If you haven't hopped on the Parks & Recreation bandwagon, you should. If you have, you'll appreciate this article. This is how the dynamic characters of Parks & Rec explain every member of every friend group!
Leslie Knope
The ring leader. Leslie calls the shots at the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department. She's the friend that has the least trouble and the best time uniting everyone for one cause – whether it's to complete an act of public service or just round up the crew to eat at JJ's Diner.
Ann Perkins
The BFF. Ann is the "poetic and noble land mermaid" people need as a best friend; the "cunning, pliable, chestnut-haired sunfish" we all need in our lives. Leslie Knope may know how to verbally compliment Ann the best, but Ann tops the charts when it comes to best friend duties: taking medical care of the Parks Dept., feeding Leslie waffles when Leslie is sad, picking up a part-time job at City Hall just to spend more time with her friends and even surrendering her ex-boyfriend to the love of April Ludgate.
April Ludgate-Dwyre
The glass-half-empty. April is the Debbie Downer of the group that is always around when you need a good whine. She always has a clever, yet negative thing to say and let's be real, we all need someone like that in our lives. This friend isn't all bad, though. This friend has a heart somewhere in there, and if you're lucky, you may see some of it.
Andy Dwyre
The kinda-dumb-but-really-funny one. Andy seems to always be one step behind, but he makes up for it with his oblivious humor and his love for entertaining his friends. Whether it's his band (Mouse Rat), one of his alter-egos (FBI Agent Burt Macklin, Johnny Karate, Jonathon Karate, Brother Nature, Sgt. Thunderfist or even Tim Buckanowski), acting out his favorite movies in entirety or even starring in his own television show for the youngsters, "Johnny Karate's Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show," Andy lives to entertain (just like one person in every friend group always does).
Ben Wyatt
The cute, nerdy one. Ben is the friend that is so into Game of Thrones and accounting (and all things that society considers "nerdy") that he bores everyone else. But, at the same time, it's kind of cute. This friend means well, so it's hard to be rude to the Ben of the group. You just have to make sure you don't take the honest, smart comments too personally; this friend isn't proving you wrong out of spite.
Tom Haverford
The planner. Tom is always on his A-game when it comes to ideas, whether those ideas are bad or good. Every friend group needs someone who will constantly think of fun, new things for the group to do together. Not only does the Tom of the group have the ideas, though, he has the persuasion skills to sell you on literally any idea. This friend is also pretty clever and loves to joke around. He's the jack of all trades.
Donna Meagle
The one you go to for glitz and glam. Donna is the person to call when you want your semi-annual manicure and pedicure. She's the one who will spend hours looking at awards show gowns with you after the Grammy's. You may not always want to do flashy or girly things, but when you do, go straight to the Donna of the group.
Jerry/Garry/Larry Gergich
The under-appreciated one. Every friend group has someone in it that is actually really amazing, but never gets credited for being so. This friend is so loyal, so helpful and so uplifting, but he or she always gets looked over.
Chris Traeger
The one who forces you to go to the gym. This is the friend that makes you go to Subway instead of Olive Garden. Chris is the friend that doesn't let you skip the last set of crunches. The only thing stopping you from hating this friend is the fact that you know they're doing what's best for you. True friendship, right?
Ronald Ulysses Swanson
The rock. Ron is the learn-your-lesson dad of the group. He whips people into shape, takes no nonsense and keeps everyone at a safe distance. Ron is the friend you can go to when you need someone to tell you to cut the crap. Sometimes, you need a friend like Ron to snap you out of your funks so you can continue on with life.
Craig Middlebrooks
The sassy one. No lying here; we all know one. Craig is the friend that always has an opinion about every possible thing to have an opinion about. He stresses out and gets workup up about almost everything, and he's always got a sassy remark coming out of his mouth.
Tammy I and Tammy II
The one that no one wants around. They're either the annoying grandmother of the group or they're the one that always starts drama. Either way, nobody wants this "friend" around. Sorry?
