The Best Party Down Episode from Every Season

In this series, we pick the best episode from every season of a notable TV show, which sounds fairly simple until you actually try to do it. Great shows usually have at least a few obvious contenders per season, and the right pick is not always the loudest, most acclaimed, or most meme-friendly one. Sometimes, it’s the episode that perfectly encapsulates what the show was all about.

Party Down released two nearly perfect seasons of television on Starz, and then its cast members all moved on to greener pastures. While it did return for a third season in 2023 to rabid excitement from its fans, it’s definitely this show’s first two seasons that make it one of the 21 Best TV Shows of the 21^st century. But what episodes are the best from each season of Party Down? Let’s take a look, but watch out for RDDs.

Season 1: “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar” (Episode 3)

While pretty much every episode of the season could be included here, except for maybe the second episode, “California College Conservative Union Caucus” (even though it’s still hilarious), our pick is the third episode: “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar.”

Not only did it pay off the simmering romantic chemistry between Henry Pollard and Casey Klein in amusing fashion—Elderly gentleman walking in on them canoodling: “I thought this was the men’s room!”; Henry, in a state of undress: “It’s not!”— it also features each member of the main cast delivering multiple hilarious lines, or finding themselves in supremely amusing situations.

Want More on Party Down?
Party Down landed at No. 1 on our list of the 21 best TV shows of the 21st century. Read our full ranking to see where the cult comedy finished ahead of the competition.

For Kyle, he’s amped to be catering a singles event… until he finds out it’s for the elderly, which also freaks out Constance Carmel – despite her starring in the 1978 film Hooper in her acting heyday. Ron Donald, of course, has his fair share of hilarious moments, such as mentioning catching a glimpse of his grandparents having sex (“like a mummy battle”), which leads to an eruption of amusing jokes from Kyle and Constance (“Two eggs in a tube sock”).

Of course, perhaps the finest moment from Ron is him catching Henry and Constance smoking weed in the bathroom, which leads to a belly laugh-inducing story about a “leg made footless… by pot.” Check out the scene:

As is always the case with a Party Down episode, two guest stars provide scene-stealing moments: legendary comedic actor Ed Begley Jr. serves as a long-lost lover of Constance, Bruce Nesbitt, and Marilu Henner is featured as the eponymous Pepper McMasters, who is something of a swindler, but her conversation with Casey about a motivational story she tells is amazing comedy.

Easily one of the best—if not the best—episodes of this wonderful show, “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar” has it all, and I’m always happy to rewatch it.

Season 2: “Joel Munt’s Big Deal Party” (Episode 8)

While the build-up episodes leading to Henry and Casey getting back together are brilliant, it’s this late-season gem that best captures Party Down at its sharpest. A huge part of that comes from Paul Scheer, who is absolutely perfect as Joel Munt, Roman’s former writing partner turned Hollywood success story (or a “sell-out and hack,” from Roman’s point of view).

Scheer plays Munt with just the right mix of smugness, obliviousness, and genuine confidence, which makes Roman’s bitterness even funnier. Joel may or may not actually be a hack, but in Roman’s head, he basically represents everything that’s wrong with the industry – and a main reason why his own career has stalled.

Featuring a barrage of great lines from just about everyone involved, an important invocation of the mythical “guy code,” and the unforgettable introduction of Ron’s doomed RDD system (Ron Donald Do’s and Don’ts), “Joel Munt’s Big Deal Party” feels like Party Down firing on all cylinders. It is amusingly cruel, painfully awkward, hilariously specific, and deeply pathetic in all the right ways, with the Roman/Joel dynamic giving the episode an extra layer of tension beyond the usual catering chaos.

Season 2 has no shortage of classics, but this is the one that most fully delivers the show’s particular brand of raunchy/awkward comedic perfection.

Season 3: “KSGY-95 Prizewinner’s Luau” (Episode 4)

Party Down came back from the dead without feeling like a hollow reunion show, and “KSGY-95 Prizewinner’s Luau” is probably the best example of why the revival worked. The episode throws the team into exactly the kind of chaotic, humiliating catering disaster this show has always thrived on, but it also benefits from the slightly older, sadder, and more worn-down energy that makes season 3 feel a little different from the first two.

More importantly, this ep is just consistently funny. The radio-station “sting” setup gives everybody something ridiculous to bounce off, the social dynamics get messier by the minute, and the episode finds that sweet spot Party Down always manages to nail, where career failure, sexual tension, and total public embarrassment all somehow become funnier the worse they get. Season 3 had a few strong contenders, but this is the one that feels most like the show locking back into place after over a decade.

We Are Indeed Having Fun Now

The highest highs found in Party Down rival those of any comedy show (and, frankly, any show) ever, so dissecting the seasons to find the best episode was a surprisingly tricky affair. In a show packed with an astounding amount of gags, one-liners, and hilarious repartee, these three episodes represent the pinnacle of each season.

Reasonable people can disagree with picks like these, especially when a show has multiple classic episodes per season. That disagreement is part of the appeal, as half the fun of a series like this is making the case, arguing about the misses, and finding a reason to revisit the episodes that made a show worth loving in the first place. Do you disagree with our choices? Let us know in the comments.