|
"The Master Plan" is the 23rd and penultimate episode of the second season of the American comedy television series ''Parks and Recreation'', and the 29th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 13, 2010. In the episode, Pawnee's major budget problems result in state auditors (Adam Scott and Rob Lowe) arriving to make major cuts, much to Leslie's horror and Ron's delight. Meanwhile, Andy contemplates asking April to be his girlfriend, and Tom seeks a new girlfriend. The episode was directed by Dean Holland and written by series co-creator Michael Schur. "The Master Plan" featured the first series appearances by Scott and Lowe, who became permanent cast members as characters Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger. The episode also introduced Natalie Morales as Lucy, Tom's new girlfriend, and featured guest appearances by Ralph Richeson as "the ghoulish man" and regular series guests Ben Schwartz, April Marie Eden and Alison Becker. The idea of Pawnee's governmental problems were inspired by news reports at the time of a number of states shutting down schools, parks and other services due to the global recession. "The Master Plan" marked the end of the romantic relationship between Ann (Rashida Jones) and Mark (Paul Schneider), which allowed for the eventual departure of Schneider from the series. A subplot featuring romantic elements between Ann and Chris was a late addition to the script to better connect Lowe to the cast. According to Nielsen Media Research, "The Master Plan" was seen by 4.28 million household viewers, a five percent increase in viewership compared to the previous episode, "Telethon". The episode received generally positive reviews, with several commentators praising the addition of Scott and Lowe to the cast, although some said Scott had more long-term potential as a character than Lowe. "The Master Plan" and the rest of the second season of ''Parks and Recreation'' was released on DVD in the United States on November 30, 2010, which included an extended 30-minute "producer's cut" of the episode. ==Plot== Leslie (Amy Poehler) excitedly prepares to present the parks department budget proposal, or "master plan". However, city manager Paul (Phil Reeves), announces due to Pawnee's huge budget deficit, all proposals will be postponed indefinitely. State auditors have been sent by the governor to solve the impasse, which makes Leslie fear severe cuts. Ron (Nick Offerman) is delighted because he hates any government spending, which leads him to heated arguments with Leslie. Meanwhile, April (Aubrey Plaza) is turning 21 and is having her birthday party at Tom's (Aziz Ansari) favorite nightclub, the Snakehole Lounge. Andy (Chris Pratt) debates whether to ask April to be his girlfriend, but worries about the age difference because he is 29. Ann (Rashida Jones) has broken up with Mark (Paul Schneider), who was left confused because they never fought or even argued with each other. Ann explains their relationship simply did not have the right chemistry for her. State auditors Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) soon arrive, and the extremely cheerful Chris paints an optimistic picture of how they will fix the budget, but leaves the details to the more serious Ben. When Ben explains they will need to slash the budget of every department by nearly 40 or 50 percent, Leslie angrily lashes out at Ben, who responds to her that the poorly managed government is to blame. Later, at April's party, Tom desperately tries to pick up women, but to no avail, while Leslie and Ann get extremely drunk together. Andy and April appear to be getting along, but when he goes to the bar to get a drink for April, a drunken Ann flirts with him. An upset April flirts with Tom's annoying friend Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz) to make Andy jealous. Andy gets upset, believing he misread April's signals all along, and April later regrets what she did. Ben arrives at the party and tries to smooth things out with a drunken Leslie, but she again angrily lashes out at him. The next morning, Ann fears she made out with someone at the party but cannot remember. She eventually learns she made out with Chris, who shows a romantic interest in her. Tom returns to the Snakehole Lounge to close his tab, where he meets the bartender, Lucy (Natalie Morales), who makes fun of his efforts to pick up women. The two get along and Lucy gives Tom her phone number, to his immense pleasure. Leslie decides to apologize to Ben, and he invites her out for a beer. As they finally start to get along, Leslie realizes Ben was the mayor of a small town called Partridge, Minnesota. It was national news because he was only 18 when elected, and he promptly drove the entire government into the ground. Ben became a state auditor to prove he can be responsible and restart his political career. Later, at the parks department budget meeting, Chris and Ben reveal Pawnee's budget crisis was far worse than previously thought and that the Pawnee government will shut down until further notice, horrifying Leslie and delighting Ron. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Master Plan (Parks and Recreation)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|