History Recap / ParksAndRecreationS05E01

* IdiotBall: For once, Ron's usual hypercompetence at tasks he genuinely cares about deserts him completely. A truly competent barbecue cook would have already slaughtered and butchered the pig, and dressed it with seasoning, and would have started cooking it in the small hours of the morning, so that it would be ready by the time of the party. But that would have ruined the plot. Still, to anyone who understands the timescales and prep involved in the kind of barbecue Ron planned to make, his failure to get started in a timely way is especially out of character for him.

Ben later surprises Leslie with an invitation to a swanky D.C. cocktail party. There, Leslie is overwhelmed by all the tall, powerful and accomplished women surrounding her and feels out of place and intimidated by the situation. Leslie is also overwhelmed by the position Ben is in and feels her position as a lowly small town councilwoman does not stack up to the new people Ben is involved with.

With his co-workers yammering about the amount of time he is taking and the lack of eating utensils he has brought, Ron grows tired of everyone complaining, quits on the barbecue and drives off, leaving those in attendance in shock and with no food. Later, back at City Hall, Tom and Ann are finally caught by Donna, but she agrees to let their deceiving ways slide out of respect for their efforts to cover up what was really going on. Chris talks with Ron about the disastrous barbecue, pointing out that it was first and foremost an event meant to appreciate the Parks and Rec employees for their hard work.

* CutenessProximity: Chris has this reaction when he see's Ron come in with a pig [[OhCrap then he realizes it's Ron with a pig.]]

* ItsAllAboutMe: Ron when running the employee appreciation barbecue cares more about barbecuing "the right way" than making sure his guests are happy.
* NormalFishInATinyPond: Inverted - Leslie feels small and insignificant compared to some of the big wig female politicians she meets.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: At the barbecue, Ron brings a pig to slaughter and cook, believing that as the Director of the Parks Department he can invoke ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem. The present ranger informs him that the laws prohibiting such an act actually fall under the jurisdiction of other government branches such as the health department, so he's powerless.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Ron when running the employee appreciation barbeque cares more about barbequing "the right way" than making sure his guests are happy.

* NamesTheSame: The pig Ron slaughters for the barbecue is also named Tom.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: While bawling Ron out over the barbecue Chris mentions that he found Jerry accidentally showing the entire Parks department his bank statement this. And also depressing.

* RealityEnsues: At the barbecue, Ron brings a pig to slaughter and cook, believing that as the Director of the Parks Department he can invoke ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem. The present ranger informs him that the laws prohibiting such an act actually fall under the jurisdiction of other government branches such as the health department, so he's powerless.

Back in Pawnee, Ron announces he will be throwing the annual Parks Department Employee Appreciation Barbecue at Ramsett Park in the absence of Leslie, who was usually responsible for the event and had dubbed it The Leslie Knope Employment Enjoyment Summerslam Grill Jam Fun-Splosion. Ron is adamant that the event will consist of nothing but a barbecue, as he rules out having any of the traditional fun and games usually had when Leslie runs it. On the day, Ron brings along a pig he intends to kill and cook, but is halted by Ranger Patrick who points out just how wrong that practice would be, as it breaks many laws and health codes, while the children are disturbed at the possible sight of seeing an animal slaughtered. Ron subsequently settles with buying meat from Food and Stuff, which delays proceedings and forces everyone to wait.

Everyone at the barbecue is complaining that they're hungry. Donna notices Ann and Tom bickering, and comments that she "senses trouble in the Haverkins household", but the couple insists they're stronger than ever. Ann and Tom reveal to the camera that their drunken decision to move in together wasn't a success and realized after the first day that they had made a huge mistake. However, everyone was so smug and insistent that it wouldn't last that they decided to pretend to be together still just so no one would get the satisfaction of being right.

Ben later surprises Leslie with an invitation to a swanky D.C. cocktail party. There, Leslie is overwhelmed by all the tall, powerful women surrounding her and feels out of place and intimidated by the situation. Leslie is also overwhelmed by the position Ben is in and feels her position as a lowly small town councilwoman does not stack up to the new people Ben is involved with.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: To an old farm boy like Ron, involving the kids in butchering a pig is a valuable lesson in where food comes from. Everyone else (to whom meat comes from a store) is horrified.
* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Tom has put glitter in several different things like laundry detergent as part of his new business idea. Ann gets back at him for ruining her clothes by putting glitter in his face lotion and calling it "Sparkle Skin".

* TheCameo: Senators Barbara Boxer, Octavia Snow, and John [=McCain=] appear at the party.

At the Department of the Interior, Leslie is disappointed to find out that her face-to-face meeting she scheduled with Mr. Jepson was never registered, and is told by his receptionist to just leave the proposal on top of a big pile of other proposals. Leslie was under the impression she would be able to specifically present her application, but it turns out all applications are simply handed in and sifted through in due course. Feeling sorry for Leslie, the receptionist notes that she will make sure he reads it and takes down Leslie's details.

Ben later surprises Leslie with an invitation to a swanky D.C. cocktail party. There, Leslie is overwhelmed by all the tall, powerful women surrounding her and feels out of place and intimidated by the situation. Leslie is also overwhelmed by the position Ben is in, and feels her position as a lowly small town councilwoman does not stack up to the new people Ben is involved with.

Back home in Pawnee, Leslie laments to Andy about Ben and her jealousy of the powerful woman she met in D.C. Andy reassures her that she is better than all of those women combined, noting she is "kickass" Leslie, who never gives up and gets things done. This inspires her to begin cleaning up Pawnee River herself.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: To an old farm boy like Ron involving the kids in butchering a pig is a valuable lesson in where food comes from. Everyone else (to whom meat comes from a store) is horrified.

* OneSteveLimit: The pig Ron slaughters for the barbecue is also named Tom.

* NamesTheSame: InUniverse, the pig Ron brings to be slaughtered for the Parks Staff barbecue is named Tom.

* NormalFishInABigPond: Leslie feels rather small and insignificant compared to some of the big wig female politicians she meets.

Ben later surprises Leslie with an invitation to a "swanky" D.C. cocktail party. There, Leslie is overwhelmed by all the tall, powerful women surrounding her and feels out of place and intimidated by the situation. Leslie is also overwhelmed by the position Ben is in, and feels her position as a lowly smalltown councilwoman does not stack up to the new people Ben is involved with.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Leslie feels rather small and insignificant compared to some of the big wig female politicians she meets.

Leslie and Andy have arrived in Washington, D.C. She's there to visit boyfriend Ben, who took April with him to D.C. as his intern, and to also try to get federal funding to clean up the Pawnee River.

Back at Ramsett Park, everyone at the barbecue is complaining that they're hungry. Donna notices Ann and Tom bickering, and comments that she "senses trouble in the Haverkins household", but the couple insists they're stronger than ever. Ann and Tom reveal to the camera that their drunken decision to move in together wasn't a success and realized after the first day that they had made a huge mistake. However, everyone was so smug and insistent that it wouldn't last that they decided to pretend to be together still just so no one would get the satisfaction of being right.

Back at the barbecue, Ron grows tired of everyone complaining. With his co-workers yammering about the amount of time he is taking and the lack of eating utensils he has brought, Ron quits on the barbecue and drives off, leaving those in attendance in shock and with no food. Later, back at City Hall, Tom and Ann are finally caught out by Donna, but she agrees to let their deceiving ways slide out of respect for their efforts to cover up what was really going on. Chris talks with Ron about the disastrous barbecue, pointing out that it was first and foremost an event meant to appreciate the Parks and Rec employees for their hard work.

Leslie and Andy visit Ben and April in Washington, D.C., while Ron attempts to organize a barbecue for the staff.

* NamesTheSame: InUniverse, the pig Ron brings to be slaughtered for the Parks Staff barbecue is named Tom.