Published by: The Snack Zone Blog Grade: A-

Tasked with guarding the "green room" snacks, Constance becomes convinced that the band’s aloof lead singer is a "sad, lost boy" who needs her maternal energy. Lynch plays this with terrifying sincerity. Meanwhile, Lydia—who is still trying to launch her daughter, Escapade, into stardom—corners the band’s manager and tries to get Escapade a gig as the opening act. The manager, barely listening, just says "Sure, kid has a vibe," and walks away.

There’s a specific kind of pain that Party Down excels at. Not the slapstick kind (though Roman getting hit in the face with a dropped tray is always welcome), but the deep, existential agony of watching desperate people get a tiny taste of what they want, only to have it ripped away by their own flawed personalities.