| "The Banquet" | |
|---|---|
| Parks and Recreation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Beth McCarthy-Miller |
| Written by | Tucker Cawley |
| Original air date | May 7, 2009 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Banquet" is the fifth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 7, 2009. It was written by Tucker Cawley and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. In the episode, Leslie attends an award banquet for her mother, a veteran of local government politics, who encourages Leslie to resort to blackmail in order to get her way with a zoning board official.
The episode received positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly claiming the series appears to have grown more "settled and focused"[1] after this episode. According to Nielsen Media Research, it was watched by 4.64 million households in its original airing, continuing a downward trend in ratings since the pilot episode, although NBC had already committed to renewing the show for a second season. "The Banquet" and the rest of the first season of Parks and Recreation was released on DVD in the United States on September 8, 2009.