Sister City (Parks and Recreation)
"Sister City" | |
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Parks and Recreation episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 5 |
Directed by | Michael Schur |
Written by | Alan Yang |
Original air date | October 15, 2009 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Sister City" is the fifth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the eleventh overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 15, 2009. In the episode, Leslie welcomes a delegation from Venezuela, who act disrespectfully toward Pawnee and the United States.
The episode was written by
Plot
The Venezuelan intern
Leslie calls a meeting and apologizes to Raul, who in turn apologizes as well and offers Leslie a check for $35,000 to fill in the pit. Leslie fears it may be "dirty money", but accepts. During a photo opportunity later, Raul sets up a video camera and asks Leslie to say "Viva Venezuela" and "Viva Chavez" to it. Against her wishes, Leslie reluctantly does so. When Raul starts speaking Spanish to the camera, Leslie asks April to translate, and learns Raul is discussing his "Committee to Humiliate and Shame America". A furious Leslie tears up the $35,000 check and shouts "Viva America", prompting Raul to declare Pawnee is no longer their sister city and storm out. Leslie insists she will raise the money to build the park without them and Tom, inspired by her example, secretly puts all the tip money he made from the Venezuelans into the park donation jar. The episode ends with Leslie and Tom later receiving an online video from April, who tells them she and Donna are vacationing with Jhonny at his Venezuelan palace, which is watched over by armed guards.
Cast
- Fred Armisen as Raul
- Carlos Carrasco as Antonio
- Federico Dordei as Elvis
- JC Gonzalez as Jhonny
- Eric Edelstein as Lawrence
- Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich
- Retta as Donna Meagle
- Loudon Wainwright III as Barry
Production
"Sister City" was written by
Schur said of the episode's plot, "They're very confused because in Venezuela the government is so powerful; their parks department travels with military escorts and motorcades and stuff. They have all the money in the world because of their oil and they (don't understand) why Pawnee's parks department is so rinky-dink."[3] A fan of Parks and Recreation since its inception, Armisen said he laughed as soon as he read the script, and found it even funnier during the table read with the cast.[2] After working with Armisen, Rashida Jones described him as "one of the funniest people on the planet".[4]
Within a week of the episode's original broadcast, three deleted scenes from "Sister City" were made available on the official Parks and Recreation website. In the first 100-second clip, Ron talks about his hatred for socialism, and Raul says he fears Ron because of his mustache, which he said makes him "cower in fear" (repeatedly saying the word 'mustache'). In the second minute-long clip, Raul discusses the medals he received for his parks-related accomplishments, including "doing away with people making speeches in the parks", "organizing the garbage so it's not all over the place" and "looking at the leaves". In the third 100-second clip, Raul and the Venezuelans question why Leslie does not have a giant oil painting of herself in her office. After his final argument with Leslie, Tom refuses to follow Raul's orders to open the door for him, and Raul has trouble opening it because "it's been a while since I've done this".[5]
Cultural references
"Sister City" largely portrayed Chavez and his socialist ideology in a negative light.[6] The script portrays the Venezuelans as belittling and contemptuous toward Americans.[7] They repeatedly claim Pawnee and the United States are inferior compared to the power and splendor they are accustomed to in Venezuela.[8] Their negative attitude toward Americans is particularly demonstrated by the name of their delegation, the Committee to Humiliate and Shame America,[7] as well as the line from one of the delegates, "This is not personal. We just think you are weak and your city is disgusting."[8]
While discussing how many television channels he gets in Venezuela, Raul said he already knows who wins
Reception
There's something really special about watching a show — particularly one you’ve been rooting for — begin to come together, learn from its mistakes, and grow into a formidable and wholly satisfying half hour of television. I'll just say it: Parks and Recreation is the best comedy on NBC right now.
— Henning Fog,
Entertainment Weekly[7]
In its original American broadcast on October 15, 2009, "Sister City" was seen by 4.69 million household viewers, according to
DVD release
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References
- ^ Hernandez, Lee (September 1, 2009). "Fred Armisen to Guest Star on "Parks and Recreation"". Latina. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Armisen, Fred. "Parks and Recreation: Sister City: Fred Armisen Interview". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (August 31, 2009). "Exclusive: "SNL" reunion on "Parks and Recreation"". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (October 7, 2009). "Rashida Jones: Parks and Recreation Is Not The Office". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 27, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Event occurs at Deleted Scenes: Sister City.
- ^ a b Philpot, Robert (October 25, 2009). "Do Viewers Searching for Laughs Still See NBC As the Comedy Network?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- ^ a b c d Hog, Henning (October 16, 2009). ""Parks and Recreation" recap: Viva Pawnee!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ a b c Fowler, Matt (October 16, 2009). "Parks and Recreation: "Sister City" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (October 15, 2009). ""Parks and Recreation" & "30 Rock" reviews - Sepinwall on TV". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ a b c Havrilesky, Heather (November 4, 2009). "When did "Parks and Recreation" get so funny?". Salon.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (October 16, 2009). "TV Ratings Thursday: 30 Rock Premieres Down Sharply, Vampire Diaries Hits Highs". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Pierce, Leonard (October 15, 2009). "Parks and Recreation: "Sister City"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (November 24, 2010). "Parks and Recreation - Season Two DVD Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ a b Bailey, Jason (November 30, 2010). "Parks & Recreation: Season Two". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
External links
- "Sister City" at the official Parks and Recreation site
- "Sister City" at IMDb