Season 2 Eps 13- 24: Gabriela and John

Episodes 13-18 Gabriela Gutierrez

During my analysis of Parks and Recreation, patterns in narrative structure and oppositions became apparent. Frequently, across all seasons there are oppositions between the ideal and the real, personal life vs professionalism and between the hero and the civilian. In season 3 episode 13, 14 and 17 Leslie struggles to find a balance between her professional and her personal life. Often times her quest to pursue personal endeavors ultimately concludes in the direct interference with her professional successes. Evidence of this opposition is evident in episode 14 where Leslie seeks to impress a romantic interest by getting members of the community involved. Leslie, in an attempt to impress her date seeks members of the community to make preparations for the night despite the conflict of interest. In episode 17 Leslies personal desire for professional acknowledgment creates tension between Ron and herself. Ron won an award that Leslie had seeked since a child and because of this Ron and Leslie's relationship suffers. Despite the frequency of Leslies failures she is unable to refrain from involving her personal life in the workplace due to her commitment to her career. She is unable to separate the two because her professional life overtakes every aspect.

Oppositions in the ideal and the real and hero vs civilians often occur in the same episode. Leslie idealizes the response from her community and the civilians are the ones that catapult Leslies failures. In episode 15 Leslie is presented with the opportunity to collaborate with a candy company. After realizing the products that are being distributed to the community are unhealthy she holds a public forum to inform them. Leslie idealizes their response and despite her best efforts she is ignored by the public and they vote against her. Leslie sacrifices the opportunity to collaborate with a successful company in order to inform the public of their malpractices however, the public fails her. Considering the pattern of events in season 3 it is evident that the members of her community, who she so diligently serves are working against her. The community becomes an unreliable resource to Leslies character development and to her successes.


Episodes 19=24 John Culan

During my analysis of Parks and Recreation I discovered that the narrative structure and oppositions were pretty consistent throughout my episodes and the other seasons. Parks and Recreation at it core is a sitcom and I expected it to follow the generally structure of what I know a sitcom to act like. Which ended up happening for the most part like how each episode opens with a cold open and ending joke that usually has nothing to do with the plot of the episode. The Narrative structure is consistent for most episode as it starts either with the hero (Leslie) receiving or formulating a plan already in progress. The main episode that I notice strayed from that was episode 23 as it start of a two parter episode. Episode 24 starts with Leslie revealing a failure from the previous episode. After looking at the narrative structure from the other season I could see that most changes in the narrative dna occur during 2 parters or season end cliff hangers.

The opposition that occurred mot throughout the season was Personal vs Professional and Mother vs Child. From what I analysed a lot of the stories involving Leslie putting too much of personal investment into her work. From the other season that I read, the opposition of personal vs professional included summary of Leslie trying to help the town better themselves and the town not wanting her help. This told me that a big opposition that occurs throughout the show was Mother vs Child, Leslie knowing what's best for someone and they not wanting to listen. I noticed that earlier season have the main oppostion be Professional vs Personal and looking at the summary it makes sense as Leslie has less power early on. It's torwards later season that the oppostions become more varied.

The hero, villain, and helper are also very consistent through the show. The hero is always Leslie at least in season 2, the helper is someone from the park department, and the villain is someone who stops Leslie's plan. The episode I found most interesting in regards to this was episode 19 as the villain goes on to help Leslie. This could be seen in other episode as well that the villain help Leslie after coming to a compromise. Parks and Recreations is a good show to help understand Narrative Structure as Leslie is a hero through and through and because of that the narrative structure is relatively simple and easy to understand.

Main Opposition: Personal Vs Professional (Leslie mixes work with life to much and it leads to problems)

Narrative DNA:

1) Hero Plans

2) Hero dispatches plan to helpers

3) Villain disrupts plan

4) Hero fails

5) Helper gives aid to Hero

6) Hero excutes back up plan

7) Hero succeeds


1) Plot Summary

2) Identify Actors

    • Hero
    • Villain
    • Helper

3) Sequence of Narrative Action

1. Leslie Fails

2. Leslie seeks helper aid

3. etc.

STRUCTURE

1. REFLECTION - 2-4 PARAGRAPGHS

2. MAIN OPPOSTIONS

3. NARRATIVE DNA

PARKS AND REC

SEASON 3


EP13 the set up

  • Ron presents Leslie with a problem (seizing of lot 48
  • Anne presents a friend who could help
  • Citizen goes to Ron for help as there is a push to make gov officials more accessible to public
  • Anne wants to set Leslie up
  • Ron seeks assistant for problem of citizens , asks april to help
  • April suggests that Andy sell his CDs at shoe shine station
  • Justin/lawyer tells Leslie she will be fine
  • Leslie agrees to be set up by Anne, suggests interest to Anne, Anne does not agree
  • Tom agrees to find Ron an assistant
  • Anne sets up Leslie with Chris (MRI technician)
  • Tom sets up assistant search
  • Date goes bad, ann promises to find someone
  • Mark suspicious about justin and anns relationship
  • Mark seeks andy for help with ann and justin
  • Justin write letter for the attorney
  • Tom finds ron assistant
  • Tom finds terrible assistant
  • April helps andy sell CD, starts to like andy and wants to stay, becomes rons assistant
  • Ann gives leslie justins number and they go on a date

Hero Leslie

Villian Ann

Helper Ann

  1. Hero faces problem -Leslie is single and wants romance
  2. Villian offers solution - Ann offers to set her up
  3. Hero Fails - Leslie goes on a terrible date
  4. Helper offer alternative solution- Ann agrees to set Leslie up with the right guy
  5. Hero wins -Leslie goes on date and the guy turns out to be great

Oppositions - professional vs personal life (conflict is created when Leslie decides to combine her personal with her professional life)

EP14 Leslies house

  • Leslie must cut rec center classes due to low budget
  • Goes on date with Justin, must assemble date that will impress him
  • Ann and Leslies luch are “think tanks”, she decides to plan dinner party
  • Leslie invites guests
  • Anna visits Leslies house and it is uncovered that she is a hoarder
  • Rec center class helps leslie declutter
  • Justin arrives and andy and april want to sabotage party
  • Leslie invites unwelcomed guests in order to impress justin
  • Leslie invites belly dancers, orgami, fencing ect to impress justin
  • Justin falls asleep
  • Leslie must face conduct review
  • Leslie turned herself in out of guilt
  • Leslie donates 1K to keep all classes out of guilt

Hero Leslie

Villian Ron

Helper Ann

  1. Hero faces problem - Leslie must host great diner party in order to impress her romantic interest
  2. Helper comes to the rescue- Ann helps Leslie declutter her home and Leslie begins to use rec center teacher for her dinner party
  3. Villain discovers Heros failures -Ron discovers Leslie has been using rec center teachers to help out with diner party
  4. Hero Fails -Leslie turns herself in and faces the consequences

opposition- personal vs professional (Leslie risks her professional career in order to establish a personal life)

EP15 sweetums

  • Justin helps tom find outfit to ask wendy out with
  • Sweets company teaming up with parks dept
  • Sweetums releases energy bar
  • Mark, andy and april will help leslie move
  • Lesie dose not let ron drive beacuse he was drinking, ron build harp drunk to prove tolerance
  • Team crashes after energy bar sugar rush
  • Leslie holds public forum for energy bars
  • Leslie looses public forum to nutriyums
  • Tom moves out with the help of the office, cant move in till monday, leaves his stuff at the office
  • Ron begins to be a jerk simply because he can
  • Leslie feeling defeated eats a bar and ron throws it away

Hero Leslie

Villain Nutiyum company/Ron

Helper Ann

  1. Hero is presented opportunity -Parks department collaborates with candy company
  2. Helper discovers information to aid hero- Ann discovers bars are unhealthy and advises Leslie to not let the collaboration happen
  3. Villain blocks hero- Ron refuses to let opportunity go despite knowing they are unhealthy
  4. executes plan- Leslie holds a public forum in order to let the public choose if they want the bars or not
  5. villain blocks plan- Bar company makes civilians fall in love with the brand and they ignore the unhealthy aspects of it
  6. hero fails - Bar company wins and Leslie and Ann fail

Villain wins

Opposition- (Hero vs Civilian) Civilians are presented with both the truth an an idealized version of it and continue to make the wrong decision causing Hero to fail

EP16 galentines day

  • Leslies mom shares romantic story about a lost love
  • Justin wants to find the man and reunite them
  • Leslie volunteers Ann and mark to help at the senior center
  • Leslie and Justin drive to pick up moms lost soulmate (frank)
  • Frank runs into freeway nervous
  • Leslie wants to drive him back
  • Frank sneaks into party and meets mom
  • Frank is not what Marlene expected
  • Frank calls out Marlele in front of everyone
  • Leslie realizes Justin is selfish due to Ron

Hero Leslie

Villain Justin

Helper Justin

  1. Hero sets on Journey with helper- Justin advises Leslie to help reunite her mother and her past lover
  2. Helper leads Hero further in the journey- Justin finds past lover and takes her to reunite with Leslies mom
  3. Hero Fails- Moms past lover was not a match
  4. Hero realizes helper is actually a Villain - Leslie realizes that Justins had selfish intentions

Opposition- Ideal vs Real, Good vs Bad (Leslie idealizes bad people people often causing her to fail)

EP17 woman of the year

  • Leslie promises to get the girls soccer team a place to practice
  • Ron receives womans award that supposed to be leslies
  • Tom wants to buy part of a club
  • Andys roommate had issues with living situation
  • Leslie confronts ron about award
  • Ron confesses that leslie deserves award and that she shouldn't care about awards
  • Iow wants to give award to Ron because hes a man and people will care
  • Leslie becomes furious
  • Andy gives Tom 1k for his nightclub
  • Ron gives award to Leslie
  • Leslie gives it back tor Ron
  • Ron still thinks awards are dumb, but they're less dumb if the right people win it
  • Ron and Leslie throw award away, Leslie picks it back up
  • Tom and Donna own part of the nightclub

Hero Leslie

Villain Award committee

Helper Ron

  1. Hero fails- Leslie does not get the award that shes been dreaming of ever since she was a kid
  2. Helper suggests solution- Ron writes letter to the board advising that Leslie win the award
  3. Villain refuses solution- Company refuses to give award to Leslie
  4. Helper succeeds- Ron accepts award and dedicates it Leslie
  5. Hero wins- Leslie keeps award

Opposition - personal vs professional (Leslie professional life affects her personal life; he needs validation from her work place)

EP18 The Possum

  • April watches Ann's house whiles shes away
  • Evelyn from mayors office asks Leslie to handle possum issue
  • Ron is not up to code
  • Leslie assembles team to get rid of possum
  • Andy catches possum
  • Reporter interviews Andy about catching possum
  • Leslie receives mayors number in case she ever needs a favor
  • Leslie is not sure it was the correct possum
  • Wants to sneak possum out because shes not sure if its him, if it is she wants to get justice but if it wasn't she dosen't want it to die
  • Leslie looses possum inside Anns house
  • Mayor takes contact/favor away from Leslie for not telling her where the possum was

Hero Andy

Villain Mayors office

Helper Leslie

  1. Villain presents helper with a task- Mayors gives Leslie the task to get rid of the possum
  2. helper and Hero team up to succeed- Andy and Leslie catch the Possum
  3. Villain not satisfied- Mayor wants possum dead
  4. Helper fails with task - Leslie does not want the possum to die so she lets him loose, disappoints mayor
  5. Helper/Hero win - Leslie and Andy feel good about their decision to let the possum loose

Opposition - Higher up vs lower gov work (Leslie struggles to impress the higher up and doing so jeopardizes her moral compass)

S2 EP 19: Park Safety

1) Jerry comes to office late telling everyone that he has been mugged. Leslie goes to the Park Ranger to ask make the parks safer. The Park Ranger tells Leslie that she's wrong and that the park is as safe as could be. Leslie decides to have an interview on Joans talk show to publicly call out The Park Ranger. During the interview Leslie also calls out local government for not funding park safety. Leslie is informed that she would be getting money for park safety but she must do a public and televised acceptance of the money Right before the press conference begins Jerry tells Leslie he lied about getting mugged. He informs here that he fell in an embarrassing way and that he didn't want to tell the Park Department what happen because they would make fun of him. At the Press conference Leslie stops Jerry from saying that might incriminate them. The Park Ranger threatens to expose Leslie and Jerry plan after she called him out during the interview. Leslie talks to Mark trying to figure out why Jerry lied. Mark helps Leslie come to realization that Jerry lied because he doesn't feel as he's part of the team. Right before the park ranger interview with Joan Leslie uses the lesson she learned with the Jerry that the park ranger just wants to acknowledge as a team member. Leslie joins the park ranger in the interview and both act as though they had no important news to share. Ron teaches the rest of the department self-defense.

    • Hero - Leslie
    • Villain - Park Ranger,
    • Helper - Mark, Jerry

Opposition:

inclusive vs exclusive ( Park Ranger wants to be treated as part of the team)


Helper present problem (Jerry was attacked at park)

Hero plans (visit park rangers)

Hero executes plan (Leslie tells the park ranger that he needs to make the park safer)

Villain disrupts hero (Park ranger tell Leslie the park is already safe)

Hero executes backup plan (Leslie goes on tv and talks about problem)

Helper reveals truth (Jerry tells Leslie that he wasn't attacked)

Helper give Hero advice (Mark help Leslie understand why Jerry lied)

Villain attempts to disrupt Hero (Park Ranger plans Tv Interview)

Hero and Villain work together (Leslie and Park Ranger recgonize each other as co-workers)


S2 EP 20: Summer Catalog

Summary - Leslie and the Parks department are working on the Pawnee's summer catalog. Leslie gets the old Heads of the Parks Department and Ron together for a photo shoot that goes wrong when she discovers that they all hate each other. Ron reassures Leslie that the old guys are just bad people and that she did everything right. Ron and Leslie tell each other that they will never hate each other like that. Leslie is happy with results of the printed catalog.

Hero - Leslie

Villain - Old Park Departments Heads

Helper - Ron

Opposition: Old Vs Young ( Leslie vs the rest of Park heads)

Optimism vs Pessimism ( Leslie vs Ron: She still loves her job)

. Hero formulates plan (Leslie plans a photoshoot with the old park heads)

. Helper warns Hero (Ron tells Leslie that she's making a mistake with the photoshoot

. Hero meets villains (Leslie meets the old park heads)

.Hero executes plan (Leslie tries to have the photoshoot)

. Hero plan fails (The park heads all hate each other and make the photo shoot a bad experience)

. Helper gives advice to Hero (Ron tells Leslie that the guys are assholes and that she shouldn't take that as a fail)

. Hero succeeds (Leslie is happy with the final results of the magazine)


S2 EP 21: 94 Meetings

Summary - April mess up on Ron appointments by making them all happen on March 31st a day she doesn't believe exist. This cause Ron to have 94 appointments. After Ron assigns Leslie to help one person she leaves to save a Gazebo that is going to be destroyed by Jessica Wicks a woman of high power in Pawnee. Leslie goes to the gazebo and meets Jessica. Leslie attempts to pleads with Jessica to not destroy the gazebo but she angrily tell Leslie that does care and will still destroy it. Leslie tries to have an interview Shauna to expose Jessica but is told that the news paper is partially owned by Sweetums. Leslie decides to chains herself to the gate before The Gazebo so that they can't get to it. Leslie makes a mistakes and finds out the gate opens and that she is just attached to a moving gate. The gazebo is ultimately destroyed and Ann and Mark come to help Leslie down from the chains. Leslie feels bad about failing but Tom reassures Leslie that she did everything she could and more than what most people would. Leslie interrupts Jessica party calling her out before she is made to Leave. Ron helps April feel better after she messed up by telling her how important she is.

Opposition: Wealthy vs Average ( Jessica power comes from the fact that she's wealthy)

Hero - Leslie, Ron

Helpers - Tom, April

Villain - Jessica

Helper reveals problem (April tells everyone that they need to help Ron)

Hero discovers new problems (Leslie finds out the gazebo is getting destroyed)

Hero investigates (Leslie meets with Jessica)

Villain reveals plan (Jessica tells Leslie that their is nothing she can do)

Hero attempts to stop Villain (Leslie tries to spread what Jessica is doing)

Hero fails (Shuna tell Leslie that she publish her findings)

Hero executes backup plan (Leslie chains herself to the gate

Hero backup plan fails (The gate is still able to open and the gazebo is destroyed)

Helper gives advice to Hero (Tom reassures Leslie)

Hero gets final word against villain (Leslie interrupts Jessica party )

S2 EP 22: Telethon

Summary - Leslie helps host the Pawnee Diabetes telethon. She is given the 2am to 6am block to schedule for herself. During that time Leslie has a hard time filling that time and staying awake. Leslie tries to staying awake by eating nothing but high sugar candy bars. Leslie has to find different acts when Tom doesn't come with Detlef Schrempf. Leslie talks to Mark and convinces him to purpose to Ann live on air. Leslie finally talks to Ann after ignoring her for most the show. Ann tells Leslie that she wants to break up with Mark. As the end of her block comes up Leslie is still short of her goal. Mark attempts to purpose to Ann live on air but Leslie stops him by flashing the camera. At the end of the block Tom finally appears with Detlef Schrempf and helps Leslie reach her goal. Leslie goes to Ann house and talks to her about life. Leslie finally gets to sleep at Ann's house.

Opposition: Private vs Personal (Leslie friendship vs filling up time, Toms business)

Hero- Leslie

Villains - Tom

Helpers - Ann


Hero plans (Leslie plans out her ideas for the telethon)

Hero dispatches plan (Leslie assign the Parks Department tasks)

Hero executes plan (Leslie host her portion of the telethon

Villain disrupt plan (Tom doesn't bring Detlef Schrempf)

Hero finds back up plan (Have Mark purpose to Ann)

Hero stops backup plan (Leslie stops Mark after she finds out that Ann wants to break up)

Villain helps Hero (Tom finally brings Detlef Schrmpf)

Hero talks to helper (Leslie talks to Ann about Mark)

S2 EP 23: The Master Plan

Summary - Leslie is excited to share a bunch of proposal she has. She is informed that she can't make any proposals as the government is debt. Ron and Leslie fight over government spending. Ben and Chris come to Pawnee to fix the budget deficit. Leslie angrily rebels against them after Ben the tell her that all departments are going to be cut. Leslie goes to April 21st birthday party at a bar. Ann and Leslie decide to get drunk and let loose. Ben shows up and Leslie confronts him. Leslie tells Ben multiple times that she does not like him and that is not welcomed there. Hungover after the party Leslie is scolded by Ron and order to apologize to Ben. Leslie attempts to Ben to apologize to Ben but doesn't fully. Ben takes Leslie out for food where he reveals he was an 18 year old mayor. Leslie and Ben come to a slight understanding and try to act professionally with each other. Ben and Chris reveal that the problem was much worse and that the government needs to be shuts down. April celebrates her 21st birthday

Hero - Leslie

Villain - Ben, Chris

Helper - Ann, Ron

Personal vs Professional (Leslie gets into a fight with Ben at a party)


Hero learns of problem (Leslie learns of the budget problem)

Hero fights with helper (Leslie argues with Ron)

Hero meets Villains (Leslie meets Ben and Chris)

Villains intimidates Hero (Ben scares Leslie)

Hero fights with Villain (Leslie argues with Ben)

Helper helps Hero relax (Ann helps Leslie relax at Aprils party)

Hero fights with Villain again (Leslie fights with Ben again Aprils party)

Helper advises Hero (Ron orders Leslie to apologize)

Hero and Villain compromise (Ben and Leslie see eye to eye at breakfast)

Villain reveals problem (Ben and Chris tell Leslie they need to shut down the government)

S2 EP 24: Freddy Spaghetti

Summary - After the government is shut down Leslie informs the citizens that parks are also closed. Leslie tells them that the child concert will go on as plan. Leslie sends the Parks department to perform various task for the concert except for Ron whose at the budgeting task force. Leslie is able to set up the concert at the lot by Ann's house. During the budget meeting Ben tries to cut Leslie to save money. Ron stands up for Leslie at the task force but accidentally reveals that Leslie is still put on a concert. Ron rushes to Leslie to tell her that he accidentally told Ben that she's having the concert. Ben tells Leslie to shut the concert down but she tells him that the concert is going to happen. Donna comes back and informs Leslie that Freddy Spaghetti cancels. Leslie searches for another musician and decides to have Andy perform. Andy in his excitement gets hurt and is sent to hospital unable to perform. Leslie out of options tries to perform for the kids herself until Freddy Spaghetti surprises her. Leslie figures our that Ben paid for Freddy Spaghetti to come.

Oppostion: local government vs upper government (Leslie and the community still want the show to happen)

Hero - Leslise

Villain - Ben

Helper - Ron, Ann


Hero reveals failure ( Leslie tells the town that the parks are closed)

Hero receives new task (Leslie plans to have the children concert)

Hero distributes tasks to helpers (Leslie gives the Parks department tasks for the festival)

Helper saves Hero from villains plan (Ron saves Leslie job)

Helper reveals Heroes plan to villain (Ron tells Ben that Leslie is having the concert)

Villain attempts to stop Hero (Ben tries to stop Leslie from having concert)

Hero's plan is disrupted (Donna tells Leslie that Freddy Spaghetti canceled)

Hero finds backup plan ( Leslie plans to have Andy perform)

Backup plan fails (Andy gets hurt and can't perform)

Villain helps hero (Ben pays Freddy Spaghetti to come)