Minor spoilers for Loot Season 2, Episode 1 are ahead. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the comedy with an Apple TV+ subscription, and you can catch new episodes as they air on the 2024 TV schedule every Wednesday.
Apple TV+’s comedy Loot has a few very deep connections to the legendary NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Most notably, Alan Yang, the co-creator of Loot, was a writer and producer on the Amy Poehler-led series, and Adam Scott plays a big role in both shows. However, in Season 2 of the comedy starring Maya Rudolph, a very fun Parks Easter egg was planted that die-hard fans will adore, and Yang told me how it happened.
In Episode 1 of Loot Season 2, Jay Jackson – who you likely recognize because he played Perd Hapley in the Parks and Rec cast – shows up as a reporter telling the story of a billionaire that Maya Rudolph's Molly and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez's Sofia are trying to partner with. In the clip, he’s essentially channeling Perd Hapley, and his character serves the same purpose as the iconic Parks and Rec anchor, the only thing missing is his classic catchphrase: “Ya heard with Perd.” It’s a lovely little nod to the classic NBC sitcom, and Alan Yang told CinemaBlend why it happened:
There's so many it's because you know, Parks and Rec, thank you for noticing. Yeah, we threw Perd Hapley in there. He actually cold audition and we were like, ‘Oh, we love Jay,’ I had a great time with him on set. We were just reminiscing because he was in so many episodes of Parks.
It turns out, that this Parks and Rec Easter egg wasn’t exactly intentional, however, it ended up being a fabulous homage to it. As Yang said, Jackson was simply auditioning for a role in Loot, and when they realized he was trying to get on the show they loved the idea of him becoming part of the cast. As a lifelong Parks fan, this small nod made me so, so happy, because Perd Hapley is an icon and a legend.
For context, across 31 episodes of Parks and Recreation that aired between 2009 and 2015, Jay Jackson played the hilarious journalist Perd Hapley, and his shtick became one of the best inside jokes on Parks and Rec. His showing up from time to time to explain the news in his wholly unique way made the comedy even funnier, and it added to the silly goofy world of Pawnee.
Now, the question becomes: Will there be more Parks and Rec Easter eggs and cast members in Loot? We already have Jay Jackson and Adam Scott, who plays Maya Rudolph’s character’s ex-husband. According to Alan Yang, they probably won’t be the only two we see either, as he told me:
I'd love to get some people from Parks in the show. We did 125 episodes of that show. So literally every comedian in Hollywood seemed to pass through those halls. So I think you'll probably see some more just because they're like in the family. But yeah, I mean, it's gonna be I don't know that. But I’m glad you noticed, it was really fun to have him there.
The opportunities are endless. Having Maya Rudolph’s SNL sister and the star of Parks and Rec, Amy Poehler would be a great addition. Or, as I proposed to Yang, Ben Schwartz could just show up as Jean-Ralphio since Loot is all about silly things rich people do, and his Parks character would fit in perfectly. Overall, it’s fun to ponder who could pop up next, and with this fun Easter egg involving Jay Jackson, I’m positive the creative team behind the Apple TV+ comedy will input more if they get Season 3.
It’s cute Easter eggs and details like this one that make Loot one of the best shows on Apple TV+. To see if more appear throughout the season, make sure to check out new episodes every Wednesday. If you are looking to go back and get your Perd Hapley fix, you can stream Parks and Rec with a Peacock subscription.
