TV Review: iZombie Season Two

*Insert witticism about The Walking Dead here. [Look at me and my pandering to the internet ways.] I didn’t cover The CW’s iZombie this year not because I had no interest in the show simply because my slate of TV writing was already erring on…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×09) “James Rolf High School Twentieth Reunion”

There is a moment in “James Rolf High School Twentieth Reunion” in which Lizzy Caplan’s performance reaches heights traditionally associated with prestige dramas or higher-brow sitcoms like [early seasons of] The Office. It’s an absolutely devastating dramatic moment, and both…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×08) “Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh”

Now that’s more like it. If you’ve been following along with my Party Down reviews, by any chance, you’ll remember that I was let down by the last couple of episodes. I didn’t find them comedically satisfying. Last week’s episode,…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×07) “Brandix Corporate Retreat”

There’s one truly great sequence in “Brandix Corporate Retreat.” It comes along well into the episode’s running time, just as all of the members of the Party Down crew show up for a team building exercise Ron has insisted they…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×05) “Sin Say Shun Awards Afterparty”

“Sin Say Shun Awards Afterparty” is not one of my favorite episodes of Party Down. Much of the episode is reliant on the obvious, juvenile jokes that come naturally along with a sitcom episode set at the afterparty of a pornography…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×04) “Investors Dinner”

“You know what they say about a gun in the first act.” – Casey Things get pretty crazy in this week’s episode of Party Down. More so than the previous three episodes, “Investors Dinner” demonstrates just how far Rob Thomas,…

TV Throwback Review: Party Down (1×03) “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar”

In “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar,” things are settling into a rhythm. The format of Party Down is becoming clear–every episode takes place over the course of a Party Down-catered event. Henry settles into the tedium of bartending, Casey argues with…