The Last Man on Earth had a uniquely uneven first season. Its premiere episode was marvelous, a real instance of comedic, cinematic television, from acclaimed directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller of The Lego Movie. The show’s premise was simple…
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 (1×06) “Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen”
Given that Whiplash was my favorite film of 2014, I was delighted when I pressed play on “Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen” and was immediately reminded that J.K. Simmons basically plays his Whiplash character in this episode of Party Down. Like Terence Fletcher, Leonard…
TV Review: The League Season 7 Premiere
The League has always been an uneven show. Its frequent shifts in quality are due in large part to its Curb Your Enthusiasm-style improvised nature. The show’s writers devise the episodic scenarios, and the cast, full of quick-witted comedians, come…
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,…
