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This is it folks, the episode where the best friends with the most scrapbooks (courtesy of Leslie of course) have to say goodbye. In honor of her best
friend's departure, Leslie decides to throw a jumbo party with all the events of the year that she and Ann won’t be able to celebrate together. But that’s
not all - to commemorate their last day together in Pawnee, Leslie is determined to break ground on the park that first brought them together. As is the
case with most of the Pit-related stories, the ladies run into quite a bit of red tape and opposition, but after mollifying/ headlocking a variety of
people, they manage to get in to shovel that first pile of dirt. It was a nice callback to the early days of the show, and how far Leslie and Ann have come
from that public forum where they met. Of course the real kicker to the story was the final goodbye at the end of the episode, where Amy Poehler and
Rashida Jones reaffirmed their crying skills as Leslie and Ann each said goodbye to their best friend. Both of the actors nail the moment; the sort of
moment that reaffirms that
Parks is more than just a sitcom, it’s got some serious heart.
Chris’ storyline is less interesting, as all the guys lamely try to find him a suitable going-away present, as their original try of a gift card for three
pans didn’t feel meaningful enough. They come up with a plastic bag of woefully inadequate gifts, including some receipts, Chris’ own jacket, and a paper
with “Ron” written on it. The story does end in a nice
Parks and Rec-sian way, however, as the group gives Chris a beautiful box, handcrafted by
Ron, in which to store his new memories. His first item in the box? A heartfelt tear.
While it makes sense that the episode would focus on Chris and Ann before they leave, having all the guys try to properly say goodbye to Chris felt a
little lame. The moment that resonated from the story was Ben and Chris, as they were the closest of the group, having come to Pawnee together four years
ago. They came as a team, them against (or with, probably according to Chris) the town of Pawnee, and then they found a home and family there. The nerdy
accountants had a great run, and probably couldn’t have survived so long without their Ying-Yang dynamic. Unlike the rest of the guys’ story, Ben and
Chris’ goodbyes felt earned and authentic.
The best moments of this farewell episode definitely came at the end. April and Ann’s goodbye was certainly a sweet moment, but those final goodbyes at the
car really hit home. Almost everyone’s been on one side of a moving-away farewell, and those can be hard to just move on from. To cheer everyone up (or
namely Leslie), Ron suggests going to get some breakfast. The sweetest moment of the episode is hidden right at the end during the crane shot, as everyone
heads to cars, and Leslie and Ben share a kiss before joining the others in their breakfast quest. (Side note: Is this the first time we’ve seen an almost
full view of Pawnee like that?)
The episode as a whole wasn’t one of the show’s best, but it was a nice sendoff for Ann and Chris (though Ann in particular), and it was great to have
Leslie and Ann back together one last time. It’ll be interesting to see how Leslie copes with her best friend’s absence, and what the show will do without
its strongest female relationship. There’s still the mentor/old sister relationship Leslie has to April, and it’s certainly possible that with Ann gone,
the two of them will do more together.
What do you think the show will do without Ann and Chris? Will you miss them? Let us know below!
