Party Down - General Discussion

[DoctorAtomic]

Nothing is going to beat Steve Guttenberg. 

[txhorns79]

On 3/24/2023 at 5:33 AM, arc said:

The dance-off button at the end was great.

I enjoyed that.  It was perfect, and was the exact kind of thing these goofballs would do.

On 3/24/2023 at 5:33 AM, arc said:

 

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 was okay with it.  He's been through enough to where he deserves a break.  I also kind of wish Ron got a break too.  I feel like every episode at some point leads to his humiliation, and it would be nice if he just had a nice moment. 

[Harvey]

I liked how Ron got Mr. Mittman on board.

About the ending, well, it was nice that Henry found his true purpose and contetnment in his life. And I suppose Casey's appearance was meant to demonstrate that even if you achieve the stardom and acting success, it's not everything it is cracked up to be.

About the others, I don't know...I guess Kyle made it and Lydia is his manager. Roman and Sacson didn't. We really don't know what happened with Constance in the end, just that she realized  bunch of bad things. And I suppose Lucy did succeed in getting that gig she mentioned, because she was not there in the post-credits scene.

[arc]

A solid episode but overall somehow too kind and warm-hearted to be as brutally funny as the funniest episodes. That said, I kept thinking Lizzy Caplan would show up in a video call or something, but then she showed up in person and I was floored.

I am glad Henry and Evie didn't break up just because he didn't take the Star Saga role.

30 minutes ago, Harvey said:

About the others, I don't know...I guess Kyle made it and Lydia is his manager. Roman and Sacson didn't. We really don't know what happened with Constance in the end, just that she realized  bunch of bad things. And I suppose Lucy did succeed in getting that gig she mentioned, because she was not there in the post-credits scene.

Kyle's in that Riverdale Luke Perry stage where he's taking dad roles now. Given how long it took Roman to write his magnum opus, it's not a failure that he hasn't got a second script ready to go four months later. Same thing with Sackson; he's probably lost the momentum from the escalator fall video, but I think he could make it. That's partly because I have no idea how any influencer makes it. I know they work really hard but ticket, hoping to go viral still seems like a lottery ticket to me. Then again, I guess that's true of other entertainment jobs too, and Casey made it and Kyle kinda did. Possibly. I think they wanted to give some flexibility on whether Lucy made or not. She can probably come back even if she did. Like she said earlier, she's been fired from every job she's ever had.

[txhorns79]

21 hours ago, Harvey said:

 

About the ending, well, it was nice that Henry found his true purpose and contetnment in his life. And I suppose Casey's appearance was meant to demonstrate that even if you achieve the stardom and acting success, it's not everything it is cracked up to be.

I was wondering if it was a sly set up for the character to return if the show gets another season.  It seems like she has a drinking problem, and perhaps she will flame out spectacularly necessitating her return to catering.

[Blakeston]

Henry had more chemistry in that brief scene with Casey than he did with Evie all season long.

[MBJ]

I can't believe it's over already.

The Casey stuff shook me, that was just wonderful.  Definitely helped to make up for Constance's Zoom stuff.  Good lord I cannot stand people appearing by Zoom.

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

Henry had more chemistry in that brief scene with Casey than he did with Evie all season long.

There's a lot of articles/mentions out there about Adam and Lizzy's crazy chemistry, even by the show creators, and yeah.

[Blakeston]

This is a good interview with Lizzy Caplan that explains all the scheduling issues that made it impossible for her to appear more than once.

Laugh for laugh, this season doesn't compare to the first two for me, but I'm still so glad we got to have more of it.

[DoctorAtomic]

It looks like everyone liked the play! Store-brand Prite was a big hit! A party in the library sounds like a fun idea.

I'm disappointed Roman's opus got torpedoed. That was my favorite plot. I did like Roman sassing the kid about no ideas. 'Space travel, but'. 'Dune.' Starr's line reading was hilarious. 

It was funny how Jammer ended up cancelled over the James Bond tweet so Kyle got the Lost Boys. 

I liked the one kid who was walking around with the tray of the food. I would have totally done that. 

I always like the actor playing the vice principal. He was such a terror on Veep!

I don't know if I buy Henry not wanting the scifi job. I can see him being apprehensive, but even in his 40s, it's not that late. Jon Hamm didn't get Mad Men until his 40s. You parlay the role into other jobs. I don't know, but I didn't get the feeling coaching the kids was some epiphany. What bothers me a little is that he's considered a good actor. Certainly not A list, but a workable actor. It just strikes me as jarring. 

On 3/31/2023 at 1:04 AM, arc said:

Kyle's in that Riverdale Luke Perry stage where he's taking dad roles now.

Does he know that though? He still thinks he's the bad boy. 

On 3/31/2023 at 11:38 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Good lord I cannot stand people appearing by Zoom.

I don't know why we're still having zoom meetings when we can actually show up for meetings. It drives me up the wall because no one can be on time if it's zoom. 

With Lizzy appearing and another favorite making a cameo on Mandalorian, it's been a good tv day for me. 

 

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Jon Hamm didn't get Mad Men until his 40s.

Jon Hamm was about 35/36 when he was cast in Mad Men. 

 

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't know if I buy Henry not wanting the scifi job. I can see him being apprehensive, but even in his 40s, it's not that late. Jon Hamm didn't get Mad Men until his 40s. You parlay the role into other jobs. I don't know, but I didn't get the feeling coaching the kids was some epiphany.

It bugged me because Henry is supposed to have been teaching for nearly a decade, correct?  I realize storywise why he can't leave teaching, but it would have been nice for him to have gotten that acting success that really has alluded him. 

[MBJ]

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't know if I buy Henry not wanting the scifi job. I can see him being apprehensive, but even in his 40s, it's not that late. Jon Hamm didn't get Mad Men until his 40s. You parlay the role into other jobs. I don't know, but I didn't get the feeling coaching the kids was some epiphany. What bothers me a little is that he's considered a good actor. Certainly not A list, but a workable actor. It just strikes me as jarring. 

That annoyed me too.  It felt really contrived, for the purposes of leaving the open for Season 4, but they could easily do Season 4 if Henry did that movie and it tanked or something.  I don't know.  Or he could visit the crew or they could see him at an industry party.  

But, Adam made it work acting wise, and from what he did, it was very believeable.  Just annoyed me plot wise.  Also if he becomes a success, he'd be more in Casey's world which could only be a good thing.  I think.

[DoctorAtomic]

I know Henry can't really leave, and I don't know if there is another season in the works, but he could have gone to Tattooine in between seasons and the show could have got canceled or something. I can take the point of Henry maybe just needing the stability of an actual job, but I'm someone who is going to take it as far as I can before giving up on something. He could maybe have gotten a leave of absence from school. 

3 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

  Also if he becomes a success, he'd be more in Casey's world which could only be a good thing.  I think.

I always saw Henry as sort of a H!ITG actor. Steady work, able to get jobs fairly regularly, but still needing to work at Party Down. 

 

[arc]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

but he could have gone to Tattooine in between seasons and the show could have got canceled or something.

It's the PD world's version of Star Wars, and he could have had a sort of Nick Fury type role in it: never the star, but consistent work that could keep him well compensated and positioned to take more prestigious or artistically rewarding roles elsewhere, as this one certainly couldn't have the sheer filming demands of being a star. That is, if he takes it, he probably would leave teaching and catering behind.

Jon Hamm didn't get Mad Men until his 40s.

Yeah, but the Mad Men pilot was creative dynamite, not a paycheck job.

Edited April 3, 2023 by arc

[AstridM]

10 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

That annoyed me too.  It felt really contrived, for the purposes of leaving the open for Season 4, but they could easily do Season 4 if Henry did that movie and it tanked or something.  I don't know.  Or he could visit the crew or they could see him at an industry party.  

But, Adam made it work acting wise, and from what he did, it was very believeable.  Just annoyed me plot wise.  Also if he becomes a success, he'd be more in Casey's world which could only be a good thing.  I think.

Eh, I have a lot more respect for him as a teacher. 

[DoctorAtomic]

One thing I was thinking about with regards to this plot - in the hallway Henry was waxing on about the theater, 'no auditions; just the company and your craft'. So I could see Henry just being over the show business part of acting was maybe what they were going for. It would be cool if he started or joined some theater company though. He'd still have to work at Party Down. 

 

[AstridM]

19 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

One thing I was thinking about with regards to this plot - in the hallway Henry was waxing on about the theater, 'no auditions; just the company and your craft'. So I could see Henry just being over the show business part of acting was maybe what they were going for. It would be cool if he started or joined some theater company though. He'd still have to work at Party Down. 

 

I like this idea!

[arc]

Vulture had a virtual roundtable with the cast after season 3: https://www.vulture.com/article/party-down-cast-season-3-finale-interview.html

[arc]

Rolling Stone: Inside the ‘Party Down’ Revival’s Top-Secret Season-Finale Surprise

and, a blooper reel!

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/17/2023 at 12:38 PM, AstridM said:

I need to see Bobby Moynihan more often. 

He was great on the short lived Mr. mayor. He is wasted now on NCIS Origins, even though I like that show. 

Wow, I never heard of this show until today, because Adam Scott is being interviewed everywhere because of the return of Severance. Now I’m bingeing the first two seasons. What a hoot.  Just brilliant. And all these actors were unknown ish at the time. The original episodes even predate Primetimer. 

But all the big star cameos. I just watched the episode with Marilu Henner and the strippers and Ed Begley. 

[AstridM]

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

He was great on the short lived Mr. mayor. He is wasted now on NCIS Origins, even though I like that show. 

Wow, I never heard of this show until today, because Adam Scott is being interviewed everywhere because of the return of Severance. Now I’m bingeing the first two seasons. What a hoot.  Just brilliant. And all these actors were unknown ish at the time. The original episodes even predate Primetimer. 

But all the big star cameos. I just watched the episode with Marilu Henner and the strippers and Ed Begley. 

So glad you found it!

[DoctorAtomic]

I was living in another country when the show first aired. I think this was one of Starz first original programming, along with Traffic? 

My favorite bit is further down the line --

Spoiler

I thought I was a cougar, right? So I said I was looking for a Bear.

Adam [looking at Lizzie] - You want to take this one?
Lizzie [not even a beat] - A Bear is a large, hairy gay man.

Their delivery and timing might be as perfect as you can get.