The WEIRD Truth Behind Parks and Rec's Forgotten Character

[@Nerdstalgic]

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[@secularbelt]

How was any of that weird?

[@metronicmagician1816]

My favorite bit about this character leaving is that he gave Lesli plans for the park that were suppose to be perfect, and then later down the line there was an episode where they tried to make plans for the park which didn’t end with them finding those plans. Even his final send off was forgotten.

[@metronicmagician1816]

@@diebosseyyy4904 kind of. A lot of shows that run for a lot of seasons will come in conflict with older episodes. This cross in the canon just happens to have the show dropping a character be apart of it. It’s nothing majorly bad at least, but definitely does tell they forgot this character.

[@CM-pf1xc]

Yeah which was a shame they should have connected to his contribution

[@sackthebastard]

I mean we never even got to see the park anyway lmao it was supposed to be this huge deal and then it got built finally we still never got to see it.

[@annaadams9706]

@@sackthebastard the park over the pit was made tho. pawnee commons.

[@sackthebastard]

@@annaadams9706 I know it was made. We still never got to see it.

[@AnAsthmatic]

Honestly though, the complete disappearance thing is how many real life working relationships go. You say you'll stay in touch, but as more time goes by you have less and less to say to each other until that person fades from your memory and you can't even remember you even worked with them.

[@WeirdSkellyK1]

I already couldn't have less to say to some of my colleagues in the work place so preach 😂

[@beerosaurusrex]

I think a lot is based around whether you see those coworkers as friends, and as friends outside of work. You could have a group of work friends you enjoy and talk to every day, but if there's nothing to them outside the job, and you get a new job, you'd now have a new work friend group.

[@ajl9772]

Imagine being told you're gonna be the Jim of the show and ending up as Devon.

[@graybirdynamnam]

Devon?

[@siddhant...]

@@graybirdynamnam who got fired in the office

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

@@graybirdynamnam Exactly!

[@ggaboveaveragegamer]

Devon at least came back for the season finale, Mark didn’t

[@graybirdynamnam]

@@hittingyouoverthehead haha I know

[@slospop1125]

Interesting how Andy was meant to be unlikeable guy we hate and mark was supposed to be the nice guy we root for. Yet the roles were reversed, so Andy seems to have taken Marks spot on the show.

[@RazeAndSew]

Did anyone ever root for Mark?

[@darkhi4488]

​@@RazeAndSew maybe the writers thought we would root for him considering they tried to do the show in the office way

[@MichaelPalin]

@@RazeAndSew The episode where Tom gets Mark to "help" him move.

[@laartwork]

That is where the Charisma of the actors themselves affects how the audience feels about them.

[@MichaelPalin]

@@laartwork I like Aziz Ansari's performance, but I think Tom is a truly terrible person.

[@Katsby83]

Watching season one is so surreal. I always forget he was even on the show.

[@youvegot]

man i rerewatched recently and season one ALL the characters were surreal for me. i forgot what they were like before season 3ish when they really started to shine

[@phud69]

@@youvegot At the end of season 7 I'm like,"Wow, this show was amazing. So amazing I'm gonna watch it again!" 3 minutes pass and I'm like "wait, who is this Mark guy? Andy's a douchebag now? Why is Leslie making clumsy remarks all of a sudden? Why is Tom acting like Jim?"

[@ProfessorChaos56]

It's weird to think he was in thirty episodes.

[@Rocketsnail1000]

Season 1 is definitely an oddball. I don’t know if Donna even had any lines

[@thatguy-dh1qh]

Seasons 1-2 are basically a completely different series

[@yesilovee90]

Chris Traeger is LITERALLY the best addition to the series. 🙌🏽

[@Slowp0w]

Rob Lowe is an amazing actor, I loved him in Californication too.

[@Realletsplaygrey]

Agreed

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

Yes he's absolutely hilarious to watch, he's probably my favorite guy from the show

[@dashx1103]

UGH.

[@honestabe411]

He still doing underage chicks?

[@13Amazons]

I am so glad they changed Leslie's character from a Michael copy to her own person who is hyper competent

[@saulsotelo6407]

@@AxxLAfriku 😐

[@jacobd1984]

I just wish they had done that from the start, because you have this weird situation where the first season is integral plot wise (Leslie meets her closest friend and launches on her first project of the show), but it's also fairly incompatible with the rest of the show character wise.

[@livispuzzled]

@@saulsotelo6407 don’t give him attention lol

[@rockon609]

@@jacobd1984 every show has growing pains of some sort. Season 1 of the office features characters left and right that aren’t fully fleshed out. Mark and weird(in a different way) Leslie were part of that.

[@TheBlunk86]

@@jacobd1984 Michael from the Office went through a similar change, but not as dramatic as Leslie's. He was way more of an asshole in the first season.

[@averyeml]

I totally get why Mark left and I wasn’t even a little sad to see him go. What we got was so much better. What bugged me to my core, however, is that they gave him a sweet send off where he gives her some adorable plans for the pit park. Cut to the season they’re actually building the thing, and she’s acting like she doesn’t have any plans at all and has to work with that Eagleton guy to get it done. Not that his weren’t good, but that they literally don’t exist. And Leslie is not the kind of person to forget such a thoughtful gift from a friend.

[@ashitmehta5000]

So in a way, Pawnee is such a crazy town that a balanced human being could not survive there

[@davidevens2147]

He's Pawnee's Frank Grimes

[@riivulet]

At the same time though, that's essentially what Ben's character is for. He's introduced as the one normal guy who totally doesn't understand all the weird people and weird things that happen in Pawnee, but his development from someone who goes from finding it annoying and offputting to loving the town is done really well.

[@pg9193]

if your definition of a "balanced human being" is a mediocre douchebag, then yeah sure

[@pg9193]

@@AmS-c5z that's true, it makes sense as to why they all took their anger out on him

[@YooranKujara]

@@pg9193 someone having a better life with you isn't an excuse to verbally abuse someone

[@PunkyVal]

Even when Michael leaves in The Office, they still reference him and even brought him back for the finale. Mark always felt like he didn't fit in and his personality was more like a mellow douche bro. As soon as he leaves and Ben and Chris arrive, it was like the show got a new fresh start. Literally

[@nickysimi9866]

Well I don't think thats a fair comparison, Michael was a bigger part of the office than mark was of parks and rec. Also michael had more time on his respective show. But I still agree with you

[@PunkyVal]

@@nickysimi9866 I mean, Mark was Leslie's love interest and then it was with Ann. He didn't fit in that well with the rest of the characters so that's why it failed. He was too "normal" lol

[@jamesmason7979]

I wasn't bothered by Mark being written out of the show. I was bothered by the characters acting as if he never existed.

[@laurenc4138]

Yeah it definitely was strange, a throw away comment with Leslie saying “since mark got his new job in Indianapolis we won’t have him to help with our plans any more” or something, literally anything, would’ve made so much sense considering how much she initially cared for him Even Louis CK who had that short arc gets brought back/brought up after he leaves and he was in what like 6 episodes max?!? Lol it’s just odd to me, but I guess it was personal because I’ve seen articles about the reason he left being he didn’t think the show was going anywhere and they wrote him out (thankfully, didn’t like him at all, kind of a skeevy dude masquerading as a good guy)

[@mirziyob]

even weirded considering leslie was like obsessed with him for a while, and she like doesnt forget anything ever and is super intese, she would never ever have forgotten him like that. i actually was more bothered by this than i wanna admit, i liked the character. im a sucker for a straight man (as in comedy straight man you know)

[@dancingdem89]

Especially when there is an episode about Ann's exes and their box. He deserved a box more than Tom.

[@libbyallen2566]

You said it best.

[@userasdf]

Yeah mark makes up plans for leslies Park as his going away gift and then there's a whole episode about them needing to find someone to make plans for the park later on. They literally just wrote out marks time on the show. (Same with no box from ann) Be interesting to know the reason but that is what bothers me more. Especially for shows like this that keep referencing itself all throughout its run having 1 character that they just end up completely ignoring. While it's a tiny part as well, I love how the accountant guy keeps coming back too that want to hire Ben. Still wish he got something more in the end. Gave Ben the rights for cones of dunshire. He deserves so much for that

[@TheTroystreet]

The chemistry between Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza was “awesome sauce” the way their relationship evolved was amazing because on paper the way the characters were written it, it wouldn’t make sense to stick them together but once they spent time together in the show the chemistry was there. April hates everything and likes to act childish and doesn’t take many things seriously and Andy loves everything and is a naturally lovable childlike adult that also doesn’t take many things seriously. So them goofing off together and not taking like so seriously that kinda makes them perfect for each other.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

I do appreciate it is April too that really got the ball rolling between them. They didn't just have Andy lust after her after breaking up with Ann.

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

I remember hating Andy at first because the first impression from season 1 stuck with me for a while, but then I found myself somehow rooting for him to get together with April, who's my favorite character altogether and portrayed by one of my favorite actors, it's crazy

[@whotube5187]

Andy is the antithesis of everything April hates. We get the feeling that April is very socially intelligent (like when she pits Ron and Chris against each other and they find the note of her explaining how she would do it). She sees through the facade that most people put up and understands that many times people have ulterior motives that influence how they act towards others. Andy doesn’t seem to have any of this, and seems nearly incapable of lying or putting on a front. Andy is pure in that way, and I think that is what April finds to be the highest quality a person can have.

[@fabycho6791]

the moment Chris Traeger and Ben Wyatt showed up the show got a million times better

[@shutdowndashr]

I was actually quite bored by them at first, but thank god I stuck around.

[@phud69]

@@shutdowndashr passive-aggressive season 3 Ben was daunting at first, but I liked his development into a fantasy nerd.

[@dash4800]

No, it was the expansion of Ron. Chris and Ben are boring without Ron to contrast with, especially at the beginning. Ron is the only reason I watched the whole show.

[@YooranKujara]

Ben was good, but Chris made me wanna die

[@abijo5052]

@@phud69 I agree but I think that was great. We see Ben like Leslie does, a villain whose purpose is to ruin everything we love. He seems arrogant and intimidating. But then we realise he's just doing his job, and he's good at it, and without it, Pawnee wouldn't survive. We go on the same journey as Leslie. And he teaches us that 1) the Pawnee parks department isn't the most important thing in the world, whatever Leslie thinks, which grounds the show a lot and presents an interesting challenge 2) the parks dep is such a great family they can bring an awkward lonely accountant out of his shell.

[@ShiroMatrix]

When a friend and I were blindly watching through parks and rec series recently, I brought Mark up when both of us happen to be in Season 4/5. His response was, "Who?"

[@jacobd1984]

They forgot Mark so hard there was even a plot about Leslie needing someone to design the park, even though he very clearly did that already.

[@ShinySephiroth1]

I remember the whole time when watching that episode live thinking "are they gonna find Mark's plans and this is how they bring him back for a cameo!?" I was sorely disappointed.

[@phud69]

@@ShinySephiroth1 Every remnant of him being there was gone after season 2, minus the picture of the park. They should have at least MENTIONED him a few times.

[@ShinySephiroth1]

@@phud69 Yeah, I totally agree

[@wiictvchannel1112]

@@phud69 It's similar to Micheal Scott after he left. No one barely mentioned him except in like Season 9 and I know Daryll even calls him "Mike" in passing. Of course he returned for the last episodes but it's still weird.

[@halle82is]

I forgot about that!

[@felisd]

I can see why Mark's character had to leave, but did they really have to actively make it as if he had never existed at all after he left, like with Anne's boxes of exes? Or had the showrunners completely forgotten he had ever been a thing by that point?

[@jessip8654]

The relationship between the Mark actor and the writers sounds exactly like my relationship with my roommate in college. We got along well enough when we lived together, but then we parted ways at the end of the school year and just never saw or spoke to each other ever again. Not out of animosity, just mutual indifference.

[@savannahgeorgia5759]

I love this explanation! A lot of comments are making up things about how they writers and Paul Schneider hate each other, when we really don't know the story. This seems more likely.

[@jakestroll6518]

Considering that characters are tweaked all the time, it's a pretty good guess that they didn't get along with him. Even Leslie Knope got some character tweaks along the way to make her less like Michael Scott. Plus that cast is very expressive, the fact that they never even gave him a shout out at the end is a dead giveaway. There's some personal drama here. Schurr has a famous no assholes policy so I do gotta wonder if that's what got this guy

[@cousinjimmy2638]

@@jakestroll6518 Maybe, thing is that Andy's character was taking up the oxygen in the room and there was no way that Mark's story could be told adequately. Seems to me that the actor realized it, did his best with what he had, and left on good terms. He deserved to come back or at least be mentioned at the end.

[@samuelclapp8471]

Is this a universal experience? I got along with my roommate and the last I ever spoke to him was move out day LOL. Even when we see each other on campus it’s just a polite wave

[@HeyItsNovalee]

I'm so beyond grateful that they dropped the animosity between the characters and everything else that copied the office. To me parks and rec will always be the superior show between the two, because I fell in love with how the characters genuinely love and support each other, Leslie genuinely loves her job, and many of them are good at what they do. It just makes you wanna root for them. I could never get into the office because I found it really depressing and Micheal's incompetence annoyed me too much. To this day parks and rec is one of my favourite shows of all time

[@brookehop8]

Yes !! The characters end up with such healthy relationships instead of like putting up with each other like they do in the office. The parks & rec relationships are examples

[@Fetidaf]

@@brookehop8the characters in the office grow into liking and understanding each other. Jim ends up being Dwight’s best man at his wedding and throws him the perfect bachelor party when in the beginning they despised each other. And there’s a ton of those moments like Pam literally crying when she says goodbye to Michael. They both are amazing shows but it’s not like The Office is just them constantly shitting on each other, they grow to love and support each other.

[@JakeKoenig]

Tom didn't care about anyone, Donna didn't care about anyone, April hated everyone except Andy and Ron and occasionally Leslie, Ron hated everyone except April, Andy, and Leslie, nobody cared about Ann except Leslie, and nobody cared about Jerry. So I have no idea what you're talking about with "the characters genuinely love and support each other" crap. No they didn't.

[@Fetidaf]

@@JakeKoenig you gotta get past season 1, dude.

[@HeyItsNovalee]

@@JakeKoenig brother if you really watched the whole show and still aren’t able to see how they became a family I don’t know what to tell you

[@jychilly]

I totally understand why he was written off the show. What I don't understand is why he was erased from the show (aka "The Chuck Cunningham Syndrome"). Would it have killed them to have a box with Mark's name on it with all of Anne's ex-boyfriend's stuff?

[@ErinLastNameRedacted]

Yeah, I didn’t miss him, but they didn’t have to act like he never existed.

[@PriyankitaPant]

I imagine mark never left any stuff/ Anne didn’t have his stuff to put in a box coz well he was too much of a straight guy.

[@jbcatz5]

Or at least a line explaining why his park plan wasn’t used.

[@uno_SSBM]

maybe the writers of the show also forgot mark existed. Like really tho, i completely forget he was every a thing only half way through season 3.

[@jbcatz5]

Merp TheShow He wasn’t even alluded to in the last couple of episodes, and that brought back the bum in the slide from the first scene in the pilot!

[@Chugargonfan]

The moment Leslie got eyebrows, this show got so much better

[@Firstofanyone]

💀💀💀

[@zoooejenkins]

Nahhhh thin brows suit her so much better. Bold brows are too harsh for her hooded eyes.

[@delaneymichel]

Mark kind of always felt off, especially as characters became more and more detailed and complex while he just stayed the same. He rarely grew and floated around as a mediocre guy that you dont like but don't hate. Thankfully Ben and Chris were introduced quickly after

[@_thomas1031]

EXACTLY 🙌

[@byronsenior6499]

I feel like he was too real. Like he correctly pointed out that there treatment of Jerry was literally office place harassment. Which basically ground that joke to a halt in the episode where they relentlessly pick on him. And I always hate this kind of joke anyway but still.

[@benjaminwatt2436]

Mark was a douchebag. I was so glad to see him go

[@MintyArisato]

@@benjaminwatt2436 ngl I find it funny people think Mark is such a sleezeball for some questionable choices, meanwhile Tom's entire character is built on kicking the levels of sleeze up to 1000.

[@benjaminwatt2436]

@@MintyArisato Mark is played off as a character that is basically manipulative. He sleeps with Lesly than refuses to have a straight up talk with her when its obvious she isn't over him. that's a douchebag thing to do, leave someone hanging and not manning up. You are right about Tom, except Tom learns from his mistakes and often apologizes for them.

[@cRAVEtrance]

I am so glad that the mark brandonowitz storyline played out the way it did in parks and rec, and I don't mean that as a dig on the actor. After I finished the show and I started my first rewatch, I was struck by how odd the pining Leslie had for Mark was after falling in love with Leslie and ben. It gave me the space to self-reflect enough that even if I'm pining for somebody that I lost or never I had a chance with, there still might be a Ben out there, and it was a very healing and hopeful revelation that I had. Mark brandanowitz is perhaps the most important unimportant character I've ever seen in a show, personally, in my life right now would be a little bit more depressed without it.

[@SourRobo8364]

So crazy that Andy wasn't meant to be a permanent character originally. I can't imagine this show without Chris Pratt, he was the heart of the show for me.

[@RandomPerson-gt1jt]

Exactly. At first it was very clear that he was just guest character but now he's such a central character you forget he wasn't always part of the main cast. He's probably the most lovable character on the show, or at least he was for me.

[@thecroft6070]

The downside is that the writers made Andy more and more stupid, to the point where it became implausible, e.g. "When you go the ATM, is there an actual guy standing behind the wall who slides dollar bills in there?"

[@benjaminwatt2436]

@@thecroft6070 yeah there were a few lines that dumbed him down too much, but his dynamic with April made up for his worse moments

[@kohlcooke8789]

@@RandomPerson-gt1jt for me its quite hard to pick the most likable. its either Leslie, ben, donna, Andy, or tom for me. so basically like half the cast lol, and Ron and April can still be very likable often, as well as Ann and Chris.

[@dr3dg352]

The same thing happened with Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's so weird how TV works out sometimes!

[@brianholmes1812]

I found it funny because when I started watching everyone told me how he basically disappears, and you don't notice or care. I didn't buy it. And then I didn't notice he'd been gone for a full season and then forgot about him entirely

[@doomcool7960]

I think Ann stated what the audience was thinking he was just boring to the point where she wanted Andy back in her life because he was at least entertaining

[@cbpd89]

Yeah Anne was the real audience surrogate character. She wasn't already working the the weird ecosystem of the Parks department, she got introduced to it when we did and formed bonds with the people at the same time as the audience.

[@Levio100]

I'm guessing the writers regretted making the character. They made a normal-guy to foil the crazy characters, but the show succeeded when they made it so every character has normal parts and crazy parts.

[@Paulafan5]

Ben is basically the same character, just with a few quirks and better written.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

Tom in later seasons didn't have normal parts, he was just a cartoon by that point.

[@RazeAndSew]

​@@Paulafan5and actually likeable

[@gramifyed8679]

Also remember, Mark’s last scene is when he gifts Leslie a blueprint for the park. But, seasons later, there’s an entire episode about how they need a blueprint for the park.

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

Oh god! Yes, I forgot about this. And they took it from an Eagletonian too.

[@CM-pf1xc]

I know that was a low blow. It would have been sweet if they referred to it, although I know conflict is more interesting for an episode

[@Lmab-qs1kr]

Yeah that was strange

[@winterc.2476]

So what? He's not on the show. So he's not going to be mentioned on the show. He's gone.

[@gramifyed8679]

@@winterc.2476 But, they ignored his existence in parts were it made no sense, continuity wise

[@JesseSherman117]

"Some fans were sad to see him go" [CITATION NEEDED] Seriously.. who was sad about that?

[@izunahosaki6133]

I was told to watch parks and rec from season 3, so i didn't even know he existed before this video

[@cgk1276]

Not everyone thought he was terrible, he had funny moments

[@wiictvchannel1112]

@@cgk1276 I think Mark and Ron could have gone places, which they didn't really invest much time in besides a few things early on. I just think they even tried to make Mark more than he started out as.

[@sidderverse]

@@cgk1276I agree

[@rpgaff2]

Mark was an straightman/everyman character in a show that was becoming increasingly about hyper/exaggerated-characters

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

Yes, but that wasn't the reason he became obsolete. The show has many straightmen- Jerry, Ben, Ann, Donna and at times even Ron were straight-men characters who grounded the other eccentric ones. They didn't get written off. Mark got written off because he was a bad character- straightman or otherwise.

[@TheTMSxGaming]

@@hittingyouoverthehead I disagree, Marks only character traits (cynical view on government work and sleazy/womanizer/whatever you call it) were both stronger and better represented in Tom and Ron, so all he had was being the straight man. And even being in a relationship with Ann wasn’t strong enough. But aside from occasionally filling in the straight man role Ben had his nerdiness, Donna had her love of luxury and mysterious second life, Ron had his libertarian, hyper masculinity, duke silver etc, Ann had great synergy with Leslie on top of playing the straight man better than Mark, and Jerry had his Jerryness. Mark just couldn’t compete as just a straight man any more

[@user-vi4xy1jw7e]

Not true at all

[@janmelantu7490]

Ben worked as a straightman much better, as he was an outsider to Pawnee’s absolutely ludicrous characters, but he still had his weird personality quirks (“It’s about the cones”)

[@LetsBeHonestImAPrat]

@@hittingyouovertheheadI liked Mark way more than Ben, Ben was super annoying and kinda ruined every scene he was in, I just think Adam Scott isn’t a good actor

[@salempistorius7395]

It took me a whole season to realize Mark was actually gone even after I watched his sendoff episode. I think that's proof enough that his character was purely dead weight at that point in the show.

[@nameless646]

I noticed when he wasn't in the intro, but his absence had no affect on the show whatsoever. The only thing interesting about him was that he was a male peer to Ron, and Ron seemed to genuinely like him.

[@brentwalker173]

It would have been hilarious if later in the show when all the cast was together if Leslie said, "hey.. aren't we forgetting someone? Nah, everyone's here." Just to acknowledge they forgot he existed

[@we_played_Hob_Gobbies_together]

Wow.. Good thing you're not a writer.

[@williamdaviddiazcuchimaque7511]

Es como el meme de dos hombres y medio dónde Alan se olvida de jake

[@Crewcapt295]

thats exactly what they did with chevy chases's character in the season premiere of community S5. After he made some racial remarks

[@zachh.9065]

whoa a fourth wall break zinger about a recast or entirely removed character. that's never been done before. a real gut buster

[@davetarr1742]

In a show like the office, full of characters who thrive on antagonism and most of them don't really like each other, a bland counterpoint works really well. But in Parks & Rec the show flourished the more the characters learned to like each other, and I think once the writers figured that out Mark became a reminder of the unpleasant dynamics from the first season.

[@chloejarvis1]

Mark really is the definition of having no character-I feel bad for the actor though, it must of made being part of the show really difficult

[@jacobj297]

@@ProfessorChaos56 Did you just feel like making something up or did you forget that the internet existed and we could verify your statement? He’s been in several shows

[@ProfessorChaos56]

@@jacobj297 I didn't make anything up. I was misinformed.

[@ProfessorChaos56]

He had other TV roles, but never one that lasted more than 8 episodes. More than half of them didn't go past 5 episodes.

[@jacobj297]

@@ProfessorChaos56 My bad professor chaos, I went in a little hard for no reason. Just trying to spread chaos.

[@ProfessorChaos56]

@@jacobj297 I appreciate the apology, and the joke. ;)

[@lovepacino]

5:59 not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but in season 7 I'm pretty certain I still saw Mark's painting in Ron's new office in season 7 at his "Very Good" company.

[@AndaraBledin]

It might have been interesting to really explore the fact that he didn't connect that well with the female love interests and that maybe his philandering ways was more of a performative thing where the character was trying to fulfill the expectations of him as opposed to his own truth, thus starting a journey of discovery of what that truth actually was.

[@nukiradio]

Lots of missed story potential

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

That's better than what the writers did with his character but that's still boring and wouldn't have warranted the existence of this character. In fact, that is exactly the same arc that Ann went through just before she decided to have a baby. She realized that she is jumping from man to man because that's what is expected of her and she goes on a journey to find herself. I remember it was one of the weaker story arcs during that time.

[@kathrinaschneckloth7042]

This the lore I filled in...in my head

[@ELEcomments]

Mark wasn't as bad as people say. I enjoyed his character. The first two seasons are kind of underrated ngl.

[@desmondcoppin591]

The first two seasons are the office copies.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

@@desmondcoppin591 That's why I liked it more than where the show ended up. I like the later seasons of Parks n Rec too because they found their voice and made their own show just as good as the Office. But the reason I liked early Parks is because it was more like the Office. Since I love the Office and always wanted more, Parks filled in for that well enough.

[@jana19993]

but why did they pretend like he never existed after he left? It makes you think whether there was any bad blood between the actor and the showrunners.

[@PresidentDennis]

From what I’ve seen show writers, especially for hugely popular shows like this, grow big egos and become easily offended folks. Just look at The Office as a perfect example. Michael was written out of the show for some off the cuff remark Steve Carell gave in an interview. They never even bothered to tell him either until after it was done

[@kalamari1611]

@@PresidentDennis but Steve came back for the last episode while Mark was erased

[@FalonGrey]

@@PresidentDennis Is there a link or something?

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

@@PresidentDennis Don't forget that the writers of the office ruined the character of Andy only because they were mad at Ed Helms for leaving to go shoot Hangover 3. I agree they are slightly egotistical.

[@extremetoast5723]

@@hittingyouoverthehead source for this one? I saw the source for the Steve Carell one tho, it’s from his biography that came out recently

[@abrahamramirez3980]

I liked Mark. He was the straight/ normal one. Unfortunately they just didn't know how to work with that without totally revamping his character.

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

Mark Brendanaquits

[@alexanderrahl7034]

I love Chris Pratt as Andy in this show, and I genuinely developed a crush on Aubrey Plaza that still exists in some form to this day. 🤣🤣 I guess I have a type, and April is it 😂

[@MERCHIODOS]

I didn't mind Mark being cut off from the show, heck his send off was a nice touch to ending the character. I didnt like how the show didn't want to acknowledge his existence. Like how Leslie and Ann talks about their previous boyfriends and didn't mention him.

[@winterc.2476]

Because he's not on the show anymore. And he wasn't going to be brought back. So... Why mention him?

[@thediscospider5701]

@@winterc.2476 Characters leaving sitcoms is normal, but when they do leave, their existence is still acknowledged afterwards. Like when Chris and Ann left the show, they were still mentioned.

[@k.anderson9576]

@@thediscospider5701 But they were on it for a long and memorable time. So that made sense. Mark wasn't on it that long nor was it memorable.

[@tonyc7301]

That was bizarre for Ann not to mention Mark when she was listing prior boyfriends. They dated for almost the entirety of season 2.

[@LikeDemDreads]

Would have been hilarious for Anne to have a box with Mark’s name on it but when she looked in it, she just said “it’s empty.”

[@hellopeople1013]

I liked Mark for what he was, and I think if the writers tried harder they might have been able to make him fit. At the same time, if him leaving it what gave us Chris and Ben then I’ve made peace with that

[@k.anderson9576]

We already had Ann and then later on Ben there just wasn't any need for Mark

[@bernanevarez8182]

I guess it’s just me, but I actually liked Mark’s character. I always wished they would bring him back for one scene where he finds out Anne is dating Tom (at the time) and he leaves the building laughing then cut to him saying “yeah I’m doing great” lol

[@andrewwyatt8445]

Hot take: Ann Perkins wasn't a great character either and wasted the talents of Rashida Jones. Always felt like a sidekick to Leslie/Andy/Chris and not an integral part of the cast.

[@greedojenkins9984]

She was very annoying in the show also not hot

[@RONALDII0]

@@greedojenkins9984 annoying and not hot? Are we watching the same show?

[@jsh7939]

She was understated and wasn't as off the wall as a lot of the cast, but I think that WAS her character to an extent. She could've been more interesting, but it would have sacrificed her more grounded character.

[@greedojenkins9984]

@@RONALDII0 hotter in the office

[@vile46]

There many other characters, I feel that there fake, not human. In The Office even the other characters feels to be there.

[@jbanks979]

The biggest issue is the show is essentially mean to Leslie in season1 , treating her obsessions as stupid and Mark as the voice of that criticism. When they realized pretty early in season 2 that Parks and Rec works best centered around Leslie as the awesome force of nature that she is- smirky sarcastic sleazebag Jim just comes off as a bigger dick in retrospect I always tell new viewers to do what I did and start with season 3

[@TheDanTheManShow]

Good Ol’ Mark Brendanaquits

[@Coolsomeone234]

Took a while to find this video

[@Jura55icpark0ur]

Thank you for making a clickbait title, but then actually following through and not making a clickbait video. 10/10 good video

[@friendlinessclaritin]

I'm watching Parks and Rec for the first time (I'm currently in season 6). I not only didn't realize that Mark left, but completely forgot he existed until I saw this video in my KZbin feed

[@Thee_Deputy]

I think later on in the show, it would have been pretty cool to catch up with Mark and have him as atleast a semi-recurring character. This series tied loose ends with literally every other character(even many that most shows would just have as "one-offs"). Even though we associate Mark's exit as entering the golden era of the show(because that is what happened). Those two things really aren't all that correlated. Season 1 had the usual first season weirdness that most shows have, season 2 was pretty great but they were retooling all these characters and Mark just got lost in the mix. There was plenty of potential with him. It's just that the bitterness between the creators and Paul Schneider was most definitely a lot heavier than they let on.

[@Ripplin]

I rewatched the whole series last year and found that he was a stronger character than I remembered. I liked his "meh" attitude. But then you also have Ann, and a show can't have two straight characters to all the weirdos, of course. :p

[@wiictvchannel1112]

Especially when the two straight characters start dating.

[@k.anderson9576]

I never cared for him

[@nojuanatall3281]

I hate Ann. She is genuinely a boring actor.

[@TheKarmicRepairCo]

You didn't mention the biggest issue of all: the character wasn't funny.

[@squidward_tortelllini]

neither is ben but they kept him on 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@NinaWTF]

@@squidward_tortelllini ben at least is likeable and wholesome

[@an-non-o-miss]

Ben was funny sometimes

[@reptile1677]

@@squidward_tortelllini cones of dunshire

[@Katya_Lastochka]

@@squidward_tortelllini Ben was the funniest one.

[@eastsidereviews727]

Mark is such a nothing burger of a character. The show did not miss a beat when he left, both Chris and Ben were fantastic additions to the cast.

[@DendyJungle]

Wrong

[@indyana5899]

@@DendyJungle correct

[@Anonymos185]

@@DendyJungle Name one important loss by removing Brendanawicz from the cast

[@jaycue7641]

I couldn't think of the best word to describe Mark but "NothingBurger" is it. A burger with nothing. I don't hate it but I don't want it.

[@AmatMiguel]

@@jaycue7641 I ended up hating this nothing burger a lot. Like everyone around him at the time implied that he was an amazingly delicious yet bad for you burger, but was completely flavorless. The show becomes 10x better once they trash it

[@weston407]

the creators ditching "The Office 2.0" idea was the best thing they could have done - I absolutely love the direction Parks and Rec went.

[@ThatBillmanGuy]

This. And I could never get into the office. I just don't like it. Whereas I love Parks and Rec.

[@weston407]

@@ThatBillmanGuy same!

[@rogergreen9861]

To the rest of the English speaking world, the US version of The Office IS The Office 2.0, and you are right. It is reheated crap, best avoided.

[@gregutz4284]

​@@rogergreen9861 L take

[@randomasgray]

Mark was too unambitious for a show about characters with goals. He had nothing going on and was just support for everyone else. Andy had his goals for his music but also was trying to get Ann back before the stuff with April. Jerry didn't have a goal but he was comic relief and really you could say his goal was helping everyone else in the office do their best. Mark didn't even have that so what did he have?

[@wiictvchannel1112]

Jerry had also obtained his goals decades earlier than everyone else in the office. He was happy and just doing his job with his work "friends"

[@iambuhlockay8007]

Me and my wife are rewatching Parks and Rec and I was surprised Mark is in the show for as long as he is. I seem to remember him only being in a few episodes, but no, he’s in the first two seasons.

[@ShadowedAgony]

The first season was really rough. The second season is such a noticeable jump in quality.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

I think it didn't help that Mark didn't work in their office/department. He was very close physically to the point where they could see him across the patio area but it made it more and more difficult I'm sure for the writers to have him constantly there for whatever reason. I think they tried to fix this with him dating Ann so he had more of an excuse to be around more but it didn't really work as well as intended, possibly.

[@slash903]

I was so glad they got rid of Mark. I never liked his character. The show got much better once he left.

[@alexneill8338]

My wife introduced me to this show earlier this year. We watched the whole thing together and when we got to season 3, I suddenly asked "wait where's Mark gone?" and she replied, "who's Mark?"

[@matthulik5832]

He was my favorite character while the show was being a copycat of The Office (season 1). I enjoyed Schneider's subtle delivery of the lines which was a mixture of Krasinski, Bateman and Ed O'neill. After the characters all developed into heroes of their own, his cynicism felt mean rather than clever and relatable, and an idea to keep him around could have been as a punching bag for everyone else to call him out on his downer perspective, but Jerry became the punching bag and Ben became the guy providing contrast.

[@RazeAndSew]

Mark was basically Tim from the British version of The Office. Trying to be written to be funny, but a total douchebag to Gareth, unlike Jim who was a dick to Dwight, but in a funny and likeable way

[@kathrinaschneckloth7042]

Schneider is an incredible actor and performer. His role in Bright Star is insane and you’d never know he isn’t Scottish.

[@classarank7youtubeherokeyb63]

I think Mark's demise ultimately came down to the higher-ups failing to recognize chris pratt's charisma and charm. I think most people liked him even when he was supposed to be an irresponsible manchild.

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

Yeah, pitting Andy as a villain against Mark was a bad idea. Even when he is trying to do something really sleazy and shitty like trying to break up a happy couple by being passive aggressive with the boyfriend, I found myself not hating Andy.

[@FoggyBadger]

I started watching the show a couple months ago. Currently on season six and...yeah, I legitimately forgot all about him until I saw this. I saw the title and thought it was a character I hadn't met yet. Nope, just a forgettable character. I'm glad it was kind of a mutual breakup. Even the actor realized his character's use had come to an end and didn't try to fight it or hold anything against them. Also glad the writers didn't try to force his character to work and leave him in.

[@_jaded]

damn i forgot he even existed

[@randomuser942464]

I have no complaints about Mark but I didn't miss him for a second and couldn't be happier with how the show continued.

[@lastson5014]

The weird thing is they sorta forgot he existed. At least have him show up later on as a cameo.

[@Vaguely_Existing]

It honestly took me so long to get into parks and rec, I just couldn't get past the first season or so. I did not understand why it was loved by so many. But man once Mark was gone and season 3 started, it became so good.

[@DoctorHippo]

This was very good, I really did not know anything about the history of Mark and wanted to know more about him. This was great and know I know about him and I feel good that I learned more things about one of my favorite shows ever. Thank you for making this amazing episode

[@Nerdstalgic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hitmanhart670]

Best decision ever. Show picked up big time after he left and they brought in Chris and Ben

[@itwasntmuch]

truthfully he didn't have many lines, but he made me laugh, like when he asked ann if she didn't use toothpaste lmao

[@GRRAVEEY]

Imagine getting fired for following the script they wanted you to act upon.

[@wiictvchannel1112]

And changing everyone else's character except yours. I get why he didn't want to be a cartoon character if he took it seriously.

[@haileybalmer9722]

I'm honestly surprised anyone ever liked him. He made it pretty clear in the very first episode that he didn't respect Leslie, he didn't think of her as a romantic partner, and he thought her dedication was stupid. I was immediately like "boo, fire this boring jerk guy! Why does Leslie like him? It makes me sad for her!"

[@ValDCX]

True, but then he's the only one to ever aknowledge the constant bullying of Jerry, so that made me like him.

[@haileybalmer9722]

@@ValDCX that's a fair point that I hadn't considered.

[@cgk1276]

@@ValDCX his outsider nature was always pretty amusing, and I loved that part where he actually lays it out for Lesley that their treatment of Jerry is the actual problem.

[@friedrice207]

@@ValDCX ann (s5) & ben (s6) both do

[@kobiianardo]

that was a planned transformation for him... but he didnt transform into anyone likeable, Ann just pronounced "he's nice now" one day

[@travischapman6763]

I miss Mark so much. He was my favorite character. He had some of my favorite scenes.

[@sailorrobyn1790]

Now we need a Superstore video! I have no idea if the show has any interesting backstory but it’s so underrated and ended too soon.

[@phud69]

It ended surprisingly well, considering how difficult the last 2ish seasons were for the set team

[@Coolsomeone234]

Ending was rushed but still great

[@RazeAndSew]

Superstore was good, but would be so much better if Amy was never in it

[@VonHautkopf]

Still weird they never even mentioned him again. He was so important to Leslie early development, and Ann ex, and Ron Swason's FRIEND. If they didn't want to bring the actor back, he could be just remembered by the other characters when it made sense. I don't give a fuck about him but I love continuity, hahahah

[@Paulafan5]

Something must have happened behind the scenes for them to be that deliberate about whitewashing that character. Ben is literally the same character, just with quirks and a lot better written.

[@VonHautkopf]

@@Paulafan5 Maybe they thought if no one mentioned him again we'd forget he even existed haahhaha

[@wiictvchannel1112]

@@VonHautkopf It feels like they wanted Season 1 at least to be forgotten overall since the series went in a different direction.

[@VonHautkopf]

@@wiictvchannel1112 But Mark was there until season 2 finale, wasn't he? Anyway, whatever the reasons they had, what's done it's done. I'm doomed to feel annoyed by this forever

[@wiictvchannel1112]

@@VonHautkopf He was but Season 2 was closer to what the show became. Season 1 seems like a black spot for them lol.

[@cornbiscuit2278]

I remember watching this but my family would watch some without me. So I thought Ben was Mark and they just used a different actor to play him.

[@Bongtaker]

But they're called different names in the show?

[@cornbiscuit2278]

@@Bongtaker it’s was my first time watching the show so I’m still learning the characters .

[@Paulafan5]

They are basically the same character. They serve the same function. It's just the writers gave Ben quirks to make him fit in better with the other cartoonish characters on the show.

[@winterc.2476]

Damn, that's really dumb of you

[@jonvia]

If anything, Mark was more like early series Ryan, not Jim. Even when he had lines, you knew the character was going no where.

[@R0SE727]

I think Jim always had the leg up over mark b/c as much as the “pining from a distance” & especially the “persistent love interest” tropes have aged and are problematic in some ways, it makes him a lot more of a devout romantic than Mark who never really seemed driven by much of anything. I think it makes Jim more appealing to the audience. Jim, especially early Jim, was a slacker in a lot of ways but his feelings for Pam meant he was motivated and sympathetic in at least one way that I think Mark lacked.

[@danielshore1457]

Also with a show centred around a small local government having a character not care just is too pessimistic especially with all the other characters having a sort of passion towards things. Like Jim being a slacker is fine because like he says in the first episode he is in a dead end office job and so are most other characters, Dwight is the only one that enjoys his job until later on in the seasons

[@AmiiboJuice]

Call me crazy but I liked Mark a lot, and Season 2 is one of my favorite seasons. He never dumped Ann the way Chris did. They could have at least mentioned him or recasted the charachter. Plus Ive seen some of his movies. He plays a good "douche" role which is kind of what he was in Season 1, and would have been interesting to see him come back and confront Chris or something (accepting him eventually). Looking back with what happened with Louis CK, that could have been that "Dave returns" episode except with Ann amd Chris.

[@Rebazar]

Been rewatching the show with a friend lately and found that Mark was a surprisingly decent part of season 2, more than I remembered.

[@magenta_mer-goat86]

Nerdstalgic: “He’s just sort of the bland Everyman in a group of extremely distinct and quirky characters!” Me: And Ann!

[@babs40]

He was a good actor but once he left and Ben and Chris showed up the show got sooo much better. I always tell people either skip the first two seasons (specifically when Ben and Chris come in to start watching) or just wait for it to get good, because it will.

[@BuddhaFang]

“Mark Brandano-quits”

[@DaniBlue787]

lol from looking over the comments, seems like I might be in the minority here but I liked his character on the show, while the main driving force for the show was the eccentric acts of most of the characters, it was always interesting for me to see mark as a contrast in the middle of that zaniness. Still understand why they went in the direction they did, and loved the show.

[@filipsolis5253]

I loved that guy's work on Parks and Rec! What a compelling actor!

[@therealianclarkfanpage6028]

Comparing him to blockbuster is so perfect

[@TrevortheBatman]

I remember not liking him my first watch, but the second time around I appreciated him a lot more

[@zekebrunt]

Do you think you'll ever do an episode on the show Psych?

[@Momo-po5tn]

Good idea zeke

[@kathyg6976]

Man i love psych

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I think something that also has to be pointed out he's not in the same department, he was an Urban Planner, meaning that everytime he has to interact. You have to create an extra reason. The one that Andy has, is he has no life, whereas Mark just hanging around, firstly would mean he's not doing his job and more importantly that's not something his character the way it is written would do.

[@GusBoone]

Mark was an absolute Chad, but he kinda fell out of place.

[@davidsterling4327]

I actually met Paul Schneider once, he told me he didn't like being on the show lol

[@wiictvchannel1112]

I can see that. Especially when everyone around you is turning into over the top cartoon characters. The show did really get dumbed down and maybe he just didn't want to be apart of it.

[@pedrogarcia2619]

Anyone know the song playing in the background??

[@jayanths1221]

One of the most forgettable characters ever! I've watched the show like 3 times now, and I still have a hard time sometimes remembering his name or his purpose on the show...

[@Lizzo13]

Parks and Rec is my favourite show, and I've seen it many times. I still genuinely always forget about him until someone mentions him. Mark Blandanawicz.

[@Gemnist98]

Wasn’t Tom supposed to be the Jim representative in Season 1? Back then he was the office cynic that frequently slacked off because he wanted to do greater things, just like Jim, and then as the series went on they emphasized those desires to be the crux of his character and differentiate him from Jim. Mark was also a cynic, but it was more out of pessimism than boredom.

[@gudduentertains]

I guess Tom was Stanley plus Darryl plus Dwight rolled into one.

[@Jp-eg7th]

Thanks - I only started watching season 3 recently and was really surprised to see him gone. He's a lot like Martin Freeman's Tim in the original Office or even Pam in the US office. He's the one normal person in the show to contrast with the rest of the characters. He's what keeps it from degenerating into slapstick.

[@ThendralThamilarasan]

I just started watching Parks and Rec, currently in 3rd season and expecting Mark's comeback, just like Oscar Martinez's in The Office. Looks like a spoiler though, and yet nothing feels spoiled. I cant explain the state I am in...

[@monimoo88]

I’ve watched the show at least 7 seven times and every time I restart I’m like OMG I FORGOT ABOUT MARK BRANDANOQUITS! Literally forget about him every single time.