Party Down - General Discussion

[BetterButter]

[BetterButter]

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Too bad about Lizzy Caplan.

Per Wikipedia:

In November 2021, a six-episode revival of the series was ordered by the network.[2] The third season is scheduled to premiere on February 24, 2023.[3]

In March 2021, it was reported that a revival as a six-episode limited series was in development at Starz. The originals series creators Enbom, Thomas, Etheridge, and Rudd are involved and Enbom serves as showrunner.[13] In November 2021, Starz officially ordered a six-episode series with Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Megan Mullally to return; Lizzy Caplan did not return due to scheduling conflicts. Jennifer Garner, Tyrel Jackson Williams, and Zoë Chao were cast as series regulars, while James Marsden was cast in a recurring role.[14] The series began production in January 2022[2] and filming wrapped in March 2022.[15] The third season is scheduled to premiere on February 24, 2023.[3]

[Ms Blue Jay]

Just watched episode 1!

[arc]

Well! I'd read some reviews ahead of watching it and at least one said it was a little softer or kinder than the original run, but I found this one super bleak. Which to be fair was also true of the original run.

I really liked that the "My Struggle" joke from the s2 finale came back around in this episode. As soon as Kyle's agent Jaff said "we'd be fine", I knew she was going to arrange to get Kyle's part recast with her other actor who is entirely fungible with Kyle. Still, tough break for Kyle. The recast moved so fast that an apology video probably wouldn't have worked.

As much as this ep made fun of people shipping Henry and Casey, I'm kinda honestly bummed they broke up. At least she got SNL.

Ron is really the cause of a lot of his problems. He was the warehouse manager who messed up the plates invoice, punching the van wrecked his hand which led to him passing out from a handshake. If smashing Kyle's phone out of rage had backfired, it'd be a three-fer. I guess covid wrecking the catering business wasn't anything Ron did though.

My one quibble is that the show went to the long-list-of-ridiculous-names joke well one too many times.

[shelley1234]

I grew up watching The State so I'm always drawn to anything with one of the cast in it, so I was always a fan of this show!  

I'm glad it is back.  It's too bad that Lizzy couldn't do the reboot, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how all the Party Down crew make horrible decisions and ruin their lives.  

[MerBearStare]

Really enjoyed this first episode. The 2020 twist at the end is what took it from good to great.

[arc]

2 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

The 2020 twist at the end is what took it from good to great.

And it's actually hinted at throughout when they talk about how things were "ten years ago". 2023 is more like thirteen years after 2010, so when it comes out at the end that it's 2020, then "ten years" is literally correct.

The pandemic gap also certainly builds up a reason for Henry to maybe rejoin the staff, take some part time gigs. I feel like Kyle wouldn't though. He'd be short term cancelled, maybe have to lie low for a bit, but he made a few other movies already ("Hardier Boys", for one). And Constance is probably way too financially secure, and maybe even Lydia too, unless Escapade cuts her out.

Also, Kyle breaking up Karma Rocket because he got cast in Hardier Boys is reminiscent of Adam Scott getting cast for Parks and Rec and basically killing the last hopes for Party Down. Though to be fair it was already dying by the time Scott was wondering whether or not to take the role.

Edited February 27, 2023 by arc

[Harvey]

I really don't see what was the point of creating this reboot if other than Roman and Ron, none of them work in catering anymore. The story was about the people working at the Party Down company. Why did Henry become an English teacher? Why did the blonde guy (almost) find success? That is not what the series should be about. At least they found a way to make Constance kind of involved in the business, but it's not enough.

[arc]

Vulture (New York Magazine):

Quote

We spoke over Zoom to the Party Down party’s event coordinator and head of catering, as well as a bartender and server who worked the event, because who better to talk to about the travails of a catering crew than an actual catering crew? They talked about how realistic the show is, wedding horror stories, and what’s the best leftover to scarf at the end of the night.

 

[arc]

So here's how the gang gets back together. Henry's divorced so he needs to moonlight at Party Down. Constance is Ron's investor partner, Kyle got (a little) cancelled so he's working at Party Down too.

If Constance can make video calls to the crew I'm going to be at least a little disappointed if Casey doesn't make a video call at some point. Even though they said she couldn't make it at all.

Zoe Chao and Tyrel Jackson Williams are both killing it. Lucy's fist pump when her mortality cake bite hit Tandy was great, and Sackson was just great throughout. And of course Ken Marino as Ron is doing some MVP level comedy acting.

I'm actually a little put off by how obvious of a love interest Evie is for Henry and how adorable she is, but the way both the party and her relationship with Jack blew up went a way towards fixing that. I'm nearly on board with the 'ship.

Lydia must be a stage mom from hell to have pushed Escapade up to blockbuster film co-star level when it was really only Lydia's dream.

[Harvey]

Henry and Jennifer Garner's romance set-up is so cringy and stupidly obvious.

The new chef was the best part of the episode with her take on food and giving that long stare when Ron threw out all of her cookies.

[arc]

There's something gloriously deranged that Constance's evil plan back in the 1970s was to falsely arrest her lookalike friend so she could take her identity and spot in the movie, meaning her friend would have still gotten the credit anyways.

It's a bit understated in the episode, but clearly Jack is way more offended by Ron and Tandy using his private upstairs bathroom than he is about his relationship with Evie ending. It's what really sets him off about Ron at the end, and even when Tandy is making her two confessions, it's the bathroom one that really gets him mad.

[txhorns79]

 

11 hours ago, arc said:

There's something gloriously deranged that Constance's evil plan back in the 1970s was to falsely arrest her lookalike friend so she could take her identity and spot in the movie, meaning her friend would have still gotten the credit anyways.

Constance's insane stories and obvious pride concerning her life as a bit player on film/tv sets in the 70s and early 80s never fail to make me laugh. 

On 3/3/2023 at 7:31 AM, arc said:

If Constance can make video calls to the crew I'm going to be at least a little disappointed if Casey doesn't make a video call at some point. Even though they said she couldn't make it at all.

Constance has a reason to be in touch as an investor in the business.  I would like to see Casey as well, but I don't get the impression she has stayed in touch with anyone from the crew.

[arc]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I would like to see Casey as well, but I don't get the impression she has stayed in touch with anyone from the crew.

She's a medium name now (she's on SNL!) and Evie's a big shot movie producer. There's a chance.

Oh, I'm so stressed for the season finale already. Looking ahead, it's titled [spoiler 1] and Evie is supposed to be in [spoiler 2] out of 6 episodes this season. And the goal of this season finale has to be (1) end on a hopeful note the way the s2 finale did but (2) not so hopeful that they can't bring most to all of them back for a potential fourth season.

Spoiler

1 "Sepulveda Basin High School Spring Play Opening Night"

2 five episodes

Edit: also, Jane Lynch shot some scenes in her hotel room because she caught covid during filming, so the video calls might have been a last minute rewrite.

Edited March 5, 2023 by arc

[DoctorAtomic]

I'm pleased to see Roman is in top Roman form without missing a beat. I was just thinking when the show started about the scifi book on toilet paper after Steve Guttenberg's. I'm so glad they mentioned it. 

"Manputer". Great run of nonsense movies. 

I'm a little bummed that Lizzy Caplan isn't on (I'm not spoiled if she is supposed to appear). Her timing is excellent. 

They do have a point about about comic book movies though. 

I did like the scene about the apology videos though - right or wrong, it doesn't matter. 

[Blakeston]

Oh Ron, you fool - there was really no need to condition your hair.

I loved Lydia being completely shocked by the revelation that child actors sometimes have issues.

Question about the premiere - the $10,000 lien preventing Ron from buying Party Down had something to do with plates, right? Were we supposed to know what that was a reference to?

[arc]

6 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Question about the premiere - the $10,000 lien preventing Ron from buying Party Down had something to do with plates, right? Were we supposed to know what that was a reference to?

Maybe something ended up getting cut? The only major connection I saw was that Ron was the warehouse manager at the time the plates were delivered, so he was the one who should have made sure that bill was paid. So basically the only thing there that I got was that past Ron was responsible for present Ron’s last minute obstacle to buying the business.

[DoctorAtomic]

That's all I got from the scene. I don't think they're calling back to the prior series. I think it was just to set up that Ron and Constance are now business partners. 

Constance and Charles' stunt double on Only Murders are almost the same character with all the wild stories from past tv shows. 

[Lois Sandborne]

I'm loving this. I had so much more faith in this reboot than usual that it would've made sense for me to be let down, but instead, vindication!

I would've liked to see Lizzy Caplan to come back, but Jennifer Garner's doing great as love interest and the person who won't let Henry's acting aspirations die. I like all the new people. Sackson dancing in the mirrors or whatever while Ron looked on was perfect. Tik Tok, how does it work?

Party Dowm? Come on, Ron.

I can't wait for Escapade's prom.

Also, it kind of seems like each ep sucks more of the old gang back into a bowtie. If so, I'm excited to see what gets Lydia back on the team.

[arc]

"First Annual PI2A Symposium" had a pretty tough needle to thread, but I think overall it was pretty successful.

Ron smacking that third tray into the corner and dropping the hors d'oeuvres made me laugh out loud for real. Ken Marino is the comedy MVP by far and this is a stacked cast.

I know someone who became a TikTok influencer. From afar, it seems like a pretty good gig. Better than cater waitering. Sackson's clearly not yet at the level he can quit yet, though, but he's probably close. Maybe pitching a lousy product will knock him back down a rung or two, or else his trajectory seems like he'll be outta Party Down by the end of this season.

The website http://partydowncatering.org is real. It redirects to a page run by Starz. This has me nostalgic for the early 2000s when TV shows would commonly make a fictional website for a show. I feel like that's almost a forgotten move by now.

It actually makes sense that Henry's students would appreciate that he got a national campaign. They're LA kids and that is a big step even if it's not most actors' end goal.

Edited March 10, 2023 by arc

[Harvey]

EP3: I have to say, this was the best episode yet, maybe the writing is finally finding it's groove. The chef continues to be super entertaning, and Jennifer Garner's character was actually likeable in this one. And the moment when Henry "acted"? Wow, that was so cool. This episode made me hopeful for the rest of the season.

[juno]

1 hour ago, Harvey said:

EP3: I have to say, this was the best episode yet, maybe the writing is finally finding it's groove. The chef continues to be super entertaning, and Jennifer Garner's character was actually likeable in this one. And the moment when Henry "acted"? Wow, that was so cool. This episode made me hopeful for the rest of the season.

I agree, really enjoyed this. Henry's quiet and passive character came out a bit in this episode. The chef also was really fun.

Still a little too much cringe for me.

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 hours ago, Harvey said:

EP3: I have to say, this was the best episode yet, maybe the writing is finally finding it's groove. The chef continues to be super entertaning, and Jennifer Garner's character was actually likeable in this one. And the moment when Henry "acted"? Wow, that was so cool. This episode made me hopeful for the rest of the season.

Holy crap.  The show and Adam got me so good.  Hahahahhaha.  That was something else.

[Blakeston]

I didn't care for Evie in this one. After meeting up at the restaurant, there was no reason for her to show up at his workplace. He clearly wanted to avoid that. And he clearly hadn't told the kids about his acting career, yet she brought up "Are we having fun yet?" in front of them - instead of just letting him handle the question about whether he'd acted.

[Guest]

I really enjoyed Nice Offerman playing Dermott, a cleaned-up caricature of filthy, disheveled Steve Bannon. 

I was a little annoyed by the stupid things the "protestors" were yelling but glad that it all made sense when it was revealed they were just more Nazis in disguise. 

[DoctorAtomic]

E2: Wow Jack sneaking in with the girlfriend. Great cringe. 
Martin Starr just kills lines - Does she shine shoes at the bus stop?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I know the opening routine to Hardbodies. 

I do like the new actors (new to the show). They fit in well with the established cast. I like that one of them is 'content'. It fits 2020s. 

I forgot the time lapse between the last episode is a year. 

I don't know if anyone caught it, but Ron said he catered some 'underground brises'. 

I know the show is pushing Evie and Henry and quite clearly at the end of episode 2, but the actors are playing off one another well. Very good timing. 

Someone should rename the thread to Party Dowm.

[DoctorAtomic]

E3: Oh I was hoping this would be the 'prom' from last episode. 
Offerman as a racist is going to throw me tonight when I watch the Great North. 

Good casting with Calum Worthy. He was the right level of cheerful and banal racist.

On 3/10/2023 at 3:04 AM, arc said:

"First Annual PI2A Symposium" had a pretty tough needle to thread, but I think overall it was pretty successful.

I think they did a good job with it because on the one, you have to take jobs. Just like some actors have to take roles. You're not in a position to turn money away.

I did not see the false flag coming. That was brilliant. 

Hey, Roman has nazis *and* incels on his blog!

On 3/11/2023 at 7:38 AM, Blakeston said:

I didn't care for Evie in this one. After meeting up at the restaurant, there was no reason for her to show up at his workplace. He clearly wanted to avoid that.

He was also having quite the meltdown, and just didn't want to deal. Get through the gig, and get out. Then Evie shows up; the students follow her. And he still killed it at the end. 

I was wondering how the kids knew 'are we having fun yet?' but it was because of the meme. And they were still impressed about the commerical!

 

[arc]

Tyrel James Williams is killing it. I laughed out loud on "His car warranty ran out."

Between weed and shrooms, most of Roman's writing has occurred in an altered state of consciousness. (I guess Steve Guttenberg inspired him to write better when sober one time.)

I love Judy Reyes, and Bobby Moynihan is always a delight, but it felt like they didn't get enough to do. The main cast had some more fun stuff, though I'm not a huge fan of watching characters get spacey-high.

I've been wondering since the Jack Botty birthday episode if they were going to do a Roman-Lucy romance storyline.

[AstridM]

I need to see Bobby Moynihan more often. 

[Harvey]

Ep 4: I know I always say this but this artistic take on food by the new chef is so much fun to watch and very interesting.

[arc]

I knew from the moment that Henry’s new love interest would be in show business (and stratospherically more successful) that there’d be some moment where either he might ask her to cast him (but yuck at that relationship dynamic) or slightly more benignly, she might suggest it. But it still doesn’t sit right with me. Maybe it’s just because I assume he can’t actually leave the catering life or there’s no show.

The original crew has actually been pretty successful, all things considered. Ron bought out Party Down*. Constance inherited a staggering amount of money. Casey got cast on SNL. Kyle got a bunch of movie and TV roles, leading up to becoming a new superhero in the ersatz MCU. And even getting cancelled didn’t last forever; he just booked a guest role on a TV show**. Lydia momaged her kid into being a movie star. That’s a pretty good success rate, really!

* Getting blindsided by the pandemic is awfully bad luck, though

** I know that’s many many steps down from starting in a blockbuster film

[DoctorAtomic]

Going back to the episode for the surprise birthday party, Ron talked about getting fired for stealing alcohol. Henry pointed out that it happens all the time. Later on, they open on him at the bar, and there's a quick shot of Henry sneaking a shot. He sort of turns away from the camera. 

Going on to E4 - wow, they had quite the easy listening soundtrack playing at the luau. 
I really like that Roman's 'opus' has been a continuing plot point. 

I have to criticize the Sting joke a little. The better joke would have been "the guy from Only Murders? Wasn't he in only one scene?"

14 hours ago, arc said:

I love Judy Reyes, and Bobby Moynihan is always a delight, but it felt like they didn't get enough to do. The main cast had some more fun stuff, though I'm not a huge fan of watching characters get spacey-high.

 

This could have been 40 minutes and still a solid episode. They could have extended some scenes in the sponsor tent since Ron was already in on it. Quality use of ersatz in the subsequent post. 

5 hours ago, arc said:

** I know that’s many many steps down from starting in a blockbuster film

It's still a callback for a possible series. Most working actors aren't employed continually. They go from job to job. Maybe you get a series here and there. 

I hope they follow up with Henry and the school play. 

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Paul Rudd helped create this show?  I saw that in the credits.  Is that common knowledge?

Quote

Also in 2009, Rudd co-created the TV series Party Down with John Embom, Rob Thomas and Dan Etheridge.[32] 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[arc]

54 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Paul Rudd helped create this show?  I saw that in the credits.  Is that common knowledge?

I remember reading about it back when the show first premiered, and it came up again in the round of press before the revival season debuted. He was originally going to play Henry. The Ringer's oral history covers not only how the creators first randomly met Rob Thomas in Austin one weekend, how Rudd was a core part of the brainstorming and writing for years, and how when it came time to shoot the pilot, Rudd was unavailable so they asked Adam Scott.

[AstridM]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Paul Rudd helped create this show?  I saw that in the credits.  Is that common knowledge?

 

Yes.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, arc said:

I remember reading about it back when the show first premiered, and it came up again in the round of press before the revival season debuted. He was originally going to play Henry. The Ringer's oral history covers not only how the creators first randomly met Rob Thomas in Austin one weekend, how Rudd was a core part of the brainstorming and writing for years, and how when it came time to shoot the pilot, Rudd was unavailable so they asked Adam Scott.

Thank you so much @arc!  I find that very interesting.  The oral history is great!

Edited March 18, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[Lois Sandborne]

20 hours ago, AstridM said:

I need to see Bobby Moynihan more often. 

Loved him blowing off Ron. "Okay I've got work to do now."

Everything about the food was hilarious, from the cops just wanting shrimp and mini 'dillas, to all the back-and-forth about whether Lucy's wood pulp abominations were actually food. "Is it?!!"

Everything about the mushrooms was pretty funny too. I'm a square, so I didn't realize you actually just chew them. Sackson pounding a handful and ending up in a blue tube of consciousness was a thrilling journey.

It was obvious from the moment Jennifer Garner as Evie announced she was a producer that she and Henry would fall in love and Henry would get back into acting. Henry loves acting, and he's good at it. I support it. 

[Blakeston]

On 3/17/2023 at 7:45 AM, arc said:

Between weed and shrooms, most of Roman's writing has occurred in an altered state of consciousness. (I guess Steve Guttenberg inspired him to write better when sober one time.)

I was waiting for someone to bring that up! You'd think Roman would jump at the chance to get psychedelic inspiration again.

I've loved the Party Down episodes with characters on drugs, whether it was Jennifer Coolidge on acid, referring to lemons as "sun eggs," or Lydia getting blasted on coke, or Henry trying to work stoned. So I had high hopes for the mushrooms here - but I don't think it loved up to its potential.

The best parts for me were unquestionably Lucy with the spiced wood pulp, and Roman's paranoia turning out to be correct. Henry and Evie babbling wasn't funny to me at all, and it went on way too long. (I'm still not feeling the Evie character. She seems pretty generic. Also, she's done mushrooms before, and she thought that was a reasonable amount to bring?)

If anyone's wondering, this type of law enforcement sting has been done before. The most famous example was probably Operation Flagship, in which federal marshals and the DC police notified a bunch of people with oustanding warrants that they'd won tickets to a Washington/Cincininati football game, and arrested 101 of them when they showed up. 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Evie did say it had been a while since she did mushrooms last and didn't know how much you got anymore. 

The chef is really stealing her scenes with her commitment to the food. 

[arc]

Quote

Ron: No! No, okay? People just want to eat a thing!

Lucy: Okay.

Ron: Okay?

Lucy: So, like a spiced slurry of pig faces, feet, and end parts, salted, in a casing tube, and fire-roasted?

Ron: No! Like, a hot dog!

When you put it that way, it really reminds you that the 'molecular gastronomy'/avant-garde movement of a decade ago had its roots in fine dining reappropriating the techniques and chemistry of industrial food products.

[Blakeston]

14 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Evie did say it had been a while since she did mushrooms last and didn't know how much you got anymore. 

What she did would be like someone showing up with an entire briefcase full of weed and saying, "I used to smoke pot, but I don't know how much is required nowadays to stay high for one afternoon."

[DoctorAtomic]

That would be funny too. I think they just wanted the sight gag. 

[bilgistic]

On 3/18/2023 at 10:01 AM, Blakeston said:

Henry and Evie babbling wasn't funny to me at all, and it went on way too long. (I'm still not feeling the Evie character. She seems pretty generic. Also, she's done mushrooms before, and she thought that was a reasonable amount to bring?)

Thank you for making me feel less alone. Jennifer Garner bugs me for reasons I can't quite explain. Maybe because she plays the same character as in her 8,000 Capital One commercials? I don't know, but she adds nothing but annoyance to the show for me. What adult hangs out at their boyfriend's/girlfriend's job all day? I get we aren't dealing with the most mature people here, but still. Henry's a teacher FFS.

[arc]

oh my god, Ron's food poisoning is worse than the high school reunion episode -- I think, I haven't rewatched it recently -- where Ron ended the episode vomiting uncontrollably while begging Parker Posey to call an ambulance.

I did not see Lydia firing Escapade. What's the plan there??? Does she even have other clients?

The dance-off button at the end was great.

I'm a little conflicted about Henry getting a gig on the "Star Saga"* franchise. It is total nepotism, but on the other hand Henry is legit talented and breaking in (or again) is often not merit-based.

* I believe the first Star Wars' Tatooine desert sequences were shot in Tunisia.

Was Sloan Meitz flirting with Constance?

[Harvey]

Constance was very entertaining as a boss, it was nice to see her so driven and succeed in the end. And her prom story? Chilling.

Henry only succeeding in the end thanks to connections is very true to life. Sadly, that's really how it works. It's who you know, not how talented you are.

[arc]

Inspired by real events: Adam Scott was hired for Henry in part because he’s friends with the creators. (He is also really good.) Meanwhile, when it became clear they couldn’t fit Lizzy Caplan in the shooting schedule for this revival season, they created Evie and wanted a “Jennifer Garner type”, never thinking she would agree, but eventually they thought they might as well ask her first.

[DoctorAtomic]

I was hoping we'd see the prom! I was hoping this would completely devolve into prom shenanigans. 
And we got another callback to the underground quinceanera.

I noticed again Henry snuck a shot with Roman. 
Roman's sci fi novel is my favorite side plot. I'm glad the show kept with it. 

Was Ron always this pathetic? They're really killing him so far. Marino is destroying the physical comedy. 

14 hours ago, arc said:

I did not see Lydia firing Escapade. What's the plan there??? Does she even have other clients?

No. That's why she'll probably end up in the pink bow tie. 

13 hours ago, Harvey said:

It's who you know, not how talented you are.

14 hours ago, arc said:

It is total nepotism, but on the other hand Henry is legit talented and breaking in (or again) is often not merit-based.

I always thought the show established Henry is a good actor. Not A list or anything, but talented enough to get steady work, which is most actors, but it just takes a lot to get to that level even. I know it's a tv show, but as soon as Evie said she was in charge of the franchise, I would have torn off that bow tie in a half a second. So what? Of course, Henry has to deliver the goods, so there's drama in his own self-doubt. That's like that in real life outside of show biz. Do you go for it knowing you could faceplant? It's easier to say, 'oh, I could have been this or that' and make excuses why not. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I had to fast forward through most of this, as it was disgusting.  This kind of writing is why Party Down was never among my favourite shows.

[Blakeston]

18 hours ago, arc said:

Was Sloan Meitz flirting with Constance?

I had the same reaction. I thought she was going to be interested in working with Constance instead of Ron. Maybe there will be more with that? (And it's not hard to believe that Constance would be less than 100% straight.)

This was definitely funny, but I've found that none of these episodes have hit the heights of the best episodes from the first two seasons (like the Russian gangster party, or the Steve Guttenberg party, or the draft day.)