We all fondly remember the NBC smash comedy, Parks and Recreation. The charming show regaled us with the goings on of the local government of Pawnee, Indiana. We followed our intrepid hero, Leslie Knope, as she worked to make the world a better place. The show was a pretty straightforward one, but leave it to the internet to take the innocence and simplicity that brought us gems like Treat Yo’ Self Day, Galentine’s Day, and the timeless romances of Ben and Leslie, April and Andy to try to find the show’s seedy underbelly and hidden truths.
On the Late, Late Show with James Corden, a few particularly interesting fan theories were dredged up for Adam Scott (also known as the Ice Clown, Ben Wyatt) and Ben Schwartz (the ingenious entrepreneur Jean Ralphio) to respond to. Take a look, and see what you think:
Let me just go on the record and say that I share Schwartz’s feelings of outrage towards the insane idea that Leslie Knope could EVER embezzle money from the government. Sure, she gave outrageous, expensive gifts to friends and loved ones, but I don’t doubt for a second that Leslie spent hours making a color-coded budget that allowed her to save up for her lavish gift-giving. Plus, she’s too much of a lawful good for embezzlement.
However, the idea that Jerry is secretly a sleeper agent is probably my favorite fan theory since the one about Steve from Stranger Things being Jean Ralphio’s dad. And despite Scott’s stern warning that crossing TV streams tears a hole in the space time continuum like the Ben/Rachel from Friends dating theory does, I’ve got to admit it’s pretty fun to imagine Ben and Rachel together.
Unfortunately, none of these theories allowed the stars to shed any light on the series finale, so we’ll have to continue to guess on exactly where our friends from Pawnee landed (personally, I’ll always be Team President Leslie). Regardless, it’s fun to revisit Pawnee and dream up where our faves are and the truth behind their lives.
What do you think of the fan theories? What are some of your favorite Parks and Rec fan theories that they didn’t address? Tell us in the comments!
Feature Image: NBC
Keep it in Pawnee
- Ben Schwartz describes a scene that was too weird to air
- Parks and Rec fan art!
- A recap of the show’s series finale
