Leslie and Ron (Season 7, Episode 4)

As evidenced throughout the entire run of Parks and Recreation (and the previous selection), anytime an episode just featured the names of two characters, it was more than likely a great one. Though not the last episode to use the “_ and _” name template, “Leslie and Ron” was always going to be the most anticipated one. The stark contrast in worldviews between Ron and Leslie was always among the show’s most reliable veins of humor, but also its prime example of how conflicting ideologies don’t need to be a barrier to personal and professional relationships. “Leslie and Ron” takes characters that once only shared a love of breakfast food, and illustrates how the years spent together have caused the two to be shaped by one another. Even last year, the thought of Ron reaching out to his “work proximity associates” was as absurd as Leslie bailing on a friend, but the time jump between Seasons 6 and 7 allowed “Leslie and Ron” to make a thesis point for the series about the friendships it always valued. Leslie and Ron were always united in the belief that good things in life take hard work, and it takes work to maintain a relationship, whether the other person is a daily part of your life or not. There was no better time for such insight, as Parks and Recreation leaving the air means we’ll have to say goodbye to a show that worked so hard to find the small joys and precious laughter in life’s simple things, like work, friends, and waffles.