'Parks and Recreation' Season 5, Episode 1 Recap - 'Ms. Knope Goes to Washington'

"Parks & Recreation" is back! This first episode wasn't one of the masterpieces we have seen from the show in the past, but it was a great reminder of how solid this show is episode to episode. Even when nothing huge is happening, it's still hilarious and heartfelt.

The episode saw Leslie and Andy visiting their significant others, Ben and April, in Washington DC. It's pretty clear that Ben's new job is going very well: he's taking important calls, meeting important people, and even set up a meeting for Leslie to pitch her proposal for funding to clean up Pawnee's rivers.

On the downside, Ben is very busy, the meeting falls through, and Leslie finds herself feeling pretty inadequate next to Ben's success. The high that she had off of winning the city council election is now gone, as the people in Washington talk down to her about her position and her city.

The only people who are nice to her about it are Senators Olympia Snowe and Barbara Boxer, who make cameos. By that point, though, Leslie is too downtrodden to enjoy the experience and goes off to cry in a coat closet (where Senator John McCain's niceness goes unnoticed).

Add to that the difficulty of a long-distance relationship, and you have one sad Leslie. But with some encouraging words from Andy (of all people), Leslie is back on track.

During all of this, Ron takes on the responsibility of running the annual employee appreciation barbeque. Or, as Leslie calls it when she hosts it every year, the "Funsplosion." Ron, of course, wants nothing to do with Leslie's usual skits and costumes and whatnot: he claims that the only thing a barbeque needs, or should have, is meat.

The whole thing is a disaster from the start: Ron brings in a pig that he's going to slaughter on the spot (his name is Tom, which is a coincidence but still hilarious to Donna). People protest that, so Ron has to run and pick up some more meat, which takes a bunch of time. Since Ron banned any other food (especially vegetables), everyone gets hungry and cranky and Ron gives up on the whole thing and drives off, grill in tow, like a choo-choo train that smells of pork.

Chris actually acts like a boss to Ron for once, telling him that he will have to actually lead this office if he's going to take over for Leslie. Ron responds by bringing in corn on the cob for everyone, and they eat Tom. The pig, not the human.

Speaking of human Tom, he and Ann are still living together, but only so that Tom can win a $1,000 bet that he made to Donna that the two will stay together for another month. In actuality, they hate each other. There's a surprise. So, are we finally done with AnnTom, aka Haverkins?

Notes & Quotes:

- "There will be no f*cking vegetables."

- Ron's permit: "I can do what I want."

- "I'm hungry and my legs are tired. It feels like I just exercised."

- "...niana."

- "It's nature's candy!"

- "And that's what makes you... an amalgam. Nailed it."