S05E17 - Partridge

Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are introduced to Ben's sister, Stephanie Wyatt! Leslie and Ben head to his hometown of Partridge, Minnesota, where he was mayor at the age of 18, drove the city to 30% unemployment when he attempted to create a winter sports complex called "Ice Town,", and got impeached two months later. As a gesture of goodwill, all these years later, the town is offering Ben the key to the city, a distinction given to all city mayors. Ben is pleased that the city has finally gotten over the Ice Town debacle, and starts to feel at home again. Before the ceremony, they visit Ben's sister Stephanie at her home, where Ben practices his acceptance speech. Out of nowhere, Ben suddenly falls down in pain and is taken to the hospital, where it is revealed he has kidney stones. With Ben hopped up on morphine, the doctor insists he is unable to go anywhere, and needs to stay there. Trying to salvage things, Leslie plans to go to the ceremony on Ben's behalf to accept the key to the city. Meanwhile, Ron is being sued by Councilman Jamm for punching him in the face on the night of Leslie's wedding. He later meets with Jamm and his attorneys where Ron calls upon Andy, April, and Tom as witnesses. Although well intentioned, both April and Tom provide false statements about Ron to make him look better. Ron is not happy about this, ultimately asking them to recant their original testimonies and, instead, tell the truth, even though it will likely portray Ron in a bad light. Finally, now that Chris has officially agreed to be the sperm donor for Ann's baby, both of them are taking a lot of time trying to establish exactly how compatible they will be as parents. This starts with them both taking an online parenting quiz for compatibility, at the suggestion of Ann's doctor, Dr. Van Dyne. They do NOT do well, scoring only 58%. They then proceed to attempt a myriad of other approaches, including carrying around an egg for the day, carrying around a coffee cup for the day, and finally visiting Dr. Van Dyne to help them assess the situation. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Ben escape the hospital to be there at the ceremony? How damning will April and Tom's testimonies be? What does Dr. Van Dyne think of Chris and Ann's high level of incompatibility? Will the ceremony in Partridge go smoothly, or will there be hiccups? If he loses, will Ron be able to afford the court-ordered settlements? Is there a final test Chris and Ann can take to determine if the two of them co-parenting is at all viable? Does Ben regret not meeting the Partridge city mascot, Fred The Sled? Does Councilman Jamm win the day, or can April and Tom come up with a plan to help Ron? Will Ann have to start all over with her sperm donor search? Loyal podcast viewers, whether we're in Pawnee or Partridge, Season 5 has never failed to deliver ... so far. Can it continue? Tune in and find out with our review! In lieu of a commercial, Ron is doing a PSA "The More You Know" reviewing Seven Unknown Laws of Pawnee.