Get your plane tickets and journey across the globe to a place where they have big clocks, say aluminum weird, and drive on the wrong side of the road ... that's right ... we're going to LONDON bay-bee!!! Join British Lords Mark and Allen as they tackle the first half of the double-sized Season 6 premiere, "London, Part 1". (NOTE: Constantine and Harvey were inspired by the Season 6 premiere, and have been drinking tea with their pinkies out. They're so proper.)
This week Mark and Allen break down the Episode where we get introduced to Lord Fancyface! Picking up immediately where the Season 5 finale left off, Diane informs Ron that she is pregnant. Overwhelmed with joy and love, Ron proposes to Diane. Both wanting as small and quick a wedding as possible, they head to the 4th floor of City Hall to get married immediately. They pick up Leslie and April on their way, and with them as witnesses, Ron and Diane are pronounced husband and wife. One month later, Leslie is STILL being attacked by the "Recall Knope" campaign. Leslie attempts to fight back, but so far nothing she does is creating awareness or making a difference. Trying to think outside the box, April recently nominated Leslie for an award from the International Coalition of Women in Government, and announces some much needed good news to the gang: Leslie was one of five winners, and the awards ceremony is being held in London! One month later ... Leslie and April are in London for the awards ceremony, with Ben, Andy, and Ron also present. As Leslie prepares for the ceremony, she discovers her personal London pictures are being used by those from the "Recall Knope" campaign to insinuate she'd rather be in Europe than work through her problems in Pawnee. With the help of Ron, Leslie works past her initial instinct to fly back to Pawnee immediately. Meanwhile, Ben and Andy are in London to meet with a wealthy potential benefactor for the Sweetums Foundation. Ben and Andy meet with Lord Edgar Covington, a wealthy man from a distinguished family with lots of money and property. Ben attempts to discuss terms with Lord Covington, but it quickly becomes clear he is easily distracted and is interested in childish, trivial things ... much like Andy. In fact, Andy and Lord Covington get along very, VERY well, both having similar work ethics and mannerisms. When Ben finally gets the chance to put forward his proposal, Covington admits he has no idea what he is doing. He started the charity to do something good with his family's money but he has heard hundreds of charity pitches and isn't sure who to choose. Also meanwhile, we learn from Ron that Diane originally wanted this London trip to be their honeymoon, but when a huge wave of morning sickness took her out of the equation, she stayed home and insisted Ron go take pictures for her and try to enjoy himself. Ron grumpily agrees, but is not having a great time there. Despite this, he manages to support Leslie, and even tries to mentor her when she finds out Pawnee is still raking her over the coals at home. Leslie also gives Ron what she considers a "proper" wedding gift ... an itinerary taking him to a mystery location that she swears he'll be glad he went to. Back in Pawnee, Tom is peeved at Tommy's Closet being established across the street from Rent-A-Swag, and asks Donna to help him find out information on the unknown owner. Finding only an address, Tom drives there to find Ann and Chris entering the building - what the what? Tom races in after them and finds the pair in a room in the middle of a sonogram. At this point, Tom realizes two very important things: [a] Ann is pregnant, and [b] the person trying to ruin his business is their doctor, Dr. Saperstein ... the father of both Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa. Dr. Saperstein tells Tom he is only doing it to get back at him for ruining his children's lives. Even after hearing this, Tom doesn't really get Dr. Saperstein's reasoning for going after him. Finally, Ann and Chris are together, and doing great - their relationship is better than it ever has been. As things progress, we (and Tom) end up learning one more very interesting fact ... Ann is pregnant! They're trying to keep this just their secret for now, but they're getting a little antsy to let everyone know ... As always, we tackle the tough questions, such as ... Will Leslie's speech go off without a hitch, or could she encounter some turbulence? Can Andy convince Lord Covington to choose Ben's proposal? Does Ron take pictures of London like Diane asked him to? What is the REAL reason Dr. Saperstein is going so hard after Tom? Will Ann and Chris decide to start telling people? Can Leslie's award change how the citizens of Pawnee see her, or will they continue to be "pee-pee-heads"? Is there anything Andy can otherwise do to help clinch the deal with Lord Fancyface? Is Ron able to talk Leslie down out of the crazy tree? Can Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa help to diffuse the situation between Tom and their father? Can Ann and Chris predict how Leslie will react when she hears their news? Does Leslie's award change how SHE feels, or does she need a boost from another source? Who exactly came up with the nickname "Lord Fancyface"? Where exactly is Leslie's itinerary sending Ron? Does Tom close Rent-A-Swag, or will he continue to fight? Is all this making Ann and Chris feel overwhelmed, and if so, how do they deal with it? Loyal podcast viewers, here we go ... Season 6 is here! Can it live up to the legacy Season 5 left us with? Tune in and find out! Many thanks to our amazing sponsor, 'Flags R Us'!