Parks and Recreation – “Camping”

by Linda Kay

Original Air Date: March 24, 2011

Directed by: Rob Schrab

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Leslie (Amy Poehler) decides that a camping trip is just the thing the group needs to spark their creativity but things don’t go exactly as planned.

Cat Cattle Call: After the actual camping goes horribly wrong the group ends up at a bed and breakfast called The Quiet Corn run by an older woman named Elsa Clack (Annie O’Donnell). They soon learn that the residence includes several cats. A longhair gray and white cat occupies Leslie’s room. Ron (Nick Offerman) tells her that his room is filled with roughly twelve cats.

Parks and Recreation - Camping - Leslie Amy Poehler and Ron Nick Offerman in room with longhair gray and white cat
Parks and Recreation - Camping - Leslie Amy Poehler and Ron Nick Offerman in room with longhair gray and white cat

Leslie finds this out first hand when he locks her inside his room to keep her from working. We don’t see the cats in his room but we do see the one Mrs. Clack is carrying when she exits her room to complain about the noise.

Parks and Recreation - Camping - Elsa Clack Annie O'Donnell holding longhair gray and white cat

The only time we see the numerous cats of the house is in the end tag when Ben (Adam Scott) and Jerry (Jim O’Heir) are a captive audience to Mrs. Clack playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy on the piano.

Parks and Recreation - Camping - Elsa Clack Annie O'Donnell playing piano with longhair gray and white and tuxedo cats nearby
Parks and Recreation - Camping - Ben Adam Scott and Jerry Jim O'Heir in room with multiple tabby cats
Parks and Recreation - Camping - Ben Adam Scott trying to escape room with multiple tabby cats
Parks and Recreation - Camping - Ben Adam Scott with tabby and white cat
Parks and Recreation - Camping - Ben Adam Scott and Jerry Jim O'Heir holding brown tabby cat

Final Mewsings: Where is this bed and breakfast and how do we book a room?

Many thanks to Laurie Morrison for letting us know about the cats in this episode.

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