Over the years, there have been sitcom couples that I’ve loved more than all others. Monica & Chandler on Friends. Jim & Pam and The Office. Jules & Grayson on Cougar Town. Nick & Jess on New Girl (shut up, they’ll get there). And last night, Leslie & Ben on Parks & Recreation officially joined that list. Hey…. I just realized Courtney Cox is on that list twice. Huh…. Anyway, that’s another post.

Parks and Recreation “Smallest Park” Review: The Smallest, Most Romantic Park in Indiana

When Park & Recreation started, I truly wondered if Leslie Knope (the genius that is Amy Poehler) would ever find her match. It wasn’t going to be Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider). And for a half a second I thought maybe it could be Officer Dave Sanderson (Louis C.K) but he left. And frankly, I’m glad because I think that Louis C.K’s show Louie is pure brillance. But again, that’s another post.

Then last season, enter Rob Lowe and Adam Scott as Chris Traeger and Ben Wyatt, respectively. Part of me was upset because I was still bitter that Party Down was cancelled. But then Ben and Leslie started to flirt, and eventually, started to date and I forgot all about Adam’s last show and his adorable pink bow tie. (Not really… I’m still bitter. But I’m moving on.) And last season their semi-secret relationship was pretty darn cute. But then at the start of this season they broke up because she’s going to run for City Council. Although, even their break-up was pretty cute as Ben wore Leslie’s candidate pin after they split.

The past few eps, as they’ve tried to navigate just being friends has been hard, but at the same time, important. It showed that they truly were meant to be. That their connection was too strong they couldn’t even really just be friends. And then last night Leslie, refusing to give up on Ben who said he wanted to leave the Parks and Rec department, decided it was time to go into steamroller mode. She did all she could to keep their plans to make Indiana’s Smallest Park from finishing up so he wouldn’t leave. It got so bad, that Ben was basically done with Leslie altogether.

And then came the beautiful Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones.) She told Ben that yes, Leslie is a steamroller. But she lets her do it because Leslie is an amazing and beautiful person and she loves her. So Ben agrees to go see Leslie in the finished little park that is adorable. She tells him she is sorry for being a steamroller. She says she’ll let him go, but first in a last attempt to avoid losing him, suggests maybe they just say screw the consequences and get back together. And then…. well, it’s one of the most adorable scenes ever.

Parks and Recreation Season 4 Leslie and Ben Kiss in the Park Video:

So welcome to my list of adorable couples, Ben and Leslie. You two are a perfectly matched combo of awkwardness, smarts and sweetness. May you last forever on this increasingly wonderful show.

Written by Melissa Miller. Find her on Twitter @serrae

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