Party Down: Jackal Onassis Backstage Party Rewatch

March 16, 2021 9:00 PM - Season 2, Episode 1

As the struggling new Party Down team leader, Henry is forced to juggle an incognito rock star, the return of of Ron Donald and Casey, the girl who broke his heart.

This episode marks the addition of Megan Mullally to the cast as Lydia Dunfree. She replaces Jennifer Coolidge, who is never seen again.

posted by guiseroom (4 comments total)

Oh funny, I didn’t even realize Fanfare was rewatching Party Down, but my SO and I rewatched all of it this past weekend, starting with this episode. Yeah, we watched all of season 2 first, and then all of season 1, because this episode is our favorite. Every character and actor is firing on all cylinders, especially Jimmi Simpson as Jackal, whose dream is to be a nobody who is humiliated in—and publicly fired from—a go-nowhere job. Every scene with, and line from, Simpson has me dying with how hilarious it and he is. Somehow every episode of this show is the Olympic Dream Team of comedy.

I assume this rewatch was inspired by the news that the band is getting back together?
posted by ejs at 11:14 PM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

You wonder how it's possible to top Jane Lynch but then they get Megan Mullally and she kills ever single line that comes out of her mouth. She's amazing.

"Escapade? What is that a car?"
posted by bondcliff at 6:56 AM on March 17, 2021

ejs, you and your SO watch TV a lot like me. I often start with my favorite episode(s) of something and then work my way back around like I'm slingshotting around heavenly bodies. Every time I've rewatched Mad Men, I start with my favorite, "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." (the season three finale).

The news of a revival is what prompted this rewatch. I rewatched the whole show over a weekend and popped onto FanFare to see if there was any discussion and saw there wasn't so decided to start one.

This is also my favorite episode, and it's the thing that made me realize Jimmi Simpson would be a star. He's so good in an episode where everyone is firing on all cylinders. For such a short-lived show, they came roaring back into season two with the confidence of a more successful, popular show. This is no sophomore slump, this is a sophomore soar. I think that is why season two is the stronger of the two seasons, and why it makes it so hard to believe that Starz would cancel the show after this frankly intimidating second run. My other favorite episode is coming up and I cannot wait to talk about it.
posted by guiseroom at 7:48 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

bondcliff, Mullally is fantastic and the character of Lydia, a stage mom who is afraid of her own child, is just so dark, much darker than anything this show has done. It makes me wonder where else the show would have taken us had it not been canceled.
posted by guiseroom at 7:56 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]