S07E08 - Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington

Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we actually meet one of Ron's brothers in person! Leslie and April are headed to Washington D.C. to convince a bunch of senators to support the National Parks. They've prepped, and Leslie is excited, convinced that April will show how thorough and hardworking she truly is. However, April is quietly freaking out about having to break it to Leslie that bureaucracy is not her calling ... as a friend, Leslie is loyal, thoughtful, and caring to a fault, but she's also stubborn and thoroughly convinced she knows what's best, not only for herself, but for literally everyone around her. As Leslie, April, and teammate Randy have meeting after meeting with senators, it seems like things are going well ... They're getting decent responses from senators, and during a one-on-one walk with Randy, Leslie is even offered a promotion to the position of Deputy Director of Operations and Interior. Despite all this, we see April just getting more and more anxious about telling Leslie the truth. Finally, while sitting with Leslie and listening to her news about the offered promotion, April finally gives in to her anxieties and blurts out that she wants to quit the National Parks Service. Meanwhile, knowing April is unhappy with her current job situation, Andy waits until she is gone on her trip to D.C. (see the A-Story above), then reaches out to Ben to brainstorm some new jobs April could pursue. Their first stop is meeting with Ron at the Very Good Building and Development company, Ron tries his best to help, but unfortunately, the routine work available there doesn't quite fit April's need to think creatively. Nevertheless, Ron joins Andy and Ben in trying to find the perfect job for April. Their second stop is a meeting with Barney Varmn at Tilton and Radomski Accounting, who (along with everyone else at the accounting firm) absolutely LOVES Ben. Anyway, Barney tells them Tilton and Radomski is opening a consulting arm, which would involve a lot of creative thinking. The good news? This sounds like it *could* be a good fit for April. The bad news? It's too late, and they aren't taking any more applicants. However, after discussing it, the guys decide they will make one last final attempt to pitch April to Barney. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How does Leslie take April's news? Who else do the guys get to help with their final pitch to Barney? Does Leslie end up taking the promotion? What secret plan does Andy have to help convince Barney? Will Leslie have to lean on her good friend Madeleine Albright for advice? Do the guys make a successful pitch, and if so, does April end up working for Barney? Can April ever figure out what job she actually wants? Loyal podcast viewers, April's job arc seems to be drawing to a close ... or is it? Stay tuned to find out! Many thanks to our incredible sponsor ... the Very Good Building and Development Company.