Parks and Recollection is Back!
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Hello, Literally Family. Rob Lowe here. As you know, Parks and Recollection is literally the definitive Parks and Recreation recap podcast, and I am thrilled to say it is back, baby. This season, we're shaking things up. I am handing off hosting duties to my friends, writer Greg Levine and Jim O'Hare, who you know is the one and only Jerry Gergich. How great is that?

Each week, Jim and Greg will talk through a new episode of Parks and Rec, breaking down all our favorite moments and taking us behind the scenes. They'll be joined by amazing guests such as Chelsea Peretti, Jason Mantzoukas, and yours truly. In fact, for the very first episode, I join Jim and Greg to discuss episode one of season four. Here's a preview.

Welcome, guys. It's great to have you on board. Hello, Mr. Rob. It's so great to be here. I have been a fan of what you guys have been doing. Everyone knows I do love Parks and Recreation and what you and Alan have done and Greg, because I hear Greg a lot on these shows, too. Yeah, I'm here. So big shoes to fill, but I'm going to do what I can. You know, Greg, we think is the secret weapon. He's like the Wizard of Oz. He really is. You don't really see him very much.

But when he talks, you sit up and listen. Yeah, yeah. Just like Oz. Greg, Oz, Levine. And Jim, no one's more beloved-

on a show of beloved characters than Jerry Gergich. How many names did Jerry have eventually? Jerry, Gary, Larry, Terry, and even Barry from Johnny Karate. That's right. Yeah. But I believe it's always been Gergich. It has always been Gergich, although Gergich has been spelled differently. Oh, I'm sure. So has Gary. Yes, that's right. G-E-R-R-Y, G-A-R-Y. Yeah, all sorts of stuff.

Yeah, I'm a blessed dude. The Jerry, Gary, whatever the hell name character has become what people consider like just the sweetest damn person in the whole world. And then they meet me. Yeah.

Yes, that's right. And reality hits. For those of you who don't know, you know, Jim went directly to prison after we wrapped. Directly, yes. But I think you've rehabilitated yourself well, and you can almost live up to your on-screen reputation now. I'm very proud of what I've done in prison. I took it serious. You're not proud of what got you there, are you? I am proud of what got me there. And there's every chance I'll be going back. Okay, well. I made some friends. Let's just say that. I made some friends. Oh.

I'm terrified now to be in the studio with you. You should be. When did I do the one that I did with you guys? It was early. Oh, it was early. It was early on in season two. Yeah, that was so much fun. And where was I? I was at a... Oh, do you know

Do you know the craziness you caused? What have I done? So during the episode, I was out of town and I was doing Better Call Saul, but you couldn't, I wasn't allowed to say that. Oh, right. So whatever. I say whatever about, well, I'm in, I think I did say I was in Arizona or New Mexico or whatever, wherever the hell that place shot. And you said, yes, Jim's doing something. We can't say what it is, but it rhymes with bar wars.

So you just make this random off the head cover. Well, Google my name with Mandalorian because everybody assumed I was shooting the Mandalorian. And it got to the point where they called my agents and saying, there's so much hype about this. Would Jim consider doing a spot on Mandalorian?

Are you kidding? Yes, I haven't done it, but I was like, yes, of course I would consider doing it. But that's from that one little comment. Oh, my God. Well, it rhymes with bar wars, whatever you said. Yeah. The internet as it does its thing. Yeah. It took it from that to me doing Mandalorian. And I even to the point where I was doing, I was at some charity thing in Chicago like a couple months ago. And this guy comes up and he goes, when are you going to be on the Mandalorian? And I go, dude.

It's not happening. I'm playing the mandolin. Yeah, but that killed me. I'm doing the orchestra for the Mandalorian. You know, but I'm really excited, Rob. I know this is, you know, you guys have been doing this and you know it. And I'm terrified and excited all of the above because you guys have done it so well. Well, we could not be passing the baton to you.

to more qualified, hilarious people. I'm not going anywhere. I'm still going to be lurking in the wing. You're never going to know. I think it's going to be fun because you're never going to know when I'm going to show up, which makes it much more interesting than going, I know I'm going to hear that. Like podcast herpes. Yes, yes. You never know when. Yeah, yeah. But when it's there, you can't deny its presence. Yeah, I love that. Well, but then it would also have to be that I would show up at the most inopportune time.

But I'm going to show up at the opera two times. Thank you. Wow. I'm nervous all of a sudden. I didn't have to be nervous and now I really am. He has a key to your house, right? Yeah, but that's a whole different thing. Okay. Well, today, ladies and gentlemen, we are starting off with season four. Wow. Season four, episode one.

I'm Leslie Knope, directed by Troy Miller, great movie director, and written by one of our favorites, Dan Gore. Jimmy, take it away. Tell us what this is about. I'm so excited to be reading the blurb. Leslie is torn between her feelings. Wait, you've already messed up. You've already messed up. Okay, well, let's see who else is available. Here's the problem. Call Retta. See what Retta's doing. Yeah, yeah. Here's what you do, Jim. What do I do? Teach, Rob, teach me. Teach me. Don't acknowledge. Don't acknowledge that you're reading.

Oh, so I'm just thinking of this offhand. Yes. Okay. Yeah, no, no, you're right. There's no blurb. No, no, no. There's no prep. This is just all from your memory. Okay, let me think. I did it. So let me try it again. Here we go, Jim. Sure, sure, sure. So Jim, you remember this in detail, I'm sure, right? Oh, gosh. Tell me about this episode. I don't know, Rob. Can I piece it all together? Well, from my memory, Leslie, I believe, is torn between her feelings for Ben and her dreams of running for public office. Oh, my gosh.

If I remember, Ron braces himself for the arrival of his first wife, and that was Tammy One, that's right, by running from his problems and hiding at his cabin in the woods. Your memory is just unbelievable. Is my memory pretty good? Impeccable. Wow. You know, we should start talking about some of the specifics from the episode. Some of the highlights are notes, if you will. When Ron grabs his go bag out of the air duct,

And there's the note on the back saying that it's specific to Tammy one. First of all, I love that Ron has a go bag. I'm a big fan of go bags. Um, I don't have one. I should have one. And I always kind of like when I'm bored or falling asleep late at night, I like to think about what would I have on my go bag? Wow. I don't have a go bag either. And, um,

Do we actually see what Ron has in the go bag? I don't remember. You don't see specifically. I think you see that it's packed full and we see the Tammy 1 sign. But what I love about it is that if it's specific to Tammy 1, it makes me think that there are other go bags that...

strategically placed throughout City Hall for any number of maladies to come his way. There's not just a go bag at the office. There's a go bag everywhere Ron is, is my guess. Because he never knows when a Tammy's going to show up. Yeah, absolutely. So that wasn't the only go bag. That's a great point. It's like at Disneyland, there's always a trash can within certain distance of any person. He always has a go bag within any distance of where he is in City Hall. That's great. He can smell a Tammy a mile away.

That was just a taste of the new season of Parks and Recollection, which is out now. So head over to the Parks and Recollection podcast feed and listen to the whole episode. And don't forget to subscribe and leave a great review. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Again, that's Parks and Recollection, hosted by my friends Jim O'Hare and Greg Levine. New episodes out every week, wherever you find your podcasts. Treat yourself.