Parks and Recreation is one of the top comedies along with The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The political satire mockumentary sitcom ran from 2009 to 2015 with over 120 episodes in seven seasons. The show stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and so many more. With such a great cast, you already know there are some amazing Parks and Rec quotes that fans love.
If you haven’t watched the show all the way through, or haven’t given it a try, this is your sign to pick it up. From Ron’s amazing wisdom and advice about being your own person to Leslie’s hilarious work ethic and passion, these characters have brought so many laughs to viewers. So let’s dive into the best Parks and Rec quotes to get you hooked.
15. “Do You Think a Depressed Person Could Make This?” S4E11
Scene Summary: As Leslie is working on her campaign, she appoints Ann to be her new campaign manager, but her attempt makes her relaunch go terribly. While this is happening, Chris visits Ben and realizes that Ben is extremely depressed after leaving his job, which creates one of the funniest scenes in the show.
It’s well-known that Ben is a huge nerd and loves to create things. I mean, he created a whole board game that is incredibly immersive. So when Ben leaves his job and needs to fill his time with something, he chooses to make a stop-animation movie. While Ben doesn’t see anything wrong with this, when Chris visits Ben, he points out that Ben might be a little under the weather, to which Ben replies hilariously, would “a depressed person make this?” and shows off his adorable claymation.
14. “I Like People, Places, and Things” S2E3
Scene Summary: Leslie decides to serve as a judge in the Miss Pawnee Beauty Pageant but is disappointed when she learns the results are based on looks only for the rest of the judges. April decides to join the pageant in hopes of winning $600. All the while Ann finds out that her ex-boyfriend is living in a tent in the pit near her home.
If you’re familiar with the show enough, you know April is not someone who would willingly join a Beauty Pageant. She’s much darker and menacing. However, when money is on the line, she’s up for any task. While Leslie is the judge of the competition, April is trying to beat the others, however, it’s soon obvious that the pageant only rewards the prettier contestants. During April’s introduction at the contest, you get a great insight into who she is. Not only is her body incredibly stiff, but she fakes a smile and says a vague, “I like people, places, and things.”
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13. “Any Dog Under 50 Pounds is a Cat, and Cats Are Pointless” S5E13
Scene Summary: Season 5 episode 13 has the department taking over a fund-raising gala for Leslie who is called away on an emergency disaster drill. It’s last-minute, but the team pulls together to get through with it. All this is happening while Andy takes his police officer exam.
Leslie runs the entire Parks and Rec in Pawnee, and everyone knows it. However, when she is suddenly called away, the rest of the department has to put together a last-minute fund-raising gala for the new park, which means Ron is on TV taking calls. What is supposed to be an open call for questions about the park quickly turns into random calls for Ron to give his amazing advice. This gives us one of the best Parks and Rec quotes with Ron saying to trade in the Terrier and get a ‘proper dog’ because any dog “under 50 pounds is a cat, and cats are pointless.”
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12. “I Guess I Kind of Hate Most Things. But I Never Really Seem to Hate You” S3E9
Scene Summary: Now that Andy and April are together, they want to throw a house party. But this soon turns into a surprise wedding, even though Leslie doesn’t approve. All while Ben debates whether to stay in Pawnee and Donna gives Ann advice at a single mixer.
The relationship between Andy and April is one that so many of us love. While The Office has controversial Jim and Pam, Parks and Rec has these two lovebirds that are perfect for each other. April is known for hating everything and being pretty sinister, while Andy is known for blindly following and just being happy to be acknowledged. The two go together well, and fans can see April show a bit of emotion with a great Parks and Rec quote, “I kind of hate most things, but I never seem to hate you.”
11. “If I Keep My Body Moving, and My Mind Occupied at All Times, I Will Avoid Falling into a Bottomless Pit of Despair” S4E21
Scene Summary: “Bus Tour” follows Leslie on her campaign which is slowed down when Bobby Newport’s dad dies a couple of days before the election. Andy also works on the campaign by figuring out who threw a pie on the campaign trail.
Chris has the answers for everything, and it all centers around being healthy and active. No matter what his goal is, there is something nutritious or exercise-related to keep him going. While this is a great way to make sure you’re in shape and healthy, it can be negative as well. One of the best Parks and Rec quotes comes from him when he talks about how he avoids sadness by keeping his body moving at all times.
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10. “Just Remember, Every Time You Look Up at the Moon, I, Too, Will Be Looking at a Moon. Not the Same Moon, Obviously. That’s Impossible” S6E5
Scene Summary: “Gin It Up!” is a chaotic episode that follows multiple characters. Leslie and the department get caught in an overblown mini-scandal. Tom falls for a visiting doctor. Ben tries to help Ron draw up a “real” will.
Andy and April’s relationship is beautiful. April is a scary and sinister girl, and Andy is a goofball that makes her smile. And of course, Andy has some of the best Parks and Rec quotes from his several unscripted lines. But one that makes me crack up every time is when he’s reassuring April and ends up suggesting there are multiple moons, because let’s be real, Andy is living in his own world most of the time. He has no idea what’s going on, but he means well!
9. “The Only Thing I Will Be Waving Is Your Decapitated Head on a Stick in Front of Your Weeping Mother” S4E7
Scene Summary: “The Treaty” is one of my favorite episodes. Leslie and Ben argue over their relationship and ruin the high school Model U.N. they are hosting. All the while Chris wonders where his relationship with Jerry’s daughter is going wrong, and Ron tries to get Ton his old job back.
Leslie is extremely passionate. Mainly about work, but also in every aspect of her life. Ben is one such thing she is head over heels for. That being said, even when they argue, she ends up going too far. During their argument, Ben comments about needing a white flag to wave at their Model U.N. party. But Leslie quickly gets too deep into character and says the only thing she’ll be waving is his decapitated head in a furry. The camera quickly pans over to Andy standing beside her cringing (see the photo above for his amazing expression). This is one of the best Parks and Rec quotes that truly shows off Leslie’s strong character.
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8. “In the Grand Scheme of Things, Who Cares? We’re All Just Molecules, Floating Around In Random Patterns Devoid of Meaning” S4E19
Scene Summary: “Live Ammo” follows Leslie who pays a steep political price for saving the Parks Department budget from getting cut. All the while Chris considers Ron for a promotion, which could be short-lived.
Chris is known for being incredibly positive, even to a fault. But that means that he gives some amazing advice for those who might be struggling. For instance, one of the best Parks and Rec quotes comes from him lightening the load on minds by explaining that life has very little meaning. While it might sound dark, it’s super helpful for those struggling. While it might not be hilarious like the others listed, this is a super popular quote that is perfect to keep in mind.
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7. “You Are A Beautiful, Talented, Brilliant, Powerful Musk Ox” S5E6
Scene Summary: Ben’s parents ruin Leslie and Ben’s engagement party. Chris becomes sad over their engagement, and Tom prepares a new business pitch for Ron.
Have you ever witnessed a better friendship than between Ann and Leslie? What started in the first season as an almost unrequited friendship towards Ann quickly turned into Ann enjoying the support and love from Leslie. And now, they’re inseparable. And of course, Leslie always had to take things to the extreme by giving some of the most bizarre and crazy compliments that any woman would love to hear, like being a “beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk ox.”
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6. “I Typed Your Symptoms Into the Thing Up Here, It Says You Could Have Network Connectivity Problems” S3E2
Scene Summary: In “Flu Season”, Leslie gets the flu right before an important fund-raising pitch for the Harvest Festival, and the whole department urges her to get some rest.
Andy is hilarious, and for many fans, he makes the show. There are several lines in the show that he improvises and has stayed in because it’s just the best timing and it’s out of the blue. One line that is just too hilarious not to bring up is when he’s trying to help Leslie figure out if she’s sick and types her symptoms in the search bar, to which it says she could have “network connectivity problems.” You can’t blame him for trying, but he’s still not very helpful.
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5. “I Have No Idea What I’m Doing, but I Know I’m Doing It Really, Really Well” S2E9
Scene Summary: After one of the murals in City Hall is defaced, Leslie and the Parks department compete against other departments to come up with a new design. Meanwhile, Andy and Rom share an uncomfortable moment at the shoeshine stand.
Before Andy worked with Leslie and Ron (and in the FBI as Burt Macklin), Andy worked at the department as a shoe shiner. And of course, Ron is always down to help someone start a business and stick it to the man. So when Ron lets Andy shine his shoes, Ron is impressed that his bunion pain goes away when Andy shines his shoes, making Ron come back multiple times. Andy, as always oblivious as he is, comments that he might not know what he’s doing, but he’s really good at it nonetheless.
4. “Oh, I Have a Medical Condition, Alright. It’s Called Caring Too Much and It’s Incurable” S6E4
Scene Summary: Some of the best scenes and quotes happen in “Doppelgängers”. The Parks department is working side-by-side with their former Eagleton counterparts, creating a tense atmosphere in the office.
With the Eagleton counterparts in the office, everyone is learning a bit more about what it takes to be in the Parks and Rec department. For Donna, this means she’s teaming up with Craig Middlebrooks, a loud and passionate employee who doesn’t mind showing his emotions. When Donna is figuring out the best deal for turf, Craig overhears the seller trying to swindle her. He quickly grabs the phone and demands the right product. Donna then asks if Craig is on medication for some kind of condition, and he provides one of the best Parks and Rec quotes, “I have a medical condition, it’s called caring too much!”
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3. “Jogging Is the Worst! I Know It Keeps You Healthy, But God, at What Cost?” S4E7
Scene Summary: Another quote from “The Treaty”, the seventh episode in the fourth season. This time, instead of focusing on Leslie and Ben in their Model U.N. competition and the numerous threats Leslie gives, we focus on Ann and Chris.
Chris is currently dating Jerry’s daughter, and he’s a bit unsure what’s to come of it. When he sets out to speak to his ex-girlfriend Ann, he realizes that it wasn’t as good of a relationship as he thought. Ann tells Chris that she changed a lot for him, and even jogged, even though “jogging is the worst!” She kept it real with Chris about their relationship and how it wasn’t that good, but those words stuck with us all, because even those that run don’t enjoy it!
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2. “There Has Never Been a Sadness That Can’t be Cured by Breakfast Food” S6E13
Scene Summary: With Ann and Chris’ last night at Pawnee, Leslie decides to throw a grand farewell party and attempts to fulfill one last promise. Meanwhile, Tom, Ben, Ron, and Andy struggle to find the perfect going-away gift for Chris.
Ron is many things in this show. But one thing that he consistently does is be there for Leslie. While he might not work and will always try to bring down the government, he’s never going to stop supporting Leslie. So when she’s feeling down about Ann going away, he does the one thing he knows best, eat. And everyone knows that breakfast food is the cure for sadness, especially for Leslie. If you need some inspirational Parks and Rec quotes that will make you feel better, this is one.
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1. “Treat Yo’self” S4E4
Scene Summary: Ron’s Pawnee Rangers and Leslie’s competing scout group, the Pawnee Goddesses, share a weekend in the wilderness. Ben joins Tom and Donna on their “treat you self day” and Chris takes an interest in Jerry’s daughter.
“Treat yo’self” is one of the best Parks and Rec quotes of all time. It’s one that we all live by and it’s one that we quote so often when we think about this fantastic show. Tom and Donna are icons, and they love flaunting their stuff. During their “treat yo’self” day, anything they want, they get. Whether that’s a shopping spree or a spa day, they make sure they go all out.
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