Spoilers for a show that ended 15 years ago... but if you’re new here, welcome to the catering nightmare.
No, Steve. But thanks for the pizza. Rewatch on: Hulu / Prime Video (depending on your region) Pairs well with: A warm Zima and existential dread. party down s02e07 satrip
There’s a specific kind of magic that happens when a struggling actor, a washed-up writer, and a corporate stooge get trapped in a sci-fi convention gone wrong. That magic is Party Down Season 2, Episode 7: Spoilers for a show that ended 15 years ago
He’s not the heroic Mahoney from Police Academy . He’s a lonely, slightly desperate actor in a hideous sweater, hosting his birthday party at a Ramada Inn next to a room full of Klingons. He just wants someone to talk to about Cocoon . The pathos is thick enough to choke on. When he admits he’s afraid no one will remember him, you genuinely feel for the guy. Party Down has a unique talent for finding the tragedy in the trivial. There are dozens, but the crown goes to Roman , staring down a fanboy who confuses his beloved hard sci-fi with fantasy: “You want Lord of the Rings? Go to a Ren Faire. This is a convention for space-based adventure. Get your genre right or get out.” It’s the most Roman DeBeers sentence ever uttered. Why This Episode Works Unlike the bloated, effects-heavy parodies on shows like The Big Bang Theory , “Steve Guttenberg’s Birthday” isn’t mocking the fans . It’s mocking the sadness of adulthood. But thanks for the pizza
If you look at the episode title and think, “Oh, the Police Academy guy?” — yes. That guy. And he’s probably the most normal person in this entire 22-minute trainwreck. The team is hired to cater a “SatriP” convention. For the uninitiated (and for Ron Donald, who is blissfully, painfully uninitiated), that’s a Star Trek/Star Wars hybrid fan convention. Think Vulcan ears next to Wookiee fur, all fighting over the same sad cheese plate.