Which main character is absent from the episode Beauty Pageant?

Ron Swanson is the main character absent from “Beauty Pageant.” The episode is notable because it is the only Parks and Recreation episode in which Nick Offerman does not appear as Ron.

The story instead focuses on Leslie and Tom judging the Miss Pawnee pageant, April entering the competition, and Ann’s awkward dinner with Mark while Andy lurks nearby. Ron’s absence is easy to miss because the Parks Department remains central to the episode, but neither the character nor Offerman appears in its plot or cast presentation.

“Beauty Pageant” is the third episode of season 2 and originally aired on October 1, 2009. Its pageant storyline gives Leslie a chance to reveal her idealism: she wants Susan, an intelligent volunteer, to win instead of Trish Ianetta, whom the other judges prefer. The episode also introduces Officer Dave Sanderson’s continued romantic interest in Leslie, while Ron returns as a regular presence in later episodes.