How a Bill Becomes a Law

Last updated
"How a Bill Becomes a Law"
Parks and Recreation episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 3
Directed by Ken Whittingham
Written by Daniel J. Goor
Original air dateOctober 4, 2012 (2012-10-04)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Soda Tax"		Next →
"Sex Education"
Parks and Recreation season 5
List of episodes

"How a Bill Becomes a Law" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation , and the 71st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 4, 2012.

Contents

In the episode, Leslie (Amy Poehler) scrambles to pass a bill that she proposed, while Ron (Nick Offerman) meets a potential love interest named Diane (Lucy Lawless). In Washington, D.C., Ben (Adam Scott) and April (Aubrey Plaza) decide to make an impromptu road trip to Pawnee.

Plot

Leslie (Amy Poehler) is given a large city council office. It comes with her own private bathroom, which Councilman Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser) (who thinks the bathroom shouldn't be private) dislikes. Public opinion of the city council is low due to their inability to pass many laws, but Leslie tells local talk show "Pawnee Today" that an act to extend pool hours for a children's swim club is due to easily pass.

Inspired by his therapist's helpfulness, Chris (Rob Lowe) starts a prototype 3-1-1 service and asks the parks department to answer calls. A woman named Diane (Lucy Lawless) repeatedly calls Ron's (Nick Offerman) line about a pothole in front of her house; Ron decides to fill the pothole himself with Andy (Chris Pratt).

When Tom reveals that the bill no longer has the votes to pass, Leslie begs the elderly and racist Councilman Milton (James Greene) for his vote. He agrees to vote "yes", but when Leslie dodges his attempt to kiss her, he falls and injures himself, angering him back to a "no" vote. Jamm tells Leslie that he will vote "yes" if she switches offices with him, but she refuses. Meanwhile, Andy suggests to Ron that he play with Diane's two daughters to impress her; Diane later shows up at city hall and asks Ron out on a date.

Desperate for her bill to pass, a stressed Leslie gives up her office to Jamm, who also demands her parking spot. She allows it, passing the bill into law. At a later poolside press conference about the law, Jamm is intending to tell reporters about their secret deal. Before he can, an angry Tom pushes Jamm into the pool. To save face to the press, Leslie and Tom both jump in right after, acting as if it was a staged stunt.

In another subplot, Ben (Adam Scott) and April (Aubrey Plaza) decide to make a surprise trip to Pawnee. However, they are unable to get out of the parking garage due to the presidential motorcade being nearby and security not letting any cars near the area. Ben and April remain in the car for hours and grow increasingly annoyed with each other. When the motorcade finally departs the area, Ben's car runs out of gas. They push it back into the parking spot and end up laughing about the experience, with Ben offering to pay for plane tickets to Pawnee the next weekend.

Production

"How a Bill Becomes a Law" was written by Daniel J. Goor and directed by Ken Whittingham. Within a week of the episode's original broadcast, three deleted scenes were placed on the official Parks and Recreation website. In the first, 30-second clip, Jerry and Chris discuss Jerry's accidental answering of 9-1-1 calls rather than 3-1-1, and the unexpected repercussions thereof. [1] The second clip was 80 seconds long, and showed April and Ben's attempts to entertain themselves while stuck in the car, including playing games, taking a nap, and talking about Leslie, which leads April to claim that Leslie loves Ann more than Ben. [2] In the third clip, which was 100 seconds long, three short scenes are combined: Leslie discussing her choice to get a perm; Leslie's attempts to change Milton's vote; and Leslie wearing the Invisalign teeth Jamm had demanded she buy. [3]

NBC also produced a photo gallery of the women Leslie has photos of in her office. These twelve real historical figures are mostly politicians, of both conservative and liberal parties, and several had been specifically mentioned on previous episodes. They include Hillary Clinton, Sally Ride, Madeleine Albright, and Olympia Snowe (who had appeared in the episode "Ms. Knope Goes to Washington"). [4]

Cultural references

The title of the episode is a reference to the well-known Schoolhouse Rock! segment, "I'm Just a Bill", in which an anthropomorphic bill goes through various trials and tribulations while attempting to become a law.

The episode mentions the soundtrack of Singles when April is looking through Ben's CDs when they are stuck in the car.

Related Research Articles

Parks and Recreation is an American political satire mockumentary television sitcom created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 episodes, over seven seasons. A special reunion episode aired on April 30, 2020. The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The ensemble and supporting cast features Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate, Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, Paul Schneider as Mark Brendanawicz, Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger, Jim O'Heir as Garry "Jerry" Gergich, Retta as Donna Meagle, and Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks.

"Practice Date" is the fourth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the tenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 8, 2009. In the episode, Ann takes Leslie to dinner to help prepare for her first date, while the rest of the parks department tries to learn secrets about each other as part of a game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Knope</span> Fictional character from Parks and Recreation

Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character portrayed by Amy Poehler and the main protagonist of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. For most of the show's run, she serves as deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department of the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. An overachiever, Knope believes the government should serve the people and is unceasingly optimistic about the potential of her role within it. For her performance as Knope, Poehler has been nominated for several awards and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

"Ron and Tammy" is the eighth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fourteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 5, 2009. In the episode, the library department tries to take control of a vacant lot where Leslie plans to build a park. Ron's ex-wife, one of Leslie's directors, sexually manipulates Ron to get what she wants. The episode was written by Mike Scully and directed by Troy Miller.

<i>Parks and Recreation</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur served as executive producers. Like the first season, it focuses on Leslie Knope and her staff on the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee. The episodes were approximately 22 minutes long each, all of which aired at 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The season stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Pratt.

"Sweetums" is the 15th episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 21st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 4, 2010. In the episode, the Parks and Recreation Department hosts a public forum to discuss a sponsorship agreement with local candy manufacturer, Sweetums. Leslie and Ann warn the public of the dangers of supposedly nutritious snack bars called "Nutriyums", which are filled with simple sugars, notably high fructose corn syrup.

"Park Safety" is the 19th episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 25th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 18, 2010. In the episode, Jerry is apparently mugged, which forces his co-workers to be nicer to him, and prompts Leslie to seek stronger safety measures for the city's parks.

"Eagleton" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 42nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 5, 2011. In the episode, Leslie becomes angry when her former friend, the current parks director of the more prosperous neighboring town Eagleton, builds a fence through a park that runs through both Pawnee and Eagleton. Meanwhile, Leslie plans a secret birthday party for Ron, much to his chagrin.

"Pawnee Rangers" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Unlike many episodes during the fourth season that focus on Leslie's campaign for city council, this episode hardly even mentions it. "Pawnee Rangers" garnered 3.99 million viewers, a decrease in viewers from the previous episode. The episode was written by Alan Yang and was directed by Charles McDougall.

"Bus Tour" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 67th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 3, 2012.

"Win, Lose, or Draw" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 68th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 10, 2012.

<i>Parks and Recreation</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network, from September 20, 2012 and concluded on May 2, 2013. This season consisted of 22 episodes. It stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe, with supporting performances from Jim O'Heir and Retta.

"Ms. Knope Goes to Washington" is the season premiere of the fifth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 69th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 20, 2012.

"Soda Tax" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 70th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 27, 2012.

"Sex Education" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 72nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 18, 2012.

"Halloween Surprise" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 73rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 25, 2012.

<i>Parks and Recreation</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network, from September 26, 2013, with an hour long premiere, and concluded on April 24, 2014, with an hour-long finale. It premiered in its new Thursday 8:00 pm timeslot. This season consisted of 22 episodes. It stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir, and Retta. The show moved to Thursdays at 8:30 pm beginning with its 100th episode.

<i>Parks and Recreation</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh and final season of Parks and Recreation aired in the United States on the NBC television network from January 13, 2015, until February 24, 2015. The season consisted of 13 episodes. It stars Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Jim O'Heir, and Retta, with a supporting performance from Billy Eichner.

"One Last Ride" is the two-part series finale of the television sitcom Parks and Recreation. It serves as the 12th and 13th episodes of season 7 and the 124th and 125th overall episodes of the series. It was written by lead actress Amy Poehler and series co-creator Michael Schur, the latter of whom also directed the episode. The series finale first aired on NBC in the United States on February 24, 2015, when it was watched by 4.15 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the season and the highest-rated episode since "Campaign Ad" of season four.

References

  1. ↑ "Jerry the 9-1-1 Operator" Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine at the official Parks and Recreation site
  2. ↑ "Car Games" Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine at the official Parks and Recreation site
  3. ↑ "Mice Perms" Archived 2012-11-08 at the Wayback Machine at the official Parks and Recreation site
  4. ↑ "Leslie's Inspirational Women" Archived 2012-11-10 at the Wayback Machine at the official Parks and Recreation site
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.