NBC's Parks And Recreation features many friendships, but of all the duos, Leslie and Ann take center stage as the most iconic. Their lives are thrown together by random circumstance--Ann's boyfriend falling into a pit--and from then on it seems fans can hardly recall a time when Leslie and Ann aren't a part of each other's lives.
The bond they share is a beautiful one. Touching for viewers to watch and inspiring in a way that makes fans aspire to be as caring and enthusiastic in their own relationships. However, things aren't always hunky-dory between the two; just like any other friendship, theirs has its weaknesses.
They're Friend Goals: Ann Doesn't Mind Leslie's Quirks
Ann and Leslie have very different personality types, but somehow they make it work. Ann is clearly thrown off by Leslie in their early days of getting to know each other. Leslie is abrupt, and a bit odd; indeed, she's at times one of the more annoying characters on the show, despite fans' love for her.
Ann is pretty straightforward and average in comparison. But unlike most who encounter Leslie, Ann isn't put off by her--she takes her for who she is.
They Aren't: Leslie Is Self-Centered
Leslie can be a great friend, but she also has a habit of only focusing on herself with little regard to how it affects other people. She wants what she wants, and she will do anything to get there.
Unfortunately, this doesn't always benefit Ann, as a good friendship can't thrive off of everything always being about the other's goals. Luckily, Leslie does prove that she can learn and get better over time.
They're Friend Goals: Ann Stands Up For Leslie
It's always good to have a friend who looks out for the other person, and Ann proves herself as this kind of person from the start.
When Mark sleeps with the journalist covering Leslie's plan for the pit, he puts the project in danger--something Leslie tries to warn him about, but he ignores her. Ann charges in to make sure Mark hears reason and backs up Leslie like any good friend would.
They Aren't: Ann Coddles Leslie
It's good to stick up for friends, but sometimes it can come to a point where one friend is leaning on the other for support so much that they don't learn to deal with things themselves.
Ann's consideration for Leslie's personal quirks can result in Leslie continuing bad behaviors, which makes their friendship more of a crutch than something healthy.
They're Friend Goals: Leslie Showers Ann In Gifts
Leslie loves to remind Ann how important she is to her by buying her extremely thoughtful gifts, so much so that Ann will feel insecure about her own gift choices for Leslie, or lack of gifts.
All the same, the attentiveness to what Ann likes shows that Leslie is a thoughtful friend. Ben Wyatt, Leslie's eventual husband, also struggles with this situation.
They Aren't: Leslie Expects Too Much
Leslie often doesn't realize that by being so enthusiastic about a friend, she is setting the bar pretty high for other people.
Everyone shows friendship differently, so it might seem that Leslie's friends aren't as caring as she is when she shows up with massive amounts of gifts or plans an in-depth activity that references their entire friendship. It would be touching to have a friend like this, but also daunting.
They're Friend Goals: They Level Each Other Out
A great thing about Ann and Leslie is that they even each other out. Leslie is extremely upbeat, while Ann is more mellow. Leslie has a tendency to worry and over-analyze, and Ann helps her to bring herself back down to earth.
In contrast, Leslie also helps Ann to feel excited about life and to lean into her goofy side, which helps her become a more well-rounded person.
They Aren't: Ann Can Be Jealous
There are small blips in their friendship when one woman is incapable of seeing that she's putting men before the friendship, and this is the case when Leslie catches interest in one of Ann's old friends.
Ann refuses to help set them up, not realizing that she is holding her friend back from a dating opportunity just in case she might want the guy later.
They're Friend Goals: They Nourish Insecurities
Ann and Leslie help each other to overcome insecurities in life, either by bolstering each other up through confidence or by helping each other work through necessarily tough times.
A great example is when Leslie is terrified to go on a first date, and so Ann spends a whole night pretending to be her date and coaching her through her responses.
They're Not: Leslie Is Weird About Ann's Race
The most uncomfortable thing about their friendship is perhaps how Leslie reacts to Ann's ethnicity. It's never openly discussed exactly what Ann's background is, but because she has darker skin, Leslie constantly makes comments that Ann looks "exotic."
The joke is mostly meant to emphasize how ignorant Leslie can be but that also lands strangely considering it's never resolved or fully explained to the audience.