Jim O'Heir: Park Safety (S2E19)

Rob and Alan welcome Jim O'Heir aka Jerry Gergich to Pawnee. In "Park Safety" Leslie goes on a crusade to improve park safety after Jerry is mugged. On today's pod find out why this episode was terrifying for Jim, which director Carl Lorthner is based on, and why Jim had to eat charcoal tablets while filming! Got a question for the Pawnee Town Hall? Send us an email: [email protected] Or leave a 30-Second voicemail at: (310) 893-6992

Leslie holds a drawing to determine who will fill the park's hummingbird feeders. Jerry is chosen because everybody writes down Jerry's name instead of their own. Later, Leslie receives a call from Ann that Jerry is in the hospital with a dislocated shoulder. Jerry claims to have been mugged in the park, and Leslie decides nobody should tease him anymore. When Jerry returns, he acts particularly buffoonish during a slideshow presentation, and ends up farting and splitting his pants, but everyone holds back laughter at Leslie's request. Leslie meets with Carl Lorthner, a park security ranger who is incredibly loud but oblivious to the fact. Leslie suggests Carl get more help for the park to be safe.

Carl says the park is largely unprotected due to budget cuts, so Leslie vows to get more funding. The mayor offers $2,500 to help fix the park, but at a press conference about the money, Jerry confesses to Leslie that he wasn't mugged: he dropped a breakfast burrito in a creek, then fell while trying to grab it. Leslie angrily relates Jerry's story to Mark, but he stops her short when he says that Jerry was too scared of his co-workers to be honest with them. 

Carl, offended by Leslie's statements about park security plans to show footage of Jerry falling into the creek on Pawnee Today. Leslie negotiates, and instead they talk during the show about how much they enjoyed the film Avatar. The office goes back to mocking Jerry, but Jerry confides that he doesn't really care because he's just two years away from retiring on a full pension.

In a B plot, the love triangle between Andy, April, and Ann deepens. Ann says Andy is a fun person but was a terrible boyfriend because he is completely reliant on others—she later sees him give April a muffin which makes Ann think Andy has changed.