Li'l Sebastian
Encyclopedia
"Li'l Sebastian" is the sixteenth episode and season finale of the third season
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
, and the 46th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on May 19, 2011. In the episode, as the parks department prepares a funeral for Pawnee's famous miniature horse
Li'l Sebastian, Leslie
and Ben
struggle to keep their workplace romance a secret. The episode was written by Daniel J. Goor
and directed by Dean Holland
.
"Li'l Sebastian", which originally aired back-to-back along with "The Bubble
", ended with several major developments. These included Leslie being approached to run for political office, and Tom's decision to quit his job to run an entertainment company. The exact outcome of the newly-introduced storylines had not yet been determined when the episode first aired. The writing staff considered killing off a human character instead of Li'l Sebastian, but decided against it. Series co-creator Michael Schur
called the episode's final scene, which was filmed in the completely white 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) office of Tom's entertainment company, "maybe the craziest thing that's ever been on our series".
The episode featured guest appearances by Megan Mullally
as Ron
's ex-wife Tammy, Ben Schwartz
as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio
and retired basketball player Detlef Schrempf
as himself. "Li'l Sebastian" received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research, was seen by an estimated 3.72 million household viewers. Combined with an estimated 4.27 million household viewers with "The Bubble", the two episodes' ratings were about even with the previous week's episodes, "The Fight
" and "Road Trip
".
(Amy Poehler
) announces Li'l Sebastian, Pawnee's beloved celebrity miniature horse
, has died and the parks department will hold a memorial service for him. Tom
(Aziz Ansari
) suggests they hire Entertainment 720 for the event, a production company recently started by his friend Jean-Ralphio
(Ben Schwartz
). Jean-Ralphio encourages Tom to come work with him on the company, but Tom is reluctant to leave his city hall job. Meanwhile, the extremely health-conscious Chris
(Rob Lowe
) finds out he has tendonitis
, and takes the news so seriously that he questions his own mortality. Leslie and Ben
(Adam Scott
) continue their romance despite a no-dating policy at city hall, but they have difficulty keeping it a secret. Ron
(Nick Offerman
) finds out and warns them that Chris will fire them if he learns about it.
As the city prepares for the memorial service, Leslie and Ben are caught making out by a maintenance worker (Biff Yeager
), so they send him home in exchange for his silence. Unfortunately, the worker had the propane for Li'l Sebastian's eternal flame
, which results in later confusion behind the scenes, that Leslie and Ben struggle to fix throughout the night. Jerry (Jim O'Heir
) is sent to get propane for the flame but buys lighter fluid instead; this causes a huge fireball to shoot into the air when Ron lights it, which singes off his eyebrows, part of his mustache and hair. Leslie and Ben are relieved, however, when the crowd applauds in the belief the fireball was staged. Entertainment 720's show also proves to be a hit with the crowd, which makes Tom further contemplate quitting his job.
At a party afterward, Andy
(Chris Pratt
) receives praise for his Li'l Sebastian tribute song, "5,000 Candles in the Wind". April
(Aubrey Plaza) sells many Mouse Rat CDs at an inflated price, which spurs Andy to ask her to become the group's manager. Indirectly responsible for nearly killing Ron, Leslie and Ben agree to no more secret displays of affection at work. Ann
(Rashida Jones
), who previously dated Chris and had trouble getting over him, offers comfort to Chris for his depression. This makes him appear romantically interested in Ann once again. A conflicted Tom decides to resign and accept a job with Entertainment 720. Meanwhile, Ron is confronted by his evil ex-wife Tammy (Megan Mullally
) at the party. But both Ron and Tammy are horrified to learn his other ex-wife, also named Tammy (whom he calls "Tammy 1") has also arrived in town.
Leslie is approached by scouts looking for potential candidates for elected office, which has always been one of her dreams. Impressed by the memorial service and the harvest festival Leslie previously organized, they believe she would be a good candidate for upcoming city council seats, or possibly the mayoral position. With the expected increased media attention on her personal life, the scouts ask whether Leslie has any secret scandals in her life. She denies any such scandals exist, thus omitting her secret relationship with Ben, and the scouts promise to contact her about preparing an electoral run.
finale of Parks and Recreation
, was written by Daniel J. Goor
and directed by Dean Holland
. It was originally broadcast on May 19, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the episode "The Bubble
", which aired immediately before. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because the show premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the third season
could conclude at the end of the television season.
The final few minutes of "Li'l Sebastian" introduced major developments for several of the characters, including Leslie being approached with the idea to run for elected office, which has been a life-long dream for her. Additionally, Tom decides to leave city hall to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions, a progression of his character that had been building throughout the third season. Series co-creator Michael Schur
said he believes characters should change and their situations should change throughout the season, so he wanted them to be in a very different place at the end of the season than where they were from the beginning. Schur also described his fellow co-creator Greg Daniels
' theory about finale episode as: "write the juiciest, most exciting cliffhanger-y possible scenario you can write, and then you have all summer to figure out how to get yourself out of it". Although Schur said the writing staff had a general idea of where the newly-introduced storylines should go, the exact stories had not been completely worked out yet and the writers would be brainstorming how to handle them over the summer.
"Li'l Sebastian" featured a guest appearance by Megan Mullally
as Ron's ex-wife, Tammy Swanson. Mullally, the real-life wife of Nick Offerman, previously appeared in the episodes "Ron and Tammy
" and "Ron & Tammy: Part Two
". Ben Schwartz reprised his recurring role as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio Saperstein. The episode also features a cameo appearance by Detlef Schrempf
a retired basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers
; Parks and Recreation is set in Indiana. Schrempf plays himself in the episode and is hired by Tom's new entertainment company to simply hang around the office and play basketball. Schrempf previously appeared in the second season
episode "Telethon
". Andy's band Mouse Rat, which has appeared in previous episodes starting with the first season
finale "Rock Show
", also appeared in "Li'l Sebastian". Mark Rivers played the drums, Andrew Burlinson played guitar and Parks screenwriter Alan Yang
played bass guitar.
The character Li'l Sebastian, a miniature horse beloved by the residents of Pawnee, was first introduced in "Harvest Festival
", which was also written by Goor. The writers considered having a human character die in "Li'l Sebastian" rather than the miniature horse, like previously-mentioned characters Mayor Gunderson or Councilman Bill Dexhart. However, they decided that having an animal character die felt less morbid and more appropriate for the finale of a comedy series. The episode ends with Tom and Jean-Ralphio in their new Entertainment 720 headquarters, a completely white 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) room with modern decor and unusual furniture. Schur described the setting as "maybe the craziest thing that's ever been on our series. ... Every time I watch it in the edit bay, I have this weird crisis: 'Is this OK that this scene is how we're ending this entire season?' It's truly nuts. It's like a hallucinogenic nightmare."
Schur said his favorite scene in the episode was when Leslie arrives at her secret meet-up spot with Ben, only to find Ron waiting there, and awkwardly tries to insist there is no affair. Schur said: "The scene that unfolds is my favorite Leslie Knope moment of the whole year. [Ron] almost doesn't say a word for the entire scene, but still makes you laugh 50 times." Immediately after "Li'l Sebastian" first aired, a "Producer's Cut" version was made available on the official NBC.com website, which included an additional six minutes of material.
song "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
" on his radio. Ron discovers Leslie and Ben's affair after they accidentally pocket dial
him while sexually role-playing with political figures. At one point, Leslie tells Ben she is going to kiss him both like former First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt
, and Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
. At another, Ben impersonates former President
Ronald Reagan
, which prompts Leslie, pretending to be United Kingdom Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
, to say, "Oh, President Reagan, my blazer popped open." In a different scene, Andy seeks to write a song for Li'l Sebastian that is 5,000 times better than Elton John
's "Candle in the Wind
", which inspires him to write the original song "5,000 Candles in the Wind". In an attempt to explain to someone that she and Ben were hugging, Leslie explains she recently won a McArthur Genius Grant
and that Ben was simply congratulating her.
", the one-hour seventh season finale of comedy series The Office, Parks and Recreation was not shown in its regular 9:30 p.m. broadcast on May 19. "Li'l Sebastian" aired at 10:30 p.m., immediately following "The Bubble" at 10 p.m. In its original American broadcast, "Li'l Sebastian" was seen by an estimated 3.72 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research
, with a 2.4 rating/6 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. A rating point represents one percent of the total number of television sets in American households, and a share means the percentage of television sets in use tuned to the program. This marked a drop in viewership for Parks and Recreation compared to earlier in the night, as "The Bubble" was seen by an estimated 4.27 million households. Combined, the ratings were about even with the average ratings for the previous week, in which two Parks and Recreation episodes were also shown back-to-back, although from a 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. time block: "The Fight
" had been seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, while "Road Trip
" was seen by 3.54 million households. In its 10:30 p.m. timeslot, "Li'l Sebastian" was outperformed by the fourth season
finale of the ABC
medical drama series Private Practice, which was seen by 7.45 million household viewers.
called it the best Parks and Recreation episode so far, and compared the cliffhanger and "many of the bittersweet moments leading to it" to the comedy series Freaks and Geeks
. Time
magazine of James Poniewozik
strongly praised "Li'l Sebastian", and called it one of the best episodes of the season. He said Li'l Sebastian's funeral brought out the best in the characters, and that the episode "combined slapstick, authentic stakes and a holistic picture of the oddball history and commonalities that bond the folks we've come to know in Pawnee". Henry Hanks of CNN
called it "one of the funniest half-hours of any show this season", and compared the Li'l Sebastian funeral to the funeral scenes in the Mary Tyler Moore Show
episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust
". The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called the episode a "triumphant exclamation point at the end of Parks and Recreation' s third season", and described every moment as "uproariously funny". Meslow particularly praised the twists and major character developments of the final 10 minutes, and said it demonstrates how much the show and characters have changed since the series debuted.
Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said "Li'l Sebastian" was a great showcase for not only each of the characters, but the setting of Pawnee as well, and that the episode "illustrated each part of Pawnee that we have come to know and love so much". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix had the "both the scope and the out-of-control but not frantic style" of "The Harvest Festival". He also enjoyed the scene with Leslie and Ben, and said he believed the show could get great "comic mileage" out of their continued secret relationship together. Paste
magazine writer Garrett Martin called the episode a "tour de force that expertly wrapped up an excellent season". Garrett said the show's characters were "so vivid and instantly memorable" that the death of Li'l Sebastian really felt like a major event, even though he had only previously appeared in one other episode. Matt Fowler of IGN
said "Li'l Sebastian" was hilarious and demonstrated "how marvelously great this series is at creating a truly lovable ensemble". He also enjoyed seeing Tom succeed with his concert, and claimed the Li'l Sebastian funeral scene was surprisingly powerful.
Rick Porter of Zap2it
said Parks was at the "top of its game". Porter praised that the final scenes presented so many changes for the characters but never felt out of control, which he attributed to "the cast's ability to play things at just the right level and the writers for knowing just how cartoonish Pawnee can be without tipping too far". New York
magazine writer Steve Kandell said although the episode felt like a "somber affair" and less momentous than the previous episode "Harvest Festival
", he said the cliffhangers were suspenseful and on par with major drama shows like the ABC series Desperate Housewives
. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic praised the episode, and said he found particularly hilarious the scene about Leslie and Ben accidentally pocket dialing Ron during their sexual roleplaying. However, McHatton said he did not believe Tom's decision to start an entertainment company had "much of a traction past the first five minutes of next season". Joel Keller of TV Squad felt the major changes the characters undergo at the end of the episode felt "rushed", but admitted they were "natural outcropping of the characters and what we've seen of them this year".
"Li'l Sebastian" was voted the fourth funniest half-hour season finale of 2011 in Entertainment Weekly
' s second annual TV Season Finale Awards, the winners of which are determined by voters. Ron losing his facial hair was voted the third-funniest individual moment, the death of Li'l Sebastian was voted the fifth best death, and the mystery over who "Tammy No. 1" is, and why "Tammy No. 2" fears her, was voted the fourth-best "Non-Romantic Cliffhanger".
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, and the 46th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on May 19, 2011. In the episode, as the parks department prepares a funeral for Pawnee's famous miniature horse
Miniature horse
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
Li'l Sebastian, Leslie
Leslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
and Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
struggle to keep their workplace romance a secret. The episode was written by Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor is an Emmy award winning writer, who has written for several comedy talk shows including The Daily Show, Last Call with Carson Daly and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is currently serving as producer of the NBC primetime series Parks and Recreation. He writes for Power Rangers...
and directed by Dean Holland
Dean Holland
Dean Holland is an Emmy Award-winning, American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on Entourage and the NBC comedy shows The Office and Parks and Recreation...
.
"Li'l Sebastian", which originally aired back-to-back along with "The Bubble
The Bubble (Parks and Recreation)
"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 19, 2011. In the episode, Leslie becomes nervous when her new boyfriend Ben has...
", ended with several major developments. These included Leslie being approached to run for political office, and Tom's decision to quit his job to run an entertainment company. The exact outcome of the newly-introduced storylines had not yet been determined when the episode first aired. The writing staff considered killing off a human character instead of Li'l Sebastian, but decided against it. Series co-creator Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
called the episode's final scene, which was filmed in the completely white 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) office of Tom's entertainment company, "maybe the craziest thing that's ever been on our series".
The episode featured guest appearances by Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
as Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
's ex-wife Tammy, Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz is a writer, actor and comedian. His feature film credits include Peep World with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman as well as Everybody's Fine with Robert DeNiro...
as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is a fictional character played by Ben Schwartz in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. He is the cocky friend of Tom Haverford and, like Tom, believes himself to be a playboy and pickup artist, although he is looked upon with contempt by most people...
and retired basketball player Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
as himself. "Li'l Sebastian" received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research, was seen by an estimated 3.72 million household viewers. Combined with an estimated 4.27 million household viewers with "The Bubble", the two episodes' ratings were about even with the previous week's episodes, "The Fight
The Fight (Parks and Recreation)
"The Fight" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011. In the episode, the parks department employees become very...
" and "Road Trip
Road Trip (Parks and Recreation)
"Road Trip" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 44th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011...
".
Plot
LeslieLeslie Knope
Leslie Barbara Knope is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Amy Poehler. Poehler garnered two Emmy Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series for her role.-Background:...
(Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
) announces Li'l Sebastian, Pawnee's beloved celebrity miniature horse
Miniature horse
Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal, which, depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are...
, has died and the parks department will hold a memorial service for him. Tom
Tom Haverford
Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Haverford , born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic, underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee who is revered for his high levels of swagger and unmatched entrepreneurial skills...
(Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
) suggests they hire Entertainment 720 for the event, a production company recently started by his friend Jean-Ralphio
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is a fictional character played by Ben Schwartz in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. He is the cocky friend of Tom Haverford and, like Tom, believes himself to be a playboy and pickup artist, although he is looked upon with contempt by most people...
(Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz is a writer, actor and comedian. His feature film credits include Peep World with Rainn Wilson, Michael C. Hall and Sarah Silverman as well as Everybody's Fine with Robert DeNiro...
). Jean-Ralphio encourages Tom to come work with him on the company, but Tom is reluctant to leave his city hall job. Meanwhile, the extremely health-conscious Chris
Chris Traeger
Christopher "Chris" Traeger is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. He began on the show as an Indiana state auditor who visits the fictional city of Pawnee to help solve their crippling budget problems, and eventually...
(Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) finds out he has tendonitis
Tendonitis
Tendinitis , meaning inflammation of a tendon , is a type of tendinopathy often confused with the more common tendinosis, which has similar symptoms but requires different treatment...
, and takes the news so seriously that he questions his own mortality. Leslie and Ben
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation)
Benjamin "Ben" Wyatt is a character in the TV series Parks and Recreation. The character guest starred in two episodes of season two and was upgraded to a regular in season three. Ben is a state auditor who comes into Pawnee with Chris Traeger to evaluate the town's funds at the end of the second...
(Adam Scott
Adam Scott (actor)
Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
) continue their romance despite a no-dating policy at city hall, but they have difficulty keeping it a secret. Ron
Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character played by Nick Offerman in the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation on NBC. Ron is parks department director in the Indiana city of Pawnee and the immediate superior of protagonist Leslie Knope...
(Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman is an American actor best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He is also a skilled woodworker.-Early life and career:...
) finds out and warns them that Chris will fire them if he learns about it.
As the city prepares for the memorial service, Leslie and Ben are caught making out by a maintenance worker (Biff Yeager
Biff Yeager
Biff Yeager is an American actor. He has appeared in many TV series including Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Wonder Years, Scrubs, Seinfeld and Gilmore Girls. His film credits include Repo Man, Prime Risk, Black Samurai, The Visitors, White Oleander, Best Men, and Paris.-External links:...
), so they send him home in exchange for his silence. Unfortunately, the worker had the propane for Li'l Sebastian's eternal flame
Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns day and night for an indefinite period. The flame that burned constantly at Delphi was an archaic feature, "alien to the ordinary Greek temple"....
, which results in later confusion behind the scenes, that Leslie and Ben struggle to fix throughout the night. Jerry (Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir
Jim O'Heir is an American actor. He was active in the Chicago theater during the 1980s and 1990s as part of the theater group White Noise, and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group...
) is sent to get propane for the flame but buys lighter fluid instead; this causes a huge fireball to shoot into the air when Ron lights it, which singes off his eyebrows, part of his mustache and hair. Leslie and Ben are relieved, however, when the crowd applauds in the belief the fireball was staged. Entertainment 720's show also proves to be a hit with the crowd, which makes Tom further contemplate quitting his job.
At a party afterward, Andy
Andy Dwyer
Andrew Maxwell "Andy" Dwyer is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. He is Ann Perkins' ex-boyfriend, a talented-if-yet-unsuccessful musician, a shoe-shiner at Pawnee City Hall, and April Ludgate's husband. He is portrayed by Chris Pratt.-Background:At the start of the...
(Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael "Chris" Pratt is an American actor, best known for his roles as Harold Brighton "Bright" Abbott in the television series Everwood, the recurring character Winchester "Ché" Cook in season 4 of The OC, Andy Dwyer in the television series Parks and Recreation and for portraying...
) receives praise for his Li'l Sebastian tribute song, "5,000 Candles in the Wind". April
April Ludgate
April Roberta Ludgate is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is an apathetic college student employed by the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's assistant. She is married to Andy Dwyer. She is portrayed by Aubrey Plaza...
(Aubrey Plaza) sells many Mouse Rat CDs at an inflated price, which spurs Andy to ask her to become the group's manager. Indirectly responsible for nearly killing Ron, Leslie and Ben agree to no more secret displays of affection at work. Ann
Ann Perkins
Ann Meredith Perkins is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is a nurse and best friend of Leslie Knope. She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.-Season one:...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
), who previously dated Chris and had trouble getting over him, offers comfort to Chris for his depression. This makes him appear romantically interested in Ann once again. A conflicted Tom decides to resign and accept a job with Entertainment 720. Meanwhile, Ron is confronted by his evil ex-wife Tammy (Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
) at the party. But both Ron and Tammy are horrified to learn his other ex-wife, also named Tammy (whom he calls "Tammy 1") has also arrived in town.
Leslie is approached by scouts looking for potential candidates for elected office, which has always been one of her dreams. Impressed by the memorial service and the harvest festival Leslie previously organized, they believe she would be a good candidate for upcoming city council seats, or possibly the mayoral position. With the expected increased media attention on her personal life, the scouts ask whether Leslie has any secret scandals in her life. She denies any such scandals exist, thus omitting her secret relationship with Ben, and the scouts promise to contact her about preparing an electoral run.
Production
"Li'l Sebastian", the third seasonParks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
finale of Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, was written by Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor
Daniel J. Goor is an Emmy award winning writer, who has written for several comedy talk shows including The Daily Show, Last Call with Carson Daly and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is currently serving as producer of the NBC primetime series Parks and Recreation. He writes for Power Rangers...
and directed by Dean Holland
Dean Holland
Dean Holland is an Emmy Award-winning, American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on Entourage and the NBC comedy shows The Office and Parks and Recreation...
. It was originally broadcast on May 19, 2011, and ran back-to-back with the episode "The Bubble
The Bubble (Parks and Recreation)
"The Bubble" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 45th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 19, 2011. In the episode, Leslie becomes nervous when her new boyfriend Ben has...
", which aired immediately before. The two are stand-alone episodes that were not originally designed to be shown together. However, because the show premiered late as a mid-season replacement in January, the two episodes aired together so the third season
Parks and Recreation (season 3)
The third season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between January 20 and May 19, 2011. Like the previous seasons, it focused on Leslie Knope and her staff at the parks and recreation department of the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee...
could conclude at the end of the television season.
The final few minutes of "Li'l Sebastian" introduced major developments for several of the characters, including Leslie being approached with the idea to run for elected office, which has been a life-long dream for her. Additionally, Tom decides to leave city hall to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions, a progression of his character that had been building throughout the third season. Series co-creator Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
said he believes characters should change and their situations should change throughout the season, so he wanted them to be in a very different place at the end of the season than where they were from the beginning. Schur also described his fellow co-creator Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
' theory about finale episode as: "write the juiciest, most exciting cliffhanger-y possible scenario you can write, and then you have all summer to figure out how to get yourself out of it". Although Schur said the writing staff had a general idea of where the newly-introduced storylines should go, the exact stories had not been completely worked out yet and the writers would be brainstorming how to handle them over the summer.
"Li'l Sebastian" featured a guest appearance by Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...
as Ron's ex-wife, Tammy Swanson. Mullally, the real-life wife of Nick Offerman, previously appeared in the episodes "Ron and Tammy
Ron and Tammy
"Ron and Tammy" is the eighth episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation, and the fourteenth overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 5, 2009. In the episode, the library department tries to take control of a vacant lot where Leslie plans...
" and "Ron & Tammy: Part Two
Ron & Tammy: Part Two
"Ron & Tammy: Part Two" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 34th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 10, 2011...
". Ben Schwartz reprised his recurring role as Tom's friend Jean-Ralphio Saperstein. The episode also features a cameo appearance by Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
a retired basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
; Parks and Recreation is set in Indiana. Schrempf plays himself in the episode and is hired by Tom's new entertainment company to simply hang around the office and play basketball. Schrempf previously appeared in the second season
Parks and Recreation (season 2)
The second season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network starting September 17, 2009, and ended on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, and series co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur...
episode "Telethon
Telethon (Parks and Recreation)
Telethon is the 22nd episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 28th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 6, 2010. In the episode, Leslie volunteers to host a charity telethon and is given the...
". Andy's band Mouse Rat, which has appeared in previous episodes starting with the first season
Parks and Recreation (season 1)
The first season of Parks and Recreation originally aired in the United States on the NBC television network between April 9 and May 14, 2009...
finale "Rock Show
Rock Show (Parks and Recreation)
"Rock Show" is the sixth episode and season finale of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. It was written by Norm Hiscock and directed by Michael Schur...
", also appeared in "Li'l Sebastian". Mark Rivers played the drums, Andrew Burlinson played guitar and Parks screenwriter Alan Yang
Alan Yang
Alan Yang is an American screenwriter for the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation.-Career:His previous credits include the Carson Daly's Late Night Show and South Park. In 2009, he was named by Variety magazine as one of "10 Screenwriters to Watch". He currently has three screenplays in development,"...
played bass guitar.
The character Li'l Sebastian, a miniature horse beloved by the residents of Pawnee, was first introduced in "Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival (Parks and Recreation)
"Harvest Festival" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 37th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 17, 2011. In the episode, Leslie and her co-workers hold Pawnee's ...
", which was also written by Goor. The writers considered having a human character die in "Li'l Sebastian" rather than the miniature horse, like previously-mentioned characters Mayor Gunderson or Councilman Bill Dexhart. However, they decided that having an animal character die felt less morbid and more appropriate for the finale of a comedy series. The episode ends with Tom and Jean-Ralphio in their new Entertainment 720 headquarters, a completely white 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) room with modern decor and unusual furniture. Schur described the setting as "maybe the craziest thing that's ever been on our series. ... Every time I watch it in the edit bay, I have this weird crisis: 'Is this OK that this scene is how we're ending this entire season?' It's truly nuts. It's like a hallucinogenic nightmare."
Schur said his favorite scene in the episode was when Leslie arrives at her secret meet-up spot with Ben, only to find Ron waiting there, and awkwardly tries to insist there is no affair. Schur said: "The scene that unfolds is my favorite Leslie Knope moment of the whole year. [Ron] almost doesn't say a word for the entire scene, but still makes you laugh 50 times." Immediately after "Li'l Sebastian" first aired, a "Producer's Cut" version was made available on the official NBC.com website, which included an additional six minutes of material.
Cultural references
While trying to have a moment of silence for Li'l Sebastian in the parks department office, the staff is interrupted when a custodian playing the Shania TwainShania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
song "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
Man! I Feel like a Woman!
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is the seventh single released from Shania Twain's 1997 album Come on Over. It was written by Mutt Lange and Twain. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," originally released to North American country radio stations in early 1999, was the opening song on both Twain's Come on Over...
" on his radio. Ron discovers Leslie and Ben's affair after they accidentally pocket dial
Pocket Dialing
Pocket dialing refers to the accidental placement of a phone call while a person's mobile phone in the dialer's pocket or handbag. The recipient of the call typically hears random background noise when they answer the phone...
him while sexually role-playing with political figures. At one point, Leslie tells Ben she is going to kiss him both like former First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, and Associate Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
. At another, Ben impersonates former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, which prompts Leslie, pretending to be United Kingdom Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, to say, "Oh, President Reagan, my blazer popped open." In a different scene, Andy seeks to write a song for Li'l Sebastian that is 5,000 times better than Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind
"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....
", which inspires him to write the original song "5,000 Candles in the Wind". In an attempt to explain to someone that she and Ben were hugging, Leslie explains she recently won a McArthur Genius Grant
MacArthur Fellows Program
The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T...
and that Ben was simply congratulating her.
Ratings
Due to the 9 p.m. broadcast of "Search CommitteeSearch Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
", the one-hour seventh season finale of comedy series The Office, Parks and Recreation was not shown in its regular 9:30 p.m. broadcast on May 19. "Li'l Sebastian" aired at 10:30 p.m., immediately following "The Bubble" at 10 p.m. In its original American broadcast, "Li'l Sebastian" was seen by an estimated 3.72 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, with a 2.4 rating/6 share among viewers between ages 18 and 49. A rating point represents one percent of the total number of television sets in American households, and a share means the percentage of television sets in use tuned to the program. This marked a drop in viewership for Parks and Recreation compared to earlier in the night, as "The Bubble" was seen by an estimated 4.27 million households. Combined, the ratings were about even with the average ratings for the previous week, in which two Parks and Recreation episodes were also shown back-to-back, although from a 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. time block: "The Fight
The Fight (Parks and Recreation)
"The Fight" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011. In the episode, the parks department employees become very...
" had been seen by an estimated 4.55 million household viewers, while "Road Trip
Road Trip (Parks and Recreation)
"Road Trip" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 44th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 12, 2011...
" was seen by 3.54 million households. In its 10:30 p.m. timeslot, "Li'l Sebastian" was outperformed by the fourth season
Private Practice (season 4)
The fourth season of Private Practice premiered on September 23, 2010 and concluded on May 19, 2011. The season consisted of 22 episodes.-Addison:...
finale of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
medical drama series Private Practice, which was seen by 7.45 million household viewers.
Reviews
"Li'l Sebastian" received generally positive reviews. Steve Heisler of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called it the best Parks and Recreation episode so far, and compared the cliffhanger and "many of the bittersweet moments leading to it" to the comedy series Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...
. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine of James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...
strongly praised "Li'l Sebastian", and called it one of the best episodes of the season. He said Li'l Sebastian's funeral brought out the best in the characters, and that the episode "combined slapstick, authentic stakes and a holistic picture of the oddball history and commonalities that bond the folks we've come to know in Pawnee". Henry Hanks of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
called it "one of the funniest half-hours of any show this season", and compared the Li'l Sebastian funeral to the funeral scenes in the Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust
Chuckles Bites the Dust
"Chuckles Bites the Dust" is an episode of the television situation comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show which first aired October 25, 1975. The episode's plot centers on the fictictious WJM-TV staff's humorous reaction to the absurd death of Chuckles the Clown, an often-mentioned but seldom seen...
". The Atlantic writer Scott Meslow called the episode a "triumphant exclamation point at the end of Parks and Recreation
Eric Sundermann of Hollywood.com said "Li'l Sebastian" was a great showcase for not only each of the characters, but the setting of Pawnee as well, and that the episode "illustrated each part of Pawnee that we have come to know and love so much". Alan Sepinwall of HitFix had the "both the scope and the out-of-control but not frantic style" of "The Harvest Festival". He also enjoyed the scene with Leslie and Ben, and said he believed the show could get great "comic mileage" out of their continued secret relationship together. Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
magazine writer Garrett Martin called the episode a "tour de force that expertly wrapped up an excellent season". Garrett said the show's characters were "so vivid and instantly memorable" that the death of Li'l Sebastian really felt like a major event, even though he had only previously appeared in one other episode. Matt Fowler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said "Li'l Sebastian" was hilarious and demonstrated "how marvelously great this series is at creating a truly lovable ensemble". He also enjoyed seeing Tom succeed with his concert, and claimed the Li'l Sebastian funeral scene was surprisingly powerful.
Rick Porter of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
said Parks was at the "top of its game". Porter praised that the final scenes presented so many changes for the characters but never felt out of control, which he attributed to "the cast's ability to play things at just the right level and the writers for knowing just how cartoonish Pawnee can be without tipping too far". New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine writer Steve Kandell said although the episode felt like a "somber affair" and less momentous than the previous episode "Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival (Parks and Recreation)
"Harvest Festival" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 37th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 17, 2011. In the episode, Leslie and her co-workers hold Pawnee's ...
", he said the cliffhangers were suspenseful and on par with major drama shows like the ABC series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. Nick McHatton of TV Fanatic praised the episode, and said he found particularly hilarious the scene about Leslie and Ben accidentally pocket dialing Ron during their sexual roleplaying. However, McHatton said he did not believe Tom's decision to start an entertainment company had "much of a traction past the first five minutes of next season". Joel Keller of TV Squad felt the major changes the characters undergo at the end of the episode felt "rushed", but admitted they were "natural outcropping of the characters and what we've seen of them this year".
"Li'l Sebastian" was voted the fourth funniest half-hour season finale of 2011 in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
External links
- "Li'l Sebastian" at the official Parks and Recreation site