This episode, the second of the season, is really where Parks went from being good to being great. The whole cast shines in this one, with Leslie and Tom on a stakeout to find who planted marijuana in a community garden, Andy spying on Ann and Mark’s first date, and Ron crippled by a hernia. We even get a special guest when Tom is mistaken for a car thief (or possibly a pervert) and Officer Dave (Louis C.K.) arrests him. It’s a testament to how strong the episode is that Ron doesn’t steal the show with his attempt to eat a hamburger without moving. It’s the first episode to team up Ron and April, Tom’s contempt for the soft-spoken Dave is hilarious, and Any Poehler just rocks it making a scene at the police station. This was the first time that Parks and Recreation was the best show of the night in NBC’s comedy block, but it wasn’t the last.
