WARNING! WARNING! DISASTER HAS HIT PAWNEE! Grab some snacks, pop the preparedness DVD in the player, get on that video conference, and let's BEAT THIS THING! Okay, it's simulated, sure ... but still kinda scary. Join famous gala organizers Mark and Allen as they tackle Episode 13 of Season 5, "Emergency Response". (NOTE: If you feel this content is too scary, please feel free to bring your favorite good luck charm - and if you don't have one, Constantine is selling some for your convenience. EDIT BY MARK AND ALLEN: Don't buy any ... they are all onion-based.)
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where the future of Lot 48 is finally decided! Leslie and Councilman Jeremy Jamm are finally going head-to-head, pitching their proposals for Lot 48 to the Planning Committee. Despite Jamm plying them with fast food during the meeting, Leslie is told in private her Pawnee Commons project is MUCH better for the town, and that they can't approve it because it is short $50,000 ... but if she can come up with that money in the next week, they'll vote for her. To this end, Leslie and Ben plan a black tie gala fundraiser, the gang all work together, things seem to be going well ... until the day of the gala, Leslie finds out the surprise annual Emergency Preparedness drill is happening, and as appointed Pawnee Emergency Czar, she must go to the Command Center immediately. The chosen simulated disaster is avian flu, which Leslie loves, since it is simple, and she's already prepared for it. Leslie attempts to breeze through the proceedings, but just when it looks like they have triumphed, Councilman Jamm (who was supposed to deal with Transit Authorities) dropped the ball, causing the epidemic to spread instead of being contained. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang does their best to get things ready for the gala: Ben coordinates things at Lot 48, including delegating tables and chairs to Donna, as well as dealing with firemen using Lot 48 as a triage center for the drill; Tom travels around Pawnee, desperately looking for caterers willing to supply free food for the event; Ron decides to take Leslie's place on Pawnee Today to promote the gala, which proves challenging once it becomes clear Joan Callamezzo is INCREDIBLY hung over, finally passing out on the floor before the interview can really get started. Meanwhile, the day has finally come for Andy to take the Pawnee PD exam. Very excited (but nervous), he makes his way to the police station, accompanied by April, who gives him a good luck charm and helps him with last minute cramming. After anxiously waiting in the lobby for Andy to finish, April finally sees him come back to the lobby, excited and confident that he did really well on the written exam! A bit later, Andy is once again taken into the back office, this time for his personality exam. As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Can Leslie help Pawnee survive the avian flu, or is the town going the way of the dodo? How did Andy really do on his written exam? Will Ron effectively promote the gala event? Can Tom find any caterers willing to provide food for free? Is Andy prepared to take the personality exam? Where in the world did Jerry go? Does Ben talk the firemen into moving the triage center? Will Andy truly become one of Pawnee's finest? Will the gala happen, or is it destined for doom? What is "The Knope Protocol"? What is the good luck charm April gives Andy? Loyal viewers, Season 5 is on a roll ... will it continue? Stay tuned to find out, dot dot dot ... Many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, Chez Chez La Rue.