Major Characters Set to Leave NBC’s Parks and Recreation

Emma Doherty ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff

It has been officially confirmed that NBC’s leading sitcom Parks and Recreation will be losing two of their main stars Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe this upcoming season. The most recent season of the show ended with the familial issues of Ann Perkins (Jones) and Chris Traeger (Lowe) as they decided to start a family.

Executive producer Mike Schur confirmed their departure, stating that the two will be leaving on the thirteenth episode leading viewers to believe that the show will develop the relationship and that there will hopefully be a child between the couple. This would be the perfect send off for the new couple who have had a sporadic relationship throughout the series. Jones has been apart of the droll show since the season premiere back in 2009, playing a nurse and devoted best friend to the optimistic and quirky main character Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). Lowe was added to the cast at the end of the second season, first playing the unwanted state auditor sent to Pawnee to help save the town’s budget, and then becoming Pawnee City Manager. The two characters became an item soon after Lowe joined the show and have had a rocky and inconsistent relationship since.

Not only will audiences be sad to see these beloved characters go, but how will Leslie Knope handle the departure of her best friend? It will be hard to see these two split up but not to worry, Jones won’t be too far!
Schur he stated in an interview that, “Rashida was one of the very first people we knew we wanted in the cast, and as important as Ann is to Leslie (and vice-versa), she’ll certainly never be far from Pawnee.”
Along with possible future guest appearances, Jones will be keeping busy on her own. She and writing partner Will McCormack just sold their new show Stuck to FOX. The show is a comedy that revolves around an entertaining relationship between a mother and daughter that are helping one another get “unstuck” in their current lives. Jones is the executive producer of this single camera half hour sitcom.
The two will be missed but they still have half a season left to go! Make sure to tune in to the season premiere of Parks and Recreation at its new time at 8/7c on NBC.