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"Ann and Chris" is the thirteenth episode in the sixth season of the NBC television series Parks and Recreation, and the 103rd episode overall. It premiered on January 30, 2014 to 3.03 million viewers.

Synopsis[]

Leslie throws a goodbye party for Ann and Chris on their last night in Pawnee, while Chris tries to fulfil a promise. Tom, Ben, Ron and Andy search for a going-away gift for Chris.

Storyline[]

It is Ann Perkins and Chris Traeger's last day in Pawnee. In celebration of a friendship formed five years earlier, Leslie Knope secretly arranges for her and Ann to officially break ground on Pawnee Commons at Lot 48 as a going away present. However, the Director of the Public Works Department, Harold, storms into her office and questions how she got an approval to do that, seeing as he did not sign off on it. In addition to breaking ground, Leslie organizes a going away party for Ann and Chris.

Elsewhere, Chris is packing up the last of his things with help from his friends. While packing, they notice there are several boxes scattered throughout the room with their names on them. Chris reveals they are his gift to them and calls them "buddy boxes" – each box contains a memento that symbolizes his friendship with each of them. Ron's memento is a bronzed hamburger, Ben's is a 2008 Indiana State audit spreadsheet, Andy's is a Farewell Li'l Sebastian Memorial Concert advertising poster, Larry's is a picture of him officiating Leslie and Ben's wedding, and Tom's is a vial of Snake Juice. As they were not prepared for such thoughtful gifts, the group feel bad for only getting Chris a gift card. They set themselves the goal of coming up with something better over the course of the evening.

At the party, Leslie explains that because she doesn't know when she will see Ann again, the party's theme is a celebration of everything that will happen in the coming year (i.e. Easter, birthdays, and so on). Throughout the night, Ann gets around to all her comrades to say a personal thank you and goodbye. As the party ticks on, Leslie finds out that Public Works has placed a padlock on the fence surrounding Lot 48, halting her plans for a midnight groundbreaking. Having run out of ideas of how to solve this problem, she reluctantly informs Ann of her surprise plan and apologizes for not being able to get it done. Ann insists they do what needs to be done that night in order to accomplish this groundbreaking. They first head over to Harold's house where they ask for the key to the locked fence. He says they can have the key if they get back the free sodas his department used to get from Kathryn Pinewood. Kathryn reveals, after being put in a head lock by Ann, that if they can get Sweetums (a local spokesman) to endorse their new sports drink, they will give them whatever they want. They enlist Perd Hapley to be the endorser, which gives them the sodas they need to give to Harold, and the key from Harold to open the padlock. Leslie and Ann sit alone together in the empty lot and reminisce over their friendship and what's to come. The pair then each shovel out the first lot of dirt, signifying a promise kept by Leslie that she made to Ann five years earlier.

Meanwhile, Ben thinks of the perfect gift they can give to Chris. As Chris is starting a new life with a new family, they give him an empty (save for their initials) buddy box, hand-crafted by Ron, to fill with memories for his child. In the morning, Ann and Chris say their final goodbyes to their friends and they depart Pawnee for their new life in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Cast[]

Quotes[]

Leslie: [to April] Okay, don't mention anything about the groundbreaking to Ann. Repeat that back to me.
April: Tell Ann about the groundbreaking, frame Ann for murder, release a deadly virus into the water supply.
Leslie: Good.

Ann: Why is there a New Year's Eve countdown clock and the Easter Bunny?
Leslie: I don't know when we're gonna be able to visit each other, so just to be safe this party is a celebration of every event that's gonna happen this year. Your birthday, New Year's, Chinese New Year's, Flag Day... ain't no party like a Leslie Knope party 'cuz a Leslie Knope party is actually 30 parties.
Ann: [amused] Knope, you have out-Knoped yourself.

April: [talking to Leslie on the phone about the lot] Public Works put up a giant padlock on the fence and a sign that says "No Trespassing".
Leslie: That probably doesn't apply to us.
April: There's also a sign that says "Especially Leslie Knope".
Leslie: Well, Leslie Knope is a very common name. There's a professor in Copenhagen named Leslie Knope. They probably mean him. Do they mean the professor?
April: Yeah, there's a picture of you also. And two huge security guards.

Leslie: Holy Mother of Malia! And Sasha. I love them both equally.

Orin: [takes his Easter Bunny head off] How long do I have to do this?
Leslie: Until I say so, Orin! Stay in character.
[Orin puts the head back on and resumes being a convincing Easter Bunny]

Ben: Where's Chris?
Ann: I told him that "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers isn't dancing music, and he said, "Not with that attitude."
[she points to Chris and Ben looks over - the camera pans to Chris dancing very energetically to the song]
Ben: Of course.

Andy: Dude, Ann. You know what I just remembered? We used to date.
Ann: Yeah, we lived together for two years.
Andy: I know. It's crazy, right? Anyways, you're the best. Have fun in Mexico. [Ann is left confused and at a loss of words]

Tom: [to Ann] I got you a going-away present - I'm deleting you from my phone. You're finally free from my animal magnetism.

Tom: Maybe one day, years from now, when we're both old and... Chris is dead, you'll run into me somewhere. I'll be opening my latest mega-club. I'll see you there on the street by yourself, and I'll tell the bouncer slash my bodyguard, "Hey. That woman's way too old to get into this club, but... why don't you let her in the back?"
Ann: That's very generous.
Tom: Stay golden, sweetheart.

Larry: [to Ann] I'm sure you are going to be an incredible mother.
Ann: Thanks, Larry. That's nice.

Ron: [walks up to Ann] Goodbye, Ann. I have enjoyed parts of our time together.
Ann: [deeply touched] Oh, God, Ron. [she begins to cry]
Larry: [also crying] That was really something.

[Ben, Ron, Tom, Larry, and Andy have given Chris a buddy box with their initials inside]
Ron: [noticing Chris is tearing up] Salt and water will warp the wood, so keep your tears in your eyes where they belong.
Chris: Will do, Ron Swanson.

Trivia[]

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