. And like this is the part of Leslie where it is a little steamrollery because Leslie just kind of assumes that.

sean (22:46.086)
Yeah.

H (23:10.761)
April wants this. She doesn't even ask her, like, is this something that you'd be interested in, like staying with? And like to a certain degree, I get it, because why wouldn't April if she hasn't said anything up to this point? But it's a massive move to move to DC, to not even ask, like, is this something that you'd want to move for? You know what I mean? So that's it's interesting to watch this play out.

sean (23:29.679)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. I know. No, it's a no, I think Leslie just like assumes a lot of big things that people are just like gonna be totally on board with. And but I guess it kinda works out in the end. Yeah.

H (23:42.58)
I know.

Mm-hmm. It does. And I like this joke that she has a local binder maker on retainer in DC and that the binder's like hot from just being made.

sean (23:53.158)
Yeah.

She loves a binder. Her is she or printing of any anything. I printed.

H (23:57.738)
I know, she does.

H (24:02.431)
Right. Yes. All the organizational things color coded. Yeah.

sean (24:06.736)
Yeah. I was thinking about that. I was like she must just like not sleep. Like like even just like April's binder, I was like that that would take like so long, like just like it's crazy. But

H (24:13.932)
Yeah.

H (24:18.303)
I know. We've talked about that a lot. Like Leslie's sleep schedule is messed up. It has to be. Hmm. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So now she's used to it. But it is sad because Leslie really is so happy and she just does want April to be happy. Like she wants to give April everything and to her this is like

sean (24:24.326)
Yeah, yeah. And she has kids.

sean (24:30.354)
Yeah.

sean (24:36.954)
Yeah.

H (24:37.833)
a nice thing for her to do, but she doesn't really understand how overwhelming it is. And so April finally can't take it anymore and is like, I don't want to work in government. I'm quitting. Like I just I can't do it. And it kind of comes out really like surprisingly. And obviously Leslie's taken aback. And April says she doesn't even know if she likes government or national parks or any of this. And that to Leslie, I feel after all of this hearing that you don't want to work in government or that you might not be interested in parks is like such a slap in the face to her, I feel

sean (24:48.572)
Yeah.

sean (25:06.033)
Yeah.

H (25:06.239)
because she can't like process it at this moment. And it really made me laugh when she's like, My Ben, Ben's been helping you. Well, we had a good run, but he's dead to me now.

sean (25:13.242)
Yeah, my Ben. Yeah. Ben Wyatt. My Ben. Yeah. There's a couple of times where she kind of does that joke in the show. She does like I forget who else she does. Maybe she does it about Ron, where she's like, Ron, Ron swanson. And and they're like, Yeah, we know Ron. Or sh I I love when she does that. She does a couple times. Yeah.

H (25:20.58)
my god.

H (25:30.747)
Yeah, totally. Like there's no way. You have to explain yourself. That's not the right one. There's a there must be a different bent.

sean (25:41.134)
Yeah. And also when she's like on our bench, like like that this is like this years long tradition and not like twenty seconds. Love it, yeah.

H (25:44.2)
Right, exactly.

H (25:49.784)
Totally. my God. So then this this is where we go to the Lincoln's Waffle Shop, with Madeline Albright. This is a real place, by the way, and I really do intend to go there because it's

sean (25:57.904)
Mm.

sean (26:01.17)
wow. You should.

H (26:03.997)
I will, yeah, and I'm gonna take pictures and it's gonna be fantastic. But on their website, it's actually so hilarious. I don't know if it w this was the owners or whatever, but it goes, legend has it, Abraham Lincoln was a regular at Lincoln's waffle shop and ordered the waffle with scrambled eggs and bacon every day as he was adamant on the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Okay, the Abraham Lincoln story may not have happened, but breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. No, but literally.

sean (26:27.09)
Since we opened in nineteen sixty five.

H (26:32.181)
Sean, that's so funny you said that because I literally looked up like when did this open and it was nineteen ninety.

H (26:40.141)
That makes it even funnier. my god. And then it continues, yeah, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so why not enjoy it at Lincoln's Waffle Shop? Come enjoy some food and share a laugh in our unique U-shaped counters at Lincoln's Waffle Shop. So I'll post that in the show notes if anyone is interested in going or meeting me there.

sean (26:41.382)
Marketing. Yeah. So funny. That's funny.

sean (26:51.963)
Mm.

sean (27:00.386)
Yeah. Well if we get to DC we should go. I'd love to do that. Well put that on the list.

H (27:04.255)
Yeah. We will. And I'll make I'll find a tour somehow. It won't be the lamp post tour, but it'll be a tour.

sean (27:11.27)
Yeah. I can't believe that they they got Madeline Albright. That's just like a basic. Yeah. And she's good. She's like a good actress. Like Yeah.

H (27:16.295)
my god, it's so beautiful. Yes. Ugh, and w she's so cute. Yes, so cute, so good. We get a mention of Anne, which is really nice because that means that Madeline Albright has really been talking to Leslie through all of her life changes.

sean (27:27.971)
Yeah.

sean (27:32.56)
Which is funny 'cause they've only had lunch eight like six or s seven times or whatever. And it's like, they know a lot about each other. And like they must have been deep lunch. I mean, maybe they called each other. But it is funny, like the amount of like like yeah.

H (27:35.725)
Yeah.

H (27:42.621)
Yeah.

H (27:46.678)
information. Yeah. And Madeline Albright makes a really wonderful point and says, like they've had lunch, five times it says. And it's because Leslie wore her down until she agreed to become friends. And sweet little Madeline is like, well sometimes you forget about people's feelings. Like you literally ate my waffle. And has taken her pin, her Madeline Albright pin, which is so funny.

sean (27:59.421)
Yeah.

sean (28:04.006)
Yes. Yeah. I know.

sean (28:11.506)
Yeah. I was wondering if that was actually Madeline Albright's pin or just like a prop pin. bet it was I bet it was hers, yeah.

H (28:18.571)
I bet you it's hers. I think it's hers. I didn't look it up, but I would bet on that being real. Ugh, so funny.

sean (28:24.976)
Yeah. Yeah. Such a was this the only episode she was in she wasn't in the first one, right? Okay. Okay.

H (28:30.189)
No, she wasn't in the first one. I think this is her only episode that she's in. But I do like that they bring her back and like they're on the phone and so yeah, she calls her anytime she has, you know, issues or whatever. but there is I know, I wonder that too. I hope that she did. I know.

sean (28:37.392)
Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if she watched Parks. Like if she knew what the show was. Yeah. It's funny. 'Cause you just somebody like that, you're like, wow.

H (28:51.967)
Well, and it's really cute because they're bringing I'm sure they did this on purpose. I always question whether they do things on purpose, but I feel like they do because they're just so well thought out. But like she they're getting the people on the show that she has on like her inspirational women like board or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

sean (29:06.118)
Yeah, like in the Louis C. K. episode, right? 'Cause isn't she on the thing and yeah.

H (29:10.677)
And so is Barbara Boxer and yeah, some other people that I don't think we got, but and then that's where well, and it wasn't just that episode, but it like when she's in city council and she has her like framed pictures of everybody and her own picture is on there and she's like, I'm not ashamed to admit that I sometimes inspire myself. Yeah.

sean (29:23.77)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's cool ma yeah. I mean, even if it's just like they're white whales, they just put it out and they're like, We'll get her one day. Let's, you know. So it's cool that they did.

H (29:38.4)
Yeah. And they've been to DC before, so I'm sure they made some connections. And so shooting this in DC, if they're there, why not already like, I don't know, why not ask somebody, you know? And it the by this point, just hearing the guest stars, like that it's such a well-oiled machine that they know exactly how how long to plan for everybody being on there. So it's not like they're a regular guest star where Madeline Albright's waiting around for like five hours to shoot her scene, you know? So I could see that. Got out.

sean (29:47.706)
Yeah.

sean (30:03.162)
Yeah. Yeah. She probably came in, did her thing, left. Yeah. Yeah.

H (30:09.445)
there is a really funny blooper actually, which I don't know if like this whole scene was improvised or what, but it's a scene between the the same scene on the blooper reel between Madeline Albright and Amy Polar and I just wanna play it. It's really cute.

H (30:46.969)
I mean that's so cute. But see that makes me wonder like how much was scripted.

sean (30:47.471)
that's funny. That is cute. Wow. That's cool that they like

I know. That's cool that they were just like, No, we're gonna riff like with Madeline Albright. Maybe the whole thing was script er I mean I mean I guess when you're playing yourself and you're like a public s figure, you're pretty good at playing yourself and those type of things, so yeah.

H (31:07.743)
Yeah. Just talking. And Amy is so good at being Leslie at that point. So and well, just good at improvising in general in character. So my gosh, what a dream though. I can't imagine. I'd love to ask Amy Poehr it was being with her and like, ugh, just sounds fantastic.

sean (31:12.304)
Yeah.

Yeah.

sean (31:22.97)
Yeah, yeah. It's a cool that's a cool one.

H (31:26.261)
Yeah. Okay, so Craig says that April's resume is done and there are binders of her accomplishments, pictures of what she's done. And then again, this is the Donna moment, $500 just in case you want to go the bribing route. And I do love Donna so much in this moment. It's very cute. And of course, Gary did all the paperwork.

sean (31:44.422)
Yeah. Very cute. Yes. Great.

H (31:48.5)
And then I was just gonna say yeah, I was gonna say I love this hierarchy between like Craig, Donna and Gary. Like Craig asking Donna to dinner and then not being interested, so he goes to Gary and then Gary is like no or no, Craig says no to Gary.

sean (31:56.068)
Yeah.

I'm busy. I have plans. So funny.

H (32:05.553)
my god. It's so good. I just love how obsessed Craig is with Donna though. Like that was from the very first episode. yes. So

sean (32:07.879)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Clocks too. Yeah. He does he come back at all at the end or is this it for him? He must be in it again. Yeah.

H (32:20.171)
Who, Craig? yeah, Craig comes back a couple times. Yeah. Mm-hmm. so Andy doesn't think it's enough that this plan is going to work, essentially, these resumes, the money, all that stuff. So this is where his plan comes into play. And poor little Barney and his car, this firework bombing performance, which is like really scary. And my god.

sean (32:23.664)
Which is insane. Which is like a felony.

H (33:32.212)
Yeah. I don't

sean (33:32.708)
This is like one of those moments with like it's like, Andy, like you're not this dumb. Like to put the I mean, can you imagine in a dark parking lot somebody coming up with a mask like that? I you were like, I'm gonna die. Like this is where I die. And then he throws a firecracker. I mean Yeah. And he throws a firecracker in a car, like it could explode. Like Andy.

H (33:38.055)
Ha ha

H (33:45.453)
This is it. Especially with like the shots. my god. Of like the big bomb

H (33:55.556)
Andy. Andy, it's awful. And then he chants USA. Nope, not the vibe. Nope. No. No. That would not go over well in this day and age. That's all I have to say about that. Or back then, either. Not that it went well back then. Okay.

sean (34:01.669)
I know.

sean (34:07.162)
No, yeah. yeah. I mean Barry No. And it's funny that then Barry's just like fine with it afterwards. He's like, I get it. Barney. Why do I wanna call him Barry? Who's Barry? Barney. Barney Barney Barney. Okay, Barney.

H (34:16.801)
Barney Sean

H (34:23.389)
Yeah.

H (34:26.923)
Well, Maddie called him Bernie, so anyways, yes, poor poor guy, poor guy.

sean (34:29.51)
Bernie. Marnie, Bernie, Bernie, Benny.

Yeah.

H (34:36.295)
Ugh, okay. Moving on. Okay, so Leslie is meeting April now and Leslie says sorry, she needed time to process. She just wants her friends to be happy. And this is where I'm like, my God, this is so reasonable, like so showing growth because she's just not taking a long time to really recover and I really appreciated that.

sean (34:57.318)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

H (34:59.935)
And then this is where April tells Leslie to turn around because what she's about to say is very serious and she can't do it looking at her. And it's really beautiful and impassioned and I love it with the hug at the end and everything and how explaining that she was really aimless, but now she has goals and passions, which she probably never had with Leslie. And I think that's something they both needed to hear and understand that April is growing and Leslie gets to be a part of that and was a huge part of that. And I just think it's really cute because now 'cause

sean (35:04.518)
Mm-hmm.

sean (35:13.969)
Yeah.

sean (35:26.096)
Yeah.

H (35:28.225)
The last two episodes or something, whatever w whenever she tried to dissuade the parks interns because she felt hopeless and aimless, she now sees what Craig was saying, like you would have been even more aimless if you weren't in this position, you know? So I think it's really sweet that she's coming to that conclusion, first of all, but secondly that she thanks Leslie for it.

sean (35:42.928)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (35:48.997)
Yeah. It's a sweet moment with them. I just l love what like their relationship turned into. And and it's also funny that they sh they still had that little like jab where she's like, Okay, now put your sh shoes on your hands, like just the little Aprilness. Like, I don't know. I just Yeah.

H (36:01.198)
Yeah. And I'm a witch and I can't say anything serious because I haven't gotten over my insecurities.

sean (36:09.542)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's a great moment.

H (36:11.817)
Yeah. And Leslie like understanding that part of her too, where Leslie's like, I know, I know, I get it. Okay. You know? That's really sweet.

sean (36:18.01)
Yeah. Yeah. And then like continuing to help her 'cause now they go to the is that the right after the foundation thing?

H (36:23.809)
The foundation. yes, I believe so. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, yeah, just okay, well, no, first of all, it's not. And I'm very upset about it. But let me just wait, like c let's just talk about Leslie and April just a little bit more because I also, like you said, the the way that it's turned into this like big like sister friendship mentorship moment was really cute too. Because again, going back to the beginning.

sean (36:30.586)
Is that a real place?

Okay. Yeah.

sean (36:48.092)
Yeah.

H (36:50.029)
of the episode where I was just like, I don't know if I would like hug my boss like that and be like, thank you, you know, unless they were a mentor. Where this is where I really appreciated what the p what the writers did too. Like you said, like making this relationship a little bit more different than a boss employee kind of thing and how they were like s like a mentor instead of a boss. You know what I mean? And like a friend.

sean (36:56.241)
Yeah.

sean (37:12.132)
Yeah. Yeah. And a lot of the relationship yeah, you kinda get like like the Ron and Leslie thing is kinda that. And then she transfers that to like it, yeah. I mean, they had I mean, they they show what like a g an ideal workplace. I mean, that's how things should be, right? It's like people actually care about each other. If you spend all this time with people, it's unfortunate it doesn't always happen, but especially in government probably. I mean, who knows if that ever happens. But

H (37:19.688)
Yeah, totally.

H (37:30.07)
Mm.

H (37:38.795)
Mm. So true.

sean (37:40.72)
Yeah, it's cool that they they did that, you know, the the the Michael Pan gym thing. Yeah, you know, it's like a good yeah. Yeah.

H (37:44.705)
Yeah.

H (37:50.286)
It's a solid relationship. Yeah. And I mean, mentorships happen in corporate world, government ship happens all the time, but it's more of like like how can I help this person like keep getting like paid more and promoted? Where Yeah, right. Yeah. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. So it's nice now that Leslie can use her excitement and enthusiasm and craziness to get

sean (37:56.379)
Yeah.

sean (38:02.64)
Yeah, and through the not like actually care about them as a person and their hopes and dreams and maybe it's good if you leave, like like and and let and go and Yeah.

H (38:17.919)
April to the next part of her journey, which is yes, right after the American Service Foundation. They help match people with jobs. And yes, it is a super big bummer that this is not a real organization. I was honestly really upset when I learned that because I was like, this is a fantastic idea. Like this would be so perfect. And I understand that there are many organizations, which I will post in the show notes and I'm gonna talk about it a little bit.

sean (38:35.462)
Yeah.

H (38:42.019)
that there are like many not only organizations but like career centers, career fairs, things like that. But those types of things don't always like have a one on one like situation that April is going through, which I think would be so helpful.

sean (38:56.208)
Yeah. Yeah, I know. What a great idea. Yeah, it was funny. I just kind of assumed that was a real thing, but maybe maybe one day.

H (38:59.062)
Yeah.

H (39:02.677)
Yeah, you totally would think it would be, especially in DC. but anyhow, so the the most similar organizations that I found are called the Foundation for American Service, which is a real nonprofit that provides financial literacy and emergency hardship support for veterans, healthcare workers, and essential personnel. So that's one. And then the second one is AmeriCorps, which that's true. but it's a real it's a federal agency that coordinates national community service and public serving career pathways. So like it

sean (39:06.278)
Yeah.

sean (39:21.33)
Mm-hmm.

H (39:30.721)
can help you get to your next place, but it's not the same thing as what April's doing here. and then the last one that I found is called America Service Commissions, which is a nonpartisan network representing state level public service and volunteer programs. And that's the other part that's a little bit different about what April is doing, because all of these programs that I found are more so if you're looking to get into the federal pathway as opposed to like secular or nonpartisan that kind of thing, like corporate world, if you will. whereas I feel like the

sean (39:34.374)
Yeah.

H (40:00.834)
the organization that April meets with is like kind of expanding your whole network. I mean, they don't outright say that, but it seems like that's what it is, so I don't know.

sean (40:05.308)
Yeah.

sean (40:09.616)
Yeah. It's a great idea.

H (40:10.965)
But I mean those programs are great too, so I'll post those as well. You never know where you're gonna find inspiration. and then this is go ahead.

sean (40:15.356)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So No, yeah. So like when so then she goes through the whole thing and she like says she wants to work there. I can't remember. Does she and do they move to D C?

H (40:30.037)
Yeah, I think they do, but I don't I don't remember completely how it works.

sean (40:35.898)
Yeah, 'cause I was thinking like if she works at that the like it I assume she gets the job at that place, right? Or do they ever address it again? I don't remember. Yeah.

H (40:41.451)
I don't remember.

H (40:46.773)
Okay, well we can cut this out.

sean (40:47.122)
I have to watch the episode after. Yeah. Well, we'll find out next time. Yeah.

H (40:52.937)
Yeah, that's true. So she introduces April to Alyssa to help her out. Alyssa Shanes is the full character name, played by Liz Femi, who has been in a ton of stuff, a lot of cool looking shorts, the show Love, which I really like that show, and she did a great job with this throw pillow scene. Like it's so I like the way that Alyssa says, like, I'm well aware of Leslie's enthusiasm.

sean (40:59.761)
Mm.

sean (41:06.311)
Mm.

Yeah.

sean (41:14.97)
Yeah. Yeah. She's like this crazy lady again.

H (41:21.645)
Apparently they wanted to place people in the national parks. And so Leslie thanked her. And this is that thing where she's like, I need to make you a new one. And this is you changed your hair. So now I gotta make a new one. So now we're on the phone with Madeline Albright. Leslie's eating all the candy 'cause she's super stressed and they're taking forever. I honestly like when she came out and said that she was like ready, I was like, That that was so fast. I would have assumed that this would have taken like a week or like more of a process or like

sean (41:25.061)
Yeah.

sean (41:29.678)
Yeah. You changed your hair.

H (41:50.85)
You know, we make a schedule for you to come back and discuss more. I did not expect this to be like, okay, I know what I want to do now. But that's good. But I was like, what? That's true. Very true. We don't got the time.

sean (41:51.355)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. I guess we have twenty one minutes, so we gotta get going. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's the idealist in T V world, right? It's like, no, you go in there, you find out what you want to do for the rest of your life and then they go and accept you. Yeah. But it is nice that then she asks her that she wants to mull it over with her and talk to her about it. And it shows more in that depth of that relationship where she does value her opinion.

H (42:08.694)
Right.

Yep, you figure it out. Yeah.

H (42:20.523)
Yeah.

sean (42:25.104)
And she wants her approval or her advice and you know, it's nice.

H (42:28.189)
Right. Yeah, totally. So this is where again we learn she works she wants to work at the foundation. She wants to help people find what they want to do and send them away. And Leslie is really supportive and she loves it. And you can kind of feel April like have a sigh of relief of like, yay, okay, you like agree and like want me to do it and yeah, she wants Leslie to to

sean (42:43.462)
Yeah.

H (42:49.769)
helper. But I just love this moment where again I think it's a Leslie Growth moment where she's April, you don't need me. Like you can get this on your own and like without my help. And obviously I'm gonna pick out your outfit, but like you can do this. Yeah. And that like it made me like so emotional because I just I felt like when I was watching it I was really seeing people grow in real time because just from where we started to here is so different from how they would have handled this situation prior.

sean (42:56.07)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (43:02.0)
Yeah, holds a mock interviews. Yeah. It's a good growth thing for them.

H (43:18.757)
And it's just really beautiful. So I was like, my god, that's so cute. And April can do it. She can. And sometimes that's really like the part of mentorship that means the most or like part of friendship that means the most is really just having someone in your corner saying like you can do it. You don't need me, but you can do it. Because if you're the only one saying like that you can do it, sometimes it's hard to believe.

sean (43:23.428)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (43:33.658)
Yeah. Yeah.

sean (43:40.122)
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Nice moment. This whole this yeah, this episode is just full of so many like good little moments. It's just a good like culmination of what parks is. Yeah.

H (43:47.499)
You see

Yeah, yeah. It's really special. but anyway, so now we're with Andy again, and Andy says that they think they found the perfect job, but he messed it up, so Ron and Ben are trying to fix it. And April finally tells Andy that she found her job, but this was before Ron and Ben went over to fix what Andy did, and they made this huge deal of making this presentation that they all put together, and it looks like they're saying sorry for Andy's actions.

sean (44:02.736)
Mm-hmm.

H (44:16.189)
And then Barney again gets the brunt of not only his car being blown up, but him having to be disappointed again and again, not e by Ben now and now by April.

sean (44:20.284)
Yeah.

I know, I know. That poor man. He's just he can't win and he's not gonna win, unfortunately.

H (44:31.605)
I know and it what's what's funny is that he like needed some convincing. Like they did have to like wear him down and to be like, okay, you know what? If her friends are working this hard to get her a job, like there must be something great about her. And then they're like, Yes. Like, never mind. Sorry. But yes, we will definitely keep an eye out for what exactly how exactly the job plays out for April, because I don't remember.

sean (44:39.376)
Yeah.

sean (44:45.04)
Yeah. Which just adds so much more to the joke. Yeah.

sean (44:53.138)
Yeah.

sean (45:01.458)
Yeah, I don't remember. I don't remember if they move with them or did they stay in Pawnee. Yeah. Huh.

H (45:08.767)
I think they move. Because they babysit. 'Cause it I think Leslie babysits and stuff for her. And I do think they go I know Leslie goes back and forth because, you know, of and Ben does too because of working in politics and stuff. But yeah, so and I mean fun like b BTS for the podcast, I don't watch Parks and Rack unless I'm reviewing it.

sean (45:10.468)
A move? Yeah. That sounds right. That's right.

That sounds right.

sean (45:24.05)
Yeah.

sean (45:31.236)
Really?

H (45:33.066)
Yeah, I just I don't I don't know. It's it's a weird thing that happened when I started the show and I yeah, I don't really I don't have it on in the background anymore. And I'll watch it like if I do watch if I feel like it or if there's something that I need to, I I do watch episodes that I've already previously reviewed just because I I'm done with that. But I also like I know myself and how stressed I can get. And so like I no stress is not the word. Like how right.

sean (45:38.554)
Yeah. Well I get that.

sean (45:58.493)
Well, you'll br your brain will start turning on and you're like, Well no I gotta talk about this or like, yeah, I get that. I wonder when you're done, like if you'll not watch it for a second and kinda let it go a little bit and then be able to come back and watch it with a new kind of just perspective or just as a fan again or just for fun. I wonder.

H (46:03.499)
Yes, that's correct. That is what I meant.

H (46:17.867)
Yeah. I wonder that too. I don't know. I think it's interesting too that like office ladies, they've been doing like double watches. Like they'll go back to an episode they already reviewed and we're like, we missed this, this, and this, and I just want to talk about this. I don't think I want to do that, to be completely honest, unless there's something that is like really prominent that I missed or want to talk about, but also they're getting paid, so a lot of money, I think, to do it. And they have a team, so I don't know. But

sean (46:29.81)
sean (46:36.88)
Yeah. That seems like a lot.

Yeah. And yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

H (46:45.537)
That's not to say that I don't love doing this, you know, but it's just it's something. It's a little different. So anyways, but that's the end of the episode. P ending with poor Barney.

sean (46:50.436)
It's different. Yeah. Yeah. Well

Crazy. Poor Barney. Yeah.

H (47:00.221)
Mm-hmm. So we have yeah, I think we have four episodes left. Five technically, if you are thinking of one last ride, which is the last episode being two. but yeah, let us know if you have any questions. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, all that kind of good stuff. Thank you, Sean, for being on. I very much appreciate it.

sean (47:16.55)
Yeah. Yeah. Well I just want to say I'm very proud of you for sticking with us and doing it and putting as much effort in. I I know a little bit of how much work you've put in and it's a incredible accomplishment. Like you know, I don't think people really realize sometimes when you commit to something and you see a project through like

H (47:27.425)
You do.

sean (47:39.281)
You just go through so much ups and downs, and there's the highs are really exciting. You get this great interview or whatever. And then the lows are just like crushing. And I mean, I think when you're like a creative person, and I can speak to it like musically, just you know, we're we just finished a project and we just put what our we me and my wife are musicians and we just put a single out and this project for

H (47:54.871)
Mm.

sean (48:06.852)
so many reasons has been one of the most difficult things that I've done just from it it just like it it it's had these peaks and valleys and like when you finally like it it's just a big taking on anything like that it's just such a big thing that not a lot of people do. So so the perspective of how much work it actually is is just not there for and I'm just very proud of you for doing it and it admire you. And I think you've and you've become

H (48:29.42)
Mm-hmm.

sean (48:36.946)
I I I listened to the a past couple and I see the clips a lot and seeing what you started out as as a podcast host and seeing what you've turned into as a podcast host. I mean, I know you know, I mean it's like putting reps in it, anything, you've become really great at this. And I hope you find something, you know, if it's this or if it trans it it goes into something different or whatever this evolves into. I think you should stick with it and because you've you have a really big talent for it.

And I'm very proud of you. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.

H (49:05.665)
Thank you, Sean. That's so nice of you. Thank you. Yeah, I mean, I love doing this. This I I I mean, I think talking to people and like quenching my thirst for curiosity of like how things are made and the nuts and bolts. To me, some people don't want that because it's like it takes away the magic of it. But for me, it makes it more magical to know how it was done.

sean (49:25.868)
Yeah, I agree. Yeah.

H (49:29.689)
so that's why I like asking questions. But yes, thank you. I appreciate it so much. And yeah, we'll see what happens. I mean, I always said that I wanted to get paid for this and one time I won trivia for Parks and Rec and that counts.

sean (49:33.169)
Yeah.

sean (49:41.946)
It counts. Hey. Yeah, maybe that's what you need to do. You just need to do like a state circuit of just Parks and Rec trivia nights and just like clean up. Just like just start like 'cause like who else would I mean if you just walk into a random bar, I mean there's a I would bet money that you would win.

H (49:52.744)
Yes.

H (49:59.125)
I know.

H (50:05.291)
my god. Honestly, that would be so fun. And now 'cause it's so funny because some of the trivia things that I got wrong were things that I hadn't reviewed yet or episodes that I hadn't reviewed yet. And so now I think I can do it.

sean (50:14.335)
sean (50:18.394)
I think you could. I don't yeah. I think you'd be pressed to find somebody that could beat ya.

H (50:24.451)
my god. Well, I'm sure there's some people out there who can, but thank you. I very much appreciate those kind words. It was I mean, it's been a lot of work, but it's been very fun and one of the highlights I think that I've created. So I'm glad that people are interested and that we've gotten so many amazing guest stars and amazing reviews and stuff. So hopefully we can keep it rolling.

sean (50:30.236)
Yeah.

sean (50:36.636)
Yeah.

sean (50:44.762)
Yeah, that's awesome. Well, congratulations.

H (50:46.871)
Well, thank you everybody. And thank you, Sean, for coming on. Thank you, Madi, for coming on. Thank you, Herbert Russell, for your wonderful voice memos. And we'll see you on the next one.

sean (50:51.622)
Yeah.

H (50:58.218)
Yeah.

sean (51:02.018)
bye.

H (51:03.726)
Okay.