History Recap / ParksAndRecreationS03E01

* RatedMForManly: The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness is a [[TestosteronePoisoning pretty macho way of living]].

* ShoutOut: Ron throwing a chair across the court at the basketball game references the incident where Bob Knight did the same thing at a 1985 game against Purdue University. Ron's team even had the same colors (red and white) as Knight's Indiana University Hoosiers.

* ShoutOut: The background music that plays during the Parks Department's presentation to Ben and Chris asking to bring the Harvest Festival back is the theme song from ''Film/ChariotsOfFire''.

* TakeThisJobAndShoveIt: Tom's job during the three months when the government shut-down was selling tennis shoes and sportswear at a store in the mall. When Leslie gets Tom back on board, he loudly quits.

* FoodPorn: Parodied - Leslie believes Ann should use "sexy food" to attract Chris. She remarks that due to Chris being a health nut, sexy food for him must be asparagus and turkey chili.

* UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking: Subverted. Ron says he's not the kind of person who gives speeches...and then leaves.

The government of Pawnee finally restarts after having been shut down for three months. Leslie rounds up her crew, although with the city operating on a shoestring budget, most of the park services have been slashed. Ben tells the department their only work will be existing park maintenance. He adds that they must also set up a youth basketball league due to popular demand, though they only have money for two teams.

Leslie laments to Ann that the Parks department used to do big things, like the Winter Jamboree and the Harvest Festival. The ever persistent and optimistic Chris tries again to ask Ann out while Leslie is rude to Ben. Ann refuses, as she finds Chris a little too intense for her liking and she's still reeling from her break-up with Mark, but later Leslie has an idea: Ann can go out with Chris to convince him to help the Parks department recover its budget.

Leslie shows up at the restaurant and joins Chris and Ann. She tries to speak about the Parks department when Ben shows up as well, having suspected that Leslie set up Ann to date Chris for her own scheme. Chris invites them to join him and Ann. Leslie still tries to bring up the budget and Ben suggests the two of them leave. Instead, the four go to The Bulge. A patron tries to hit on Chris, and he politely declines but buys drinks for several other guys. Ann realizes she likes Chris. At the bar, Leslie tells Ben about the time she married two gay penguins. He tells her that his time as mayor was such a fiasco that he has tried since then to show he's responsible.

Andy tells Leslie what happened with April. Leslie encourages him by saying he should "go big or go home." Leslie decides to take her own advice: she wants to bring back the Harvest Festival. She and her team make a presentation to Ben and Chris, who approve the event.

* CrazyJealousGuy: Even after getting into a new relationship, Tom is still jealous of seeing Ron with Wendy. Andy on the other hand is a bit more downplayed, dedicating himself to winning April back but not being outwardly mean to Eduardo.

* SkewedPriorities: Tom believes the top priority of the Parks Department should be create the world's biggest pizza.

-->'''Andy:''' This is like the 200th message I've left you without a response. So if you're trying to tell me something, I do not know what it is because you won't call me back.

-->'''Leslie:''' You go big or you go home. And you don't seem like the kind of guy who goes home.
-->'''Andy:''' I'm not. I don't even really have a home.

Leslie coaches Ann in what to wear, how to act, and what to say on her date with Chris. During their dinner, Ann starts to genuinely enjoy herself. She learns from Chris that his positive attitude comes from the fact that he was born with a rare blood disorder and wasn't expected to live beyond three weeks, so he feels fortunate to be alive everyday.

The government of Pawnee has been shut down for three months. Andy has tried to get in touch with April but she won't answer his calls.

The government finally reopens, and Leslie rounds up her crew. Most of the park services have been slashed because the city is operating on a shoestring budget. Ben tells the crew their only work will be existing park maintenance. He adds that they must also set up a basketball league, though they only have money for two teams. Ron coaches one team and Andy coaches the other.

Leslie laments to Ann that the Parks department used to do big things, like the Winter Jamboree and the Harvest Festival. They run into Ben and Chris; Chris tries again to ask Ann out while Leslie is rude to Ben. Ann refuses, but later Leslie has an idea: Ann goes out with Chris to convince him to let the Parks department have some money.

Tom, who has no knowledge of basketball, referees the first game between Ron and Andy's teams.

Leslie coaches Ann in what to wear, how to act, and what to say on her date with Chris. On the date, Ann starts to enjoy herself. She learns from Chris that his positive attitude comes from the fact that he was born with a blood disorder and wasn't supposed to live beyond three weeks.

Leslie shows up at the restaurant and joins Chris and Ann. She tries to speak about the Parks department when Ben shows up as well, having suspected that Leslie set up Ann to date Chris for ulterior motives. Chris invites them to join him and Ann.

At the basketball game, Wendy, who is dating Ron, shows up. Tom, despite having his girlfriend Lucy at the game, gets jealous.

Leslie tries to bring up parks and Ben suggests the two of them leave. Instead, the four go to the Bulge. A guy tries to hit on Chris, and refuses but buys drinks for several guys. Ann realizes she likes Chris. At the bar, Leslie tells Ben about the time she married two gay penguins. He tells her that his time as mayor was such a fiasco that he has tried since then to show he's responsible.

Tom starts to call fouls on Ron's team after he sees Ron and Wendy snuggling. He ejects Ron's players, and when Ron gets angry Tom ejects him. Andy's team wins by forfeit.

Leslie gets Chris to consider giving the Parks department money, and Leslie inadvertently says, "Mission accomplished." Chris is hurt that Ann only went out with him to get Parks money.

As Andy is working at the shoeshine stand, he finally sees April, who was in Venezuela. She claims she isn't mad about him kissing Ann, then she introduces him to Eduardo, her new boyfriend from Venezuela.

Ann tells Chris she was doing Leslie a favor but she likes him a lot and wants to go out with him again.

-->'''Ron:''' Destroy them, gentlemen. Feel no sympathy.

** Andy tries to get in touch with April:

* ShoutOut: Ron throwing a chair across the court at the {{basketball}} game references the incident where Bob Knight did the same thing at a 1985 game against Purdue University. Ron's team even had the same colors (red and white) as Knight's Indiana University Hoosiers.

Three months after the Pawnee budget crisis and government shutdown, Leslie excitedly informs her fellow employees that the parks department has been reopened, although on a shoestring budget. State auditors Chris and Ben announce they may only conduct existing park maintenance, but Leslie wants to offer better programs and services. Meanwhile, the always-optimistic and ever persistent Chris is still trying to convince Ann to go on a date with him. Ann finds him too intense and is still reeling from her break-up with Mark, but Leslie convinces her to accept a date and try to persuade Chris to increase the parks budget.

Due to popular demand from citizens, Ben restarts the youth basketball league, although with only two teams. They are coached by Ron, who is extremely strict and disciplined with his players, and Andy, who is very laid back and lets the kids go out of control. Tom is the referee and becomes jealous when his ex-wife Wendy arrives to support Ron. Tom insists he is happy with his new girlfriend Lucy and does not mind that Wendy is dating Ron. However, Tom repeatedly calls false fouls against Ron's players until all of them are benched. When Ron and Wendy get angry, Tom ejects them from the games and declares it a forfeit, which concerns Lucy.

Ann finds she enjoys her date with Chris. When she asks why he is always so positive, he explains he was expected to die as a baby due to being born with a rare blood disorder, so he now feels fortunate to be alive every day. Leslie crashes the date to help Ann persuade Chris to increase the parks budget, but to her surprise, Ben also arrives, having predicted Leslie's plan. The four end up at The Bulge, where Chris tells Leslie he will consider increasing the parks budget. Leslie excitedly declares "mission accomplished", accidentally giving away her scheme and prompting Chris to leave, hurt that Ann had an ulterior motive for the date. Later, however, Ann apologizes to Chris and asks for another date, to which he happily agrees.

Meanwhile, April shows up to work after having disappeared three months earlier. Andy still has feelings for April and had been leaving messages to April ever since, but she did not return them because she was in Venezuela, where she met her new boyfriend, the handsome Eduardo. A discouraged Andy seeks advice from Leslie, who encourages him not to give up and to "go big or go home". Inspired by her own advice, Leslie proposes restoring the parks department with a Harvest Festival, which was once a Pawnee tradition until it was eliminated by budget cuts. Leslie and the other parks employees agree that if it is not a success, the parks department will shut down. Impressed by their enthusiasm, Chris and Ben agree to the idea.

Three months have passed since the government's shut down in Pawnee. Leslie gets the Parks and Rec department back together and must think of a way to get more funding for the department. Andy and Ron train basketball teams. Andy thinks of ways to get April back.

* FoodPorn: Leslie believes Ann should use "sexy food" to attract Chris. She remarks that due to Chris being a health nut, sexy food for him must be asparagus and turkey chili.

* MistakenForGay: Chris, at the gay bar.

-->'''Ron:''' "Destroy them, gentlemen. Feel no sympathy."
* CallBack: Leslie mentions the events of "Pawnee Zoo" and The Bulge gay bar makes another appearance.

-->'''Leslie:''' "Would you be cool doing the things a prostitute does? Minus the money."

-->'''Ron:''' "Capitalism: God's way of determining who is smart, and who is poor."
* TitleDrop: Leslie tells Andy that, to get April, he needs to Go Big or Go Home.

----

'''Go Big or Go Home'''

Leslie gets the Parks and Rec department back together, now, she must think of a way to get more money. Andy and Ron train basketball teams. Andy thinks of ways to get April back.

* BettyAndVeronica: April becomes the Archie for her new boyfriend's Veronica and Andy's Betty.

-->'''Ron:''' "Destroy then, gentlemen. Feel no sympathy."
* CallBack: Leslie mentions the events of "Pawnee Zoo", they even go to the same gay bar.
* ChekhovsGun: Leslie mentions the things the Parks Department used to do, including the Harvest Festival. Turns out, the Harvest Festival ends up being the way to go.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Even after getting in a new relationship, Tom is still crazed to see Ron with Wendy.
* FoodPorn: Leslie believes they should use "sexy food" to attract Chris. Played for laughs as she thinks that sexy food is asparagus and turkey chili.

* FullNameBasis: Chris way of talking to everyone, lampshaded by Ann.
* {{Honeytrap}}: Leslie attempts to use Ann to attract Chris so they would get money for the Parks Department.

* HardWorkHardlyWorks: For all of Ron's works, ultimately, he loses the game because of Tom.
* ManlyTears: Invoked by Ron, his pyramid states that Crying is only acceptable in funerals and the Grand Canyon.
* MistakenForGay: Chris, on the gay bar.
* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: On the start Leslie goes around getting everybody from the Parks Department back.
* RatedMForManly: Swanson Pyramid of Greatness is a pretty macho way of living.

* TitleDrop: Leslie tells Andy that, to get April, he needs to Go Big or Go Home.