Over the course of five seasons on Parks and Recreation, Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) went from an antagonistic guest star to a valued member of the core cast who is beloved by fans. His combination of relentless optimism and pragmatism made him a good foil for both Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman).
As City Manager in Pawnee's local government, Traeger was Knope and Swanson's boss. However, a fan theory suggests the show's writers had a role for him that went beyond his actual, in-universe job.
Traeger had some memorable verbal quirks. He used the word literally so often that it became his catchphrase. Another Traeger trademark was his insistence on greeting every character on the show by their first and last names, including his love interest, Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones).
While most fans likely wrote it off as an overly formal eccentricity, at least one viewer sees it differently. Reddit user readingshell theorized that Traeger's trademark greeting was a way for new viewers to keep track of Parks' large ensemble cast without a cheat sheet.
"There are like 15 characters and as a new viewer I was bad at remembering their names," readingshell says. Traeger's verbal tic helped readingshell memorize everyone, from Donna Meagle to April Ludgate. They don't think this was an accident on the show's part.
"I think they did this on purpose because they realized they had a ton of characters and viewers might have trouble remembering everyone's names. Enter Chris," they said. There might be something to this, given when Traeger was added to the show.
Traeger and his partner, Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), joined Parks and Recreation in Season 2. As hard as it is to believe now that the show has become a beloved staple, its first season wasn't a smooth one. The show struggled initially to overcome unfavorable comparisons to The Office, due to the similarities in the shows' format and between main characters Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Leslie Knope.
In addition to critical reviews and feedback from focus groups, the team behind Parks likely got notes from the network, which may have included a way to keep the cast's names straight for viewers. Having a new character -- especially one played by an actor as charismatic as Lowe -- repeat everyone's first and last names in every episode would address that.
It's possible Lowe was given this kind of expository role because he was initially meant to be a guest star. His stint was only meant to last eight episodes, starting with the penultimate episode of Season 2, "The Master Plan." He wound up enjoying his role so much that he signed on to become a regular. Lowe stayed with the show until Season 6, when he and Rashida Jones's Perkins were written out, leaving Pawnee as a couple and starting a new life together in Michigan.
Lowe was the highest profile star in the cast at the time, years before Chris Pratt became a household name thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy. He was meant to draw new viewers to the show. It didn't work out that way; Parks was never a ratings juggernaut, especially when compared to past NBC hits like Seinfeld or Friends. However, he and the show are still beloved by fans and his habit of literally saying everyone's first and last names may serve a greater purpose.