Spoilers for the Party Down season 3 finale ahead!
When the Party Down reboot was announced, fans of the series were ecstatic to see most of the cast back in action, but one notable exception was Casey Klein, played by Lizzy Caplan in the original two seasons of the series. Caplan has since gone on to star in a great many shows and movies, which is one of the reasons she couldn’t join the reboot. She was filming Fleishman Is in Trouble and its schedule conflicted with Party Down’s. So, we had the reunion of our favorite caterers and, throughout the season, we learned that Casey had gone on to actually be successful in her art.
In the first run of the series, she was a comedian. Much like the rest of her coworkers, she was her own worst enemy about it, but she did go on to great things when she landed Saturday Night Live (which was revealed at the start of season 3). It meant that the “will they, won’t they” of the Party Down before it would not exist, and for the most part, the show still managed to bring us that romance that Henry Pollard needed through his relationship with Evie (Jennifer Garner).
But there was still a Casey-shaped hole in the show, and the series did make it clear that she was missing. In the premiere episode, Lydia (Megan Mullally) and Constance (Jane Lynch) kept talking about Henry and Casey’s former relationship, and to be honest, the fact that the finale was kept so hush hush by STARZ did clue me in to one guest appearance: the return of Lizzy Caplan.
Chemistry like no other
In a short post-episode scene in the finale, Henry is working an event for Party Down when one of the “talent” is in the kitchen. He says she can’t be there, and she turns to reveal herself as Casey.
Whether it is the 2012 Leslye Headland movie Bachelorette or Party Down itself, Caplan and Scott have an undeniable chemistry that really connects fans to them, and the lack of Casey and Henry throughout the season didn’t hurt the revival, but the minute that Casey Klein turns to see Henry, it is frankly palpable.
That’s why we were addicted to their nonsense in the first place, and the finale scene results in Casey saying that she could hang out with Henry a lot more because she’s prepared to quit the business she’s in, so that could be a set up to where the next season would take their characters. Or it could just be another perfect example of how all of these characters are their own worst enemies with their careers. Point is: Casey was instantly flirting with Henry, and god, I hope we get another season for them to explore their dynamic again.
Henry was never going to the Star Saga
Throughout the second half of the season, Evie was trying to get Henry into her superhero universe despite his continued insistence that he was done acting. It wasn’t against Henry’s wishes; he just was seemingly content with teaching theatre, and that’s why at the end of this season, when Henry decided that he was not actually going to continue to pretend like he was going overseas to film these movies for Evie, I wasn’t surprised that it didn’t work out.
Henry in season 1 and 2 was his own worst enemy, letting his failure rule him, but season 3 Henry accepted his doomed acting career and, instead, turned to a new life and was happy with it for the most part. And to see him claim that and decide to give up the chance of being in a big franchise to inspire his students was actually the right move for Henry for once.
It just made me excited for the future of Party Down, and if Casey Klein is back in season 4? Bring it on!
(featured image: STARZ)
Published: Mar 31, 2023 03:41 pm