S1E3
The Reporter
⚠ Spoiler alert This recap gives away what happens in this episode.
Episode Summary & Review
Summary
When Leslie invites a reporter to do a story on her park project, she and her committee have trouble staying on message. Leslie calls in Mark to help save the story, but he only makes the situation worse. Meanwhile, Tom kisses up to his boss.
Our Take
This one’s a bit wobbly compared to the stronger early episodes, mostly because the reporter premise forces the characters to act stiff instead of funny. Poehler sells Leslie’s desperation well and Aziz Ansari gets a few good moments sucking up to his boss. It’s fine background viewing, but the show hadn’t found its rhythm yet and it shows.