Are Parks & Recreation and The Good Place set in the same universe? It’s hard to say, but The Good Place does include a fair dose of Parks & Rec Easter eggs. What these two series have in common, aside from the power of making viewers very happy, is that they were both created by Michael Schur (in Parks & Rec’s case, he co-created the series along with Greg Daniels), so it’s not surprising that some elements from Pawnee made the jump to The Good Place, either on Earth or the afterlife.
The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), who wakes up in the afterlife and is introduced by Michael to “the Good Place”, a highly selective, heaven-like neighborhood designed by him. Eleanor soon realizes there was a mistake and she doesn’t belong to the Good Place as she wasn’t the most morally correct person when she was alive. The series, which is coming to an end with its fourth season, has been praised for its tone, performances, originality, and combination of comedy, ethics, and philosophy.
Aside from being comedy series, Parks & Recreation and The Good Place don’t seem to have much in common, but the latter has cleverly (and subtly) included nods to Pawnee and its residents a couple of times. Here are all the Parks & Recreation Easter Eggs found in The Good Place.
Dennis Feinstein’s Fragrance
When viewers finally got a look at how Eleanor died, she was shown in a supermarket reading the latest issue of Celebrity Baby (which seems to be her favorite). On the back of the magazine was an ad for “Glyde” fragrance by Dennis Feinstein, Pawnee’s (in)famous fragrance maker. Funny enough, Feinstein was played by Jason Mantzoukas, who also played Derek in The Good Place.
Jean-Ralphio’s Champagne
Parks & Recreation’s finale teased Jean-Ralphio’s fate during Craig’s time jump many years into the future. In it, a bottle of champagne with his name was briefly shown, demonstrating that he eventually became a champagne manufacturer. Jean-Ralphio’s champagne brand made it to the universe of The Good Place and appeared on the back of another Celebrity Baby magazine Eleanor was reading when she was sent back to Earth.
Swanson Safe Company
Ron Swanson trusted no one, including banks, so it wouldn’t be surprising that at some point – and without his friends and co-workers knowing it – he founded his very own safe company. “Swanson Safe Company” has appeared in The Good Place twice: when viewers learned how Jason died (suffocated inside a Swanson safe), and later in Tahani’s rented mansion in Australia.
Lil’ Sebastian
This is a very, very subtle one, but it’s there. In season 3’s flashback to “Pick a Pet” day at Michael’s neighborhood, good old Lil’ Sebastian could be seen walking around in the background. Good to see that a soul as pure as Lil’ Sebastian’s made it to the Good Place – although, as it was Michael’s neighborhood, it was technically the Bad Place. Maybe Lil’ Sebastian was just doing him a favor.
The Lerpiss Family
The Lerpiss weren’t big characters in Parks & Recreation, but they were part of Pawnee’s history. In The Good Place, when Tahani took a look at the rankings in season 1, Bjoern Lerpiss was in third place. Later, in season 3, when Michael and Janet visited the Accounting Department in the Neutral Zone and saw how the point system works, the records of a Douglas Lerpiss were shown on screen. And if that’s not enough, the screen showed that Douglas purchased a tomato at Food and Stuff – Ron Swanson’s preferred shopping spot.
Paunch Burger
Bjoern Lerpiss didn’t appear often in Parks & Recreation, but when he did, he made it clear that he loved Paunch Burger, Pawnee’s infamous fast-food chain with an incredibly unhealthy menu. Paunch Burger made an appearance when the “Brain-y Brunch” headed over to the Cowboy Skyscraper Buffet with Trevor (played by Adam Scott). Paunch Burger was hidden on the menu, so it’s an Easter Egg very easy to miss.
Next: The Good Place Is Great TV (But It’s Good That It’s Ending)
