Indianapolis (Parks and Recreation)

Leslie and Ron 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 tells Leslie her last talk with Chris 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 is attending a launch party for cologne maker Dennis Feinstein at the Snakehole Lounge, where Tom hopes to pitch his own cologne "Tommy Fresh" to him. Ben 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 (Ben also notes that "Dennis Feinstein" is an oddly ordinary name for a cologne designer, but Tom explains that Dennis' real name, "Dante Fiero", is considered less exotic here). Meanwhile, April and Andy 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 Indiana's 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 they 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 triathlon. 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, after being disappointed by the steak he orders, tells the waiter, "Give me all the bacon and eggs you have".

"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.^[1][2] 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.^[3][4] 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.^[1][5] Because of this, "Time Capsule" has an "easter egg" reference to the character Dennis Feinstein on the time capsule idea sheet before he appears in the show later in 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.^[1][2][6] However, after the episode was filmed, Lowe was signed as a permanent Parks and Recreation cast member, so his character returned in future episodes.^[6][7][8]

Jason Mantzoukas made a guest appearance in "Indianapolis" as the fragrance maker Dennis Feinstein.^[1] 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.^[6] Mantzoukas portrays the character Rafi in the FX comedy series The League;^[1][9] he is the third actor from that show to appear on Parks and Recreation, as Nick Kroll previously guest-starred in the episode "Media Blitz",^[10] and Paul Scheer appeared in the episode "Kaboom".^[11] "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 cuts. The technique has been commonly used throughout the series to condense multiple takes of improvisation from Poehler.^[1][12][13]

Tom said Blackout, one of Dennis Feinstein's fragrances, was named one of the "top 100 ways to trick someone into sex" by Maxim, an international men's magazine.^[12][14] While proposing possible date activities to April, Andy suggests watching television at Best Buy, a consumer electronics retailer store.^[14] While describing one of his past meals at the steakhouse restaurant, Ron recalled having drunk a 16-year-old Lagavulin Single Malt, a type of Scotch whisky. Ben claims that his signature drink is Miller Lite, a very common brand of lager beer.^[6][12] Leslie reveals her nickname in high school was Angela Lansbury, an actress best known for her role on the television series Murder, She Wrote.^[9] 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.^[15]