Christmas Scandal (S2E12)

Explicit content warning

01/11/22 • 47 min

2 Listeners

It's the Holidays in Pawnee while Rob Lowe and Alan Yang watch the 12th episode of season two! In "Christmas Scandal" A meeting with a disgraced councilman lands Leslie in the middle of a scandal. On today's episode find out the origins of the character Alexa Softcastle, the mystery note in the writer's room that read "Blood Diamond Phillips", and this episode's unique connection to SNL.

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The parks department performs in the annual Pawnee City Government Follies that riffs local politics, including one sketch that skewers Councilman Bill Dexhart (Kevin Symons), who was recently discovered to be involved in many bizarre sex scandals. Leslie is later asked to meet Dexhart at a restaurant, where she learns the sketch was accidentally accurate about another bizarre sex scandal that has not been made public. After assuring Dexhart that it was merely a coincidence, Leslie discovers that the local tabloid, The Pawnee Sun, has taken pictures of their meeting and is reporting that Leslie is Dexhart's new mistress.

The speculation about Dexhart and Leslie quickly spins out of control. Ron decides to give Leslie the day off to lie low and distributes her daily duties among the rest of the staff. Everyone is amazed how much Leslie does by herself each day and the entire group struggles to complete their tasks. Leslie has lunch with Dave (Louis C.K.), who reveals that his unit in the US Army Reserve has been called up to active duty in San Diego for a year to eighteen months, and invites Leslie to make the move with him.

The local show "Pawnee Today" digs up an old video of Leslie shaking hands with Dexhart and overanalyzes every aspect of the short clip. Ann brings Dexhart to her home, where Ann and Leslie demand he clear Leslie's name. Dexhart refuses because the fake scandal is so docile compared to his real transgressions that it is actually positive press for him. Soon after, Ann is horrified to discover that a news crew secretly followed Dexhart to her home and took a photograph of the meeting, resulting in speculation that Ann is Leslie's lesbian lover in a three-way relationship with Dexhart. A furious Leslie schedules an appearance on "Pawnee Today" to clear her name once and for all. On the show, host Joan Callamezzo (Mo Collins) surprises Leslie by bringing out Dexhart, who tries to prove their affair by claiming that Leslie has a mole on her buttocks. To finally end the scandal, Leslie pulls down her pants on live television and moons Callamezzo. Since there is no mole, Dexhart is forced to admit that he fabricated the sex scandal.

Over dinner, Leslie tells Dave that she will not move to San Diego with him, as her life is in Pawnee. Dave, although sad, understands her choice and the two split up amicably. At Pawnee's tree lighting ceremony, Leslie is congratulated by everyone, including Leslie's mother Marlene, who is proud that her daughter successfully fought off the media. Leslie returns to work the next day much to Ron's immense relief, as he could barely handle just a portion of her daily duties. Everyone is visibly glad that Leslie is back.

In a B plot, April asks Andy what to get her gay boyfriend for Christmas. All of Andy's ideas are well-meaning but dumb, although it seems that April is just happy to talk with him. To thank Andy, she gets him a Reggie Wayne jersey for Christmas. Meanwhile, Mark tells Tom that he intends to get Ann a new computer bag for Christmas, but Tom tells him that he should get diamonds. In the end, he gives her the computer bag after all while Ann gives him Pacers tickets. He then gives her a second gift, telling her she does not have to go to the game, to which Ann happily accepts.

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Previous Episode

Tom's Divorce (S2E11)

Come along for another life changing journey to Pawnee! Today Rob and Alan stick together while watching the 11th episode of season 2. In “Tom’s Divorce” Leslie finds out Tom and Wendy are splitting up, and tries to lift his spirits. On this episode find out the unique connection Jerry has with dinosaurs, the origin of the Ron Swanson breakfast meme, and which Taco Bell actor possibly marries Wendy!
Got a question for the Pawnee Town Hall? Send us an email: [email protected] Or leave a 30-Second voicemail at: (310) 893-6992

The episode opens with Ron sending Leslie to run an errand at the DMV on City Hall's fourth floor, a dark and unsettling place that includes probation offices and divorce filings. A reluctant and frightened Leslie navigates past reprobates and blood stains on the floor and spots Tom and Wendy leaving the Divorce Office. Unaware that their relationship was a green card marriage to prevent Wendy from being deported back to Canada, Leslie later tries to comfort Tom, who insists he is fine. Nevertheless, Leslie persists in her efforts to cheer him up, in part by ordering a singing horse telegram to cheer him up and taking the whole dept out to a dinosaur-themed restaurant, Jurassic Fork.

The parks employees eat several dinosaur-themed entrees, "Tyranna-Ceasar Salads" and "Surf and Turfasaurus". Tom seems so cheery that Leslie begins to suspect he is faking being sad. Ron pulls Tom aside and asks whether he could ask Wendy on a date once the divorce is finalized. Tom consents, but is visibly disappointed. Determined to cheer him up, Leslie agrees to compromise her morals and take Tom to his favorite strip club, the Glitter Factory. Leslie is horrified by the club and tries to encourage the strippers to change their lives. Ron is also uninterested in the strippers, but happily consumes the free breakfast buffet.

Tom remains depressed even after Leslie hires a stripper to "grind the sorrow out of him". A drunken Tom tells Leslie that Ron plans to ask out Wendy, prompting an angry reaction from her. Meanwhile, Andy continues his efforts to break up the relationship between Ann and Mark. Andy challenges Mark to a game of pool with the hopes of hustling him, but Mark turns out to be an excellent player and wins multiple games for double or nothing. Mark and Andy make one final wager: if Andy wins, he gets Ann, but if Mark wins he has to leave them alone. Mark dominates the game but loses when he scratches on the 8 ball. Initially delighted, Andy becomes confused when Ann leaves with Mark anyway.

Meanwhile, Tom passes out at the bar, and Ron and Leslie take him to Wendy's house. Leslie is shocked to find Wendy is on a date with another man. She storms out after expressing her disgust with Wendy and Ron. The next morning at work, Tom confesses to Leslie that it was a green card marriage, and that he only recently realized he has feelings for Wendy and Andy tells Mark and Ann he will no longer be bothering them. Andy says a final goodbye to Ann and the episode concludes with a Horse singing telegram Leslie has sent to apologize to Ron.

Next Episode

Writer Katie Dippold: The Set Up (S2E13)

Another guest joins us in Pawnee! Today writer Katie Dippold (Haunted Mansion, The Heat) breaks down one of her favorite episodes she's written. In "The Set Up" Ann sets Leslie up on a blind date, and the date does not go as Leslie had hoped. On today's pod find out the writer's room obsession with the 2002 film Swimfan, see the origin of Leslie's Biden crush, and hear everybody's idea of what they want "the club" to be. Got a question for the Pawnee Town Hall? Send us an email: [email protected] Or leave a 30-Second voicemail at: (310) 893-6992

When Leslie learns Pawnee is being sued by the previous owners of Lot 48, Ann calls upon her lawyer friend Justin Anderson (Justin Theroux), whom she’s known since high school and seems to still have feelings for. Justin helps Leslie resolve the issue, and the two hit it off immediately. Having recently broken up with her boyfriend, Leslie asks Ann to set her up on a date, but is surprised when Ann hesitates to set her up with Justin. Instead, she arranges a date with Chris (Will Arnett) an MRI technologist Ann works with. The date goes terribly, with Chris appearing annoyed upon learning Leslie attended a rival college, and that she was a director of regular parks, not amusement parks.

When Leslie says she has never had an MRI, Chris takes her to the hospital to perform one on her. Chris comes off super creepy, remarking that Leslie has an excellent uterus and asking whether she is having her period, presumably in anticipation of sex later.

Meanwhile, Mark grows suspicious that Ann harbors romantic feelings for Justin. He eventually confronts Ann and accuses her of putting Justin on hold for a possible relationship in the future. Ann admits she has distantly thought of her and Justin ending up together, prompting Mark to walk out on their date and spoil the ending of Marley & Me. Mark asks Andy if Ann seemed to have feelings for Justin when they were together. Andy confirms that she did and then immediately confronts Ann about it in another endless attempt to win favor with her and get back together. Realizing her behavior was inappropriate, Ann sets Leslie up on a date with Justin.

In a B storyline, Ron deals with complaints from local residents due to a new town policy requiring public officials to deal more directly with the public. Ron calls the policy "my hell", and seeks a new assistant to protect him from the citizens.Tom volunteers to find Ron an assistant, but really uses the opportunity to find an assistant for himself.

After multiple interviews, Tom brings forward a fast-talking candidate named Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz), whose personality closely resembles Tom's. Ron hates him right away and in the end hires April, who’s internship is coming to an end, as his assistant.