The Hilarious Deleted Parks And Recreation Scene That Fans Wish Was Canon
The NBC comedy "Park and Recreation" ran for seven seasons and during that time, it gave viewers some of the most loveable sitcom characters in recent memory. After all, it's hard to not feel affection toward Nick Offerman's harsh, yet sincere Ron Swanson, Aubrey Plaza's elusive and judgmental April Ludgate, and of course, Amy Poehler's impassioned, slightly neurotic Leslie Knope, among so many other greats.
The show has inspired fans to conduct countless rewatches since airing its final episodes and remains one of the most beloved American sitcoms of all time. It ranks in the top 10 of Rolling Stone's 100 greatest sitcoms ever and with so many memorable moments, picking a favorite line or scene can certainly be a challenge. And that is even more complicated by the fact that you won't necessarily find your favorite one-liner or awkward interaction within the confines of what actually aired. There are plenty of bloopers and deleted scenes available for fans to enjoy, and there's one that is so good that some fans are actually upset it didn't make the final cut.
Leslie and Ben's marriage betrayal
On the "Parks and Recreation" subreddit, u/etymologynerd posted a series of screenshots of a deleted scene from the series' final season. In the scene, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) shares with her husband Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) that she's begun sneaking vegetables into their children's mac and cheese as a way of ticking them into eating healthier. "That's what parenting is all about. Helping your children ... through lies," she says. But when Ben reveals that he's been sneaking vegetables into Leslie's breakfasts for years, she immediately turns on him, stating that she's never been more furious with anyone in her life. She then demands that their children tackle him to the ground. The interaction is a loving moment between Leslie and Ben and an endearing, playful family portrait.
Many who commented on the Reddit post stated their dissatisfaction that this scene is not technically part of the "Parks and Recreation" canon, seeing as it was cut. One of the top comments on the post, from u/bradley322, reads, "I accept this as canon," and more than 4,000 other users have upvoted that sentiment. Similar remarks on the post point to a disappointing lack of one-on-one couple or family dynamics shown between Leslie and Ben in the final season.
While the scene was cut for unknown reasons, one user playfully suggested a possible explanation: "they had to delete it because if this actually happened leslie would have divorced ben." Or, as u/BakulaSelleck92 wrote, "Let's be realistic. He'd be dead to her."