Who became president? Leslie or Ben?

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In the final episode of Parks and Recreation, we are fast-forwarded to 2048, to see Garry/Jerry/Larry/Terry/Barry's funeral. We are shown Leslie and Ben, surrounded by Secret Service agents, who at the end tell them that it's time to go:

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This suggests that one of them became the president of the United States of America. However, the member of the Secret Services that addresses them does so in a deliberately ambiguous way, so that we aren't really able to get who became president.

I understand this means that was left purposely ambiguous, but I was wondering if there's anything, either in the show or said by the creators or cast members, that suggests which one of them became president (or at least which one is more likely to have become president).

I think it makes sense that it was Leslie, given that she is the main character of the show, but the fact that it seems to have been left purposely ambiguous kinda threw me off there.



Best Answer

According to the writer, it's intentionally ambiguous.

You get to decide. "We declared a lot of things explicitly about what happens to all the characters," Mike Schur tells me. "And I wanted there to be one point of real ambiguity. I declared it in the writers' room as the 'David Chase end of The Sopranos moment.' Lower stakes probably, but I just wanted there to be one thing where people would look at the information and then suss it out in their own minds what they think happened. And so I told the gentleman [at the funeral] who said, ‘It's time to go'…I said, 'You're not addressing either of them individually.'"

There's also no solid indication that either of them are actually the President. Again, this is intentional

"He doesn't say Madame President. He doesn't say senator. He doesn't say Mr. Secretary. He just says ‘It's time to go' and it's unclear who he's talking to and he appears to be a Secret Service agent, but he also could be a limo driver. I wanted it to be ambiguous and I wanted there to be a way that fans of the show and people who were invested in those characters could make up in their own minds what they think happened. You don't have to say everything. "




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Does Leslie ever become president?

In the Season 7 episode "2017", Ben was named Pawnee's Man of the Year for 2017. In the season finale, it is implied that either he or Leslie eventually became the President of the United States; Leslie taking office would make him the First Gentleman.

Who is president in parks and rec finale?

That said, many Parks & Recreation fans have decided that Leslie indeed became President, as she had always been a hard-working woman who didn't stop until she got what she wanted.

Does Leslie win the election?

Hearing this, Leslie tells Ben he should accept the job. The recount eventually comes in and it is official: Leslie has won, to Leslie's overwhelmed jubilation and Jerry's (and Bobby's) relief. Ben accepts Jennifer's offer and she leaves without saying goodbye to Chris.

Do Leslie and Ben get divorced?

In the end, Leslie rejects him for Ben, and their relationship stays strong.



Parks and Recreation | Leslie's Finally Ready (Episode Highlight)




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