The cast from Season 1 of Parks and Recreation in the office looking at the camera.Image via NBC
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Kendall Myers
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Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics.
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Parks & Rec includes many hilarious characters, but there is only one who constantly seems to be on the outside of the group: Jerry/Larry/Garry, or whatever you want to call him. Played by Jim O'Heir, the bumbling character isn't exactly popular among his coworkers, often assigned the most menial tasks and blamed when things go wrong, but his cheerful attitude proves that he is much more than the others think. Jerry's most memorable contribution to the show is the gag about his ever-changing name, which is rooted in the fact that his coworkers overlook him.
The joke about Jerry's name starts innocently enough, as he explains in Season 4 that on his first day, he was called the wrong name and was too embarrassed to correct his boss. Years later, Jerry stuck, that is, until Tom (Aziz Ansari), April (Aubrey Plaza), and the rest chose to rename him with rhyming names. Throughout the series, he goes by Jerry, Larry, Terry, and Garry (plus Barry if you count the Johnny Karate show), and the ever-changing identity that he has no control over makes it easy to feel bad for Jerry. Yet Parks & Rec never falls into the trap of making him pathetic and unlikable, which exemplifies how special the series was.
'Parks & Rec' Makes Jerry More Than the Butt of the Joke
Jerry is always the punching bag at work, as the others tease, name-call, and even experiment on him. In fact, Jerry receiving kindness and respect is what stands out. Because of this, it's easy to feel bad for Jerry, who is a genuine and welcoming person. He certainly doesn't deserve the bullying that he so often receives, but even while the characters mistreat him, Parks & Rec makes Jerry much more. Perhaps the biggest mystery about Jerry is his family life, which Ben (Adam Scott) notices, in particular. His wife, Gayle (Christie Brinkley), is a beautiful and devoted woman, surprising everyone who meets her. Likewise, he has three loving daughters, including Millicent (Sarah Wright), who Chris (Rob Lowe) dates for a while. Jerry's inexplicably idealized home life proves that there is more to him than his position as the office's screw-up.
When a sitcom character exists for everyone else to gang up on, it's tempting to make them unlikable or boring so that the audience can get in on the joke. A prime example of this is Toby (Paul Lieberstein) from The Office, who is meant to be the subject of Michael's (Steve Carell) hatred and little more. Yet, Parks & Rec never reduces Jerry to that status. He may fill a background role, but Jerry is likable, even if he often complicates things for the characters. The fact that Jerry is not made to be hated by the audience sets Parks & Rec apart, because it forces a secondary character like Jerry to be more complex than your average sitcom. In fact, this characterization makes the joke less mean and more a commentary on the people laughing at him, who cannot understand that he is happier in his life than they are in theirs. Creating more nuisance in the world, Jerry adds an interesting layer to the series, and it never interferes with the comedy. In fact, Jerry is a hilarious addition to the cast that Parks & Rec clearly needed.
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Posts By Julio Bardini Sep 28, 2025The Tone of Jerry's Name-Changing Joke Reflects 'Parks & Rec' as a Whole
The cast of Parks and Recreation celebratingImage via Universal Television
While Jerry's seemingly contradictory role as a lovable character and the butt of the joke is unique in itself, the progression of the name-changing gag follows the series' development. What starts as a surprising example of how invisible Jerry is to his coworkers, the tone of the joke changes along with the series. Parks & Rec goes from a mockumentary that thrives on awkward humor to a heartfelt sitcom, and Jerry's name changes follow that, becoming a strange sign of affection for their underestimated coworker, to the point that Jerry even accepts changing his name to Terry when a new coworker called Larry shows up (in the time jump before the final season). The joke resolves at the end when Donna (Retta) quietly helps him get back to his given name through his placecard at her wedding. It's a sweet moment that seems like a victory for Jerry – now, finally, Garry – whom fans are able to root for, but the name changing isn't always making fun of him, and that is what works about Parks & Rec. The show is a surprisingly hopeful sitcom, even with the bureaucracy of city government, and that goes all the way down to this easily laughed-off running gag.
'Parks & Rec' Gives Jerry the Last Laugh
Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, and Jim O'Heir in Parks and Recreation's finale.Image via NBC
Throughout the series, he seems in on the joke, or at least never angry enough about it to lose his affection for his coworkers. Jerry always invites them to things, shares his stories, and shows no ill will toward his coworkers, not minding what they call him. The affection he has for his coworkers seems to have carried into real life, as seen by his unexpected reunion with Nick Offerman. The Ron Swanson actor had the chance to prank his costar recently, choosing to reference Jerry through his changing name. Coincidentally, the two Parks & Rec actors were on the same flight (to Indianapolis, of all places, which is not far from the fictional Pawnee of the series), Offerman made a safety announcement on the intercom, surprising his unaware costar by saying, "If you're traveling out to areas like Muncie and your last name is Gergich, first name Jerry, Larry, Barry or Garry, please behave yourself and travel safely." With this, Offerman let O'Heir know of their chance reunion, showing the love that exists between the cast.
While seeing the cast make these jokes in real life reinforces the idea that it is all in good fun, Parks & Rec makes it clear that Jerry isn't a victim because, as much as he is underestimated, he has a beautiful legacy in the end. While most characters get their happy ending, Jerry's stands out as he becomes Pawnee's longest-serving mayor, far surpassing his most ambitious dreams. Jerry, more than the rest of the characters, ends up embodying the friendly, strange town they all live in. Jerry goes from being teased to being respected, making his victories an emotional win for the audience despite the character serving largely as comic relief. The way Parks & Rec handles Jerry sets it apart, making this running gag both hilarious and emotionally rich, much like the show itself.
Parks & Rec is streaming on Peacock in the U.S.
Parks and Recreation
Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Release Date 2009 - 2015 Network NBC Showrunner Michael Schur Directors Dean Holland, Ken Whittingham, Troy Miller, Craig Zisk, Morgan Sackett, Randall Einhorn, Michael Trim, Nicole Holofcener, Tristram Shapeero, Wendey Stanzler, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Jason Woliner, Charles McDougall, Daniel J. Goor, Nick Offerman, Tucker Gates, Alan Yang, Alex Hardcastle, Jorma Taccone, Seth Gordon, Adam Scott, David Rogers, Jaime Eliezer Karas, Jeffrey Blitz Writers Harris Wittels, Aisha Muharrar, Dave King, Katie Dippold, Joe Mande, Megan Amram, Matt Murray, Donick Cary, Mike Scully, Rachel Axler, Alexandra Rushfield, Chelsea Peretti, Matt Hubbard, Greg Levine, Sam Means, Jen Statsky, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, Emily Kapnek, Emily Spivey, Greg Daniels, Tucker Cawley, Nate DiMeo
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Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope and Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt in Parks and Recreation.MovieStillsDB
Shauna and Bobby getting married in Parks and Recreation 
Leslie and Ron looking at a frame in Parks and Recreation
Leslie smiling at Tom in the Parks and Recreation pilot
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