She's Leslie Knope

I’m beginning to think that there are two kinds of people in this world: people who love NBC’s Parks and Recreation and those who have never watched it. It’s hard to imagine anyone watching episodes like the one that aired last night and not experience even the tiniest of feelings. It’s that rare show that can turn you around from rolling on the floor with laughter one minute on the verge of tears the next. It’s rather skilled in that way.

But do you know one of the things I love the most about this show?

The handling of Leslie Knope.

During the short-lived first season, you couldn’t help but make comparisons to Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. The publicity for the show prior to the series premiere touted it as a successor to The Office, which is understandable given its pedigree behind the scenes. She was sillier, less competent at her work, and most of her co-workers seemed to show a mild annoyance for her and often placed her at the butt of jokes.

However, Leslie grew. And she grew a lot.

She grew into this character that, yes, can be a bit silly and childish, but rather than being laughed at for her rigorous work ethic, it’s something she’s admired for. She’s pushy and selfish and occasionally over the top, but she can also be thoughtful and fierce in her convictions. She has triumphs as well as mistakes, strengths as well as flaws. Leslie Knope is a character who could have easily been a rehashing of Michael Scott and frightfully one note and developed into this character who is so real that it makes me wish more female characters on television were given as much thought and care in the writing process the way that she has been. I feel spoiled, to be honest.


With that said, I’ve noticed an uptick of people complaining that Leslie’s behavior in the past three episodes has been over the top and uncharacteristic. I saw one comment even go so far as to state that her relationship with Ben is “demeaning” to her character and brings her down. Naturally, I disagree with that sentiment (this article wouldn’t be here if I agreed with it). Leslie has a history of behaving irrationally when it comes to the men in her life. What about her behavior towards Mark throughout the entire first season? Or when she hid in a van and took pictures of him and Ann out on a date? Or how about all of “Practice Date” when she was nervous about her upcoming date with Dave? Or “Leslie’s House” when she abused her governmental powers to make sure that not only did Justin enjoy himself, but to make sure that she knew he enjoyed himself by arranging a scenario in which he had to testify by that in front of a board?


Leslie’s behavior is nothing new, especially when you revisit this quote from the pilot:

"“These people are members of the community that care about where they live. So, what I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring loudly at me.”

That’s the crux of Leslie Knope, isn’t it? She sees the yelling and overreactions from the wacky hodge podge of Pawneeans as something akin to passion, because this is exactly what she does. She cares very loudly.

All three of these storylines also tie into Leslie’s competitive nature. She feels competitive with Shauna Malwae-Tweep, she’s competitive about Model UN, and she explicitly states in a talking head that she’s competitive on behalf of Pawnee to outdo Terryville with her small park. I don’t think this was a coincidence. Even Leslie being referred to as a “steamroller” was consistent with her characterization – right down to her conversation with Ann that was eerily similar to their argument during “The Fight” in which Ann also called out Leslie for being too pushy with what she wanted without taking consideration into the feelings of others (no matter her good intentions). In fact, there were so many parallels with that episode that I couldn’t help but consider this one a companion of sorts. Coming to that realization only served to make me love it more.


Her relationship with Ben can be a bit of a sticky point and even I go back and forth between how I feel and I what I want for Leslie. As much as I love the two of them together, if their relationship compromises Leslie’s ideals or makes her give up her dreams, it’s going to sour me on the whole thing. Luckily, this show has managed to deftly skirt that issue and instead focuses on the things that I do love (i.e. angry nerd Model UN foreplay and adorable faces that also have the ability to gut you with a single expression). The minute this show deigns to move in that direction is the minute I become disappointed. Being in love and wanting to be with someone isn’t a demeaning quality. It doesn’t make Leslie weaker. I find the idea that it’s somehow more of a fulfilling life without romantic entanglements just as insulting as the idea that life isn’t worth living without a significant other. Both are inherently problematic. Why should Leslie be looked down upon for wanting to go after what she wants? Shouldn’t this kind of agency be something we actively want in a female character? Leslie has full autonomy in her life. There’s no one pulling her strings. If anything, she pulls the strings of others.


And here’s something else that’s great about Leslie: she’s not above taking a step back to examine herself. She may be pushy and selfish at times, but those around her love her for her passion. Her intensity has both positive and negative ramifications.


The idea that starting up a personal relationship with Ben again (this time for real) will somehow derail her career and her dreams is laughable to me. Maybe this is a case of my overconfidence shining through, but whenever Leslie faces a setback, she’s never down for long. Reading various interviews with executive producer Michael Schur after season three ended gave me the impression that he and the rest of the creative team care about Leslie’s future and want her to succeed the way we viewers want to see her succeed. Leslie deciding at the end of this episode that she wants to be with Ben isn’t her throwing in the towel and giving up her dreams. It’s her deciding that maybe this encompassing idea of “dreams” includes more things. She doesn’t want one without the other. And you can tell that saying, “Screw it,” was not an easy decision for her to come to. Everything in her mannerisms – from her face to her cracking voice – is all about hesitation (Amy Poehler is a gift, quite frankly). Last time it was Ben who made the first move. Here is all about Leslie. Leslie, being the forceful presence that she is, wants to face this head-on and deal with any possible consequences that may fall at her feet. In fact, I want there to be consequences. I want the show to keep moving forward and letting big things happen without hitting a giant reset button and having everything return to normal (which is what irritated me the most about having Tom return to his old job after the fall of his company). Let me remind everyone, though, that she never mentioned dropping out of the political race. That’s not Leslie. She’s not one to roll over and quit. If she decides that she wants to wants to “have it all” then dammit, she’ll go after that hard. In the immortal words of Ron Swanson, she’s Leslie Fucking Knope.


On a side note, this is also the same town that kept re-electing Bill Dexhart. Despite the fact that men get away with so much behavior more than women, I’m sure Leslie will be just fine in the long run. If not, I’m personally coming at Schur with everything I’ve got. That's not to say that I don't have doubts and that I don't worry about the fate of Leslie's campaign (on the contrary, I worry a great deal). I just have shockingly high faith that it'll turn out okay. It's a new feeling for me.