Why Every Episode of ‘President Curtis’ Ends with Keith David Singing in the Shower?

‘President Curtis‘ has quickly become one of the more delightfully strange spinoffs on television, and fans can’t stop talking about its signature closing bit. Starting with the August 2 episode “Triangle,” the Adult Swim series concludes with the titular commander in chief singing in the shower, lyrically recapping the events of the week’s adventure to the tune of the show’s own theme song.

The gag has become the show’s calling card, turning what could have been a throwaway post credits moment into must watch television. The animated comedy pairs its surreal humor with a workplace focused storyline, and the shower serenade has emerged as the unexpected highlight fans wait for at the end of every installment.

The Origins of the ‘President Curtis’ Shower-Singing Bit

‘President Curtis’ carries the Adult Swim tradition of ending episodes with a post credits stinger, but this spinoff took the idea a step further by leaning directly into Keith David’s singing voice. The show carries on the proud tradition of a post credits stinger at the end of each episode, along with an added bonus that takes full advantage of Keith David’s iconic voice. According to series co-creator James Siciliano, the concept was not some elaborate pitch meeting decision but rather something that emerged organically once the writers understood what they had in David’s performance.

Fans might assume Curtis is simply riffing in the booth, but the show’s stars have made clear that every note is scripted well in advance. Each melodic summary may sound off the cuff, but the lyrics are simply scripted to seem impromptu. That level of precision is part of what makes the bit land so well, since the recap songs manage to feel spontaneous even though they are carefully constructed by the writers room each week.

Keith David himself has been candid about the fact that he is not composing these tunes on the fly, no matter how convincing his delivery might be. David told SYFY Wire that he wishes he did make the lyrics up himself, but they are written, and he just sounds like he is improvising. His co-star Jim Rash, who plays Secret Service Agent O’Doyle, added a bit of tongue in cheek context to the arrangement during the same conversation.

Rash has joked that David’s shower crooning is practically baked into his contract at this point, a bit that speaks to how central the gag has become to the show’s identity. Rash quipped that David gets to sing contractually, contractually, while David explained that the writers had an idea of what they wanted the character to be and simply elaborated on the fact that he is always singing something somewhere. That kind of organic collaboration between actor and writers room is a big reason the bit never feels like a gimmick bolted onto the format.

Keith David’s Voice Cast Legacy Behind the Curtis Character

Long before ‘President Curtis’ existed as its own series, the character had already built a following inside ‘Rick and Morty’ itself. President Andre Curtis is a recurring fictional character in the animated series, voiced by Keith David and created by Wes Archer and Tom Kauffman, with the character originally based on then sitting Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump before being given the surname Curtis in the fifth season. That history gave the writers a strong foundation to build a spinoff around once the character proved popular enough to headline his own show.

David’s voice work has spanned decades of genre projects, and the actor has been open about why science fiction and horror keep calling him back. President Curtis premiered immediately following the season nine finale of Rick and Morty, with the stars of that flagship series popping up in the first episode to give the spinoff their snarky blessing. That crossover moment helped bridge the two shows for longtime fans who were unsure whether the spinoff could stand on its own.

David’s contributions to the industry were recognized in a major way just months before the spinoff hit screens. His work was officially honored by the city of Los Angeles in early June 2026 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a ceremony attended by figures including Mayor Karen Bass, Lynn Whitfield, John Carpenter and John C. McGinley. David told SYFY Wire that he was truly gobsmacked by the honor and recalled that his first reaction echoed a famous line from The Thing, joking that he was like, you got to be kidding me.

The ‘Rick and Morty’ Spinoff Sets Itself Apart

Part of what makes the shower singing bit resonate is how differently ‘President Curtis’ otherwise approaches its storytelling compared to its parent show. The series offers a sillier and more surreal humor compared to Rick and Morty, with a focus on workplace dynamics alongside its now signature post credits scene. That tonal shift has won over some viewers who admit they were not necessarily die hard fans of the flagship series.

Critics have noted that the singing segments are never repetitive, which keeps the bit fresh from week to week rather than feeling like a formula running on fumes. The credits themselves have become appointment television, with Keith David singing to the theme song’s tune while in the shower, and it is never the same lyrics.

The show was co-created by Dan Harmon and Rick and Morty writer James Siciliano, with David reprising the cameo friendly character alongside Community veteran Jim Rash, Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Stephanie Beatriz, and additional comedic talent including Chris Diamantopoulos and David Cross.

Not every reviewer has been won over by the series as a whole, though most agree the shower stinger is a genuine bright spot. Most episodes end with Curtis recanting the week’s events by singing in the shower, and reviewers have singled it out as a highlight even in critiques that argue the show never quite escapes the shadow of Rick and Morty.

‘President Curtis’ Season 2 Renewal News Brings More Shower Songs

The good news for fans who have grown attached to Curtis crooning in the shower is that there will be plenty more where that came from. Ahead of a second season renewal announcement made at San Diego Comic Con, io9 spoke with stars Keith David and Jim Rash about the show and its now iconic closing bit. According to io9, the reunion between David and Rash carries extra weight given their shared history as Community co-stars, a dynamic that clearly translates into the chemistry audiences see on screen.

With a second season already locked in, it seems safe to assume the writers room has no intention of retiring the format anytime soon. New episodes of President Curtis currently air on Adult Swim every Sunday at 11.30 p.m., giving fans a reliable weekly appointment to catch the latest chapter of Curtis’s shower set recap.

What would you want Curtis to sing about if the show ever lets him look back on an entire season instead of just one episode at a time?