Parks & Rec: Why Lil’ Sebastian’s Death Almost Didn’t Happen

Parks & Recreation introduced viewers to Pawnee’s very own treasure: Lil’ Sebastian, a mini-horse who, sadly, didn’t live for long after his first appearance in the show. However, Lil’ Sebastian wasn’t always supposed to die, and instead, the writers considered killing a human character – here’s who. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, Parks & Recreation debuted on NBC in 2009 and came to an end in 2015 after seven seasons, and while its first one wasn’t the best, the writers eventually found the right tone for the show and subsequent seasons were better received.

Parks & Recreation follows the daily adventures of the always optimistic Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her friends and colleagues from the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Over the course of the series, viewers not only got to know the main characters very well and followed them through many ups and downs in their personal and professional lives but also learned a lot about Pawnee and its history. The small town, which Leslie called “the greatest town in America”, had a long-time rivalry with its neighbor town, Eagleton, and had a bad reputation thanks to many incidents and a couple of infamous residents, but if there’s one thing the citizens of Pawnee are very proud of is Lil’ Sebastian, Pawnee’s very own celebrity.

The famous mini-horse made his debut in Parks & Recreation in season 3’s episode “Harvest Festival”, where he was one of the “attractions”. The power of Lil’ Sebastian was such that he made Ron Swanson giggle in excitement and later cry, being that one of the only two times he has cried in his life, and he was loved by everyone in the Parks Department except for Ben, who never understood what was so special about him. Lil’ Sebastian passed away in season 3’s finale appropriately titled “Lil’ Sebastian”, where Leslie and company organized a big memorial for him, with Andy writing the now-famous song “5000 Candles In The Wind” for this special event. That was the last time Lil’ Sebastian appeared in the show (that is, without counting the hologram in season 6’s “Moving Up (Part 2)” shown at the Unity Concert), but the mini-horse wasn’t always supposed to die, and the writers initially considered killing a human character, and they had two options.

Of course, those characters weren’t major presences in the series, but their deaths would have definitely impacted the series in different ways and degrees. First was Councilman Bill Dexhart (Kevin Symons), best-known for his many sex scandals, and who wouldn’t have been a big loss for the citizens of Pawnee, though obviously, it would have prompted changes within the City Council. The other option was Mayor Gunderson, who had only been mentioned a couple of times in the show at the time. Gunderson (played by Bill Murray) made his first and only appearance in the episode “Two Funerals”, where it was announced that he had died. Gunderson left a video message to be played at the memorial, and it was revealed that he had been Ethel Beavers’ lover for decades, something his wife was aware of and didn’t seem to care about.

In the end, the writers of Parks & Recreation decided to kill an animal instead of a human character as it felt less morbid and more appropriate for a comedy series, but sadly, the chosen one was the great Lil’ Sebastian. It only took one proper appearance in Parks & Recreation for Lil’ Sebastian to become famous beyond the limits of Pawnee, and he’s now one of the most popular and unforgettable characters from the series, even if Ben can’t understand why everyone was obsessed with him.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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