Leslie Tries To Replace Ann In This Week's 'Parks'

Rashida Jones leaving Parks and Recreation and taking Leslie Knope best friend Ann Perkins with her broke a lot of hearts — but none more than that of Leslie Knope herself, who now finds herself without a Pawnee best friend. Now that Galentine's Day is playing out in the timeline of the show, though, Leslie finds herself on a search for her next Pawneean BFF in this Thursday's episode, "Galentine's Day." The course will likely not run smoothly.

So, who are the candidates to become the official Pawnee Best Friend of one former councilwoman Leslie Knope? Well there's April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), of course, "vivid imagination, young and vibrant"; Donna Meagle (Retta), confident and worldly; Shauna Malwae-Tweep (Alison Becker), who is "pretty, fragile, [and] makes terrible life decisions, a real fixer-upper" but it's not like Ann hasn't been there; Ethel Beavers (Helen Slayton-Hughes), "a bit of a dark horse," and Evelyn (Melinda Cohen), aka fake Ann, who's just there to fill a seat.

Who do you think'll make the cut? We can probably bet on a few things: That Donna will remain too aloof for this crap, that April will resist initially but give in after a good old Leslie Knope wear-down, and/or that Leslie will come to the realization that no one could fill the Ann void, and that maybe they don't need to.

Image: NBC