Parks And Rec: 10 Saddest Things About Leslie

In Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope is the endlessly enthusiastic and passionate small government worker at the center of the show. Though her job is not always glamorous, Leslie is thrilled to be there and it’s hard for even her most cynical colleagues not to get wrapped up in her positive attitude.

However, just because Leslie has an infectious, bubbly personality doesn’t mean that there isn’t sadness in her life. Throughout the series, she had dark moments that were often heartbreaking. From relationships to career setbacks, she has endured a lot despite being one of the happiest people in the world.

10 She Was Born In Eagleton

Just because Leslie is so full of love doesn’t mean there aren’t things she hates with all her heart. One of those things happens to be Eagleton, the neighboring town to Pawnee.

While Eagleton residents see themselves as more sophisticated and all-around better than Pawnee residents, Leslie is very proud to be from Pawnee. So finding out that she was actually born in Eagleton was quite a blow. Though it might not seem like a big deal, this was a brutal revelation for Leslie.

9 Jamm Ruined Her Wedding

Given how much Leslie enjoys parties and organizing and love, it’s no surprise that her wedding was a very big deal for her. With the help of her friends, everything comes together perfectly only for Leslie’s nemesis Councilman Jamm to ruin the special day.

As Leslie is walking down the aisle, Jamm begins booing her, bringing the whole thing to a stop. He then unleashes a couple of stink bombs and begins insulting Leslie before Ron punches Jamm in the face. Sadly, the damage to the perfect wedding had already been done.

8 She Was Dropped By Her Campaign Managers

It was always a dream of Leslie’s to run for public office and as she starts to build some notoriety in Pawnee, she is approached to run for city council. Of course, even though she is an ideal candidate, her campaign doesn’t always go as planned.

After several setbacks and disappointing outcomes, early polls show that Leslie has little support and it would be nearly impossible for her to win. While that doesn’t stop Leslie, her campaign managers decide to ditch her, adding another blow to her dreams.

7 Her Relationship With Her Mother

Leslie loves her mother and looks up to her in many ways. In fact, her mother is a big reason Leslie got into politics in the first place. Unfortunately, when we first meet Leslie’s mother, she is far less loving and supportive of her daughter.

Marlene Griggs-Knope is a prominent fixture in Pawnee politics, but she seems to look down on Leslie’s position in the Parks Department. She also tends to treat Leslie like she’s an embarrassment. She becomes warmer over time, but it was hard to see someone like Leslie have such a cold parent.

6 She Was Recalled

Despite the many obstacles in her path, Leslie is eventually elected to the city council and immediately begins trying to clean up Pawnee. But Pawnee’s citizens are not always fair-minded people and soon they begin blaming Leslie for everything.

This leads to a recall vote to remove Leslie from office. Even with all her passion for doing good, Leslie loses her position, which is a devastating blow to her career and a heartbreak considering it was her life-long dream.

5 Mark Was A Jerk To Her

Long before Leslie had a very charming relationship with Ben Wyatt, she had another workplace romance that was far less successful. Mark Brandanawicz was a city planner whom Leslie had a big crush on.

However, Mark would generally ignore Leslie and even forgot about their brief fling in the past. He later gets drunk and tries to kiss Leslie, then later begins dating her best friend. Thankfully, Leslie would find a much better love interest down the road.

4 Ann Left

Though Leslie is friends with just about everyone she meets, her best friend in the world was Ann Perkins. These two were inseparable and Ann was often the person Leslie would go to with all of her problems.

So it was obviously devastating for Leslie to learn that Ann was planning on moving away from Pawnee to start a family. Leslie is happy for Ann and still has plenty of other great friends left in Pawnee, but she was very sad to see her best friend and confidant go.

3 The Last Time They Were All Together

The series finale takes a look into the future to see where all the various characters will end up. It also marks the time when this tight group of friends will have to go their separate ways and say goodbye to each other.

While gathered in their old office, Leslie realizes that this will likely be the last time they are all together for a long time. While it is nice to see that they all find their own special paths in life, it is clear that these people mean a lot to Leslie and she is sad to have to say goodbye.

2 Her Fight With Ron

Though they initially were quite at odds with each other, Leslie and Ron eventually grew to be the best of friends and each other’s biggest supporters. But at the beginning of the final season, a time jump reveals that this friendship has crumbled and the two former allies are in the midst of a bitter feud.

For two people who clearly love each other and are better together, it is very sad to see them unable to get past their silly arguments. It is also clear that the feud is taking a toll on Leslie and that she misses her old friend.

1 She Wasn’t Allowed To Date Ben

Given Leslie’s love for her job, it is quite ironic that it prevents her from pursuing her romance with Ben Wyatt. Very early on in their collaboration together, it becomes clear that these two share a deep connection, but the policy against office dating prevents them from pursuing it.

Leslie is a stickler for the rules, so it is very hard to see her struggling with her feelings for Ben and attempting to remain professional.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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