Summary
- Dexter and Parks and Rec have surprising similarities, such as being workplace shows in the public sector with a zany sense of humor and a colorful ensemble cast.
- Actor Jay Jackson’s appearances as a newscaster in both shows sparked the theory that they take place in the same universe.
- However, since the two shows don’t share the same network or creative team, it’s likely just a coincidence that Jackson played a reporter in both and not evidence of a shared TV universe.
A shared casting between Dexter and Parks and Recreation seems to suggest that these two very different TV shows might be set in the same universe. Dexter revolves around a forensic analyst in Miami who moonlights as a serial killer killing other serial killers. Parks and Recreation revolves around the wacky antics of the local government in a small town in Indiana. Despite having very different tones and styles, Dexter and Parks and Rec might take place in the same world.
Although one is a blood-soaked horror show and the other is a goofy mockumentary, there are some surprising similarities between Dexter and Parks and Rec. They’re both workplace shows set in the public sector, they both have a zany sense of humor, and they both have a stacked ensemble cast full of colorful personalities. It’s easy to imagine Leslie Knope getting along with the similarly ambitious, hard-working Debra Morgan. But do these shows actually take place in the same universe?
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Parks And Rec 14 Years Later
While rewatching Parks & Recreation is definitely a fun experience, it also brings to light some hard realities that should be talked about.
Is Perd Hapley In Dexter And Parks & Rec?!
The theory that Dexter takes place in the same universe as Parks and Rec is based on actor Jay Jackson’s appearances as a newscaster in both shows. In Parks and Rec, Jackson plays the fan-favorite recurring role of Pawnee’s most trusted newscaster, Perd Hapley. He also played the role of a newscaster in Dexter season 2, episode 3, “An Inconvenient Lie.” Is it just a coincidence that Jackson played a reporter in both of these shows, or do they take place in the same universe?
Why Dexter And Parks & Rec Probably Don’t Share A Universe
Since Dexter and Parks and Rec don’t share the same network or any of the same creative team, the two shows probably don’t take place in the same universe. It’s a fun coincidence that Jackson plays a news reporter in both shows, but that’s not a result of a shared TV universe; it’s simply the result of typecasting. Jackson has the clean look and trustworthy demeanor that most newscasters require, and he’s great at playing those roles and delivering key exposition through well-articulated news reports, so he’s often cast to play them.
Jackson has almost exclusively played newscasters. He played TV reporters in The Closer, Fast Five, The Mentalist, Body of Proof, Fred: The Show, Battleship, Revenge, Pretty Little Liars, Blunt Talk, Supergirl, Bones, Rosewood, The Catch, The Orville, Scandal, Silicon Valley, 9-1-1: Lone Star, American Crime Story, Inventing Anna, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and most recently in The Brothers Sun. Unless all of those movies and TV shows also take place in the same universe, Dexter and Parks and Recreation don’t share a universe.
