If there was ever an important moral to an episode of Parks and Recreation, this week’s episode nailed it: don’t air your dirty laundry in public.

Given this alone, you can probably guess that the weekly shenanigans of Amy Poehler’s lady hero character, Leslie Knope continue. This week Knope and ex-boyfriend, newfound ‘yeah we can be friends, that’s…cool… [chokes up , about to cry]‘ Ben Wyatt (as played by the brilliant Adam Scott) lead the Pawnee High School Model United Nations club through the woe of world hunger. Leslie and Ben start off the meet as over-enthusiastic best friend types, but eventually the issue under the surface boils up, causing them to call war on each others countries and, in turn, the high school students kick them out of the competition. In the end, Leslie and Ben make it up to the kids and convince City Hall to let them use the conference room for a state tournament of Model UN. After that, a pizza party complete with different nations’ flags ensues.

While the world crisis is being solved at the local high school, the proud Tom (Aziz Ansari) is being courted by Ron Swanson to return to working at City Hall, post Entertainment 720 going down (as was experienced last week). After some coaxing and then some speaking through physicality (hinted at with Ron chasing after Tom with that angry mustachioed look on his face), we have Tom back where he belongs.

The third arc of the show is Chris’ freak out about his 4 date long ‘relationship’ with Jerry’s daughter. Chris fears it is in trouble when he doesn’t get a call back from her and goes to Ann (Rashida Jones) for advice – she sarcastically tells him to investigate it. Knowing how Chris operates, he shakes out the sarcasm and takes the advice literally, pulling a sit down with the folks who are left in the office that day (Donna, Jerry and Ann herself). The way this one ends up, I just can’t help but feel a little bit of possibility still looming for Ann and Chris (given the way he reacts, she tells him exactly why they broke up – part of that reason being jogging and the fact that he changes people to be like him).  I’m not sure if the Chris and Ann train will ride again, though, seeing as these folks have a tendency to drop little hints and not really fill them out til a long way down the road; sometimes never (like my hunch last week that Tom would be moving away- it’s just like the Doctor Who mystery-   you knew he couldn’t die at the end of this past season because you knew Matt Smith has another year or two contract he recently signed with the show – this is not a spoiler alert, I feel it is common knowledge).

Now for the random thoughts/things of the week:

- The look on Donna’s face when Ann starts talking about the nitty grit with Chris is priceless.
- Ben’s hair is getting close to Jean-Ralphio territory in this ep…maybe it’s a character comparison of Ben wanting to more carefree and like the flyest guy who can’t get a lady in Pawnee?
- April and Andy didn’t get mentioned yet, but their role in the Leslie/Ben plot line is great. April even goes a little soft again this week and plays a sister role with Leslie.
- Model UN is the perfect set up for this show. Love using the setting- it worked for the Decemberists, it works here.
- I have yet to share my love for Harris Wittels and what he does on this show (writer, co-producer, etc.). He’s also on Comedy Bang Bang, Analyze Phish and other podcasts some. Look this guy up.

Until next week, when the Ben and Leslie story continues….

Jenny Stracener is a pretty good dog sitter but really is a cat lady at heart. She is currently working on fulfilling her (not so) secret dream job as a freelance writer and you can read more of her takes on comedy and podcasts at Podcast Listening Log. You can also see her ramblings about the exciting and also a little of the mundane on her Twitter.