Ep 24. Freddy Spaghetti

In the season 2 finale of Parks & Recreation, titled "Freddy Spaghetti," Leslie and the Parks department plan a farewell party for their colleague Mark Brendanawicz, who is leaving the department to pursue other opportunities. Meanwhile, Ben Wyatt, a state auditor investigating the city's finances, arrives in town and starts making waves when he discovers some questionable practices in the Parks department's budget. As the party planning and budget woes collide, Leslie and the gang must try to salvage both the celebration and their professional reputation.

The episode opens with Leslie and Ann discussing Mark's upcoming departure from the Parks department. Leslie is sad to see him go and promises to throw him a great farewell party to thank him for his hard work. Meanwhile, Ben Wyatt arrives in town and starts poking around City Hall, much to the chagrin of the city officials. He quickly discovers some discrepancies in the Parks department's budget, including money being spent on lavish office furniture and unnecessary equipment.

At a meeting with Leslie and her team, Ben confronts them about the questionable expenses in their budget. Though Leslie tries to defend the decisions, Ben remains skeptical and starts digging deeper into the department's finances. Leslie, worried about her reputation and the future of the department, decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate the expenses herself. She finds out that the Parks department had been overspending on things like office chairs and pool floats, and decides to return the unnecessary items to save some money.

Meanwhile, the Parks department begins planning Mark's farewell party, which they dub "Mark-a-palooza." They enlist the help of Tom to create a promotional video for the event, featuring Freddy Spaghetti, a cheesy children's performer who is wildly popular in Pawnee. They also invite the local radio station to broadcast their farewell speeches to Mark live on-air.

As the party planning and budget woes collide, chaos ensues. Leslie struggles to keep the party under control while also salvaging the department's reputation. Additionally, Ron Swanson tries to cover up a blunder involving an inappropriate video he accidentally played during the live broadcast of the farewell speeches. In the end, Leslie is able to rescue the department's image by returning the overspent items and apologizing for the mistakes. The farewell party also ends up being a success, with Mark feeling appreciated and loved by his colleagues.

The episode ends with a cliffhanger when Ben tells Leslie that he has found evidence of a major financial scandal in Pawnee, but the scene cuts off before he can reveal any specifics. This sets up the events for the beginning of season 3, where Leslie and Ben team up to uncover the corruption in their town.

Overall, "Freddy Spaghetti" is a fun and heartwarming episode that balances humor and heart while also setting up the events for the next season. The party planning and budget drama make for an engaging storyline, and the characters' relationships and personal growth keep viewers invested in their journeys. Fans of the series will not be disappointed by this season finale, which delivers both laughter and poignancy in equal measure.