Indianapolis (Parks and Recreation)
Encyclopedia
"Indianapolis" is the sixth episode of the third season
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 36th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on February 24, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
and Ron
travel to Indianapolis
to receive a commendation, while Ann
suspects Chris
is cheating on her. Meanwhile, Tom
tries to pitch his personal fragrance to a cologne maker while simultaneously bonding with Ben
.
Written by Katie Dippold and directed by Randall Einhorn
, "Indianapolis" was the last of six episodes filmed almost immediately after the second season
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate actress Amy Poehler
's pregnancy. The episodes were ultimately held for several months due to a scheduling hiatus. It was originally intended to be the last episode featuring guest star Rob Lowe
, but he became a permanent cast member after it was filmed.
The episode features a guest appearance by actor Jason Mantzoukas
as fragrance maker Dennis Feinstein. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "Indianapolis" was seen by 4.59 million household viewers, an increase in viewership from the previous week's episode, "Media Blitz
". The episode received generally positive reviews.
(Amy Poehler
) and Ron
(Nick Offerman
) head up to Indianapolis
to receive a commendation at the Indiana Statehouse for reestablishing the Pawnee Harvest Festival, although Ron is only interested in eating at Charles Mulligan's Steak House, his favorite restaurant. Ann
(Rashida Jones
) tells Leslie her last talk with Chris
(Rob Lowe
) reassured her their relationship was fine, but he has been acting distant since then. She asks Leslie to look for signs of whether Chris is cheating on her, since he has since returned to Indianapolis.
Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) is attending a launch party for cologne maker Dennis Feinstein (Jason Mantzoukas) at the Snakehole Lounge, where Tom hopes to pitch his own cologne "Tommy Fresh" to him. Ben
(Adam Scott
) initially turns down the invitation because he does not want to get too attached to anybody, since his job will require him move soon. However, Ben relents when Tom invites him again at Leslie's urging. Meanwhile, April
(Aubrey Plaza) and Andy
(Chris Pratt
) are now dating, but Andy is worried he is too broke to take her out.
Leslie and Ron visit Chris' apartment, where Leslie discovers a woman's razor and a pink swimming cap in the bathroom. Upon hearing this, Ann decides to drive up to Indianapolis to confront Chris. To Ron's horror, Charles Mulligan's has been shut down by the health department, so Chris invites everyone back to his place for food. To Ron's further horror, Chris prepares vegetarian dishes, and Ron nearly passes out as he had been starving himself with the expectation of eating at Mulligan's. At the launch party, Tom approaches Dennis, who insults "Tommy Fresh" and quickly dismisses Tom. Ben cheers him up and tells him not to give up on his dreams, admitting that he considers Tom his friend. Ben is happy when it is apparent that the parks department feels the same way. Andy and April, who are both broke, hold a contest to see how much free stuff that can get at the party, earning $218 by posing as staff and accepting tips. However, they both feel guilty and give the money to the bartender.
Ann eventually shows up at Chris' apartment and lashes out at him, but he explains he shaves his legs with the razor for swimming, and the pink shower cap was for swimming in a breast cancer awareness triathalon. However, he tells Ann they broke up last week during their talk; Ann realizes that Chris was so positive in how he ended the relationship that she was totally oblivious to it. Leslie decides not to attend the commendation ceremony so she can drive Ann home that night, cheering her up during the trip by telling her all the numerous embarrassing ways she has been dumped over the years. They end up at the Snakehole Lounge for the party to rendezvous with everyone else. As they all leave the party, Ben avenges Tom by pouring "Tommy Fresh" all over the inside of Dennis' parked SUV. Meanwhile, a starving Ron goes to a diner and orders all of the eggs and bacon they have.
.jpg)
"Indianapolis" was written by Katie Dippold and directed by Randall Einhorn
. It was the last of six third season
episodes that were written and filmed almost immediately after the second season
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy. However, although finished early in anticipation of a September 2010 release date, the series' third season was ultimately placed on hiatus until early 2011, many months after production on "Indianapolis" was finished. The episode "Time Capsule
" was actually the last of the six to be filmed because it afforded the most opportunities for actress Amy Poehler to conceal her pregnant belly behind a variety of props, but "Indianapolis" as planned was the sixth episode of the season. "Indianapolis" was originally expected to be the final episode starring Rob Lowe, who was first scheduled to make only a string of guest appearances throughout the third season
. However, after the episode was filmed, Lowe was signed as a permanent Parks and Recreation cast member, so his character returned in future episodes.
Jason Mantzoukas made a guest appearance in "Indianapolis" as the fragrance maker Dennis Feinstein. The character and some of his fragrance brands have been mentioned in previous Parks and Recreation episodes, but this marked his first on-screen appearance. Mantzoukas portrays the character Rafi in the FX comedy series The League
; he is the second character from that show to appear on Parks and Recreation, as actor and comedian Nick Kroll
previously guest-starred in the episode "Media Blitz
". "Indianapolis" included a scene in which Leslie comforts Ann with stories about multiple times Leslie was dumped in the past, all of which were edited together in a series of jump cut
s. The technique has been commonly used throughout the series to condense multiple takes of improvisation
from Poehler.
, an international men's magazine. While proposing possible date activities to April, Andy suggests watching television at Best Buy
, a consumer electronics retailer store. While describing one of his past meals at the steakhouse restaurant, Ron recalled having drank a 16-year-old Lagavulin Single Malt
, a type of scotch whiskey. Ben claims that his signature drink is Miller Lite
, a very common brand of lager beer. Leslie reveals her nickname in high school was Angela Lansbury
, an actress best known for her role on the television series Murder, She Wrote
. Ben says because he moves around so much due to work, he does not become close with many people, and considers the acquaintances he makes the equivalent of Facebook
friends, a reference to the social network service
website.
, with an overall 2.7 rating/4 share, and a 2.4 rating/6 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It constituted a 9 percent increase over the previous week's episode "Media Blitz", which was seen by 4.33 million households. Along with 30 Rock
, Parks was the only show from the NBC Thursday comedy block on February 24 to see an increase in ratings over the previous week: Community
, Perfect Couples
, Outsourced
and The Office were all flat, with the latter two shows matching their lowest ratings of the season. Parks and Recreation was outperformed in its 9:30 p.m. timeslto by the Fox
reality series American Idol
and the CBS
crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, which were seen by an average 21.82 million and 12.48 million household viewers, respectively. "Indianapolis", however, earned higher ratings than the CW Network
drama series Nikita
, which was seen by 3.4 million household viewers.
finale "Rock Show
", which he called "the show that was capable of living up to the talent in front of and behind the camera". Sepinwall said the characters were now so well-developed that he enjoyed simply getting to "hang out with them", and he particularly liked the rapport between Tom and Ben, the latter of whom he said was becoming better integrated into the cast. IGN
writer said the episode perfectly highlighted all the characters various eccentricities, and enjoyed that the show took the characters out of the usual parks department office setting and placed them into the "wonderful, lovable world that this show has created for itself".
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
called the episode "one of the finest in this first season three batch and a solid showcase for all the characters". He praised the show for going in directions atypical for sitcoms, like having the Ann and Chris break-up off-screen, and said "Ann's character defies all the expectations heaped on her from two previous seasons". Steve Kandell of New York
magazine said "Indianapolis" was not as strong as other third season episodes, but that it "proves to be as emblematic of the show’s soft, gooey heart as any the series has done". In particular, Kandell praised how Ben is growing to love Pawnee, and how April and Andy donated their tips at the end of the episode. Hollywood.com writer Eric Sundermann said the writers took "some risks outside of the characters' comfort zone" in "Indianapolis" and that they worked, especially with Ann's character, who he felt opened up more than in past episodes. He also said Andy and April work well together because the characters seem so genuine with each other. Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic declared "Indianapolis" a great episode. He particularly enjoyed the April and Andy date, which he called, "downright adorable", and the Ron Swanson subplot, which he called "so ridiculous and hilarious".
Rick Porter of Zap2it
called the episode a "pretty low-key affair" and a "a nice pause in the harvest festival story". Porter praised Rashida Jones' performance and said Adam Scott and Aziz Ansari played well off each other. Joel Keller of TV Squad called the steakhouse subplot "Ron Swanson at his best" and enjoyed the Andy and April scenes, but said he did not like how the Ann and Chris romance had been handled throughout the season, and hoped it would end with "Indianapolis". Entertainment Weekly
writer Hillary Busis said she liked seeing Ben interact with characters other than Leslie, and enjoyed the development between Ann and Chris. However, Busis found the other subplots of the episode "a little flimsy" and found it lacking compared to recent episodes like "Ron and Tammy: Part Two" and "Media Blitz".
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, and the 36th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on February 24, 2011. In the episode, Leslie
Leslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
and Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
travel to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
to receive a commendation, while Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
suspects Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
is cheating on her. Meanwhile, Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
tries to pitch his personal fragrance to a cologne maker while simultaneously bonding with Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
.
Written by Katie Dippold and directed by Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...
, "Indianapolis" was the last of six episodes filmed almost immediately after the second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
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...
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate actress Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
's pregnancy. The episodes were ultimately held for several months due to a scheduling hiatus. It was originally intended to be the last episode featuring guest star Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, but he became a permanent cast member after it was filmed.
The episode features a guest appearance by actor Jason Mantzoukas
Jason Mantzoukas
Jason Mantzoukas is an American actor and comedian currently appearing as Rafi in the FX comedy series The League.-Life and career:Mantzoukas began performing improvisational comedy in college. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont. After college, Mantzoukas studied music and lived abroad for...
as fragrance maker Dennis Feinstein. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, "Indianapolis" was seen by 4.59 million household viewers, an increase in viewership from the previous week's episode, "Media Blitz
Media Blitz
"Media Blitz" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 35th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 17, 2011...
". The episode received generally positive reviews.
Plot
LeslieLeslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
(Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
) and Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
(Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an American actor best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a skilled woodworker.-Early life and career:...
) head up to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
to receive a commendation at the Indiana Statehouse for reestablishing the Pawnee Harvest Festival, although Ron is only interested in eating at Charles Mulligan's Steak House, his favorite restaurant. Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
) tells Leslie her last talk with Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
(Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) reassured her their relationship was fine, but he has been acting distant since then. She asks Leslie to look for signs of whether Chris is cheating on her, since he has since returned to Indianapolis.
Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
(Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
) is attending a launch party for cologne maker Dennis Feinstein (Jason Mantzoukas) at the Snakehole Lounge, where Tom hopes to pitch his own cologne "Tommy Fresh" to him. Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
(Adam Scott
Adam Scott (actor)
Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
) initially turns down the invitation because he does not want to get too attached to anybody, since his job will require him move soon. However, Ben relents when Tom invites him again at Leslie's urging. Meanwhile, April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
(Aubrey Plaza) and Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
(Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
) are now dating, but Andy is worried he is too broke to take her out.
Leslie and Ron visit Chris' apartment, where Leslie discovers a woman's razor and a pink swimming cap in the bathroom. Upon hearing this, Ann decides to drive up to Indianapolis to confront Chris. To Ron's horror, Charles Mulligan's has been shut down by the health department, so Chris invites everyone back to his place for food. To Ron's further horror, Chris prepares vegetarian dishes, and Ron nearly passes out as he had been starving himself with the expectation of eating at Mulligan's. At the launch party, Tom approaches Dennis, who insults "Tommy Fresh" and quickly dismisses Tom. Ben cheers him up and tells him not to give up on his dreams, admitting that he considers Tom his friend. Ben is happy when it is apparent that the parks department feels the same way. Andy and April, who are both broke, hold a contest to see how much free stuff that can get at the party, earning $218 by posing as staff and accepting tips. However, they both feel guilty and give the money to the bartender.
Ann eventually shows up at Chris' apartment and lashes out at him, but he explains he shaves his legs with the razor for swimming, and the pink shower cap was for swimming in a breast cancer awareness triathalon. However, he tells Ann they broke up last week during their talk; Ann realizes that Chris was so positive in how he ended the relationship that she was totally oblivious to it. Leslie decides not to attend the commendation ceremony so she can drive Ann home that night, cheering her up during the trip by telling her all the numerous embarrassing ways she has been dumped over the years. They end up at the Snakehole Lounge for the party to rendezvous with everyone else. As they all leave the party, Ben avenges Tom by pouring "Tommy Fresh" all over the inside of Dennis' parked SUV. Meanwhile, a starving Ron goes to a diner and orders all of the eggs and bacon they have.
Production
Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...
. It was the last of six third season
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
episodes that were written and filmed almost immediately after the second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
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...
ended as part of an early shooting schedule needed to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy. However, although finished early in anticipation of a September 2010 release date, the series' third season was ultimately placed on hiatus until early 2011, many months after production on "Indianapolis" was finished. The episode "Time Capsule
Time Capsule (Parks and Recreation)
"Time Capsule" is the third episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 33rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 3, 2011. In the episode, Leslie tries to encourage civic pride through a...
" was actually the last of the six to be filmed because it afforded the most opportunities for actress Amy Poehler to conceal her pregnant belly behind a variety of props, but "Indianapolis" as planned was the sixth episode of the season. "Indianapolis" was originally expected to be the final episode starring Rob Lowe, who was first scheduled to make only a string of guest appearances throughout the third season
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
. However, after the episode was filmed, Lowe was signed as a permanent Parks and Recreation cast member, so his character returned in future episodes.
Jason Mantzoukas made a guest appearance in "Indianapolis" as the fragrance maker Dennis Feinstein. The character and some of his fragrance brands have been mentioned in previous Parks and Recreation episodes, but this marked his first on-screen appearance. Mantzoukas portrays the character Rafi in the FX comedy series The League
The League
The League is an American sitcom that premiered on FX on October 29, 2009. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy about a fantasy football league, its members, and their everyday lives.-Synopsis:...
; he is the second character from that show to appear on Parks and Recreation, as actor and comedian Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
previously guest-starred in the episode "Media Blitz
Media Blitz
"Media Blitz" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 35th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 17, 2011...
". "Indianapolis" included a scene in which Leslie comforts Ann with stories about multiple times Leslie was dumped in the past, all of which were edited together in a series of jump cut
Jump cut
A jump cut is a cut in film editing and vloging in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit causes the subject of the shots to appear to "jump" position in a discontinuous way...
s. The technique has been commonly used throughout the series to condense multiple takes of improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
from Poehler.
Cultural references
Tom said Blackout, one of Dennis Feinstein's fragrances, was named one of the "top 100 ways to trick someone into sex" by MaximMaxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
, an international men's magazine. While proposing possible date activities to April, Andy suggests watching television at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, a consumer electronics retailer store. While describing one of his past meals at the steakhouse restaurant, Ron recalled having drank a 16-year-old Lagavulin Single Malt
Lagavulin Single Malt
Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay, United Kingdom. The whisky has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma, and is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.The standard...
, a type of scotch whiskey. Ben claims that his signature drink is Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
, a very common brand of lager beer. Leslie reveals her nickname in high school was Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
, an actress best known for her role on the television series Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
. Ben says because he moves around so much due to work, he does not become close with many people, and considers the acquaintances he makes the equivalent of Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
friends, a reference to the social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
website.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "Indianapolis" was seen by an estimated 4.59 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, with an overall 2.7 rating/4 share, and a 2.4 rating/6 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. It constituted a 9 percent increase over the previous week's episode "Media Blitz", which was seen by 4.33 million households. Along with 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, Parks was the only show from the NBC Thursday comedy block on February 24 to see an increase in ratings over the previous week: Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
, Perfect Couples
Perfect Couples
Perfect Couples is an American comedy television series that was originally broadcast by NBC. The half-hour romantic comedy was co-created by Jon Pollack and Scott Silveri and produced by Universal Media Studios. A sneak preview of the series aired on December 20, 2010, and officially premiered on...
, Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
and The Office were all flat, with the latter two shows matching their lowest ratings of the season. Parks and Recreation was outperformed in its 9:30 p.m. timeslto by the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
reality series American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
and the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, which were seen by an average 21.82 million and 12.48 million household viewers, respectively. "Indianapolis", however, earned higher ratings than the CW Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
drama series Nikita
Nikita (TV series)
La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Brothers. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow...
, which was seen by 3.4 million household viewers.
Reviews
"Indianapolis" received generally positive reviews. The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called it "a very funny, very sweet episode of a show that's been consistently great this season". Meslow said the transition of April and Andy from courting to dating was handled especially well, and liked how the Ben and Tom subplot allowed Ben's character to "loosen up a little", but said Ron's character seemed too much like a "self-parody" in the episode. Alan Sepinwall of Hitfix said the episode reminded him of the first seasonParks and Recreation (season 1)
The first season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between April 9 and May 14, 2009...
finale "Rock Show
Rock Show (Parks and Recreation)
"Rock Show" is the sixth episode and season finale of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. It was written by Norm Hiscock and directed by Michael Schur...
", which he called "the show that was capable of living up to the talent in front of and behind the camera". Sepinwall said the characters were now so well-developed that he enjoyed simply getting to "hang out with them", and he particularly liked the rapport between Tom and Ben, the latter of whom he said was becoming better integrated into the cast. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
writer said the episode perfectly highlighted all the characters various eccentricities, and enjoyed that the show took the characters out of the usual parks department office setting and placed them into the "wonderful, lovable world that this show has created for itself".
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called the episode "one of the finest in this first season three batch and a solid showcase for all the characters". He praised the show for going in directions atypical for sitcoms, like having the Ann and Chris break-up off-screen, and said "Ann's character defies all the expectations heaped on her from two previous seasons". Steve Kandell of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine said "Indianapolis" was not as strong as other third season episodes, but that it "proves to be as emblematic of the show’s soft, gooey heart as any the series has done". In particular, Kandell praised how Ben is growing to love Pawnee, and how April and Andy donated their tips at the end of the episode. Hollywood.com writer Eric Sundermann said the writers took "some risks outside of the characters' comfort zone" in "Indianapolis" and that they worked, especially with Ann's character, who he felt opened up more than in past episodes. He also said Andy and April work well together because the characters seem so genuine with each other. Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic declared "Indianapolis" a great episode. He particularly enjoyed the April and Andy date, which he called, "downright adorable", and the Ron Swanson subplot, which he called "so ridiculous and hilarious".
Rick Porter of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
called the episode a "pretty low-key affair" and a "a nice pause in the harvest festival story". Porter praised Rashida Jones' performance and said Adam Scott and Aziz Ansari played well off each other. Joel Keller of TV Squad called the steakhouse subplot "Ron Swanson at his best" and enjoyed the Andy and April scenes, but said he did not like how the Ann and Chris romance had been handled throughout the season, and hoped it would end with "Indianapolis". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
writer Hillary Busis said she liked seeing Ben interact with characters other than Leslie, and enjoyed the development between Ann and Chris. However, Busis found the other subplots of the episode "a little flimsy" and found it lacking compared to recent episodes like "Ron and Tammy: Part Two" and "Media Blitz".
External links
- "Indianapolis" at the official Parks and Recreation site