#leslie-ron

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But one of the surprising things about “Ron & Tammys” is what the end of the battle royale says about Ron’s character. The episode itself explores Ron’s backstory, and lets the women who’ve shaped his outlook speak on his behalf. But just when Leslie’s about to tap out of the drinking contest, Ron steps in, downs the entire bottle of moonshine, and lays everything out. His willingness to stand up for himself, and for his friends, shows that even though he’s been pulled in multiple directions his entire life, he eventually found a place somewhere in the middle, and dug himself in deep enough that he ain’t going anywhere. It’s a wonderful celebration of who Ron Swanson is, and the show that made him that way.

Steve Heisler in the AV Club review of Ron and Tammys

I was going to make a sappy post about about Ron and his background and the previous women in his life (all of which are kind of depressing to me) and how the greatest thing Leslie does for him - the strongest influence she has on him now - is her ability to ground him but also make him ground her, and most of all make sure he is himself (and make sure that he knows he is appreciated for himself). but the AV Club kind of did it for me, so.

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Leslie and Ron -

I think I figured out why the last scene in Eagleton made feel so many things:

The give-and-take in this relationship is usually only seen in the background, where one of them pushes the other just a little bit to get things that are central to the plot done. Usually we see them being firm opposites who still respect each other and respect that they are what they are - their interactions aren't about changing each other, but working around it.

Then we get things like this, storylines that focus on the tangible ways they affect each other, and ugh, just. this friendship is fucking flawless. It's shifted a lot over the last couple of years: it went from the way he used to kind-of give her things to do because he was lazy and knew she'd do them all, to him giving her things to do because he trusts in her ability to do them, to him giving her things to do because he trusts in ability to care for them, and now we have him trusting her ability to care for him.

And that's significant, because this man's best friendship was someone he never talked to, and he's had two awful ex-wives, and he generally has fun being alone. It's not that he's insecure in his friendships with other people, not at all - he's not some sad, lonely old man or anything - it's just that he's had little reason to think he has similar security with anyone else. He has reason to believe in her a little bit more.

When he smiles after Leslie tells him his party next year is going to be "a rager", you know he's figured out that that's not happening. I've been thinking about this and even the way he actually teases her in Woman of the Year gives me feelings, because I can't imagine him giving into the urge to do something as simple and friendly as that, you know? Maybe he hasn't had much reason to even think of doing something like that.

This friendship gives me joy. It's my favourite relationship on the show, hands-down.

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#theirs is probably my favourite relationship on this showeven over leslie/ann?

Yes, probably, because it was a gradual thing and I like being able to track that progress - from Hunting Trip and Ron and Tammy to Sweetems then Woman of the Year and then his defense of her in Freddy Spaghetti. I love that they're both such firm opposites but respect each other and respect that they are what they are, so they don't try to change each other, they just try to work around it. and I really love that when Leslie's getting trouble from other people, Ron will probably be on automatic defense of her - Ann will be, too, of course, but with Ron it feels like it means something a little bit extra, because he believes in her just a little bit more, and that's just. it's really sweet.Leslie-Ann continues to be one of the best BFFs on TV and the best BFFs on this show, and you know I love their faces and their hugs and their "and that friend is me"-type conversations, but I love watching Leslie-Ron the most.