While Rick and Morty began as a parody of science fiction staples like Doctor Who and Back to the Future, it has evolved to possess its own intricate lore. Series co-creator and co-showrunner Dan Harmon is employing a similar approach with the President Curtis animated series, a workplace sitcom that has explored vampires, werewolves, and witches, while also developing its characters.
Recent episodes have delved into the backstories of President Andre Curtis' staff. Episode six revealed the President's secretary, Janice, has a lover in Hollow Earth, and episode seven explained how his chief of staff, Rho Banks, became a cyborg. Episode eight, titled "Knox," focuses on the half-leprechaun Secret Service agent Francis O'Doyle, and introduces a complex, science fiction-based mythology for his kind.
Harmon and co-creator James Siciliano aimed to ground President Curtis more in the vein of The X-Files, with threats primarily originating on Earth. Rather than making O'Doyle an alien, they opted for a science fiction interpretation of a mythical creature. Siciliano described their approach as akin to Star Trek, where leprechauns are treated as an entire alien race, similar to Vulcans.
O'Doyle exhibits several peculiar leprechaun abilities within the show, including sensing emotions through auras, consuming almost any substance, and forging bullets within his stomach. Harmon elaborated on the origins of these traits, explaining that leprechauns are an ancient hominid species from a volcanic version of Earth. Their affinity for gold stems from their unique biological ability to smelt metal, with gold being the most malleable. This fascination, Harmon stated, is rooted in metallurgy rather than greed, and they view humans as a less-evolved species.
The episode "Knox" sees O'Doyle confronting his leprechaun mother, Orla, after she attempts to rob Fort Knox. This forces him to investigate leprechaun society more deeply. Harmon described leprechauns as a decentralized matriarchy, with female leprechauns leading organized crime syndicates, likening their social structure to a hybrid of ant colonies and black widow spiders.
Although Orla is imprisoned in America's paranormal prison in the Bermuda Triangle at the end of the episode, it is revealed that this was a calculated move to gain access to another inmate she intends to recruit for a larger future operation. This sets the stage for Orla's potential return in the show's second season, offering further opportunities to expand the series' established mythology. Siciliano noted that unlike in Rick and Morty, where characters often face permanent consequences, characters in President Curtis are more likely to reappear in later episodes.