Episode eight begins with Leslie and April going to Washington D.C. to discuss funding for the park, but little does Leslie know, April is thinking about leaving the National Parks Service. She doesn’t know where she’s going, but she’s leaving.
While they’re gone, Andy, Ben and Ron, who has a brother no one knew about, brainstorm different ideas for April’s new job. Andy and Ben suggest she work for Ron at his company, Very Good Building and Development. But Andy wants to find April a job where she can put her creative problem solving to use.
Ben’s old accounting firm is looking for a new consultant who’s a “creative problem solver.” Andy may have ruined her chances with all his shenanigans though, this time involving fireworks.
While in Washington D.C., Leslie bothers political figures such as Senator John McCain and Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, as usual. April tells Leslie she wants to quit her job, and even though she’s upset, she agrees to help April find a job she loves.
Leslie takes April to a foundation in town specializing in helping people decide which job they want, and April decides she wants to work at the foundation too. This means April and Andy will have to move to D.C., but it just so happens Leslie is offered a job in D.C. as well.
Episode nine begins with Jennifer, Ben’s campaign manager, discussing different events he’ll be appearing at, and this is when talk of the Pie-Mary begins.
The Pie-Mary is an event where each candidate’s wife enters a pie baking contest. Leslie initially chooses to bow out of the competition, but changes her mind and decides to participate.
And, of course, the domestic pie-baking contest angers somebody. The Indiana Organization of Women pay Leslie a visit and tell her how appalled they are at her decision to participate. To show the gender neutrality of the situation, Ben offers to enter the pie baking contest as his own wife, where he made a dessert calzone. Because it’s Ben and he loves calzones.
This launches a full-fledged battle of the sexes. An ugly talk show appearance pits the IOW against a men’s activist group, all thanks to Leslie and Ben.
Meanwhile, April tells Ron about the job in Washington D.C., and he asks for his house key back, a key he lent her many years ago when she was an intern. April hid the key so well, she can no longer find it. But she left herself clues as to where the key might be.
Luckily, Ron loves puzzles, so he, April, and Andy set off on a scavenger hunt around the park’s department building to look for the missing key. After a day of clues and searching, April remembers she buried the key under a tree that reminded her of Ron — because it’s strong and quiet and always there when you need it.
Donna and Garry spend the entire episode together while he attempts to fish various possessions of his out of a storm drain, which is nothing too out of the ordinary, while Donna enjoys the free entertainment.
The episode ends at Ben’s press conference, where he stands up for Leslie and clears all the controversy surrounding he and Leslie and the Pie-Mary. The IOW were so impressed with Ben’s actions that they named him IOW’s Woman of the Year, an award Leslie’s been waiting for.