Win, Lose, or Draw (Season 4, Episode 22)

If one had to pick a single scene from Parks and Recreation to encapsulate why the show was so beloved, it might well have to be Leslie voting for herself in the city council election. Poehler plays the moment with gentle grace as Leslie tearfully fulfills a life-long dream, and the fraction of that overwhelming feeling we get from having watched her the last four years is deeply satisfying on its own. Then, rival candidate Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd) stumbles into the booth asking for Leslie’s help, because he broke his pen and now there’s ink everywhere. It’s barely a minute, but the scene captures both Parks’ upbeat silliness, and its earnest belief in what building something with your life can mean. Leslie does, of course, win the election, and before the celebration can even begin, the next phase of her life poses another fresh batch of obstacles. Ben’s move to D.C. would bring the political aspirations of Parks from a local to a federal level, with Season 5 and 6 bringing in government guest stars of astounding clout. “Win, Lose, or Draw” would also sow the seeds for less successful ventures, like Andy trying to become a cop, or Tom and Ann getting together, which were the kind of throwaway story arcs the show’s fifth and sixth years would have to rely on more heavily as its titular workplace lost more of its employees.