Shortly after the hit seriesStranger Thingsdebuted on Netflix, fans started formulating a theory about Steve Harrington, played byJoe Keery. The actor bears a striking resemblance toBen Schwartz, who played the beloved Jean-Ralphio Saperstein onParks and Recreation, NBC’shit sitcomwhich, likeStranger Things, is set in a fictional Indiana town. SinceStranger Thingsis set in the 1980s andParks and Recreationwas set in present day, a popular fan theory has surfaced that Steve Harrington is actually Jean-Ralphio Sapperstein’s father, and now both actors have chimed in with a hilarious new video.
Earlier this week,Ben Schwartzposted a few photos on Twitter, where he was seen alongsideJoe Keerywearing the exact same outfit, with another photo showingJoe KeeryteachingBen Schwartzhow to shave, stating that “Dad and son meet because the Internet.” As it turned out, those photos were from a new short film put together byThe Late Late Show With James Corden, which aired last night. The video was set up for both actors to initially debunk this theory that Steve is Jean-Ralphio’s father, with both actors being interviewed byEntertainment Tonight’sNischelle Turner, but it didn’t go as planned.
As the evidence keeps mounting in thishilarious video, both actors start to embrace the “truth” that Steve is Jean-Ralphio’s father, as they leave to “catch up” on lost time, with Steve teaching Jean-Ralphio how to shave, how to ride a bike, and even how to shoot a basketball. Last month,Ben Schwartzwas featured in anotherThe Late Late Show With James Cordenvideo, where he addressed this theory, claiming that Steve’s sperm and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) eggs got “messed up” after the events of the show, leading to Jean-Ralphio’s creation.
He also theorized in that video from August that Jean-Ralphio lived nearly “half his life” in theUpside Down, and he was “super-friends” with the monster. Unfortunately,Parks and Recreationended its seven-season run in early 2015, so there is no chance of a trueStranger Things/Parks and Recreationcrossover, aside from this hilarious short film. InParks and Recreation, Jean-Ralphio’s father Dr. Saperstein was played byHenry Winkler, withJenny Slatealso starring as his sister, Mona Lisa Saperstein.
While there may not be any hope for an actualStranger Thingscrossover that would connect Hawkins, Indiana toParks and Recreation’s fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, there may be a different crossover in the works.The GoldbergscreatorAdam F. Goldbergrecently teased that he has an idea for how to cross over his ABC series, which is also set in the 1980s likeStranger Things, with the Netflix series, but we don’t know if that will actually happen or not. While we wait for more updates, check out these videos below which addresses theStranger Thingsfan theory regarding Steve Harrington and Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, along withBen Schwartz’s tweets.
