There are a lot of memorable on-screen duos who have taken TV shows to new heights. Sam and Diane. Mork and Mindy. Batman and Robin. But the best pair in the modern era of TV has to be Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson on Parks and Rec.
This dynamic duo faced numerous challenges side by side, both at work and in their personal lives. Without a shadow of a doubt, they survived rough times together, things they could not have dealt with separately. The relationship between Leslie and Ron might be the most important one they have, not that Ron would ever admit it.
Complete Opposites
When Leslie initially interviewed for her position in the Parks Department of Pawnee, Ron immediately flagged her as a potential problem. She was obviously a passionate go-getter who wanted to make things happen. If there are two things Ron doesn’t like, it’s go-getters and things happening, particularly in a government setting.
But Ron realized he’d rather work alongside someone he disagreed but has passion than someone he agreed with and caused him headaches. Still, it didn’t stop him from thinking about firing her a few times.
Understanding Each Other
Ron was correct to keep Leslie around. Much to Ron’s chagrin, they did amazing work together in the Parks Department and beyond. Outside of office life, they forged a bond that exceeded the normal workplace proximity associate status Ron shot for.
After spending three years trying to figure out when his birthday even was, Leslie finally got to throw the perfect Swanson party: brown liquor, meat and war movies. All consumed by himself, of course. No one person truly understands either of them as well as they do, even if they find each other infuriating at times.
Evolution
Despite their best efforts to the contrary, both Leslie and Ron evolved thanks to their relationship with the other. Ron was an aging anti-bureaucrat who was stuck in his ways, regardless of whether they made sense or not. Leslie was a ball of barely controlled energy that was constantly careening from one task to another without stopping to breathe.
Ron taught her self control while she taught him to open up his world a bit. Without their relationship, neither of them would have ended up where they did nor would they be as happy.
No Sexual Tension
It cannot be overstated how little sexual tension there is between Leslie and Ron. There are no two people in history that have ever been less sexually interested in each other than they were, which was a good thing for the show.
The overplayed “will they, won’t they” tension between male and female characters gets less and less engaging as time goes on. Just look at Sam and Diane, a love story that got boring before it had run its course. Leslie and Ron are exactly who they need to be, and any sexual tension between them would have ruined their dynamic.
Closer Than Friends
While neither party was interested in a physical relationship, an idea that sends shivers up fans’ spines, they were more than friends in other ways. It wasn’t like Leslie and Ron were pseudo siblings, but they still shared a bond that transcended a traditional friendship.
That’s in part due to the fact that Leslie lives life out loud, feeling everything fully and completely. Ron is more sedate but once you reach his inner circle, you can bet that he would kill for you, die for you and everything in between. Leslie’s name is on a very short list for Ron.
Emotional Guardian
That relationship did cause problems with Ron’s girlfriend and future wife, Diane. Leslie occasionally refers to herself as Ron’s emotional guardian, her way of describing the special bond they share. Diane interpreted this as a potential threat to her relationship with Ron.
While he patched things up by revealing his alter ego, jazz saxophonist Duke Silver, to her, Leslie quite literally fought one of Ron’s ex-wives, Tammy II. The match ended with Leslie locked in the trunk of a car, but it exemplified how far each person was willing to go to back the other up.
Total Forgiveness
Season Seven, the last season of Parks and Rec, jumped forward in time three years from where season six left off. The beginning of their final run showed Leslie and Ron separated and at odds with each other. A falling out that started with Leslie unwittingly not helping Ron find a new path had driven them apart two years earlier.
But through the machinations of their friends, they reforged their bond stronger than ever. It wasn’t too hard since their relationship was always simmering under the surface. They just had to break through the thick layer of stubbornness covering it.
Together Until The End
The final episode took things a step further, doing time jumps into the future to show where the main and key side characters would end up. Leslie and Ron ended up in very different places but always at each other’s sides in spirit.
When Ron came to her for help in finding a direction for his future, Leslie corrected an old mistake and was there for him. She helped Ron fulfill a lifelong fantasy he may not have known he even had by putting him in charge of Pawnee National Park. Leslie knew what he needed even when he didn’t, which is why he went to her in the first place.
An Unwanted Mentorship
Their offbeat mentor/mentee relationship has often operated in this way, with who fills each role switching to fit the situation. While Ron has been there to offer guidance when needed, Leslie has often done the same for him. Leslie’s just always been a lot happier about it.
Make no mistake in that the old Ron did not want any kind of a relationship with Leslie. She dragged him into being her mentor, and both of them are better for it. If nothing else, it led to eating a lot of damn fine breakfast foods.
Breakfast Food
At the core of Leslie and Ron’s relationship is breakfast. Everything else about who they are as a team is derived from the simple act of Leslie eating waffles while Ron eats the vast majority of all the bacon and eggs in the building.
They spend a significant amount of time at JJ’s Diner, probably supporting JJ’s kids going to college with the sheer amount of money they spend in a year. The only question they have not been able to answer as a duo is why people eat anything other than breakfast food.
