Road Trip (Parks and Recreation)

Leslie still harbors strong romantic feelings for Ben, but cannot date him due to Chris' strict policy against workplace dating. Just as Ann suggests to Leslie that she should avoid being alone with Ben, Chris asks Leslie and Ben to drive to Indianapolis to pitch Pawnee as the next host of the Indiana Little League Baseball tournament. Leslie and Ann devise numerous boring conversation topics for the trip to prevent it from becoming romantic. After an awkward drive to Indianapolis, Leslie and Ben speak before the Little League Commission, which seems reluctant to choose Pawnee for the tournament. Ben delivers a heartfelt speech about the town, but also appears to be secretly speaking about his feelings for Leslie.

The speech clearly impresses both the judges and Leslie, and Pawnee is ultimately selected for the tournament. Leslie reluctantly accepts Ben's invitation to a celebratory dinner that night, where Ben brings up his feelings for her. She slips away to call Ann for advice, and Ann urges Leslie to act on her feelings. Just as Leslie decides to do so, she is surprised to find Chris has arrived at the dinner to congratulate the two personally. He insists they sleep at his home in Indianapolis, ruining their night.

The next day, Leslie and Ben run into each other alone and Ben reveals Chris is out for the day. Ben then immediately kisses her, to which Leslie reciprocates, leaving her simultaneously delighted and nervous about their future.

Meanwhile, Tom asks Andy, April, Jerry and Donna to participate in a new game show called Know Ya Boo, that he is hoping to pitch to networks; he admits that it is a rip-off of The Newlywed Game. It quickly becomes clear that Jerry and Donna know much more about each other than the recently married Andy and April. When April reveals her favorite band is Neutral Milk Hotel and not Andy's band Mouse Rat, Andy angrily leaves the game. Later he and April have a big fight which causes him to quit his music. April seeks advice from Ann because, although she dislikes her, Ann previously dated Andy for several years. Ann tells April she has to be supportive of Andy no matter how she feels. The next day, April brings the other members of Mouse Rat to city hall and surprises Andy by singing one of his songs. A thrilled Andy reconciles with April.

In a separate subplot, a young girl named Lauren asks to interview Ron for her school's field trip assignment to city hall. Ron initially resists, but soon espouses his libertarian beliefs to her. He illustrates the concept of taxes by eating 40% of Lauren's lunch, to compare his actions to those of the government. She eagerly accepts his anti-government views. The next day, Lauren's furious mother reveals her daughter's assignment was "Why Government Matters", and that Lauren simply wrote "It doesn't". Ron apologizes, and later tells Lauren she should keep her views on government to herself until she gets older.

"Road Trip" was written by Harris Wittels and directed by Troy Miller. It was originally broadcast on May 12, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the Parks and Recreation episode "The Fight", which aired immediately before.^[1] The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together.^[2] However, because the show premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January,^[3][4] the two episodes aired together so the third season could conclude at the end of the television season.^[4][5] "Road Trip" marks the first time Ben and Leslie kiss and the beginning of their romantic relationship,^[4][5] which culminated a developing relationship between the two characters that began when Ben was first introduced at the end of the second season.^[6][7]

The episode featured several appearances by actors who had appeared in previous Parks episodes, including Jay Jackson as Pawnee reporter Perd Hapley and stand-up comedian Kirk Fox as sewage department employee Joe.^[1] Andy's band Mouse Rat, which has appeared in previous episodes starting with the first season finale "Rock Show", also appeared in "Andy and April's Fancy Party".^[8][9] Mark Rivers played the drums, Andrew Burlinson played guitar and Parks and Recreation screenwriter Alan Yang played bass guitar.^[9] In "Road Trip", the band performs "The Pit", a song first featured in "Rock Show", which was about Andy falling into a construction pit and breaking his legs.^[9][10]

April reveals her favorite band is Neutral Milk Hotel after she responds that Jeff Mangum, the band's vocalist and guitarist, is the rock star she was most attracted to.^[8][11] While going through Ann's wardrobe, Leslie finds the outfit Julia Roberts wears in the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman, in which she plays a prostitute; Ann claims to look really good in it.^[1][2] While explaining that everybody steals ideas from other people, Tom points out the 2003 comedy film Love Don't Cost a Thing is based on the 1987 comedy film Can't Buy Me Love. He then falsely claims that film was based on the 1979 drama film Kramer vs. Kramer, which he incorrectly believes was written by the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare.^[1] One of the boring conversation topics Leslie brings up to reduce the sexual tension with Ben is the dormitory buildings at Johns Hopkins University, a university in Baltimore, Maryland.^[4][5] Acting against this Ann also "snuck in an Al Green song", "Let's Stay Together".