TV

Party Down

Are we having fun yet?

Photo: Vulture; Photo: Starz Entertainment/Colleen Hayes

“To an almost astonishing degree, the new season of Party Down is able to capture and even extend all of the best things about its first two seasons. It can return to the original conceit of each episode being its own catered event, which lets the show play around with different settings and guest appearances. It seamlessly incorporates a couple of new, younger team members — Tyrel Jackson Williams as Sackson, a wannabe influencer working as a cater-waiter until his sponsorship deals come in, and Zoë Chao as the group’s new chef, Lucy — while also building in an outside perspective on staff dynamics via the addition of Jennifer Garner, whose comedy instincts help soften and expand the show’s occasionally grim outlook.”

— Kathryn VanArendonk “Party Down Has Time on Its Side”

  1. Episode 10 Constance Carmell Wedding
    Party Down Season Finale: We Belong Together If this is the end of the line for the most critically adored/commercially ignored sitcom since ‘Arrested Development,’ then what a way to go.
  2. Episode 8 Joel Munt’s Big Deal Party
    Party Down: Bubbles, the Clown Tackling the easy L.A. cliches the right way – with Andre Royo!
  3. Episode 7 Party Down Company Picnic
    Party Down: No Picnic The best ep of the season centers around a cater-off!
  4. Episode 5 Not on Your Wife Opening Night
    Party Down Recap: Welcome to the Thee-Uh-Tuh It’s all one big farce in this highly entertaining episode.
  5. Episode 4 Steve Guttenberg’s Birthday
    Party Down Recap: Hot Tub Time Machine Steve Guttenberg, half naked. That is all.
  6. Episode 3 James Ellison Funeral
    Party Down: The Truth Shall Set You Free We feel compelled to admit that this was the weakest of at least the first seven episodes.
  7. Episode 3 Nick DiCintio’s Orgy Night
    Party Down: Orgy in Blue A delightfully silly, profoundly dirty episode.
  8. Episode 2 Precious Lights Pre-School Auction
    Party Down: Truck Drivers and Trade School Planning for the future.
  9. Episode 1 Jackal Onassis Backstage Party
    Party Down Recap: It’s Back! It’s Back! Season two begins, and new cast member Megan Mullally achieves the otherworldly task of making us not miss Jane Lynch.
  1. Episode 6 Sepulveda Basin High School Spring Play Opening Night
    Party Down Season-Finale Recap: One Last Ride The Party Down crew learns to revise, downgrade, or let go of old dreams.
  2. Episode 5 Once Upon a Time “Proms Away” Prom-otional Event
    Party Down Recap: Pressure Makes Diamonds Lydia and Escapade beat the odds and “made it” in Hollywood, but at what cost?
  3. Episode 4 KSGY-95 Prizewinner’s Luau
    Party Down Recap: A Long, Strange Trip (feat. the Police) The crew has never been shy about taking drugs during a gig, but usually they’re not surrounded by cops.
  4. Episode 3 First Annual PI2A Symposium
    Party Down Recap: What Is This Event? We’ve seen the Party Down crew take on less-than-savory jobs in the past, but it’s never literally catered to white supremacists.
  5. Episode 2 Jack Botty’s Delayed Post-Pandemic Surprise Party
    Party Down Recap: An Earthy Whiff of Decay It’s not Party Down until Henry Pollard begrudgingly dons a pink bow tie.
  6. Episode 1 Kyle Bradway is Nitromancer
    Party Down Season-Premiere Recap: Personal Business on Company Time The Party Down crew has mostly moved on to bigger (or more mundane) things, but their reunion feels just like old times.

More Party Down

  1. Adam Scott on Playing the ‘Befuddled Beta Male,’ and Big Little Lies“I’m confident enough to know that’s not all I can do.”
    By Stacey Wilson Hunt
  2. Eden Sher on Growing Up on TV and Moving on from ‘The Middle’Eden Sher has spent her entire adult life playing Sue Heck on The Middle. After stints on Weeds and the short-lived Sons & Daughters, Sher […]
    By Kenneth Arthur
  3. For Martin Starr, the Best Roles Are as Exciting as They Are TerrifyingWhether it’s as a freak and/or geek, a caterer, or a senior security architect, Martin Starr is best known for one of his roles in three of the […]
    By Kenneth Arthur
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    By Margaret Lyons
  5. stay tuned
    What Should I Pair With Six Feet Under?What shows go well together?
    By Margaret Lyons
  6. chat room
    Ryan Hansen on His Meta Veronica Mars Spinoff“Gosh, I just love being Dick.”
    By Dan Reilly
  7. cater waiters
    This Party Down Season 2 Blooper Reel Will Give You the FeelsAll 20 episodes of the series are now available on Hulu.
    By Vulture Editors
  8. chat room
    Rob Thomas on Veronica Mars, Party Down, and Kevin Hart“I would like it to be certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.”
    By John Sellers
  9. influences
    Veronica Mars Creator Rob Thomas Explains His Cultural InfluencesThe movies, TV shows, books, and musicians that helped to shape the Veronica Mars creator’s work.
    By Jennifer Vineyard
  10. chat room
    Adam Scott on A.C.O.D., Talking Bad, Party Down“I don’t know if anything will ever happen, but in my mind I think what Arrested Development did was ideal.”
    By Mina Hochberg
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