Grab a Diet Water Zero Lite (only 60 calories), climb inside your golf cart, and get ready to ROCK THAT SCOOBER! Join renowned carbonated beverage guzzlers Mark and Allen as they tackle Episode 2 of Season 5, "Soda Tax". NOTE: Harvey asks everyone to stick around after scoring for some clips from our interview with Kathryn Pinewood actress Mary Faber. Also, against all odds, Constantine presents appearance #3 of his "smash hit" segment, "Constantine's Comedy Corner". So ... you know ... look out for that.
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where Leslie proposes her first bill to tax the city's sodas, hoping to discourage citizens from drinking them. She meets with Pawnee Restaurant Association spokeswoman Kathryn Pinewood to discuss the terms of her bill and to question the reasoning behind the city's growing drink sizes. Kathryn warns Leslie that if her bill passes, local restaurants will suffer, causing massive job losses. Kathryn goes on to say that if Leslie doesn't vote against the bill, a press release will be issued, putting the blame solely on Leslie for the layoffs. This puts Leslie in the middle of a moral conundrum: vote her conscience and risk job layoffs, or save jobs by going against her gut. Meanwhile, Ben and April are still settling into their new environment in Washington DC, with Ben trying to get his interns in line, while April remains her irreverent self, putting in minimal effort. Displeased with his interns' behavior, Ben attempts to be more assertive, but to no avail. After seeing crude, mocking drawings of him on the wall, Ben calls his boss Jennifer Barkley to request intern changes, but upon realizing how connected they all are, he changes his tactics and attempts to "kiss their asses" instead by ordering pizza and setting up frisbee games. Finally, Chris and Tom volunteer to help Andy get into shape for his police entrance exam, which is 3 months away. Chris and Tom coach Andy during his two-mile run at Pawnee Community College, which must be done in less than 25 minutes. When Andy's first attempt takes around 30 minutes, Chris asks Andy why he wants to be a policeman. After coming up with a good reason ("do it for April"), it serves to motivate Andy, but depresses Chris, as he realizes his reasons for keeping fit are purely physical. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... How will Leslie vote on the bill? Does April ever rise up above minimum effort? Can Andy complete 2 miles in under 25 minutes? Is Kathryn Pinewood bluffing? Can Ben find his way into the interns' hearts by ordering pizza and rocking scoobers? Will Chris snap out of his depression? Why do they call their 512-ounce cup a "Child Size"? Who is drawing pictures of Ben, and will it stop? What changes does Tom make to the pace car? Podcast viewers, Season 5 shows no signs of slowing down! Tune in to enjoy this episode with us, and then stick around for a sneak preview of our interview with the talented actress behind Kathryn Pinewood herself, Mary Faber! Many thanks to our sponsor, the Pawnee Restaurant Association.