What Parks And Recreation Fans Really Wanted To See From Mark Brendanawicz
There are many things fans may wish to forget about the beginnings of "Parks and Recreation." The mockumentary-style show about civil servants in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana reached supreme success and admiration during its prime, but many may recall that it took a few seasons to find its footing. Some fans even debate whether new viewers should skip Season 1 of "Parks and Recreation" altogether in order to cut right to the part where the show starts to improve. As the series went along, characters were retooled and various kinks were smoothed out. There was even one central character who exited the show entirely after Season 2: Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider).
The city planner who was known for his flings — and attempting to propose to Ann (Rashida Jones) — bid adieu to Pawnee City Hall when he took a job at a private construction company. Considering the series went on to have five more well-loved seasons after the character's departure, it seems that most fans weren't devastated by the loss of Mark. But while that may have been the case, there were still some loose ends that fans wanted to see tied up for the character.
Fans wanted more Mark callbacks in later seasons
Although Mark Brendanawicz was hardly the most popular character on "Parks and Recreation," some fans on Reddit thought it strange that after his Season 2 departure, he was all but erased from the series completely.
"I wish they came back to his park plan in the later seasons," posted u/Beginning-Series-811. "I thought that was such a nice way for him to say goodbye, and it was just forgotten." Their comment is referencing the sweet parting gift Mark gives one-time fling Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) before leaving for good. As the early seasons of the show focus on Leslie's attempts to turn a vacant lot into a new park for the city, Mark gifts Leslie plans he drafted up for the greenspace of her dreams.
Not all fans expressed a desire for Mark to come back, but some found it odd how he was seemingly erased from characters' memories completely. "[T]hey didn't even include him in Anne's ex boyfriend boxes even though they had ones that were never on the show," u/kmoros pointed out.
Bringing Mark back to tie up the park design storyline or as one of Ann's former flames also could have alleviated an issue that Paul Schneider said contributed to his departure from the show. While speaking with ScreenCrush, the actor said of his "Parks and Recreation" exit, "You know, I signed up for a specific character that was changed in mid-season. And it became a character with a lot less to do. And, all of a sudden, I was kind of confused and kind of having a lot less to do."