Line #10 Recap/ParksAndRecreationS02E12


1	-->'''Leslie:''' In a 24-hour news cycle, the tiniest story gets dissected over and over again. In 2004, a kid from Pawnee went to the Olympics, and it was reported on for over a year. He wasn't even competing or anything. He was just going literally to watch the Olympics.
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3	The holiday season has come to Pawnee. The Parks Department performs in the annual Pawnee City Government Follies that riffs local politics, including one sketch that skewers Councilman Bill Dexhart, who was recently discovered to be involved in many bizarre sex scandals. For Christmas, the department has set up Pawnee's Winter Wonderland on Lot 48. The ceremony will include Santa, caroling, and tree lighting.
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5	Later, Leslie is contacted by Councilman Dexhart. When she meets with him, he asks her how she knew about his latest scandal that's about to break. She explains the skit was just something she made up. After assuring Dexhart that it was merely a coincidence, Leslie then discovers that the local tabloid, ''The Pawnee Sun'', has taken pictures of their lunch and is reporting Leslie is his newest mistress.
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7	The next day, the local news reports are linking Leslie to Dexhart as his new mistress. The speculation quickly spins out of control, upsetting Leslie because it is distracting her from overseeing the Winter Wonderland Christmas village that she set up in Lot 48. Mark suggests she lay low and Ron gives her the day off, so the rest of the department picks up some of her work. Everyone is amazed how much Leslie does by herself each day and the entire group struggles to complete their assigned tasks. Meanwhile, Leslie assures Dave during their lunch date that the news report is not true. Dave tells Leslie that his Army reserve unit is being called into duty in San Diego, and he invites Leslie to come with him. Because of the scandal, Leslie is seriously considering the offer.
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9	The local gossip show ''Pawnee Today'' has dug up an old video of Leslie shaking hands with Dexhart and over-analyzes every aspect of the short clip. Leslie confronts Dexhart, with Ann in attendance, demanding that he refute the reports and clear Leslie's name. He refuses because the fake scandal is so docile compared to his real transgressions that it is actually positive press for him. Quickly after this, another news report comes out, revealing photographers secretly took pictures of Leslie and Ann with Dexhart, leading to speculation that Leslie and Ann are lovers in a three-way relationship with Dexhart. Determined to finally put an end to this, Leslie furiously calls the ''Pawnee Today'' crew, stating that she will be there to set the story straight.
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11	Meanwhile, the others are discussing what gifts to give. April asks Andy for ideas for what she can get her boyfriend for Christmas. Andy gives April some ideas, but she rejects them all. She says that "people say you should give gifts that you want to get yourself", and asks Andy what he would want. He responds with a Reggie Wayne Indianapolis Colts jersey. Mark tells Tom that he intends to get Ann a new computer bag for Christmas, but Tom tells him that he should get her diamonds.
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13	Despite the whole department picking up Leslie's work, they can't cover her load. Problems arise at Lot 48 when sanitation fails to empty a dumpster, leading to raccoons infesting the area. Tom and Mark confess it's their fault, as they were supposed to buy beer for the sanitation department but didn't.
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15	On ''Pawnee Today'', Leslie can't make Joan Callamezzo believe her. Dexhart appears on the show as well. Leslie challenges Dexhart that he doesn't have proof that they slept together, so he says she has a mole on her butt. Leslie drops her pants to prove she doesn't have a mole, and Joan declares that Leslie is telling the truth. Dexhart is forced to admit he made it up.
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17	Later, over dinner, Leslie tells Dave that she will not move to San Diego with him, as her life is in Pawnee. Dave is disappointed at this but understands her choice, and the two break up amicably.
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19	With all their problems having been worked out, the Winter Wonderland is a success. The Parks Department waits for Leslie to show up before lighting the tree. Leslie is congratulated by everyone, including her mother Marlene, who is proud that Leslie defeated Dexhart.
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21	The next day, Andy finds a gift and a thank you note from April waiting for him at the shoeshine stand – it's a Colts jersey. Ann and Mark exchange gifts - Mark gives Ann the computer bag he intended to get her and Ann gives him two tickets to a Pacers game. Leslie returns to work, much to everyone's relief, as they could barely handle just a portion of her daily duties.
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23	!!Tropes
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25	* BlatantLies: When Leslie asks about who is saying she has been sleeping with other Councilmen.
26	* CallBack: Dexhart has already been mentioned before.
27	* ChristmasEpisode: This episode takes place during the Christmas season and includes Pawnee's Winter Wonderland.
28	* IChooseToStay: Leslie decides to stay in Pawnee instead of going with Dave to San Diego.
29	* IndyPloy: Leslie successfully pulls one off. Leslie goes on a live talk show in order to clear her name from false accusations of an affair with the sleazy Councilman Dexhart. The talk show host surprises Leslie by having the councilman show up to repudiate her claim. Leslie quickly gets him to try to prove it by lying about seeing a mole on her butt. Leslie then drops her pants on live TV to prove there is no mole, thus clearing her name.
30	-->'''Joan Callamazzo''': Councilman, do you have a comment about No-Molegate?\
31	'''Councilman Dexhart:''' ''(caught off-guard)'' Well, I did not expect her to be willing to take off her pants on television.
32	* KavorkaMan: Dexhart's a real sleaze and not particularly attractive, yet he manages to bed an insane amount of women in very outrageous ways.
33	* MaliciousSlander: Apparently, people are talking about Leslie sleeping with other Councilmen, but it's clearly a lie from the media to put her in a bad position.
34	* MistakenForGay: When Leslie and Ann are photographed together, everyone immediately believes they are a gay couple.
35	* TheMistress: Dexhart has several, and Leslie gets mistaken for being his newest one, even being called "the alleged sex toy".
36	* PutOnABus: Dave gets called to do an army reserve job in San Diego.
37	* {{Scandalgate}}: At the end, Dexhart claims that Leslie has a mole on her butt, prompting Leslie to put the whole thing to rest by showing Joan Calamezzo her bare buttocks and Joan declares there's no mole there. She then dubs this "No Mole-gate" and even Dexhart is surprised Leslie went to these lengths to prove she didn't sleep with him.
38	* SoProudOfYou: Marlene expresses pride in Leslie beating Dexhart.
39	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Ron is not happy to have to do a presentation while subbing for Leslie.
40	* TooDumbToLive: The Pawnee citizens, this time asking why sandwiches found in the park do not have mayonnaise and about the Turtle Flu.
41	* TheTysonZone: InUniverse, Dexhart's sex scandals are incredibly absurd and intricate, with lots of women and love children in the mix. And yet everyone just eats it up.
42	* {{Workaholic}}: Leslie's duties are so numerous that the combined efforts of all of her colleagues can't get all her work done. This may be subverted as it's also shown that no one else in the Parks department does ''anything'' at all, and they just haven't noticed how much there actually is to do around the place.
43	* WorstNewsJudgementEver: Pawnee's a relatively small town in FlyoverCountry where little exciting ever happens. As a result of this, a 24-hour news cycle and lack of any actual news are the main reasons for the blowing up of Leslie's nonexistent sex scandal. As she explains the situation in a talking head segment, Leslie refers to the Pawnee media reporting for an entire year on a local child going to the Olympics. And not even to compete; just going to watch the Olympics.

Context Recap / ParksAndRecreationS02E12