The central plotline concerns efforts from the parks and recreation department to capture a troublesome opossum named Fairway Frank, deemed responsible for biting Mayor Gunderson’s dog, Rufus, on a Pawnee golf course. Initially, when Leslie Knope learns about the incident from Mayoral office representative Evelyn, she is ambitious for various reasons. First, she has always dreamed of interaction with the mayoral office. Second, Fairway Frank is considered #3 on Pawnee’s Most Wanted Pest List. Third, Rufus, the alleged victim of Fairway Frank, is reportedly well liked. And finally, Leslie views a successful mission as a possible means for requesting a return favor from the Mayor’s office.

In order to catch Fairway Frank, Leslie assembles a team including Pawnee’s animal control, Tom Haverford, and Andy. The animal control team is portrayed as incompetent and Tom flees the golf course at the sight of opossum, leaving Andy to tackle it aggressively. However, after doing so, Leslie sees a second opposum, confounding her confidence that they have, in fact, captured the correct opossum. She also finds out that the mayor doesn’t care about catching Fairway Frank, but rather about securing a trophy animal for his bathroom.

Back at the department office, Andy brags about capturing the opossum to a local reporter. The reporter asks how Ann would respond, and Andy then declares that it might be a method of getting Ann back. April overhears this and leaves jealously. Also, Evelyn visits Leslie to demand delivery of Fairway Frank. Leslie responds that there is uncertainty about the identity of Fairway Frank and refuses to hand over the captured opossum. Leslie then creates a ketchup-blood diversion so that April is able to escape with the caged opossum.

Leslie and April take the opossum to Ann’s home, where April has been paid $50 to housesit. Ann selects April since it is viewed as an opportunity for them to become friends and since Leslie is an untidy housekeeper. April lets the opossum out of its cage, and it causes havoc and minor damage to Ann’s home. Leslie then fails to conceal this fact from Ann, and both Leslie and April are asked to leave. Additionally, Andy, still oblivious to the reasons behind April’s jealousy, delivers coffee to April and the day’s newspaper, containing a story crediting April for her part in providing “liquid courage” to Andy. The final scene then reveals that Leslie has donated the opossum to the Pawnee zoo.

Meanwhile, in a separate plotline, Ron Swanson plans a woodshop expansion in his home and seeks the approval of city planner Mark. Mark informs Ron that an inspection is needed to insure that the current facility meets all current zoning code standards. Ron lies that his woodshop meets all zoning codes, clearly underscoring his vexation with governmental regulations. During the inspection, Mark finds numerous code violations, including oily gloves placed above a wood-burning fireplace and an outdated fire extinguisher. Later, Mark takes a half-day so that he can help his friend’s woodshop meet city code. Ron thanks Mark by crafting a wooden canoe and leaving it in his office.

“The Possum” is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 24th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 11, 2010.

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