<P> Leslie continues to harbor a crush on Mark, but Mark is not interested in her romantically, and instead appears to be more interested in her friend Ann; an early draft of the script had Mark stating that he didn't care about Leslie or the park project but supported her efforts because it would allow him to spend more time around Ann, but this was changed to the final version where Mark is impressed by Leslie's fighting spirit and helps the park project for that reason . Mark agrees to help Leslie in her quest to turn a large construction 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 it in the story . </P> <P> 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 injures his legs . </P> <P> Following the accident at the pit, Mark becomes less jaded and abandons his promiscuous lifestyle . He and Ann develop a romantic interest in each other after she nurses him back to health at the hospital while his legs healed . They start dating only after Leslie assures Ann she is fine with the pairing and appears to have moved on from her long - standing infatuation with Mark . He fences 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 . Mark planned to propose to Ann, but she'd told Leslie she wanted to break up with him, and she did dump him after Leslie narrowly prevented Mark from making what would have been a humiliating proposal during the Diabetes Telethon . Mark and Ann have a breakfast sit - down where Mark says he's shocked that she wanted to end the relationship when they never even fought with each other, but Ann tells him that the lack of conflict meant neither of them really had any passion or stake in the relationship at all, and also says Mark overstated them as a couple because he'd 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 call him "Mark Brendanaquits ." In a scene echoing their moment together in the pit during the first season, Mark shares a tender goodbye with Leslie and gives her plans he drafted for the park she wants to build in place of the pit . </P> <P> When Mark Brendanawicz was originally conceived, it was anticipated that the character would eventually start to appear infrequently in Parks and Recreation, switching between his city planner job and work in the private sector . Series co-creator Michael Schur said this is because real - life city planners often move back and forth between different jobs . Schur said Mark is partially based on a real - life city planner who eventually got tired of the bureaucratic red tape of government and moved into the private sector, but eventually moved back to government when he was tired of the negative corporate environment . When Paul Schneider was cast as Mark, Schur told him the character might eventually leave Pawnee government and come back working for a different company, then keep moving back and forth in such a manner . Schur said, "It's not something you usually do on TV shows but we thought it was a good way to illustrate both the positive and negative aspects of working for a government . It was one of the first things we talked about with (Schneider)." </P>

Where did mark from parks and recreation go