Mark Brendanawicz

Lore & Background

Mark Brendanawicz was a city planner of Polish descent with the Pawnee municipal government. When he studied city planning in college, Mark was optimistic about the field and dreamed of designing huge and impressive cities. However, since graduation, Mark learned most of the career largely involved mundane technical issues, such as regulating the sizes of garages and proposed construction additions to houses. As a result, Mark grew jaded and disillusioned with the career, and became critical of government processes in general. Mark initially has a self-absorbed personality and engages in romantic flings with multiple women without any sign of seeking a commitment. Leslie had harbored romantic feelings for him for six years, but they never slept together. In season two, he enters a committed relationship with Ann and even considers marriage before she breaks up with him.

In Their Own Story

In season 1, Leslie continues to harbor a crush on Mark, but Mark is not interested in her romantically and spends a long time muddling around before becoming impressed by Leslie's fighting spirit and beginning to help her work on the park project for that reason. Mark agrees to help Leslie in her quest to turn the Lot 48 pit into a park, but he is pragmatic about her chances of success, and warns it has little chance of succeeding. When Leslie seeks his help in dealing with newspaper reporter Shauna Malwae-Tweep, who is planning to write a negative story, Mark makes the situation worse by having sex with her. This angers Leslie, particularly after Mark tells the reporter in confidence that the pit project will never be successful, only to later learn she plans to use that in the story. One night, while feeling particularly disillusioned and unhappy with the insignificance of his career, Mark makes a halfhearted attempt to flirt with Ann, unaware of Ann's anger over problems with her boyfriend Andy. Mark's advances are quickly and harshly rejected by an irritated Ann as a result. Later that night, Mark and Leslie spend time together at the pit and an intoxicated Mark attempts to kiss her. Not wishing to reconnect with Mark in his drunken state, Leslie rejects his advances, and Mark accidentally falls into the pit and hits his head. In season 2, following the accident at the pit, Mark has reevaluated his life, become less jaded, and abandoned his promiscuous lifestyle. He and Ann develop a romantic interest in each other after she nursed him back to health at the hospital while he recovered. They start dating after Leslie assures Ann she is fine with the pairing and appears to have moved on from her long-standing infatuation with Mark. Throughout, Mark has to fend off Andy's juvenile insults and attempts to mess with his and Ann's relationship, but also contends with some jealousy when Ann tries to 'save' her close friend Justin as a potential future mate. After several months of dating, Mark reveals to Leslie he wants to propose to Ann, but at the same time, Ann has increasingly begun to realize her relationship with Mark doesn't satisfy her. Leslie has to stop Mark from embarrassing himself during the Diabetes Telethon and Ann breaks up with him. Mark and Ann have breakfast together one last time to discuss the end of their relationship. Mark admits to being surprised as they never even fought with each other. Ann explains she simply didn't feel any passion or excitement in their relationship and adds that Mark overstated them as a couple because he had never had a relationship that lasted for months before. When the Pawnee government is shut down, Mark decides to take an offered buyout and leave his city hall position for a private-sector job with a construction company, causing Leslie to angrily call him 'Mark Brendanaquits.' She later apologizes to him for lashing out and they share a tender goodbye before Mark gives her design plans he drafted for the park she wants to build in place of the pit.

Reader's Guide

Mark Brendanawicz was portrayed by Paul Schneider, who left Parks and Recreation at the end of the second season. It was announced in March 2010 that Schneider would leave the show. Series co-creator Michael Schur claimed the decision was a combination of the original conception of the character switching between the government and the private sector, as well as Schneider's increasing success in such independent films as Bright Star. In the initial announcement, Schur claimed that both the producers and Schneider were interested in having Schneider return for guest appearances in the future, including in season three. Schur said at the time: 'He's going to remain in the world of the show in a way that not only allows but hopefully demands that he'll reenter it. He's not going to be killed in some weird accident.' Despite Schur's statements, Schneider did not make a return appearance on Parks and Recreation, and the show made no reference to Mark Brendanawicz after Schneider's departure. During the fifth season episode 'Halloween Surprise', when Ann Perkins extensively reminisces about her past romances, she does not mention Mark, even though they dated for almost all of the second season. In addition, although almost every major and minor supporting character that ever appeared on Parks and Recreation made at least a cameo appearance in the seventh and final season, Mark was not one of them, nor was he shown in any clips in a flashback montage during the series' final episode. Shortly after the seventh season was announced, Schneider stated that he was not interested in returning to the show and had not been contacted about it. Mark also was not included in the special COVID-19 set reunion episode that aired in 2020.

Did You Know?

• Mark Brendanawicz is of Polish descent, according to the source.
• Leslie had harbored romantic feelings for Mark for six years, but they never slept together.
• Mark accidentally fell into the Lot 48 pit while trying to help Leslie, hitting his head and requiring a bandage.
• After Ann broke up with him, Mark took a buyout from the Pawnee government and left for a private-sector job with a development company.
• Despite producers' plans for Paul Schneider to return for guest appearances, he never reprised the role, and the show made no references to Mark after his departure.