SEASON 1 – Starz
Created by John Enborn, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd
Theme music by Josh Kramon
- 001. Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party – 3/20/2009
- The Los Angeles-based Party Down catering company is working a homeowners annual party in Willow Canyon. The team is led by the ambitious team leader Ron Wayne Donald (Ken Marino). The others on the team include aspiring comedian Casey Klein (Lizzy Caplan), saccharine screenwriter Roman DeBeers (Martin Starr), aspiring actor Kyle Bradway (Ryan Hansen), and former actress Constance Carmell (Jane Lynch). Coming back to work on this particular day after an absence of working as an actor is Henry Pollard (Adam Scott). The party is hosted by Gordon (Enrico Colantoni) and Liddy McSpadden (Rebecca Creskoff). Ron briefs his team on sensitivity training, not eating the guest’s food, and putting out the trip jar, and then introduces Henry to the others. Lizzy shows up late while bickering on the phone with her husband Mike Klein (Wes Armstrong), causing Ron to give her a final warning. The host Gordon is drastically underdressed and unenthusiastic about the party, much to the irritation of his wife. Many of the guests start to recognize Henry, but he won’t reveal what has made him famous. Casey is worried that her husband Mike will show up and cause a scene since they are in an argument. She asks Henry to look out for him and warn her if he shows up, and then realizes that she recognizes him as ‘that guy’. Roman messes with Kyle by calling and leaving a message for him, telling him that he is being considered for a role. When Ron has an accident while juggling a bottle for some kids, he tries to go clean it up in the bathroom. Kyle and the hosts’ teenage daughter Monica (Eden Sher) are making out in the bedroom nearby, and she thinks that Ron is masturbating. Ron gives her an impassioned speech to her about not saying anything or he will destroy her. Gordon shares with Henry how miserable he is with his lifestyle. Kyle finally recognizes Henry from his beer commercial, and recalls his famous line “Are we having fun yet?” Once he mentions it in front of the party, the floodgates open for everyone quoting it to him and asking him to say it. When Mike shows up at the party, Henry tries to stop him and have him wait outside, but Mike pushes him into the pool. Gordon takes this as his cue to get completely naked and jump into the pool, but no one will join him in the pool. Kyle gets the message about the part being offered to him, which mentions that the character now has cancer. Roman encourages him to shave all of the hair off of his body. Casey thanks Henry for trying to stop Mike, but she winds up getting fired by Ron, who then puts her back on ‘final warning’ when she threatens to sue. Casey tells Henry that her husband got a job offer in Vermont, so they will likely be moving there. When Casey sees Kyle shaving off his eyebrows, she tells him that it was Roman who left the message. Ron tries to fill out the comment card for Party Down, but Liddy tells him that she wants to do it herself. Each of the Party Down employees gets $14 in tips, but Henry gets $13.36. However, he gets a hand job in the car from one of the female guests named Heidi (Jackie Debatin) who recognizes him from the commercial. Cantrell Harris is the black party guest Mike. Andrea Lwin is the Asian guest. Dan Sachoff is the guest who notes they lost. Andy Siegel is the boring fat guest. 1/13/24
- 002. California College Conservative Union Caucus – 3/27/2009
- The Party Down crew caters an underage California College Conservative Union caucus, where they are expecting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be their special guest. However, they are told not to interact with him. Meanwhile, Casey contemplates her possible move to Vermont, looking over literature for a comedy troupe called The Yucks who perform there. The secretary of the group, Jeffrey Ells (Josh Gad) tries to keep the event organized and gives speeches to Ron about leadership. Jeffrey shows Ron the items they are going to present to the Governor, including an engraved briefcase, and convoy U.S. flag that had been under enemy fire, and a box of Cuban cigars. Jeffrey agrees to allow Ron to shake Schwarzenegger’s hand. Roman intends to pass a script called Terror Bird that he wrote off to Schwarzenegger. When one of the conservative guys, Greg (Jason Dohring) overhears Ron talking about the Cuban cigars, he immediately objects and brings it before the committee since Cuba is a Communist country. Jeffrey is furious and blames it on Ron, who sends Constance to go get some fancy American cigars. Casey finds out that Greg’s girlfriend Heather (Alona Tal) is from Burlington, they have conversations about Vermont. Heather contends that it is a great place to raise a family and plans to move back there with Greg. However, Greg drops the bomb that he got an internship in Washington, which leads to a big fight between them. Constance is bitter about being around conservatives and sends Kyle over to bait a guy named Tim (Chris Grabher) to tell a gay joke. After Ryan hears the joke, he tells Tim that he is gay, but then Tim reveals he too is also gay. Constance also makes a huge deal when she hears that a student named Todd’s vote about the Cuban cigars didn’t count. She assumes it is because he is black, but it turns out that he is from Toronto, so is ineligible to vote. Ron sends Constance to the back room and tells her not to speak anymore. When Ron looks inside the briefcase, he finds out that Roman has left a copy of script inside and also managed to get barbecue sauce all over the flag. He attempts to wash it, but winds up destroying the flag with bleach. Constance returns with the cigars but tells her that the owner talked her into a buying a box of Cubans, so he has her remove the cigar bands and dump them into the briefcase. He attempts to take the flag hanging on the pole outside to replace the other one. In an effort to make the flag look battle-worn, he sets it on fire, but then can’t get it out easily. Everyone in the party looks out the window and sees him with the burning flag. Dan Wisner (Brett Stimely) from the Governor’s office shows up to tell them that Schwarzenegger was tied up and won’t be able to make it. Wisner is taken aback when he sees the remnants of the burnt flag that they were going to present to the Governor. As Casey continues to struggle with her Vermont decision, Henry hints to her that she should stay. Out in his car, Wisner smokes one of the cigars and looks over the script to Terror Bird. Ryan Pinkston is Dennis, the shrimp. 1/14/24
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