If you’ve ever worked a job where you felt like a total passenger—just coasting through the day while everything around you burned—then you know Brett. Or, more accurately, you know why Colton Dunn Parks and Rec scenes are the stuff of legend.
Before he was the cynical, wheelchair-using Garrett on Superstore, Colton Dunn was one half of Pawnee’s most incompetent duo. Along with the late, brilliant Harris Wittels, Dunn played Brett, an animal control officer who basically treated city ordinances as optional suggestions. He wasn't a lead. He wasn't even in most episodes. But honestly? Every time he showed up, the show got 20% weirder and 100% funnier.
The Low-Stakes Genius of Brett Hull
People forget that Brett actually had a last name in the show: Hull. Yeah, like the hockey player. It’s a small detail, but the writers of Parks and Recreation loved those tiny, hidden textures.
Brett first popped up in Season 2 during "The Possum." When Leslie Knope needed the "two best guys" for a task force to catch a legendary possum, she ended up with Brett and Harris. It was immediately clear that these guys weren't just bad at their jobs; they were operating on a completely different frequency than the rest of humanity.
One of the most iconic things about Colton Dunn’s performance was his sheer lack of awareness. There’s a scene where he’s wearing a nametag, and Leslie calls him by name. He looks genuinely shocked. "How'd you know my name?" he asks, completely baffled by the concept of identification.
It’s that kind of writing that made the show special. It wasn't just "guy is lazy." It was "guy is so disconnected from reality that a nametag is a magic trick."
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Why the Animal Control Guys Worked
You’ve gotta look at the dynamic between Colton Dunn and Harris Wittels. Harris was a writer on the show—a legendary one—and Dunn was a seasoned improviser from UCB and MADtv. When you put them together, it felt less like scripted television and more like two guys who wandered onto the wrong set and just decided to stay.
They were the perfect foil for Leslie Knope. Leslie is all about hustle, binders, and "making a difference." Brett is about... well, mostly trying to get his eyes to bulge out just enough without actually dying.
The Firing (And the Re-Hiring Attempt)
In the Season 5 episode "Animal Control," we finally see the breaking point. Chris Traeger, the eternally positive city manager, steps on a coyote trap right in the middle of their office. It’s a disaster. The office is filled with trash, random cages, and a general aura of "we haven't worked since 2009."
Chris fires them. It’s one of the few times in the show where someone actually faces consequences for being terrible at their job. But the highlight is when Brett tries to re-apply later in the same episode.
He walks into City Hall, clearly high, and lists his love of burgers as a primary job qualification. When April Ludgate scares him off by mentioning the police, his exit is pure physical comedy. Colton Dunn has this way of moving where he looks like he’s perpetually trying to remember how legs work.
Colton Dunn's Secret Weapon: The Improv Background
If you feel like Brett felt "realer" than some of the other side characters, there’s a reason. Dunn is a heavy hitter in the improv world. He’s an alum of Boom Chicago and has been a staple at the Upright Citizens Brigade for decades.
That background allowed him to take tiny bits of dialogue and turn them into character studies. While most actors would just play "lazy," Dunn played "confused but confident."
Think about the "ghost" scene in the basement. Brett and Harris are living in the basement of City Hall, and they’re convinced a ghost visited them. Brett claims he has the "soul of a Ghostbuster." It’s delivered with such earnestness that you almost believe him.
He isn't lying to Leslie; he genuinely believes his own nonsense. That’s the key to great comedy—playing the absurdity straight.
The "Superstore" Connection
A lot of fans actually found Colton Dunn Parks and Rec appearances after they fell in love with him as Garrett on Superstore. It’s a fun "wait, that's him?" moment.
There’s a weird bit of cosmic irony, too. In Parks and Rec, Brett is obsessed with birds (specifically killing them). In Superstore, Garrett famously lets Dina’s birds escape, which leads to one of the show’s biggest emotional arcs. It’s almost like the universe was telling us that Colton Dunn characters and birds simply do not mix.
Every Episode Featuring Colton Dunn (The Brett Tracker)
If you’re looking to binge just the Brett content, you won't find him in every season, but he makes an impact whenever he lands. He appeared in about 6 episodes across the series, spanning from Season 2 to the final Season 7.
- "The Possum" (S2, E18): The introduction. The nametag incident.
- "Fancy Party" (S3, E9): The ill-fated attempt to release doves at Andy and April's wedding.
- "Emergency Response" (S5, E13): More general incompetence during a disaster simulation.
- "Animal Control" (S5, E18): The magnum opus. The firing. The burger application.
- "Are You Better Off?" (S5, E22): Brett shows up in formal attire at a town hall.
- "Pie-Mary" (S7, E9): A final look at the Pawnee residents we’ve grown to tolerate.
Why We Still Talk About Him
Pawnee was a town full of eccentrics. You had the guy who yelled everything, the lady who hated her husband, and the guy who lived in a pit. But Brett felt different because he represented a very specific kind of local government apathy.
We’ve all dealt with that one person at the DMV or the post office who seems to be actively trying to do nothing. Colton Dunn took that frustrating real-world experience and made it lovable.
He didn't need a catchphrase. He didn't need a complicated backstory. He just needed a dirty uniform and a look of mild confusion.
Honestly, the show probably could have used more Brett. But maybe that’s the point. Like a rare bird (that he would definitely try to trap), Colton Dunn’s appearances were special because they were brief. You couldn't handle 22 minutes of Brett every week. The city of Pawnee would have been overrun by raccoons within a month.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to appreciate the full range of Colton Dunn, you've got to watch more than just his Pawnee highlights.
- Watch the "Animal Control" episode again. Seriously. It’s the peak of his character.
- Check out his writing credits. Most people don't realize he was a writer on Key & Peele. That's where his real comedic brain shines.
- Binge "Superstore." If you like the deadpan delivery of Brett, you’ll love Garrett. It’s the "evolved" version of his Parks and Rec energy—smarter, but just as over it.
- Follow the "Harris' Foam Corner" legacy. Since Dunn and Harris Wittels were a package deal, look into the behind-the-scenes stories of their friendship. It makes their on-screen chemistry even better.
There's no grand lesson here. Brett didn't have a character arc. He didn't learn to be a better person. He just existed, vibed, and occasionally tried to "squeeze his head until his eyes bulged." And in the world of TV comedy, sometimes that’s more than enough.