TV.com

Parks and Recreation Season 2 Episode 1

Pawnee Zoo

Watched It I've Watched This 5

Aired Thursday 8:00 PM Sep 17, 2009 on NBC

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

AIRED: Sep 17, 2009

Amazon Prime

Free Trial / Subscription

7.3

User Rating

242 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

Hoping to promote the local zoo, Leslie arranges a wedding for two of the zoo's penguins as a publicity stunt. But things don't go quite as planned when she realizes the penguins are both male.

FAN RECAP

Who was the Episode MVP ?

Parks and Recreation Listings

Full Listings

Friday

No results found.

Saturday

No results found.

Sunday

No results found.

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

Season 2 Premire

8.5

By Lostindharma, Jan 24, 2012

This was a great start to Season 2. This was also the start of Parks and Recreation of being the great show it is today. This was the first episode that where the pit was not the main story. I think it's funny that Andy is living in it. This was the start to the beginning to the loveable dork that Andy is today. It's funny how he be "responsible" when he comes to Ann's house. I also also enjoyed because this was a step up for the character of Leslie. It shows that she is getting over Mark. There was a slight hesitation when Ann told Mark asked her out but then she was over it. A recurring character is introduced with Joane Calizmo. She is a good character. The scene in the gay bar was great. If you watch this on DVD, catch out the deleted scenes. They are funny. An overall solid episode.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
Season 2 brings.. mostly more of the same, but there's no denying it's funny.

8.9

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Sep 23, 2010

I don't think that Parks and Recreation will ever completely evade being placed next to The Office.. the format is too similar and some of the characters have the same exact personalities. However, that doesn't mean the show isn't trying to avoid being pigeonholed and that the show isn't funny, because the premiere tonight certainly impressed.

Leslie accidentally marries two male penguins as part of a publicity stunt for a local zoo and ends up causing a huge town wide fiasco. While the gay community views her as a hero (listen to April treat her like Harvey Milk, and Leslie's reaction to their support.. it's hilarious), another local group tries to get her to resign.

The episode was topical and had some great lines from Leslie, Tom and Andy.. and the cold open was hilarious. However, some of the jokes (the two penguins humping each other is the first to jump to mind) just fell flat and made the show feel more juvenile than it is. It's not like Parks and Recreation is the smartest comedy on TV, but it's definitely better then stupid sight gags like that.

I wasn't too excited about this show coming into September, but I kind of remember why I liked the show earlier this year now.. Definitely looking forward to some new episodes (and hoping the number of viewers rise)moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
3 0

Flag
Share Hide
Poker Face

8.5

By Water78, Sep 23, 2010

Parks and Recreation,

Pawnee Zoo,

- The episode starts off with Leslie dancing around singing Parents Just Dont Understand. With everybody liking what she is doing. With Ron trying to tell her something info, when she finishes he tells her that somebody is on fire and they need her - show opens. Leslie sets her sight on the local zoo with throwing a birthday for a bird and trying to help monkey throw a hat instead of it's poop. Fail, then she marrys two penguins, afterwards they set to hump each other and she finds out that they are both male. Mark is acting different ever since he fell into the pit last season. Asking Ann on a date to her dismay. Leslie get's a party in her honor from a gay bar that is behind Ron's house. However the people from the ssfs want Leslie to step down and get out off office because she spent tax payers money and they want to get rid of the marriage. At the bar she becomes more into her cause and belives she is right. She goes onto a local news show and fights the ssfs only to find out everybody wants her to step down even little children. In the end Leslie sends the birds to iowa, however she puts them in her car and escapes. Ann's exboyfriend Andy shows up at her door asking her back. Ann finds out that she has a stable job now. However she denies him and he leaves. While we find out that Andy doesnt have a job but actually lives in the pit making sure nothing bad happens to ann. Overall i went into this episode with low expetations and i wasnt let down. I was finally happy to see the plot not about the pit and something else. The episode was actually very funny and i can tell that she show is coming into it's own and not the office anymore.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
3 0

Flag
Share Hide
Second Season Premiere

9.1

By TvFreak7, Sep 23, 2010

Pretty much my first episode I watched of this series. And just to let you know. I hate the office. I think it's an unfunny stupid show. I'm not a big fan of NBC Comedies anymore. I love Friends. Will & Grace, but when those and other traditional comedies ended I didn't watch their comedies anymore. I love Amy Poehler I think she's hilarious. So when I heard she was getting her own show I cheered. From the creators of the office. I booed. The first season did not grab my attention at all. watched like 3 minutes total of the whole season. I actually thought this episode was really funny. I loved when Leslie was singing Parents Just Don't Understand in the beginning and when she was at the gay bar. Poker Face my my Poker Face. haha. And on the Pawnee Today Show. haha. I'll watch the next episode, but I might have to watch online since I'm going to watch Vampire Diaries and FlashForward at 8 on NBC.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
4 1

Flag
Share Hide
A great first episode for this second season of Parks and Recreation

9.0

By mathieu_estri, Sep 23, 2010

This first episode was just as good as what we saw at the end of season 1. All the right ingredients were there, including the silliness of Amy Poehler, or at least of her character on the show. The gay penguin wedding at the zoo was a cute idea and I love how she tries to defend herself all along by saying "but it was cute, damn it"!. It's funny also how she needs to be popular and how she can't resist and gives in when the gay crowd starts cheering and chnating her name in the club. Great premiere!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
4 0

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Rashida Jones	Ann Perkins
Paul Schneider	Mark Brendanawicz
Aziz Ansari	Tom Haverford
Nick Offerman	Ron Swanson
Aubrey Plaza	April Ludgate
Chris Pratt	Andy Dwyer

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Darlene Hunt	Marcia	Guest Star
Tahmus Rounds	Zookeeper	Guest Star
Marlon John	Man in crowd	Guest Star
Jim O'Heir	Jerry Gergich	Recurring Role
Retta	Donna Meagle	Recurring Role
Blake Lee	Derek	Recurring Role

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Episode Photos

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and...

© 2009 NBC Universal, Inc.
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and...

© 2009 NBC Universal, Inc.
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and...

© 2009 NBC Universal, Inc.
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and...

© 2009 NBC Universal, Inc.

See All Photos

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (0)
ADD TRIVIA
- ADD TRIVIA from this episode.
QUOTES (6)
ADD QUOTES
- Mark: I really hit rock bottom that night. And, I mean, I literally fell to the bottom of a pit and hit a rock. I remember laying there thinking "There's probably a good reason why I'm down here...and single." And then I started thinking "I need morphine"
  EDIT SHARE
- Leslie: (About April's relationship) The thing about youth culture is I don't understand it.
  EDIT SHARE
- Leslie: (about the penguins) Ooh, Six Flags! I should take them on a water slide, but they might die. But it would be so cute!
  EDIT SHARE
- April: This is my boyfriend Derek, and this is Derek's boyfriend Ben.
  Leslie: Hey! Oh.. wait, what's the situation?
  April: What do you mean?
  Leslie: How does this work?
  April: Derek is gay, but he's straight for me, but he's gay for Ben, and Ben is really gay for Derek, and I hate Ben.
  Derek: It's not really complicated.
  EDIT SHARE
- Leslie: Chimpanzees are very smart, so we had them graduate from college. And they like to fling their feces, so we were hoping they would fling their hats, but they...they flung their feces.
  EDIT SHARE
- Boy: Are they making babies?
  Zookeeper: Not those two. Those are both boy penguins.
  Leslie: I'm sorry?
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (2)
ADD NOTES
- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: September 17, 2009 on CityTV
  EDIT SHARE
- Music: Boom Boom Pow (Black Eyed Peas), Poker Face (Lady GaGa)
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (0)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.