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Leslie Knope's Best Quotes from Parks and Recreation

The one-time deputy director of the Pawnee Parks and Rec Department had lots of advice for everyone.

Leslie Knope ( Amy Poehler ) was the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department's most dedicated worker, and it's safe to say she (sometimes) motivated the people around her to love their jobs, too.

How to Watch

Watch every episode of Parks and Recreation on Peacock .

Whether she was dishing Ann Perkins ( Rashida Jones ) a unique compliment or nagging April Ludgate ( Aubrey Plaza), she was always a reliable source of humor and brightness. 

Here are some of the best Leslie quotes from all seven seasons of the NBC comedy. 

Leslie Knopes's Greatest Compliments to Ann Perkins 

We'd be remiss not to include at least a few of the creative ways that Leslie referred to her best friend, Ann. 

"Ann's my doctor. And she's the most beautiful nurse in the world." 

In Season 3, Episode 2 ("Flu Season"), the flu swept Pawnee and hit nearly every employee of the Parks and Rec department. Leslie was in denial of her sickness for a long time, attempting to work through the cold sweats by simply wearing a puffer jacket at her desk. Finally, the illness got the better of her and she had to be admitted under Ann's care, where she was able to cherish their friendship in a whole new way. 

"Ann, you poetic, noble land mermaid." 

When Leslie got voted out of her city council chair in Season 6, Episode 7 ("Recall Vote"), Ann and Leslie's boyfriend, Ben Wyatt ( Adam Scott ), teamed up to keep her grounded amidst the disappointment. Leslie was spewing depressing statements, telling trick-or-treating kids that they had likely already peaked and "nothing gold can stay."

Ann came in to save the day and had Leslie read aloud a note that Ann wrote about how she was strong and could keep going, prompting Leslie to land this perfect compliment. 

"What's Galentine's Day? Oh it's only the best day of the year." 

In the first Galentine's Day episode (Season 2, Episode 16), Leslie brought Ann to her annual brunch and gave her a taste of how the celebrations went down. She also explained to the cameras that the event is "Like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas." 

Leslie's Love of Waffles

When she was not raving about the power of friendship, Leslie was chasing down waffles and other sources of sugar. She consistently doused the waffles in whipped cream — just like she did with her coffee — and at one point the owner of JJ's Diner said that she's spent over $1,000 in the past year on waffles alone. 

"Yellow-haired female. Likes waffles and news." 

In Season 3, Episode 10 ("Soulmates"), Ann helped Leslie create an online dating profile for the first time. When prompted to describe herself, Leslie of course thought of waffles, which Ann suavely rewrote as "Sexy, well-read blonde loves the sweeter things in life." 

"Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?"

Her love of waffles certainly helped her buddy up with Parks and Rec Director Ron Swanson ( Nick Offerman ), whose obsession with eggs and bacon made them the perfect pair. While eating together at the beloved JJ's Diner, Leslie posed this question to Ron, who responded, "People are idiots, Leslie." 

"Don't you dare feed that waffle to that dog to get it to poop."

Leslie famously despised Eagleton, the township next to Pawnee in which she eventually found out she had been born. In Season 3, Episode 12 ("Eagleton"), her past came back to haunt her when her old friend Lindsay Carlisle Shay (Parker Posey) fought her over a shared fence between the two towns.

Leslie investigated her enemy and discovered that Lindsay was buying waffles to-go from JJ's Diner, but then Lindsay revealed that the waffles were being used as a dog laxative, which kicked Leslie's anger into higher gear. 

Leslie's Strong Opinions

Despite her consistently positive energy, Leslie knew where and when to take a stand. Her opinions on things like the library and salad were always very visible to those around her, and she used as many opportunities as possible to speak her truth. 

"I stand behind my decision to avoid salad and other disgusting things." 

In Season 4, Episode 5 ("Meet n Greet"), during her city council campaign, Leslie attempted to win over the support of small businesses in Pawnee, including the local salad shop. The owner of the shop mentioned that she'd never seen Leslie buy a salad there before, and Leslie said, "That's because I don't hate myself." 

"The library is the worst group of people ever assembled in history." 

Leslie had to go to bat against the librarians who wanted to use an open lot in town for a new branch instead of leaving it an open space for Leslie's park project, in Season 2, Episode 8 ("Ron and Tammy").

When she discovered that this rivalry, she went off about how much she hated libraries, saying that librarians are "mean, conniving, rude, and extremely well-read which makes them very dangerous." 

"That's horrifying and so is Orin. You should not be friends with him." 

Orin (Eric Isenhower) was April's close friend who often dressed in creepy outfits and intentionally spooked people. Leslie was vocal about her disapproval of him, especially when she saw that April was wearing a shirt for a performance art show Orin was in. "He's an animal living on a human farm and you can go and feed him with your own hand," April explained in Season 5, Episode 7 ("Leslie vs. April"). 

Watch all of Leslie Knope's best quotes by streaming all episodes of Parks and Recreation on Peacock . 

Parks and Recreation

• Amy Poehler
• Aubrey Plaza
• Aziz Ansari
• Nick Offerman
• Rashida Jones

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'Parks and Recreation': The Maturation of Leslie Knope

Amy Poehler shows off her character's impressive growth in last night's stand-out episode

For better or for worse, sitcoms tend not to have much forward momentum. This is partially for practical reasons; successful sitcoms make boatloads of cash each time they air in syndication, so it's ideal for any viewer to be able to jump in at any point. (If you'd like to see syndication in action, feel free to turn your television to one of the six channels that's inevitably rerunning Seinfeld right now.) But it's also because, for most viewers, TV sitcoms are the equivalent of comfort food: safe, predictable, undemanding, and satisfying. Parks and Recreation may feature more of a serialized narrative than something like Two and a Half Men , but even seemingly major plot progression (like April and Andy's wedding two weeks ago) leaves the core qualities of its characters essentially unchanged.

Over the course of the series, however, there's an ongoing narrative that's been so gradual and organic it's been easy to miss: the maturation of Leslie Knope. When the series began, Leslie was a daffy, wide-eyed dreamer —ridiculed by her underlings, controlled by her domineering mother, and pathetically infatuated with coworker Mark Brendanawicz. The second season offered a Leslie that became, practically episode by episode, more competent and respected at her job, and more selective in her love life. And this season's Leslie—particularly now that she's been buoyed by the massive success of her brainchild, the Harvest Festival —is confident, assertive, and unwilling to compromise.

Tonight's episode, "Jerry's Painting," finds Leslie growing increasingly frustrated with Chris' "no interdepartmental dating" rule, which prevents her going on a first date (presumably over JJ's waffles) with Ben. It's even more salt in the wound when Chris goads Ben into a blind date with a non-parks employee. Leslie's feeling sapped, frustrated, and defeated when she sees Jerry's latest painting: a confident, topless female centaur goddess that unintentionally but uncannily resembles her.

The painting motivates Leslie to attempt her own superhuman feats, which include getting a light bulb changed and having a printer fixed. Unfortunately, the painting also draws the ire of professional complainer Marcia Langman, who derides the painting as "government-funded animal porn." When a government panel elects to have the painting destroyed, Leslie enlists Jerry in a switcheroo that allows her to keep the painting in the privacy of her own home.

The action surrounding Jerry's painting showcased a number of characters in top form (particularly Ron, who delivered the world's greatest "I don't care about speeches" speech, and Tom, whose dismay at appearing in the painting as a fat baby never got old). But the most fun part of the episode was seeing how active and decisive Leslie was at every turn. From her passionate (though admittedly self-serving) defense of free speech in art to her escape with the painting, it's clear that Leslie's come a long way from the hyper-obedient government cog she used to be. It's also nice to see that her personal confidence has improved with her professional growth; I particularly liked her efforts to guarantee that Ben saw the painting, and her winking comment that Ben deserves "a real goddess" at the episode's end.

"Jerry's Painting" was more than a showcase for Leslie, of course—it was also the debut Parks and Recreation 's new funniest pairing: Ben, and newlyweds April and Andy. Now that Ben has decided to stay in Pawnee, he's ready to move out of his awful-sounding motel ("Four stars, says nobody") to somewhere nicer. Unfortunately for him, his quest leads to April and Andy's house, where longtime roommate Burly has just moved out. As April deadpans her way through a series of increasingly insane house rules ("If you ever watch a sad movie, you have to wear mascara so we can see if you've been crying") and Andy demonstrates no knowledge whatsoever of how little things like bills work, it's clear that Ben is in way over his head.

Now that Burly is gone, April and Andy's house has descended into chaos, with Frisbees full of turkey chili for breakfast and a single communal fork with which to eat it. After recovering from the horror, Ben gives Andy and April an advance on the next month's rent and specific instructions on what to buy: plates, towels, and other boring-but-essential house supplies (though Andy, being Andy, can't resist adding a marshmallow shooter to the list).

There are only five episodes left in Parks and Recreation 's third season, but "Jerry's Painting" is a fantastic example of how, even this late in the season, the show can still feel surprising and fresh.

Pawnee History: Tonight's 'Leslie the Centaur' painting is only the latest in a long string of Jerry's art, from a nature watercolor (which was thrown into a lake by Leslie) to a painstakingly assembled mural for a contest (which was ridiculed out of contention after Jerry accidentally called it a "murinal").

Wise Words from Andy Dwyer: On renting : "The biggest challenge to picking the perfect roommate is finding someone who's willing to pay more than their share of rent without knowing it."

'Parks and Recreation' Ending Explained: Leslie Is in the White House!

Where do the people of Pawnee end up?

When Parks and Recreation premiered on NBC in 2009, it didn't look like a series that would last too long. NBC was struggling, and this new show looked like a clone of The Office , with the faux documentary style following a group of strange characters in their workplace. Amy Poehler could be compared to Steve Carell too, with both having strong backgrounds in comedy on TV, but not quite being major stars yet.

In fact, the first season of Parks and Recreation struggled in quality and tone. Ratings were pretty abysmal and actually only got worse as the years went on, but against all odds, Parks and Recreation survived, lasting seven seasons. The series eventually found its voice, in the process giving us one of TV's all-time best comedies and launching the careers of costars Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza . On February 24, 2015, in a two-part finale titled "One Last Ride," It also gave us a beautiful goodbye never to be forgotten.

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Andy Dwyer & April Ludgate Become Parents

Every sitcom series finale has certain tropes they must follow. Someone has to get married, or someone has to die. A character needs to get a new job that causes them to move away. Best of all, there should be a baby. Parks and Recreation threw all of that at the wall and it sticks. Two of the series' best characters had long been Andy Dwyer and April Ludgate. It was a joy to watch not only the characters grow, but the actors behind them as well. By the time the series came to an end, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt especially were becoming household names.

On paper, Andy and April shouldn't have worked. Andy is like a big, dumb puppy dog, happy and full of life, even if he doesn't understand it . April is smart but perpetually miserable. Their opposites attract scenario is what made them so great to watch together. By the finale, Andy and April are married. It should be their happily ever after, but there's just one huge problem. Andy wants to have kids, but April doesn't. The series finale mostly takes place in the future, taking peeks into the lives to come for the employees at Pawnee, Indiana's Parks Department. It's now Halloween 2021 for Andy and April. With the couple struggling to resolve their differing desires, they talk to Leslie (Poehler) and Ben ( Adam Scott ) separately. Andy tells Ben how badly he wants kids. "You know, yesterday I was at the park and I saw this group of eight-year-olds laughing and playing and having a good time. I almost started crying. Granted, I'd just face-planted on my rollerblades. That's what they were laughing at."

Exactly a year later, on Halloween again, we find Andy and April in a delivery room. "Babe, you look more beautiful now than I've ever seen you." Cut to April wearing zombie makeup. She tells the doctor, played by Henry Winkler , who wants to help her get the makeup off, "No, I want it on. That's the whole point. I put the makeup on after I went into labor." She then instructs Andy to put on her birth mix, which fittingly includes "Monster Mash."

Everyone, Ron Swanson Included, Sees Their Dreams Come True

Similarly to The Office , Parks and Recreation was known for its plethora of whacky office characters . They were so well-defined that they became just as popular as the main cast. In the finale, they all get a fitting goodbye. Jerry or Garry ( Jim O'Heir ), whoever is the most lovable of all. He's a simple man who is made fun of his oafness, but he's also a very happy guy who loves his job and especially his home life, where he's married to a woman played by Christie Brinkley of all people. No one expects much of him, so it's awesome to see him end up becoming the mayor or Pawnee.

Braggadocios Tom Haverford ( Aziz Ansari ) has a restaurant business that goes belly up. No matter, he also gets married and writes a successful book. Craig ( Billy Eichner ) gets married too, as does Donna ( Retta ), who now lives in Seattle. Then there's the crazed brother and sister duo of Jean-Ralphio ( Ben Schwartz ) and Mona-Lisa ( Jenny Slate ). Their latest scheme sees Jean-Ralphio faking his death, only to flee America with his sister and the insurance payout to open a casino in Tajikistan. As expected, he gets in trouble for it, but hey, he's alive, so that's still a happy ending.

Then there's Ron Swanson ( Nick Offerman ), the director of the Parks Department. He's one of Leslie's best friends, but if there's anyone who despises humans more than April Ludgate, it's the mustachioed Swanson. The last season of Parks and Recreation sees Ron opening his own construction company, the Very Good Building and Development Company, but he still feels like something is missing in his life. Leslie knows the solution. She makes him the Superintendent of the Pawnee National Park. When introduced to his ranger employees, he tells them, "Your job and mine is to walk this land and make sure no one harms it. If you show up on time, speak honestly, and treat everyone with fairness, we'll get along just fine, though hopefully not too fine, as I'm not looking for any new friends." Ron then takes to a beautiful lake on a canoe, with one of Nick Offerman's signature wide smiles plastered on his face. He's found his calling, out in nature, far away from people.

Leslie Knope Finds the Greatest Success Imaginable

Leslie Knope has always been the star of Parks and Recreation , so it's her, and her life with Ben , that gets the most attention. She and Ben are parents to triplets. It's now 2025, and she's still hanging out with Joe and Jill Biden . It's at a dinner with them that she's approached by the DNC to run for governor. It's a dream come true, except someone approaches Ben with the same idea. They then have to decide which one of them will run. Leslie decides that they'll flip a coin, but Ben speaks up and says Leslie will be the one running. She makes Ben her campaign manager.

We then flash forward to Leslie Knope giving a commencement speech at Indiana University, where she's also getting an honorary doctorate. During her speech to the graduates, she says, "I've had a lot of different jobs, including two terms as your Governor." Leslie Knope made it. The woman who dreamed big and had enough passion for a hundred people accomplished everything she ever wanted. That's not all though. A flash forward to 2048 sees an aged Leslie and Ben at Jerry's funeral. It's not a sad affair though. The happy man made it to 100 and was still the mayor of Pawnee. What's most noticeable about this scene though is that Leslie and Ben are surrounded by Secret Service agents, implying that one of them is President. Smartly, with a lasting bit of mystery, it's never revealed which one of them is POTUS.

The last scene of Parks and Recreation goes back to 2017, with Leslie and everyone at a park celebrating a swing being fixed. They get their picture taken as a group one more time. As the timer is counting down, Leslie is looking off into the distance, away from the camera, a small smile on her face. "Are you ready, babe?" Ben asks her, referring to the photo that's about to happen. Leslie's smile grows bigger. "Yes," she says, not at all talking about the photo.

That's not quite the end of Parks and Recreation , however. On April 30, 2020, during the pandemic, the gang reunited for A Parks and Recreation Special . It wasn't anything overly memorable, serving more as a fundraiser for Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund than anything else. Still, to see so many people coming together in pre-taped videos and over Zoom when we couldn't truly be together, celebrating what Parks and Recreation still meant to them and so many, was the special part.

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I’m a Type-A Know-It-All. Leslie Knope Showed Me That’s a Good Thing.

Amy Poehler’s character on “Parks and Recreation” is a vindication for principled, chatty ladies everywhere, even if her idealism feels impossible nowadays.

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By Alexis Soloski

I didn’t like Leslie Knope at first. Then again, who did? Leslie, played by Amy Poehler, was the heroine of “Parks and Recreation,” a half-hour comedy on NBC that debuted in 2009 to aggressively middling reviews . Most write-ups shrugged it off as a mockumentary little sister to “The Office,” with which it shared a creative team. Even critics who liked it side-eyed Leslie. “Deluded” came up a lot when they described her. So did “ditsy.” The New York Times compared her to the “women who volunteer to look foolish on reality shows.”

That call was also coming from inside the house. A midlevel bureaucrat working at the Parks Department in fictional Pawnee, Ind., the Leslie of the pilot was a woman of energy, determination and zero discernment. “It’s a great time to be a woman in politics,” she says. “Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, me, Nancy Pelosi.” In its truncated first season, the show played her ambition for cringe-watch laughs. “This could be my Hoover Dam!” she says of her promise to transform a ditch into a green space.

Poehler is an actress as irresistible as sheet cake. But lines like that made me squirm. Mostly because Leslie reminded me of me: bossy, eager for approval, a bit of a know-it-all. As a teenager I was a go-getter: a class president, then a student body president and a Junior Statesman of America (since renamed Junior State, thank God) who collected A.P. classes like they were Beanie Babies. And a lot of that pushiness has followed me into adulthood.

Which is to say that I found Leslie annoying and unlikable in most of the ways that I have worried I am annoying and unlikable, even as I have also worried that a concern with likability is just another way that women keep themselves down. That Leslie was romantically paired early on with one character who clearly disliked her, Paul Schneider’s Mark, and another with whom she had a punishing lack of chemistry, Louis C.K.’s Dave, didn’t help. (Yeah, the C.K. episodes are unwatchable now.) Neither did Leslie’s dowdy pantsuits.

But as she would say in Season 6, “One person’s annoying is another’s inspiring and heroic.” Sometimes the same person’s. Because Leslie changed. The show’s writers realized their calibration error and remodeled their heroine, making her enthusiasm infectious rather than obnoxious, rewarding her hard work. Even her pantsuits improved . Eventually, the show introduced a worthy romantic foil, Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), a dishy auditor, who became her boyfriend, then not her boyfriend, then her boyfriend again, then her campaign manager, then her husband.

After a hard-fought race, Leslie won a seat on the City Council, realizing her ambitions and establishing that she wanted political power not for herself, but to make Pawnee a healthier, fairer, more verdant place. Yes, voters upset with her nanny-state practices would soon recall her, but still. For someone like me, who grew up in the ’90s, when ironic detachment was de rigueur and enthusiasm a source of deep suspicion, it was nice to love a character who made caring cool.

Because I spent a lot of young adulthood pretending, unconvincingly, that I didn’t care — about grades or student government or whether boys who play guitar would ever notice me (mostly, no) — when I cared so agonizingly much. Even into not-so-young adulthood, I would try to talk less, to volunteer less, to simulate a nonchalance I didn’t remotely feel. And then at some point in my 30s, maybe around the time that “Parks and Recreation” aired its last seasons, I accepted that I’m always going to have my hand in the air, that no one will ever describe me as “Zen,” that maybe there are worse things than being Knope-like.

I have treasured a Season 6 episode called “Filibuster,” in which Leslie skips out on a roller rink, ’90s-themed birthday party and instead spends hours (in skates, overalls and a sideways baseball cap) talking the chamber’s collective ears off. She does it not for any personal benefit — the filibuster pretty much guaranteed that she would lose the recall vote — but because it is the right thing to do. That scene felt like a vindication for principled, chatty ladies everywhere.

“Parks and Recreation” was a definitive sitcom of the Obama era — optimistic, well-intentioned, with a reach-across-the-aisle-and-then-do-a-fun-secret-handshake sensibility. Joe Biden, Michelle Obama and Cory Booker all had cameos; so did Newt Gingrich . When New York’s lockdown hit, I began rewarding myself with an episode or two most nights. (Go ahead. Make the “treat yo’self” joke. I did.) Watching it again, I felt some of my old ambivalence returning, but for new reasons. Leslie hadn’t changed this time. I had.

After long days of work and home-schooling and household chores, Leslie’s energy seemed exhausting and the show’s ethos half-baked. Maybe quarter-baked? Definitely doughy. When I had adored “Parks and Recreation” the first time around, I had failed to recognize it as a fantasy of bipartisanship and meritocracy. That’s another fun surprise of living through the past few years — just when you think you’re already completely embittered, another joy shrivels.

I’m not sure anymore that we can work together despite our differences or that the right people go into public service for the right reasons, particularly in a society with such ugly fractures along class and racial lines. And I think we all remember how well the last presidential election worked out for pant-suited lady strivers. Also, I’m older now, with a few more years of marriage and motherhood under my imitation leather belt, and the idea of an ambitious woman with a supportive, equally ambitious husband, triplets who apparently raise themselves and ample time for friends and hobbies no longer seems super realistic.

Leslie’s belief in democracy does seem deluded now. I streamed the “Filibuster” episode again and thought that she should just go roller skating. Then again, when the reunion special was announced during the pandemic, I watched it, and it was a comfort to see those characters again, and enjoy the too-tight hug of Leslie’s warm, frenetic competence. So my quarrel isn’t with Leslie — or even with the type-A, talks-too-much-on-Zoom Leslie in me — but with a world that makes her political idealism seem impossible.

I guess the hope is that I find these episodes in a few years, during a new presidency, when a member of the Squad is ascendant, say, and I fall for Leslie and her aspirational pantsuits all over again.

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Parks and Rec Post Mortem: Amy Poehler and Mike Schur Break Down Those Recall Results

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The votes have been cast, the ballots counted and the results revealed: Leslie Knope is no longer a Pawnee City Council member.

Parks and Recreation on Thursday reached the end of its weeks-long recall storyline with the ouster of Amy Poehler ‘s beloved go-getter — but why ?!

“Occasionally we have to knock her around a little bit,” Parks creator Mike Schur told reporters with a laugh at a press screening, “especially professionally!”

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While it wasn’t always the plan for Knope to lose her much-ballyhooed position, Schur explained that once she was “recalled in the finale last year… the writers spent the 10 weeks leading up to shooting talking about the options, and this seemed like the best, juiciest one. Once we committed to having her recalled we thought, ‘Well if she wins the vote, she’s just back where she was before.”

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Poehler, for her part, believes that this latest hurdle for her alter ego dates back to a conversation she and Schur had very early on in the series.

“The idea [was] this long arc of one person with very little power believing that they can make a difference,” she recalled. “But people don’t always like the things you change — especially when they’re very personal and small, like the size of your sodas. So, it’s cool to play with the idea that just because Leslie is getting things done doesn’t mean that people like what she’s doing…. How do you fight the cynicism and disappointment that comes along with that? How do you make a difference in politics?”

Agreed Schur: “You kind of can’t tell the story [of a character fighting the tide of cynicism ] if everything is going right.”

And just like that, the recall twist was born. But that doesn’t mean Leslie is down for the count. As was made very apparent at the end of this week’s second episode, Knope is nothing if not resilient.

“She’s going to mull some stuff over, and she gets a lot of advice from a lot of different people along the way as she actively seeks out a bunch of different possibilities for her life,” Schur revealed. “She just never stops moving and eventually she’s going to find a path that makes sense to her.”

But for now, Leslie has roughly a month left in her city council seat and, Schur shared, she’ll spend every waking minute — leading right up to Parks’ 100th episode, which airs in a January and chronicles her final hours in office — “finishing off her career” in style.

Were you sad to see Leslie recalled? Will she be better off sans the City Council?

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14 comments.

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That was actually a surprising twist. I loved it!

I felt my heart snk when Perd read the results.

my heart hurts.

Surprising twist, but I can’t help but I can’t help but be heartbroken over the results.

It was an emotional hit and run.

I can understand why they did it, and it is going to be far more interesting, but i still hated it so much!

This episode was emotionally devastating. I’m going to need a month to recover….

I loved the episodes. I strongly feel I know the direction this show is going to take and I love it. (maybe its just wishful thinking) Leslie will bounce back to better things after all she is…LESLIE “freaking” KNOPE!

I like how P&R always mixes things up. I think they should have Andy & April lose their house and have to move in with Ben and Leslie. And have April break her leg b/c of a Leslie Knopp hording tower falls on her.

With Chris & Ann leaving how about Leslie as City Manager? It would change things up a lot but give her a chance to do something different and change the dynamic of her relationship with Ron rather than just going back to the way it was 2 years ago.

My husband and I guessed this would be the outcome last night! Ron was Chris’ first choice to be his replacement a season or two ago, but Ron declined the job. Leslie would be a great choice.

Or maybe Ben will get the job to bring him back in the fold at City Hall.

Jamm needs a good butt kicking

Being sad for Leslie but still laughing for the brilliant gags the episode give us… That’s the Parks & Rec magic. One of the best comedies ever. But now NBC prefer to make show like the MJF one and Welcome to the Family, witch they sponsored on Twitter w/ the hashtag #WTTF. That says it all. (PS I love MJF, but that new show is horrible)

is she going to use this time to finally build the park that kicked off the show? because that still hasn’t happened as far as I remember (I could be wrong?).

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50 Of Leslie Knope's Most Iconic Lines On "Parks And Recreation"

"The thing about youth culture is... I don't understand it."

BuzzFeed Staff

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their absolute favorite Leslie Knope quote. Here are the amazing results.

1. when she blessed us with this iconic bff motto..

— photominnow

2. When she never failed to keep her eye on the prize.

3. When Leslie was devastated after she discovered her true origins.

— nicolec42601379a

4. When she ranked the most important things in her life.

— nicolep4d0b3f05c

5. When she embraced her true self.

— oliviah41defb8f7

6. When she was anxious about going on a date based on her past experiences...

— megz431adc968

7. ...because they were seriously horrible!

— rachaeld4ae74569a

8. When Leslie got way too competitive during Model UN.

— katiem46383d20a

9. When she wasn't afraid to show her undying love for Ann.

10. When she was ridiculously sick with the flu.

— emilys44b743fcd

11. When she never forgot about her beliefs, even during fun times.

— emmab4549aeb74

12. When she thought she ate a special brownie.

— childpilot

13. When Leslie was an absolute queen.

14. When she got drunk and showed up to her crush's house.

— kassied4312872c5

15. And when she found out Ben started dating someone after they broke up.

— kaylayandoli

16. When she let her confidence shine bright.

— hanwright

17. When Leslie said everything we're thinking.

18. When she invited herself on Ron's hunting trip with the guys.

— sarahs4dd2d363b

19. When she got super drunk off Snake Juice.

—Kimberly Nicole Pelmont, Facebook

20. And when she totally regretted it the next morning.

21. When Leslie made these sweet wedding vows to Ben.

— lizs4a20d4418

22. When she freaked out over meeting the GOAT, Michelle Obama .

—Lindsay Katherine Kupcake, Facebook

23. When she left herself an encouraging voicemail.

24. When she entered a drinking contest against the Tammys to win Ron back.

25. When she brilliantly shut down a sexist person.

— maggief18

26. When she refused to let the Pawnee Public Arts Commission to dismantle Jerry's painting of her.

— markd44201e6fa

27. And when Leslie went to her first gay bar.

— catier4f8cc3764

28. When she asked Ann for fashion advice.

— megandanielleh2

29. When she was frustrated she couldn't act on her feelings for Ben.

— elyse7783

30. When she was sick and wouldn't admit herself to the hospital.

— whovianjay14

31. And when she escaped the hospital to make a speech.

— marisag40416fa80

32. When Leslie had her first and only fight with her sweet wife, Ann.

— donniel1985

33. When she felt like her life was at a complete standstill.

— jessicastiel

34. When she explained why she was attracted to Ben.

— fridaixchel

35. And when Greg Pikitis stapled her dress to a tablecloth.

— danyellec2

36. When Leslie made sure her friends were living their best lives.

— kaileyc44c620328

37. When she couldn't help but show some love for her hero Hillary Clinton .

— kylec4fb7816b2

38. When she tracked down Ron's hiding place and came prepared.

— shaeshae87

39. When she defended Ann's honor...

— linneawestling1

40. ...because there was no one else in the world she loved more than Ann Perkins.

— purplepanda1099

41. When she showed us just how ~freaky~ she really was.

— baileym4bf19a2ee

42. When Leslie was the queen of puns.

— ajj42fdcd5cc

43. When she never strayed away from her true personality.

44. When she was the nerdiest nerd to ever nerd.

— missym4778c8528

45. When she was excited anytime Ben read her mind.

— beatrixk3

46. And when Leslie was shocked by everyone's assumptions of her.

— spenceralthouse

47. When she was the hardest worker Pawnee had ever seen.

48. When she couldn't believe "Pistol" Pete saw through Ann's sperm donor scheme.

49. When she tried her best not to be awkward.

—Najwa Naser, Facebook

50. And when Leslie was an inspiration to us all.

— lindsaymulligan

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Critic’s Notebook: ‘Parks and Recreation’ finale: ‘Find your team’

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A story about people who love one another made by people who clearly love one another, “Parks and Recreation” ended its seven-season, zigzag run through prime time Tuesday night on NBC. In the final shot, star Amy Poehler, as public servant Leslie Knope, faced the camera, all aglow, and addressed Leslie’s future and perhaps her own: “I’m ready,” she said.

Written by Poehler and series co-creator (along with Ed Daniels) Mike Schur, the finale was, as finales often are, a kind of metaphor for the moment: “We need to celebrate everything we’ve done as a group,” Leslie says to her co-workers, a character talking to characters and an actor talking to actors as all are about to part. As is also often the case with finales, the episode was constructed as a gift -- a gift from its makers to each other and to their audience. There is love there too, passing each way through the screen.

That a comedy about a parks department in an Indiana small town would not be a ratings smash was not inevitable, but it is not, in its way, inappropriate; as in the series itself, it was never about how many, but how much we who cared, cared.

Optimistic and innocent, familiar and ridiculous, “Parks and Rec” was a Frank Capra film as imagined by Preston Sturges, stretched into a series and filtered through the pickup basketball sensibilities of a modern writers room (and a multigenerational cast of gifted players). It was the last of NBC’s great if often struggling prestige comedies, including “The Office” and “30 Rock” (whose godchild “Parks and Rec” can be said to be), that once made Thursday night a date worth keeping.

What plot the complicated and busy last episode offered was just in service of the party. Every handshake and hug felt real, every tear unforced and well-earned. Jumping forward into the characters’ various but still intertwined futures (from the already-future-set 2017, in which the final season has been set), it showered them all with happiness, success and dreams come true and then brought them back together for a last group adventure, in a park, to fix a swing.

There was time, one last time, for Chris (Rob Lowe) to say something was literally true, and for Ben (Adam Scott) to look at the camera in an attitude of “What just happened?” and for an entire auditorium to mock the endlessly mocked Garry (Jim O’Heir), whose present from his creators is that he gets to be mayor for the rest of his life and live to 100. Time for one last visit to the fourth floor, for one last appearance of Burt Macklin and for a Joe (and Jill) Biden cameo. There were waffles too, if you were paying attention.

And there was Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) back again, and one more time for Leslie to praise her beauty and hold her close. It was Ann who began this story long ago by complaining of a hole in a lot next to where she lived, with then-boyfriend Andy (Chris Pratt), a self-centered slacker and not yet the endearing dimwit he would later become. It seems so long ago.

There is a space of course between TV characters and the people who play them -- though Aubrey Plaza’s twitter handle is @evilhag, she is not the Wednesday Addams that April Ludgate is; Nick Offerman, though he lent bits of himself to Ron Swanson -- I would guess that the canoe he paddled in the finale was one the actor made himself -- is not that guy.

But Leslie Knope seems very much an extension of, an expression of Amy Poehler, who wrote a memoir called “Yes Please” and co-created a website and YouTube Channel for young women called Smart Girls (“No one looks stupid when they’re having fun” and “Change the world by being yourself” are among its Knope-ish words of wisdom), which includes an advice vlog, “Ask Amy.” The show has shaped itself not just to her gifts, but to her person.

Even as the show around her got more antic, surreal and absurd, Leslie grew more grounded, more sure, more effective -- she became a leader, a model, a mentor, an organizer not just of policies and projects and ring binders, but of her friends’ well-being. The character we met in 2009 might have dreamed of becoming president, but never could have been; the one who left us Tuesday night, just about could.

“The best prize life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing,” Leslie says near the finale’s end, quoting Theodore Roosevelt. She is delivering a commencement address, having served two terms as governor of Indiana and, the script hints but never states, is about to run for president (and win). “And I would add that what makes work worth doing is getting to do it with people you love.

“Find your team,” she tells them.

It’s an echo of Poehler’s own 2011 Harvard Class Day speech . “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you,” Poehler said then. “Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.... Listen, say yes, live in the moment, make sure you play with people who have your back, make big choices early and often.

“You never know what is around the corner unless you peek. Hold someone’s hand while you do it. You will feel less scared. You can’t do this alone. Besides, it is much more fun to succeed and fail with other people. You can blame them when things go wrong.”

Goodnight, Pawnee.

Robert Lloyd is on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd

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How to Dress Like Leslie Knope

Leslie Knope is the strong, independent, kind and hilarious main character on the hit TV show, “ Parks and Recreation .” She is first introduced in the pilot episode, talking about how amazing government and parks are to her and society. It is obvious from the beginning that she is a dedicated civil servant with a good sense of humor.

Her style definitely changes throughout the series from being more on the moderate and mature side, to a stylish and sophisticated wardrobe. One of the aspects of the show that I find so great is how relatable all the characters are. They are regular people with normal jobs, which also mean that their wardrobes fit that style, as well.

Most of Leslie’s clothes are business to business casual. As the series progresses we do see her more in street clothes, which are also very cute and attainable.

Clothing Purchasing Guide

We recommend:.

Close Match: Women's Skirt Suit (Light Gray)

Close Match: Dress Shirt (Red)

Close Match: LifeStride Pumps (Black Glory)

Close Match: Replica Waffle Necklace

Dresses & Blazer

Leslie's Red Dress

Close Match: Cocktail Dress (Red)

Leslie's Green Formal Dress

Close Match: 3/4 Sleeve Dress (Dark Green)

Leslie's Blue & Pink Flower Dress

Close Match: Women's Casual Dress (E-Blue Flower)

Leslie's Gray Suit

Leslie's Red Button Up Dress Shirt

Leslie's Floral Print Blouse

Close Match: Floral Button Down LS

Leslie's Blue & White Striped Shirt

Close Match: Asherangel Shirt (Blue)

Close Match: Allegra K Shirt (White Dark Blue)

Skirt & Jeans

Leslie's Gray Skirt Suit

Leslie's Dark Wash Blue Jeans

Close Match: Women's Classic Straight Jeans (Cobalt Dip)

Leslie's Medium Wash Blue Jeans

Close Match: NYDJ Blue Jeans (New Heyburn)

Shoes & Accessories

Leslie's Black Pumps

Leslie's Brown Booties

Close Match: Rocket Dog Boots (Brown)

Leslie's Red Converse Low Top Sneakers

Close Match: Converse Low Top Shoes (Red)

Leslie's Waffle Necklace

Leslie's style overview:

• Business jackets, skirts & pants
• Floral pattern blouses
• Medium & dark wash jeans
• Black pumps, booties, & sneakers

Leslie Knope's Business Attire

Leslie’s business style throughout the series is pretty straight forward and basic business attire. The outfit that comes to mind that is a staple wardrobe for her is a single button blazer and skirt suit, like this one from Amazon . 

Paired with this suit would be a basic button down shirt, like this one by J. VER .  It comes in a large variety of colors, any of which would do, although she is wearing red in this picture where I got my inspiration for this outfit.

Then there are different blouses that she will pair with her business attire, such as in season five, episode four.  The actual shirt is one from Bloomingdale’s and is currently sold out (which is probably fine, because it is $218)!

But I found a different blouse that I think is a close match and definitely up Leslie’s style. It's a  button down and comes in many different colors and patterns, all of which would work for Leslie's style.

Casual Tops

We get to see Leslie outside of the office quite a bit more as the series progresses, which is nice because we get some different apparel, in addition to her business look. She definitely has more of a cute and quirky sense of style but that also seems comfortable and put together.

One top she wears is a blue and white plaid button down shirt. I found two that would work perfectly. This first one is more of a tunic.   The second one is shorter, just like a normal blouse.

Another top that comes to mind is when she and Andy go to Washington D.C. for the first time and she is wearing a blue striped shirt.  I couldn’t find an exact match, but obviously a blue striped shirt is a fairly common piece of clothing. I found a few that I think would work really well, like this one by Asherangel , this one by LilyCoco , and this other one by Allegra K .

All are close enough to resembling Leslie’s and are cute and casual.

Casual Bottoms

Most of the time when we see Leslie outside of work, she is wearing a cute sweater or blouse paired with jeans. Her style is pretty classic as well as comfy. This is a good depiction of what she wears on a regular basis.

She wears a medium wash, straight legged jean, just like these jeans by NYDJ .  These jeans are great because they can be dressed up with heels, or worn casually with sneakers or flats. These particular jeans also come in a few different washes.

The jeans she wears are a lighter wash, but she also wears a dark wash, straight jean as well. We rarely see her wearing actual skinny jeans and never leggings or boot cut. In season 3, when they are going camping after the harvest festival, we see Leslie in casual clothes. The jeans I found that match well are these Levi's .  

Levi’s are always a good brand and these are a good price, too. These jeans also come in a variety of washes, so any of these would do well for “Leslie” jeans.

Leslie's Dresses

Leslie is also seen wearing dresses on several occasions. There are quite a few times when she attends a nice event, or throws a party, where she would be wearing a semi-formal dress.

In the episode where Ann and Chris leave, Leslie throws them a huge party the night before. At the party she is wearing a green dress.  Although I could not find an exact match,  this dress is  ¾ sleeve, it is a similar color and fit as Leslie’s and similar ruching. You could certainly dress it up for a party with nice heels and accessories.

At the beginning of the episode where Ben and Leslie get married, Leslie is wearing a red cap sleeve dress, with lace on the top and bottom.  I found this dress  that was a pretty good match, with the lace detail and length being spot on.

This next dress is less formal than the previous two I just talked about. Leslie wears this dress at the end of season six. It is a silk shirt dress, with pink cherry blossoms.  The dress is Diane von Furstenberg Freya Printed Silk Dress, but it is also currently sold out. This one from Amazon is a very similar style as the one she wears on the show. It also comes in other patterns and colors. 

Accessories

Leslie is a pretty simple and classic lady when it comes to most of her accessories, especially when she is at work. In most of the scenes where you can see her shoes when wearing business attire, she is wearing a simple, black pump.

I found these by LifeStride . You definitely can’t go wrong with any black pump, to be honest.

She is also seen wearing boots on occasion when she is wearing more casual clothes, like in this scene where she visits Ann after having her baby.   These booties by Rocket Dog are very similar in color and the heels looks almost identical.

Leslie is also seen wearing red Converse shoes.  These are easy to find of course and I found a quick link on Amazon here .

And of course it wouldn’t be a real article about Leslie Knope if we didn’t mention waffles.  She wears a waffle necklace (from her stuffed otter).  You can find and buy this necklace on Etsy here .  You can definitely complete any Leslie Knope outfit or costume with a waffle necklace!

Related Posts

How to dress like the man in black, how to dress like stan marsh, how to dress like eric cartman, how to dress like ron swanson, how to dress like shadow moon, how to dress like saul goodman, how to dress like stevie janowski, how to dress like kenny powers, how to dress like darryl philbin, leave a comment:.

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AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Five things leslie knope should see at the smithsonian.

As NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” prepares to shoot its season five in D.C., we offer up five must-sees for the newest city councilmember of Pawnee, Indiana

Leah Binkovitz

Right when D.C. needs her most, NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” heroine Leslie Knope appears. At least, that’s the hope. DCist , among other outlets, reported last week that the critically-acclaimed show about small town government in Knope’s beloved Pawnee, Indiana, will be heading to D.C. this week to film part of its season five opener.

Viewers will remember that the on-and-off-again relationship between Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) took another hit when Wyatt decided to take a position in D.C. as a campaign adviser. NBC has only confirmed that scenes could be filmed Thursday and Friday but not whom those scenes would include or where those scenes would be shot. Poehler and Scott seem the obvious choices, but local fans are hopeful lovable curmudgeon and manliest of all the men, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) will also make an appearance.

If Knope does make it to D.C., it would be a dream come true for a woman whose office includes framed photos of Madeleine Albright, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. With so much to see here in just two days, we narrowed our list down to five Knope must-sees.

1. Li’l Przewalski : Though no horse could ever replace the dearly departed Li’l Sebastian, Pawnee’s favorite mini-horse , the National Zoo’s diminutive band will help Knope feel right at home. The Przewalski’s horses, named after the Polish scientist who first described the species (and pronounced sheh-val-skee ), grow to be just four feet tall.

2. Votes for Women pennant : The collection of First Lady artifacts, including Michelle Obama’s inaugural ball gown, is worth a visit for anyone, but we know Knope is more interested in being the first lady president, not the president’s First Lady. A big fan of voting in general, Knope should visit the American History Museum to see pennants, buttons and signs from the suffrage movement and maybe take some notes for her own presidential campaign gear.

3. Waffle literature : That’s right, in the great treasure trove that is the Smithsonian Libraries, there are scores of documents about the creation of the waffle iron. Because Knope is such an avid and serious waffle-fan (Her position statement includes the line, “A Knope presidency will be a waffle-based presidency, and everyone has to deal with that.”), she’ll want to sift through papers about Cornelius Swarthout’s 1869 patent that made Troy, New York the waffle capital of the world.

4. Clearing the Right of Way, Indiana mural : While this mural on view at the American Art Museum doesn’t have the bloodshed or aggressively offensive material Knope may be used to in Pawnee’s city hall , it does depict another sort of patriotic moment in Indiana’s history. Commissioned by the Works Progress Administration, Joe Cox completed this mural study for the post office in Garrett, Ind. of muscular loggers clearing land for the railroad. Though it hasn’t been confirmed, the mustached man far left could very well be Ron Swanson’s relative.

5. Madeleine Albright swag : Some look to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as a style icon, but the true trendsetter of Leslie Knope’s Washington will always be Madeleine Albright, whose pins alone warranted their own exhibit at the Smithsonian. After a generous donation to the American History Museum, Knope and other Albrighters can view the former Secretary of State’s red wool dress and Ferragamo pumps worn the day she was appointed to office, as well as several pins including her Liberty Eagle pin–patriotic and one-of-a-kind, just like Knope. She can even pick up her own replica while in town.

Get the latest on what's happening At the Smithsonian in your inbox.

Leah Binkovitz | | READ MORE

Leah Binkovitz is a Stone & Holt Weeks Fellow at Washington Post and NPR. Previously, she was a contributing writer and editorial intern for the At the Smithsonian section of Smithsonian magazine.

• Entertainment

Knope and Change

I n the Spring of 2009, the U.S. was trying to climb out of a deep, ugly hole. So was Leslie Knope. With the Great Recession raging and Americans debating the government’s role in fixing it, NBC premiered Parks and Recreation, starring Amy Poehler as an ambitious small-town bureaucrat in fictional Pawnee, Ind. Leslie took on a small but fiercely fought challenge: turning a dangerous abandoned pit into a city park, a quest that involved many pratfalls into the hole and pushback from Pawnee’s fractious citizens, who would show up at town meetings to–in Leslie’s glass-half-full phrasing–“care loudly at me.”

The park eventually got built. The recession eventually ended. But beyond that, Washington and Pawnee parted ways. In the real world, gridlock and polarization killed any hope that reasonable people could compromise on problems everyone knew needed to be solved. But Parks, which ends its final season on Feb. 24, suggested something crazy for a political comedy in a cynical time: that as absurd and imperfect as government could be, it could still make life slightly better.

Parks became network TV’s best and brightest sitcom by embodying the slogan that all politics is local. It doesn’t mention political parties. (In the current season it’s 2017, but we don’t even know who won the election–no spoilers!) Parks’ concerns are budgets, zoning, local rivalries. It hasn’t pushed hot buttons so much as tickled them, as when Leslie performed a photo-op “marriage” of two zoo penguins who turned out to be gay.

But there’s a big idea in Parks’ small-scale vision. In the frame of today’s politics, it might be a liberal notion, but it’s one that for much of the 20th century was centrist, and even championed by Republicans like park lover Teddy Roosevelt: that we need government to do things the private sector can’t or won’t, like preserving public spaces.

Shockingly, Parks has dared to suggest that while some civil servants might be bumbling–sorry, Jerry!–they can also be well-intentioned and competent. (This too wasn’t considered a liberal notion before the era when Ronald Reagan joked that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'”) Leslie is comically tenacious–Poehler plays her as a cheerfully overprepared super-wonk–but she’s good at what she does and is driven by a fierce love for her hometown as well as its famous waffles.

Leslie can’t do it alone, though: she’s assisted by a network of co-workers and friends (played by a comedy-powerhouse cast, many of whom–like Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza and Aziz Ansari–have deservingly become stars). Even her former supervisor Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) admires Leslie’s commitment, even though he’s so libertarian, he once illustrated the evils of taxation to a fourth grader by eating 40% of her lunch. Parks argues not only that we need our neighbors’ help but that helping makes us better ourselves; it’s in the small-town, populist tradition of Friday Night Lights and It’s a Wonderful Life.

Still, Parks isn’t naive about how tough it can be to convince Bedford Falls not to let itself become Pottersville. Leslie is elected to city council, then loses a recall vote after she angers businesses by pushing a soda tax. (One Pawnee fast-food joint serves a 512-oz. “child size”: “It’s roughly the size of a 2-year-old child, if the child were liquefied.”) By the seventh season, Leslie has moved up to head the regional office of the National Park Service.

Her final quest is to secure a valuable parcel of local land for a new national park. Problem one: a big tech business also wants to buy it and has much deeper pockets. Problem two: the tech company is working with Ron, now a private contractor, which both tests their friendship and pits his libertarianism against her communitarianism. But while Leslie’s rivals have money, she says, “I have the most valuable currency in America: a blind, stubborn belief that I’m 100% right.”

Parks’ sympathies are with the underdog. After all, it’s always been one, scraping by with a fraction of the viewers of hits like The Big Bang Theory. But it’s survived for seven seasons, and–even if NBC seems to be rushing it out the door by airing its last episodes two at a time–it’s getting to end its optimistic story on its own terms. As Leslie Knope knows, sometimes the little victories are the sweetest.

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Screen Rant

Parks and rec: the true story behind joe biden's cameo.

How Parks and Recreation got President-Elect Joe Biden to cameo twice to pay-off Leslie Knope's massive crush on the real-life politician.

Joe Biden, President-Elect of the United States, appeared twice in  Parks and Recreation   as himself. Leslie Knope, the main character of the show, made many references to then-Vice President Biden throughout  Parks and Recreation 's seven seasons . Leslie (Amy Poehler) once confided in her best friend, Ann (Rashida Jones), that her ideal man had the brains of George Clooney and the body of Joe Biden. She also admitted in front of her husband that Joe is her celebrity sex list, stitched a picture of Joe Biden’s face into the "unity quilt" she made for her and Ben’s families, and paused for a brief moment when Bobby Newport’s campaign manager, Jennifer Barkley (Kathryn Hahn), attempted to bribe her into dropping out of the city council race in return for Joe Biden’s personal phone number.

Biden's first appearance on  Parks and Rec  occurred in season 5, episode 7, “Leslie vs. April.” The brief scene was filmed in July 2012, but aired in November after the 2012 Presidential Election, meaning it had to be filmed in a way that would have worked no matter who won. In the episode, Leslie and Ben are celebrating their recent engagement, so Ben decides to surprise Leslie with a gift – a short meeting with her favorite person, which leaves her overcome with emotion. The Vice President also returned for the  Parks and Recreation  finale, which takes place in the future  and hints that Leslie and Biden are friends.

Related:  Parks & Recreation: Did Leslie Knope Actually Become President?

Leslie Knope has many political heroes and constantly references her favorite public servants, but Leslie's obsession with Joe Biden both as a successful politician and her dream man became a running gag on  Parks and Rec . The gag culminated in two hilarious cameos by Joe Biden himself. Naturally, the clip of Leslie first meeting Biden has gone viral in the days following his successful 2020 bid for President of the United States, but how did Joe Biden's appearances in Parks and Rec come about?

While you'd expect Knope's adoration of the VP to be one-sided, Biden was actually a fan of  Parks and Rec. At the time of his casting announcement, Parks and Rec  executive producer Michael Schur told EW how it happened: “ His staff really loves the show, and he apparently had watched the show with his family and his family liked it." Schur also revealed why the show had to keep the cameo secret, given its potential to break election rules: "The hardest part was keeping it secret for so long because there’s all these FEC rules and equal-time rules. We couldn’t air it before the election because it was the equivalent of a campaign contribution to advertise for one candidate.”

Biden was not the only prominent  U.S. political figure to appear on the hit NBC sitcom . The late Senator John McCain, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and several other well-known politicians appeared in various episodes. The former Vice President also revealed to the New York Times his take on the cameo: “ My whole family loves Parks and Recreation and I had a great time filming that scene. It was a real honor that in my sitcom debut I got to meet someone like Leslie Knope, who believes so deeply in public service. She’s an example for men and women across the country that there’s no higher calling than helping other people. On a personal note, I’ll never figure out how Leslie Knope got my home phone number, but that really just shows how committed she is .”

Parks and Rec  is known for being a pretty optimistic representation of local and federal government, but there are some things in the show that are based in a surprising amount of realism, including Leslie's many town hall meetings that go completely sideways and also her deep commitment to her job in public service. Parks and Recreation never officially explains Leslie Knope's massive crush on President-Elect Joe Biden, but the fictional character often chose real-life political role models to inspire her based on the characteristics that she most identifies with and admires: commitment to their work and the people they serve.

More:  Parks & Rec Gave Everyone A Happy Ending (By Changing All Their Jobs)

Knope Out: ‘Parks and Recreation’ Says Goodbye

By Amy Plitt

After six seasons — filled with countless public forums, ridiculous small-town foibles, and an obscene amount of waffle consumption — Parks and Recreation took its final bow last night. Considering how many times the show teetered on the verge of cancellation, it’s amazing that the sitcom made it this far, but pop culture is immeasurably better for it. Thanks to a truly stellar cast, led by Amy Poehler as the ever-idealistic Leslie Knope, and consistently smart and funny writing, Parks will be remembered not just as a great sitcom, but a great TV show, period.

For its swan-song season, the series’ co-creator and showrunner Mike Schur took a risk by fast-forwarding the storyline several years into the future, showing life in the fictional Indiana city of Pawnee circa 2017. That gamble, for the most part, paid off: Thanks to a steady flow of cash from the Facebook-esque social network Gryzzl, the show’s Midwestern locale is actually a nice place to live — it has yoga studios, juice bars, and even an abundance of kale — and the characters are now further along in their lives. April (Aubrey Plaza) and Andy (Chris Pratt) are responsible grown-ups; Tom ( Aziz Ansari ) is a successful businessman; and Donna (Retta) is actually getting married. And the jump provided ample opportunities for drama — one of the season’s best episodes dealt with the falling-out between Ron (Nick Offerman) and Leslie, and their eventual drunken reconciliation.

The finale brought the cast back to where it all started: the Parks Department. “We need to celebrate everything we’ve done together as a group,” says Leslie, who gets a chance to tell everyone how much she loves them for the thousandth time.  The flash-forwards continue, offering a glimpse at where the gang eventually ends up, whether it’s playing charades with Joe and Jill Biden (Leslie, obviously), having a second act as an author and motivational speaker (Tom, surprisingly), or simply basking in the Great Outdoors while praising the virtues of minimal governmental interference (Ron, whose Willie Nelson-soundtracked canoe ride into the sunset was one the show’s most breathtakingly beautiful moments ever). You could call it fan service, certainly — or you could recognize that the show’s happily-ever-after ending is perfectly in tune with the humanity that has defined the show from its very beginning.

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Parks was initially intended as a spin-off of the American reboot of The Office , with co-creator Greg Daniels and Schur (a.k.a. Dwight Schrute’s mute, mischief-making cousin Mose) at the helm. Though the spin-off idea was abandoned, P&R ‘s first season still hewed closely to its brethren’s cringe-comedy stylings, down to the mockumentary template, the workplace antics, and Amy Poehler’s buffoonish boss wreaking havoc. It didn’t quite jibe, and not just because it was impossible to imagine Poehler as a Michael Scott-esque rube. (Come on — we’re talking about a woman who rapped alongside Sarah Palin while eight months pregnant.)

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But astoundingly, the creators course-corrected in Season Two, giving the characters a depth and emotional range that felt leagues different from the first six episodes. Gone was the naïve, ineffectual Leslie Knope, replaced by a woman who was ambitious, capable, and loved her job — and, importantly, was damn good at it. As the series progressed, Knope ended up becoming one of television’s most unapologetically feminist characters, one who keeps photos of Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright in her office, and challenges gross gender stereotypes from the clueless men around her. And props to the writing staff for continuing to bring those issues to the forefront: A recent episode dealt with double-standards applied to working parents and Leslie shutting down a group of men’s right’s activists; in the finale, Leslie’s equally ambitious husband steps aside so she can run for governor. Baller move, Ben Wyatt.  

The second season is also when Parks also began to carve out the identity that would come to not only define the series, but differentiate it from so many others with which it shared Must-See-TV airspace. The show’s point of view isn’t rooted in cynicism; instead, it’s informed by a deep-seated optimism, fueled by Knope’s relentless glass-half-full outlook and can-do attitude toward doing your civic duty. Even when things start going pear-shaped — Pawnee goes bankrupt, Leslie loses her city council seat — she truly believes that things will work out for the best, and does everything in her power to make that happen.

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A peek at pawnee: behind the scenes of 'parks and recreation'.

She also pushed her fellow Pawnee residents to be the best versions of themselves, whether she was helping her BFF Ann find a job or encouraging the show’s resident Eeyore, April, to actually give one-tenth of a shit about something. For Leslie, friendship was sacred — look at how seriously she treats Galentine’s Day — and that warmth spread to the other characters, who all formed close bonds over the course of time. It may not seem that radical, but there haven’t been many sitcoms in recent memory where the characters are essentially good-hearted, humane people who genuinely enjoy each other’s company. (Well, aside from Jerry/Larry/Garry Gergich — but even he has a beautiful wife, ends up serving 10 terms as Pawnee’s mayor, and lives a long, satisfying life.)

What makes the end of Parks so special is that it arguably went out at the top of its game, and inarguably on its own terms. When the series began, the cast was mostly little-known comedians and characters actors; now, Chris Pratt is a bona fide action star, Aziz Ansari sells out Madison Square Garden doing stand-up, Aubrey Plaza is on her way to headlining big-screen comedies, Nick Offerman has become a posterboy (and potential one-man industry) for modern retro-masculinity, and we’re 99 percent sure Amy Poehler is going to run the universe at some point. It was clear that Parks ‘ life cycle was coming to an end; to paraphrase Poehler’s last-ever line of the series, yes, they were ready. But luckily for us, we got one more great season and a finale that remained true to the spirit of the show. We couldn’t ask for anything more. (Except maybe a hint as to whether or not Knope actually becomes the first female President — we’re just going to assume that her lifelong dream is fulfilled.)

Near the end of the finale, Leslie is giving a speech as she accepts an honorary doctorate in 2025, proclaiming “what makes work worth doing is getting to do it with the people you love.” This was true not just in the world of Pawnee, but for the cast and crew: The end credits showed a blooper reel filled with on-set shenanigans, while the final card was a tribute to Harris Wittels, one of the show’s longtime writers and producers, who tragically passed away last week. It was a sweet, loving send-off to a man who contributed a lot to Parks and Recreation ‘s sui generis sensibility.

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Parks and Recreation Wiki

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• Female Characters
• Season 1 Characters
• Season 2 Characters
• Season 3 Characters
• Season 4 Characters
• Season 5 Characters
• Parks and Recreation

Marlene Griggs-Knope

• View history
• 1 Background
• 2.1 Season 1
• 2.2 Season 2
• 2.3 Season 3
• 3 Appearances
• 4 References

Background [ ]

Marlene was raised by unknown parents, presumably in or around Wamapoke County. She is noted for being a particularly striking woman when she was younger, as well as a gifted athlete in track & field.

The series depicts Marlene as being a romantic from a young age, beginning with the brief affair she had as a teenager. Shortly after this, she meets and marries Robert Knope; they shared a daughter, until he passed away.

Although a longtime resident of the city of Pawnee, its hospital was overrun with raccoons on the day Leslie was born. Marlene was taken to the next nearest hospital, in Eagleton; a secret she kept from her daughter for decades.

Storyline [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

Marlene's first appearance establishes her as coldly distant from her daughter, focused primarily on her own career and making a seemingly begrudging appearance at her daughter's first town hall session.

In " The Banquet ," Marlene receives a Tellenson Award for Pawnee Public Service. She knows a great deal about the other winners and honorees, and shrewdly tells Leslie to blackmail the head of the zoning board.

Season 2 [ ]

In " Galentine's Day ", Leslie and her current boyfriend Justin attempt to set Marlene up with Frank Beckerson , the lifeguard at the beach who saved her life in 1968 when she was trapped in a current. They had an affair for two weeks, but when Frank proposed, she had to decline as her parents believed her too young. Marlene is initially excited to see Frank again, but her interest quickly dwindles as he describes the failures he's experienced in life. Marlene eventually rejects his proposal to restart their affair.

Season 3 [ ]

In " The Bubble ", Ben Wyatt has a meeting scheduled with Marlene about the school district's budget. Leslie initially lies about her relationship to her "ball-busting" mother, but fretfully comes clean and tells Ben that her mother is cold, and "makes snap judgements about people" seconds before Ben's scheduled meeting. When it inevitably goes poorly, Marlene capitalizes on Ben's weakness and more than doubles her demands in the budget.

As her relationship with Ben becomes more cordial (due in large part to her daughter's interference), she spends their next meeting flirting with him and making casual suggestions about sex. In a panic, Ben later explains to Marlene that he and Leslie have been keeping quiet about their romantic relationship to avoid punitive action. Marlene finds the blunder extremely funny, and lets it go with a firm reminder of her budget request.

Appearances [ ]

• The Banquet
• Christmas Scandal
• Galentine's Day
• Born & Raised
• Operation Ann
• Ben's Parents
• Fluoride (via phone)
• Pie-Mary (Mentioned)

References [ ]

• ↑ In Galentine's Day (season 6) , it is revealed that the newspaper headline on the day of Marlene Griggs-Knope's birth was "Josef Stalin Dies." Since Josef Stalin died on March 5, 1953, Marlene Griggs-Knope was born on March 6.
• ↑ https://twitter.com/azizansari/status/1748243968
• 1 Leslie Knope
• 2 Ron Swanson
• 3 Ann Perkins