Call Me Kat Enlists Dolly Parton for Leslie Jordan Tribute — Watch Video - TVLine

The psyche of a antheral ne'er dies. That was the essence of Call Me Kat‘s 4th wall-shattering wintertime premiere, which offered Phil a astir fitting sendoff and his portrayer, the precocious Leslie Jordan, the classiest of goodbyes.

Country euphony fable Dolly Parton made a astonishment quality during Thursday’s tribute, showing up successful a pre-taped connection towards the extremity of the episode. After singing a verse from “Where the Soul Never Dies,” which she recorded with Jordan for his 2021 medium Company’s Comin’, Parton eulogized her beloved friend.

“I cognize usually astatine a memorial, radical speech about somebody. Well, I’m going to speech to you,” she began. “Because determination is that spot connected the different side, and I’m surely going to spot you there, small brother. You near a batch of radical present with a batch of precious, precious memories. Everybody loved you, but I uncertainty galore of them loved you much than I did.

“I conscionable privation you to cognize that we each emotion you, we each miss you, and I stake you’re having a large laughter implicit each of america being bittersweet and sorrowful. And I cognize that would beryllium the past happening you would privation america to be,” Parton continued. “You made america blessed portion you were here, and we’re blessed that you’re astatine peace. I conscionable privation you to cognize that I volition ever emotion you. Goodbye, my saccharine Leslie.”

What followed was a montage of those precious memories from Jordan’s two-and-a-half seasons connected Call Me Kat, accompanied by Jordan and Parton’s duet (listen below).

Jordan, 67, passed distant connected Oct. 24 in a car accident. On screen, his quality Phil had precocious flown disconnected to Tahiti with his fellow Jalen (recurring impermanent prima John Griffin). During Thursday’s episode, Phil’s parent Larlene — played by 1 of the all-time large mamas (and Jordan’s erstwhile Cool Kids castmate) Vicki Lawrence — relayed to Phil’s friends that her lad had decided to enactment down roots successful Tahiti. He and Jalen bought a bakery connected the land and yet got joined successful an off-screen ceremonial attended by Kat, Max, Randi, Carter, Sheila and Larlene.

After reminiscing astir Phil’s Tahitian nuptials, the full formed of Call Me Kat — comprised of Mayim Bialik, Cheyenne Jackson, Kyla Pratt, Julian Gant and Swoosie Kurtz — broke character. Griffin entered carrying the seat Jordan would usage betwixt takes, earlier Pratt draped 1 of Phil’s signature blazers implicit the back. The ensemble, warring backmost tears, gathered astir Jordan’s chair, and Bialik said a fewer words.

“What we’ve done present is fixed Phil a blessed ending. What we’re truly doing is mourning the nonaccomplishment of our beloved friend, Leslie Jordan,” she said. “He is irreplaceable. We volition miss him precise much.” Then, unneurotic with her costars, she concluded, “Love, light, Leslie.”

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