Christmas Scandal
| Parks and Recreation episode | |
The newspaper cover proclaiming Leslie had an affair with Pawnee Councilman Dexhart
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 12 |
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| Directed by | Randall Einhorn |
| Written by | Michael Schur |
| Original air date | December 10, 2009 |
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"Christmas Scandal" is the 12th episode of the of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the eighteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 10, 2009. In the episode, a meeting with a disgraced councilman puts Leslie in the middle of a sex scandal that forces her to hide from the press.
The episode was written by series co-creator Michael Schur and was directed by Randall Einhorn. "Christmas Scandal" marked the last of a string of guest appearances by stand-up comedian Louis C.K. as Dave Sanderson, Leslie's police officer boyfriend.
According to Nielsen Media Research, "Christmas Scandal" was seen by 5.62 million households, the highest viewership of . The episode received generally positive reviews, although some commentators felt the central story risked becoming too busy and chaotic.
The parks department performs in the annual Pawnee City Government Follies that riffs local politics, including one sketch that skewers Councilman Bill Dexhart (Kevin Symons), who was recently discovered to be involved in many bizarre sex scandals. Leslie (Amy Poehler) is later asked to meet Dexhart for lunch, where she learns the sketch was accidentally accurate about another bizarre sex scandal that has not been made public. After assuring Dexhart that it was merely a coincidence, Leslie discovers that the local tabloid, The Pawnee Sun, has taken pictures of their lunch and is reporting that Leslie is Dexhart's new mistress.
The speculation about Dexhart and Leslie quickly spins out of control, upsetting Leslie because it is distracting her from overseeing the Christmas village that she set up in Lot 48. Ron (Nick Offerman) decides to give Leslie the day off to lie low and distributes her daily duties among the rest of the staff. Everyone is amazed how much Leslie does by herself each day and the entire group struggles to complete their tasks. Leslie has lunch with Dave (Louis C.K.), who reveals that his unit in the US Army Reserve has been called up to active duty in San Diego for a year to eighteen months, and he invites Leslie to join him since he has fallen in love with her. Leslie confides to Ann (Rashida Jones) that she is considering the move, as the treatment of her in the media has soured her on Pawnee.
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