One Last Ride
"One Last Ride" is the two-part series finale of the television sitcom Parks and Recreation. It serves as the 12th and 13th episodes of the seventh season and the 124th and 125th overall episodes of the series. It was written by lead actress Amy Poehler and series co-creator Michael Schur, who also directed the episode. The series finale first aired on NBC in the United States on February 24, 2015, when it was watched by 4.15 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the season and the highest-rated episode since "Campaign Ad" of the fourth season.
With the majority of the season being spent closing long-running storylines, the episode serves as both a standalone plot and a farewell to the characters and the city of Pawnee. The episode received acclaim from critics.
Plot
Present (2017)
The gang all gather inside the parks department before business hours, as many of them are leaving Pawnee, to reminisce about their time together there. A citizen comes in, saying that a swing set behind his house on a playground has been broken for about three months. Leslie sees this as an opportunity for them all to go on one last mission together as she is worried these people will never be together again in the same room at the same time. The gang agrees, with Leslie saying goodbye to everyone on the way to getting it fixed. After fixing the swing, the group gathers for a picture together and Ben asks Leslie if she is ready. In the last shot of the series, Leslie smiles at the camera, and says "Yes. I'm ready."The Future
Following his interim term, Garry is officially elected mayor after a massive write-in campaign. In 2019, Craig continues to work at Tom's Bistro, where he is reintroduced to Typhoon, Donna and Ron's hairdresser. The two are soon married and live a long and happy life together. Elsewhere, Tom, now married to Lucy, decides to franchise his restaurant after careful consideration, only to lose almost all his money due to an economic recession. However, his experiences with failure inspire him to write a book, and he becomes a successful self-help author and motivational speaker.In Washington D.C. in 2022, Andy longs to be a father despite wife April's reluctance. However, with advice and support from Leslie and Ben, April reconsiders and comes round to the prospect of motherhood. Elsewhere, Jean-Ralphio and his sister Mona-Lisa fake the former's death so they can use the insurance money to leave the country and fund a casino, but are caught spying on Jean-Ralphio's "funeral". After resigning from the Very Good Building Company amidst its outstanding performance, Ron visits Leslie in Washington for guidance, as he is at a personal crossroads. Leslie offers him the superintendency of the Pawnee National Park; he accepts, officially making peace with working for the federal government, and spends his days patrolling the parkland. In 2023, Donna and Joe are living happily in Seattle, where Donna's real-estate firm is thriving due to a resurgence in the housing market, but teacher Joe is despondent after the increasingly streamlined national curriculum cuts math. With her commission money and help from April, Donna sets up an online learning initiative called "Teach Yo' Self", allowing Joe to stay true to his values in teaching. On October 31, 2023, Andy supports a fully costumed April as she gives birth to their first child, Jack, in Pawnee's hospital.
At the Biden family home in 2025, Leslie is approached about running for the governorship of Indiana, while Ben is simultaneously approached by Jennifer Barkley about the same position. To decide which one of them should run, they head back to Pawnee for inspiration, where they find the entire gang – and their respective children – gathered at the Parks department to support them, including Ann and Chris. While there, April and Andy reveal they are having another child, and Ann and Chris announce that they are moving back to Pawnee. Leslie and Ann are also secretly conspiring to spark a romance between their teenaged children, Oliver and Sonia, and the plan appears to be succeeding. Ben and Leslie still cannot decide who will run, and decide to officially consult their friends; however, as they prepare to announce their news, Ben tells everyone that it is Leslie who will be running, as he knows she has dreamed of being in executive government her entire life. Leslie immediately reappoints him as her campaign manager, and notes that they can now return to living full-time in Pawnee.
In 2035, Leslie makes a commencement speech at Indiana University during her second consecutive term as Governor of Indiana. The university announces the renaming of its library after Leslie; she is privately unimpressed by the gesture due to her long-standing antipathy towards Pawnee's library department.
In 2048, an elderly Leslie and Ben attend Garry's funeral; he was repeatedly named mayor of Pawnee until his death on his 100th birthday. The two are surrounded by Secret Service members, implying that one or both of them is either President or Vice President of the United States. Leslie is disgruntled when Ben observes that Garry's wife Gayle is still stunningly beautiful. After the funeral, the couple notice that the inscription on Garry's tombstone misspells his last name, but neither cares enough to inform anyone of the mistake.