‘Parks and Recreation’ review: Leslie and Ben’s big [spoiler]
Warning: If you have not seen this week’s edition of “Parks and Recreation” just yet, this is really the time top stop reading. Seriously. You will be very upset if this gets ruined for you.
So … did you see that coming? For about the first third of Thursday night’s new episode, it felt as though this was going to be yet another obstacle that keeps Leslie and Ben from being together, as he was asked to run a campaign for a candidate for the Governor seat in Florida. However, Ben did something that very few people in his line of work often choose: he went with his heart first, and came back home to surprise Leslie by putting a ring squarely on her finger just when she was about to give up hope that they were not going to make it work. We still don’t know for sure that Ben said no to the job, but we have a feeling that we will be seeing far more of him in Pawnee from here on out.
This moment was so glorious, it’s almost hard to remember what came before it in between Ron trying to impress his new girlfriend while failing miserably with her kids, the hilariously awkward “fart attack” that led to Leslie trying to auction off Ann to raise money for his hospital bills, and Tom getting a new rent-a-suit company out of thin air. All of it was funny, but it feels even funnier now that we know what comes after it.
Ultimately, what we loved the best about this proposal was that it happened during an episode where it was clear that such a moment did not necessarily need to happen. This was not a season finale, or an episode that happened during the November sweeps. This was a Halloween-themed hour that involving scaring people and Ron breaking a young girl’s tiara. However, it was a naturally sweet moment that showed that while Ben may be moving forward in a big way when it comes to some of his career goals, he is putting Leslie and her future with him first and foremost.
Did you not only love this episode, but also the way in which the proposal happened? Be sure to share all of your thoughts below!