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This article contains spoilers for the first episode of Party Down season 2.

Party Down passed through on cable network Starz last year as a hidden gem, a secret you don’t want to get out in case it becomes a massive hit and they re-cast it with Spencer Pratt and a talking hotdog or something. The naturalistic comedy focusing on a group of out-of-work actors temping as caterers could have  been formulaic – God knows it features enough stereotypes – but instead the writers don’t so much push the boundaries of taste and decency as piss all over them and then light them on fire.

Created by former Veronica Mars producers John Enbom and Dan Etheridge and the actor Paul Rudd, each episode features a new event and client, from the little rich girl’s sweet sixteen to a singles seminar for the over sixties. Despite incidents involving burned American flags and confessions of murder the Party Down team appear to still be in demand and Starz have ten new episodes, beginning on April 9^th with an after show party for androgynous devil-rocker Jackal Onassis.

With scant exposition the episode begins in the heart of the action with newly promoted Henry trying to ensure a level of professionalism that he could never muster as a mere team member. The departure of Jane Lynch for Glee-er pastures last year left a gap for a slightly befuddled but well-meaning middle-aged actress, and Megan Mullally (Will and Grace) steps in with aplomb as Lydia Dunfree. Pretty boy Kyle and  misanthropic writer Roman are back, as is Casey Kline (Lizzy Caplan) who took off for cruise ship work at the end of last year after a fling with Henry.

The will-they won’t-they with Henry and Casey was a surprising element of season one. Along with team leader Ron’s dream of opening a restaurant franchise it was one of the running plot points which actually made us relate to the characters beyond waiting for them to fall down or drop their pants.

Ron’s restaurant has, inevitably, bitten the dust and he re-appears in this episode with his gauche young girlfriend trying to get a moment with ‘Jackal’. Unfortunately for her and her lately autographed “vj” her idol has swapped  clothes with Roman in order to experience the realities of a normal life. Guest star Jimmi Simpson (‘Lyle the intern’ from the Late Show with David Letterman) is great as the perpetually delighted Jackal Onassis (or Dennis as he prefers), as is the always superb double act of Ryan Hansen and Martin Starr as Kyle and Roman).

There are flashbacks to the episode ‘Sin Say Shun Awards Party’ as Roman fails to score with any of the assembled groupies despite the fact they all think he’s Jackal Onassis. Roman’s reaction to Kyle managing to steal away the girls with an invite to see his crappy emo band is one of the highlights of the episode.  

Ron ends the episode asking for his job as Team Leader back, therefore restoring equilibrium save for the addition of  Mullally. In truth this is a relief, as Adam Scott and Ken Marino are great as world-weary clock-puncher and deluded company man respectively.

We’ll be reviewing the second episode of season 2 next week and we’d love to have your comments on what you’d like to see in future eps.

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