S04E16 - Sweet Sixteen

Live from Pawnee: A Parks and Recreation Fan Rewatch Podcast

This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we are shown Donna's lake house, and told about her famous cousin who is an R&B singer! With Leslie's campaign eating up more and more of her time, Ron asks her to take a leave of absence. Leslie denies she is too busy, but is horrified to find out she forgot Jerry's birthday. Since 64-year-old Jerry's birthday is on February 29th, he has only had 16 actual birthdays, and so Leslie plans to throw Jerry a surprise "Sweet Sixteen" party, with Donna reluctantly agreeing to hold the party at her lake house. Despite being busy with campaign stuff, Leslie STILL manages to arrange the perfect party for Jerry ... except that she was so busy she forgot to INVITE Jerry. Leslie and Ron drive back to get Jerry, but along the way, Leslie learns her new campaign signs are printed wrong. Meanwhile, we see Ann and Tom experiencing some rough patches ... Ann refuses to wear a Kangol cap that Tom got her, making him realize they don't share the same fashion sense. At Donna's lake house, Tom finds out the R&B singer Ginuwine is Donna's cousin ... and ALSO finds out Ann doesn't know who Ginuwine is, causing Tom to seriously worry that they may have nothing in common. During all of this, Tom and Ann separately complain to an annoyed April - the person who set them up to begin with - with each one hinting they are thinking of breaking up with the other. Finally, April and Andy asked Chris to watch Champion the 3-legged wonder dog while they were out of town. While Chris took care of Champion, he took him to PetSmart, got him various toys, got him shots, got him groomed, gave him plenty of exercise, and also taught him numerous tricks. All this combines to make Andy feel a little insecure and inadequate. At Donna's lake house, while walking Champion, Andy lets Champion off his leash despite Chris' protests, and he runs away. Chris and Andy are forced to look for the dog, and Andy now feels more inadequate than ever, concerned that he's a bad dog owner. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... What exactly is wrong with Leslie's campaign signs? How does April deal with Ann and Tom's constant complaining? Can April encourage them to take the final step and break up? Can Andy imitate Chris' German commands to Champion? Can Ron ever convince Leslie to take a sabbatical? Will Andy and Chris ever find Champion, or will he be lost forever? Do Leslie and Ron find Jerry, and if so, where? What is the "oh-no-no" list? Is there some hidden meaning behind Chris' doting on Champion? Loyal podcast viewers, this episode has something for everyone - lake houses, canoes, people in bathtubs, German commands, lots of drinking, family secrets - be sure to tune in and experience all the craziness with us! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, "Cakey J's Cheesecake Facility".