5x14 Leslie and Ben

[9.1/10] I wouldn’t call “Leslie and Ben,” another one of the show’s almost series finales, its best episode. It’s a little lumpy, some its choices are a little too cute, and there is a sense of “this is a sitcom! We need obstacles, damnit!” to it.

But damn if it doesn’t nail the moments it absolutely has to, and that lifts all boats.

The first is the one between Ben and Chris, where Chris presents his friend with a framed version of the letter that brought them to Pawnee, and expresses gratitude for the winds of change that took them to this time and place. It’s a heartfelt exchange, that finds the truth in the outsized character and his genuine affection for Ben and this town.

The second is between Ron and Leslie. As the folks on Star Trek learned with Spock, the beauty of having a character who is taciturn and unemotional is that it makes the moments where they are emotional, in their own reserved way, all the more meaningful. The taciturn, stoic Ron telling Leslie that he treasures their friendship has all the more weight coming from a man who resists all connections to other human beings to the extent possible, and especially abhors expressing such things. It’s a quiet tribute to the show’s greatest relationship (one reinforced by Leslie telling Ron earlier that he is like a father to her and the wedding can’t go on without him) and Leslie’s response, “OK weirdo” is perfect.

(I’ll throw in a shoutout to the other such moment in the episode which didn’t strike me as much -- the one with Leslie and Ann where Ann unveils the dress. Maybe it’s just that finishing the dress with all of Leslie’s bills and proposals is a little too on the nose for me, but it didn’t land as well. I appreciate what the show’s trying to do here -- show that Ann is Leslie-level prepared for whatever crazy things may happen and that she gets what’s important to Leslie, the execution just doesn’t really work for me.)

And, of course, it nails the moment when Leslie and Ben actually get married. The surprise of Ron opening that door and seeing the makeshift chapel assembled in the Parks Department is brilliantly done. The little character moments therein are just as superb. Most importantly, Ben and Leslie’s vows, interspersed with scenes from their past, convey the weight of the moment and everything that led up to it in an outstanding fashion. Ben talking about how all his travels were unwittingly an effort to find Leslie, and Leslie talking about how Ben changed her life, nail the emotional heft that this show could muster at its best.

Apart from those big moments, there were nice little side stories for everyone, abbreviated though they may be. Tom struggling to train Jerry as a substitute officiant led to some mild chuckles. April and Andy tracking down a marriage license made for some good comic hijinx. Donna singing the wedding anthem made for a nice touch. And Andy reeling from not getting to be a cop, and Chris showing his own growth and encouragement on how we proceed from failure (replete with a cheery thumbs up and declaration of “Therapy!”) was lovely.

Of course it closes with a bit of communal harmony, the kind that is Parks and Recreation’s bread and butter. They join together and sing “Bye Bye Li’l Sebastian” (after a sighting of a “licensed impersonator” lets Leslie know this is the right day to get married). All of these people are together, Leslie and Ben make their escape, with a nod from Ron Swanson to carry them. It is a group of people who sustain one another through hardship and victory alike, celebrating love between and among them. It’s not perfect, but those moments similarly sustain this episode, and make it what would have been a fitting capper to the whole series.