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(NBC)
The series finale of the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation aired tonight on NBC after seven seasons of single-camera comedy goodness.
The series’ first episode aired in 2009 and starred Amy Poehler, and with her a hilarious ensemble cast soon stole the spotlight, including: Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Jim O’Heir, Retta, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe. It also helped catapult a few of the ensemblists to fame, especially Chris Pratt, who is now considered a Hollywood A-lister after starring in the summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy and the upcoming Jurassic World. He is also rumored to be next in line to don the whip and hat for a reboot of the Indiana Jones film franchise.
Read on for spoilers of the last episode of Parks and Recreation, titled The Ride: Part 2.
The episode begins in 2017 with the group in the office talking about past moments in the show’s history, with Leslie leading the discussion. The group doesn’t seem too happy to be participating in the discussion. Then a man comes in and asks if they can help him get a park swing fixed by his house, and Leslie decides to help him despite her not really working for the department anymore. She then gets everyone to help the man, just like the old days.
While they wait for the proper access to the forms they need to help the man (because everything is now digital), dialogue transitions to cuts of future moments in the ensemble casts’ histories, starting with Donna.
Donna Meagle
Donna is in her house in Seattle in 2023 with her husband, Joe. Donna then calls April, and April comes and visits Seattle from Washington, D.C. Donna and April then set-up a “Teach Yo’ Self” foundation for her husband’s teaching program funded with her money that she usually travels with. She tells Joe she wants to use the money to fulfill his dream now.
Craig Middlebrooks
Craig Middlebrooks is serenading a crowd in 2019 in a bar. Tom comes up and gives him a glass of wine and a business card. The business card is from Typhoon, the hairdresser. Craig and Typhoon start to date and eventually marry, later showing them as an elderly couple in a futuristic aquarium.
April & Andy
In 2022, April and Andy are seen roleplaying on Halloween. They then discuss having a child, and April doesn’t want to. They then join Leslie and Ben at their house for Halloween dinner. Ben and Leslie have triplets. Andy and Ben then escape to kitchen and discuss how April is on the fence about having kids, and Andy really wants them.
Back in the living room, April and Leslie have their own discussion about having kids. April goes on a rant, but Leslie calms her down.
One year later, April is about to give birth on Halloween… with costume make-up on.
They have a son and name him “Jack.”
Jean-Ralphio
In 2022, Jean-Ralphio is dead… but not really. He conned everyone into thinking he was dead and goes to view his own funeral with his sister, Mona-Lisa. People see him and he and Mona-Lisa take off running to allegedly start a casino.
Tom
In 2019 in Pawnee, Tom is presenting an expansion opportunity to Ben, Ron, and Donna with his bistro franchise. His franchise fails and it shows him on his couch watching a documentary about his failure that he made for himself. His wife, Lucy, comes in and peps him up. Tom then becomes a motivational speaker with a best-selling book.
Garry
In 2017, Garry is elected mayor… a lot. Over 10x, thanks to corporate America and write-in campaigns. They then show Ben and Leslie at his funeral, and Leslie points out that they spelled Garry’s name wrong on his tombstone.
Ron
In 2022, Ron is at a board meeting with his company Very Good Building Company. He stands up and resigns out of nowhere. Later it cuts to Ron visiting Leslie and Ben in D.C. Leslie and Ron take a walk up and Ron says he doesn’t know what he wants to do now, but he wants to feel useful. Leslie says she will help him figure it out.
Leslie then helps Ron establish a national park near Pawnee and puts Ron in charge of it.
Leslie & Ben
In Washington, D.C. 2025, Leslie and Ben are at a dinner at Joe Biden’s house.
While at the dinner, Leslie finds out that the governorship of Indiana might be open from a contact, Janet, with the DNC. They say she should run.
Jen Barkley comes up and tells Ben the same thing and that he should run, too.
Leslie and Ben have an awkward discussion about it in their car. It’s not really resolved. They do a pro/con list about which one of them is the best candidate.
While visiting back in Indiana, Ann and Chris pop in to visit them.
Ann & Chris
At a reunion in Pawnee in 2025, Ann and Chris announce they are moving back from Ann Arbor so that Chris can run admissions at Indiana University.
At the end, we find out that pretty much the entire gang is moving back to Pawnee.
Leslie and Ben decide that to decide who will run for governor, they will flip a coin.
But Ben decides to let Leslie have it and that she will run for the governorship.
Leslie then ends up being governor for two years.
The episode was okay, lackluster, but it tied up a lot of questions and will give fans happiness to know what happened to their favorite characters.
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