‘Party Down’ Will Return for a Third Season But Without Lizzy Caplan

The return of Party Down to TV after more than a decade away is kind of a miracle in and of itself. It is even more impressive that the show managed to reunite almost its entire cast, which includes Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally.

Lizzy Caplan Not On Party Down

Regrettably, for fans of Party Down, the phrase “almost” signifies that one cast member was not able to come back, namely Lizzy Caplan. During the first two seasons of the show, Caplan portrayed the sarcastic, aspiring comedian Casey Klein, whose optimistic attitude and romantic tension with Henry Pollard, played by Adam Scott, were an essential aspect of the show’s core.

Season three of Party Down moves forward without the presence of Lizzy Caplan’s character, Casey. Instead, Jennifer Garner’s character, a movie producer, takes on the role of Henry’s new love interest. Although there is still a possibility that Casey could make an appearance in the potential season finale, it is understandable why Caplan was not able to participate for most of the revival season.

Despite Party Down providing an in-universe explanation for Casey Klein’s absence, the actual reason for Lizzy Caplan’s non-participation is straightforward: scheduling conflicts. Caplan was unable to appear in Party Down due to her commitment to last year’s production of Fleishman Is in Trouble.

Rob Thomas on Caplan’s Absence

Co-creator of Party Down, Rob Thomas, expressed gratitude for being able to secure most of the original cast members but regretted that Lizzy Caplan was not among them. In an interview, Thomas revealed that there were doubts about the show’s feasibility without Caplan, but they decided to take the opportunity they had. The team realized that it was the best chance they had to make the show work without her.

Lizzy Caplan expressed her emotional attachment to Party Down and revealed that the thought of not being part of the show made her tearful. Despite her absence, Caplan still contributed to the show by sending cupcakes to the photo shoot. Additionally, she expressed her hopefulness for a fourth season and promised not to miss it, writing that people should better believe she was not missing that one.