DVD Review: Party Down: The Complete Series

By Brendan Ross

Guys, reviewing an entire television series is hard. I mean, Party Down only totals 20 episodes over two seasons so it’s not exactly like I’m reviewing the entire The Young And The Restless saga here, but still—it’s a lot of content to whittle down to a few short paragraphs. Then again, one thing that does make it a little easier is how unconditional my love is for it, and the fact that I am in no way divided when declaring Party Down one of the best comedy series of the decade certainly helps a bit.

Party Down follows an L.A. catering company and its team of misfit employees. Nobody, save for team leader Ron Donald, has an inkling of respect for their place of employment and (with varying degrees of delusion) are only working here out of necessity while waiting for their big breaks in Hollywood. Each episode is set and exists entirely within the constraints of an individual catering gig, a device that works beautifully because we get to know these characters through seeing them at a place they all hate, leaving their day-to-day lives outside of Party Down somewhat ambiguous.

In addition to being amongst the most sharply-written comedies of recent memory, the reason the show truly works as well as it does is thanks to the chemistry between the actors. Every character in it and actor portraying them are so perfect, and watching them interact with each other is an absolute joy. It also benefits from having a sort of handmade charm that really adds to the warmth and authenticity of it, helping it transcend anything resembling sitcom-esque tropes.

If you haven’t heard of Party Down, no doubt you’ve seen the cast members on various different shows. The cast of Party Down includes Adam Scott (Parks & Recreation), Jane Lynch (Glee), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Ken Marino (Marry Me), Lizzy Caplan (Masters Of Sex), and Martin Starr (Silicon Valley, but also Bill Haverchuck from Freaks & Geeks).

Hilarious, sad, stressful, cynical, frustrating, heartfelt, and unbelievably likeable. Party Down bounces through difficult situations like depression and self-destruction, finding the hilarity in them without ever cheapening their severity. It’s an incredibly special show, and one that was taken away from us way too early. I just hope enough people buy this DVD so that we can get that Party Down movie the cast and crew have been teasing us with. So get out there and buy it!

Special features include a fun and lively commentary on select episodes, and some wonderful outtakes and gag reels. Wish there was more, but what’s there suffices nicely.

Party Down: The Complete Series was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada on October 6.