Leslie Knope is the Deputy Director in the Parks and Recreation Department in the little town of Pawnee, Indiana. She's an enthusiastic go-getter who cares deeply for her community and just wants to improve people's lives, but everyone else treats her as either an overly idealistic idiot or a punching bag.
Leslie and her assistant, Tom Haverford, hold an open community meeting, at which several citizens voice their complaints. Local nurse Ann Perkins complains about the empty Lot 48 pit near her house, which was dug out by a condominium developer that went bankrupt in the middle of the construction project. Ann says that her boyfriend Andy Dwyer broke both his legs after falling into the pit, and she demands something be done about it. Leslie is inspired by the challenge and makes a promise that she will fill in the pit and build a park on the land.
Leslie talks with City Planner Mark Brendanawicz, who doesn't think that making a park out of the pit is possible due to all the bureaucratic red tape. Leslie then reveals to the filming crew that she had a thing going on with Mark five years ago, but Mark himself barely remembers what went on.
Later, Leslie, Tom, and the apathetic Parks Department intern April Ludgate visit Ann so they can inspect the pit. They also meet Andy, who is a lazy and demanding musician whom Ann is forced to wait on and support financially. Leslie promises him they will do whatever they can to help him. While inspecting the pit, Leslie falls in. Ann checks on her, and says that Leslie's injuries aren't severe.
She also approaches her boss, Parks Department Director Ron Swanson, asking for permission to form a subcommittee. Ron, however, is a staunch libertarian who doesn't believe in getting anything done on wasting the taxpayer's dime. He tells Leslie he'll consider it just to get her to stop pestering him.
Tom and April continue to mock Leslie behind her back and show Mark the pictures they took of Leslie after she fell into the pit. Partly out of feeling bad for her and partly out of admiring how she retained her passion for government work after all this time, Mark ultimately decides to help Leslie by calling in a favor owed to him by Ron. Tom gives Leslie and Ann the good news - Leslie can form her subcommittee. Leslie and Ann are extremely excited, and the department celebrates by getting drunk. Despite her skepticism about politics and government, a drunken Ann pledges to do whatever it takes to help get the pit filled in, "even if it takes two months".
Tropes:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Leslie has feelings for Mark, but he doesn't reciprocate at all.
- Amusing Injuries: Leslie falls into the pit, rolling in head first. She doesn't get too badly hurt though.
- Casanova Wannabe: Despite being married, Tom still hits on Ann.
- Deadpan Snarker: April, the apathetic college intern, is an Emotionless Girl to the extreme.
- Determinator: Leslie doesn't let anything get her down.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- In this episode only, the characters directly address the camera crew which is filming them as being real people in their presence. Ron asks who is paying them to record this, and incredulously wonders if they received some sort of grant. For the rest of the series the mockumentary format is just a conceit of the series, and nobody interacts with or seems aware of the "crew".
- Much of the characterization in this episode and the rest of season one is based on directly copying parent series The Office (US). While Jerry and Donna appear, neither of them have any lines. Tom is not the go-getter entrepreneur we know and love in later episodes. Also, Leslie's depicted as being a gender flipped Michael Scott rather than the hyper-competent Ace seen from Season 2 onward.
- Manchild: Ann's boyfriend Andy is a Lazy Bum who she's forced to wait on and support financially.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The Pawnee government is full of these, hence why Mark has little faith a park could be made out of the pit. Ron specifically fashions himself as one because he's a staunch libertarian who believes in limiting the government as much as possible.
- The Pollyanna: Leslie is relentlessly cheerful. Mark half-admires and half-pities her for that.Mark: Leslie is... unique. Government work can beat you down. I would say that I lost my optimism about government in about two months. Leslie's kept hers for six years.
- Noodle Incident: The reason why Ron owes Mark a favor never gets elaborated on.
- Running Gag:
- The citizens of Pawnee yelling at Leslie at a town meeting.
- The graphic murals of Pawnee's history in City Hall.
