'Party Down' - 'James Ellison Funeral': Kyle sings the blues
Things get morbid at a catered funeral
Ron (Ken Marino) contemplates his mortality on "Party Down."
A quick review of tonight's "Party Down" coming up just as the names drop subtly...
One of the advantages of the "Party Down" premise is that every episode takes on a different feel, depending on what kind of party the team is catering, who the guests are, etc. The downside, though, is that the series tends to be qualitatively more uneven than a show with a static setting and style like "Parks and Recreation" or "Modern Family." Some episodes are "Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh"-level brilliant, some work in spots but not as a whole, and every now and again there's one that just doesn't work at all like last year's corporate retreat episode.
"James Ellison Funeral" falls somewhere in that middle group, I think - stronger than the premiere or the preschool auction episode, but a bit of a comedown after the orgy night (and before the Guttenberg-tastic next episode, which many of you have streamed on Starz's website, and which we'll wait until next week to discuss).
On the positive side, it was a great Ron episode, nicely following up on the pathos and pathetic comedy of last year's high school reunion show with his proposed eulogy for himself - "Here lies Ron Donald. Repeated first grade because he couldn't figure out scissors." - and then locking himself in a coffin while high. Very good work from Ken Marino throughout, selling the jokes while still letting you feel sorry for Ron. And the running subplots about ultra-white Kyle trying to learn the blues and Roman trying to prove his racial expertise (correcting the definition of "jungle fever," and later all the stuff about Jesus being black) were both very funny.
But Henry and Casey seemed oddly marginalized, and this was another episode where Lydia seemed less a member of the team than some weird lady with a pink cast wandering around and saying wacky things. Later episodes will better integrate Megan Mullally into the group, but this wasn't one of them.
What did everybody else think?
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May 14, 2010 at 11:26PM EST Reply to CommentI was laughing and/or giggling throughout this ep, and the end of the actual ep and then the coda (or whatever they call it) had me LMAO. The Ron stuff was great (and the next ep makes much more sense to me for having seen it). I didn't think Henry and Casey were marginalized; the focus was just more on Ron and his continued (and hilarious) breakdown, so the other characters had a little less to do. Happens every so often in a lot of ensemble shows.
ADKid25
May 15, 2010 at 12:24AM EST Reply to CommentA solid episode, though I found the actress who played the dead man's lover a bit too obnoxious. Still, funny stuff all around, as usual.
No mention of Ryan Hansen's new show being picked up by NBC today? That would prove yet another nail in this show's coffin, I assume.
Angie
May 15, 2010 at 12:54AM EST Reply to CommentCasey didn't have a ton to do, but she and Henry had some nice moments, returning to the rapport they had before the breakup. Loved them razzing Roman for his screenplay. "We. Are. All. Descendants. Of. Gron."
anonymous
May 15, 2010 at 2:24AM EST Reply to CommentDon't try to understand. Just experience.
also anonymous My X-box is all weird!
May 15, 2010 at 2:32AM ESTdgron
May 15, 2010 at 2:39AM EST Reply to CommentWe are all descendants of Gron.
We are all mere cells in the...superbrain.
Oh my god that was funny. I watched that scene like five times, and was dying every time. I particularly liked Henry's reaction when he realized what she was talking about.
WhatTheFDidIDo
May 15, 2010 at 2:45AM EST Reply to CommentI actually liked this one just as much as last week's. I think my abs are gonna be sore tomorrow from laughing so hard.
And the closing scene was almost as good as last year's episode where Ron caters his own high school reunion. The smoke pouring out of the coffin and the look on Ron's face just killed me. But it still didn't top Ron laying on the pavement and gurgling on his own vomit while mumbling "Call 911....call 911".
Otto Man Yeah, the closing scene of the reunion episode might be the single best moment in the series.
May 15, 2010 at 12:10PM ESTPY
May 15, 2010 at 2:52AM EST Reply to CommentFjord fever.
Savvy Veteran
May 15, 2010 at 7:05AM EST Reply to CommentThis was probably my least favorite of the first four. (Actually, I peeked ahead and watched the amazing Guttenberg episode a few weeks ago, so it's really of the first five.) It was still really funny, but I wasn't all that crazy about the Kyle-blues subplot—which felt very unnatural and forced (his terrific declarations of "I think I get it" notwithstanding) to me—or the main conflict altogether. However, even though Casey and Henry weren't really up to too much, I did get quite a kick out of Roman's general jackassery and Ron's angst. I enjoyed Mullally's delivery on the retelling of her friend's spooky ghost story as well. Funny stuff.
Alf
May 15, 2010 at 7:17AM EST Reply to CommentNot only is Ron's name Ronald Donald, but his middle name is Wayne! Awesome.
George
May 15, 2010 at 9:45AM EST Reply to Comment"Don't open the bottom half, I have an erection for some reason..."
That was surprisingly hilarious. The concept just screams laziness; white catering team, all-black funeral, let the awkwardness commence, but even the moments overflowing with racial tension (Roman's thesis on Jungle Fever) were diffused quickly and realistically, I guess people just shake off such behaviour a lot easier these days.
Kyle getting punked by the dentist was the gift that kept on giving; his combination of uber-whiteness and blissful ignorance only added to submissive tasks he was made to do (picking the shrimp put of the shrimp puffs).
Kyle and Ron's blues duet had me laughing throughout. Despite being high, Ron had the musical awareness to try and co-ordinate their harmonies and his Indian blues voice was the perfect topper to a great scene.
Ron was awesome throughout, it was great of the writers to allow him to just float around proceedings spouting non-sequiters, self-eulogising and locking himself in coffins. However, giving Lydia the same freedom didn't reap any rewards, her appearance in the kitchen as Ron and Kyle were singing the blues was the only bad thing about that scene, although her lost earring gave Roman reason to touch the dead man with his daughter watching.
Casey and Henry have clearly moved passed the obligatory awkward stage of the first 3 episodes and it was good to see them teaming up to avoid a wife/mistress conflict and to annihilate Roman's screen writing skills. It was nice to see Roman is not immune to criticism, when he prides himself on his intellectual superiority, did he shed a tear after his screenplay was so emphatically panned.
The main plot was executed to perfection with a surprising conclusion. It gave Henry something to do rather than keep his team in line which allowed them and him to blossom. Maybe it should not have been surprising considering his wife was continually praising his boring virtues and his NAACP awards but I was preparing for a violent conclusion to the episode. His second Asian mistress may not go down so well but it was again another unexpected joke to close the episode.
Wonderfully written and a great episode for Ken Marino. Really looking forward to the Guttenberg episode next week.
Otto Man
May 15, 2010 at 12:09PM EST Reply to CommentGood but not great episode. I'm digging the Ron reversal lately -- his getting locked in the coffin was predictable, but well executed.
DB Cooper I'm the only one it appears, who's had it with overbearing, self-pitying Ron. I hope this was the last one. He's just annoying, and not that funny (coffin erections excluded, of course).
May 15, 2010 at 11:35PM EST