Party downer: Ron’s 10 most humiliating moments on Party Down
Fourteen years in, Ken Marino's character Ronald Wayne Donald still isn't having fun yet
TV Features Party Down
Cringe comedy took the 2000s by storm with the international success of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s The Office and Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. But while the characters of those shows taught audiences how to stop worrying and love schadenfreude, few, if any, ever reached the lows of Ron Wayne Donald, the humiliation-seeking missile played by Ken Marino. Across the show’s beloved first two seasons and again in the 2023 revival, Marino’s commitment to plumbing the depths of Ron’s pain remains unparalleled. Whether he’s burning a flag, coming dangerously close to a racist slur, or trapping himself in a coffin, Ron’s ability to degrade himself knows no bounds.
But that’s the fun of Party Down, right? To luxuriate in the muck and mire of Ron’s failed dreams to run a Soup R’ Crackers franchise and find love in a world that rejects him. Ron’s well-meaning but aggressive commitment to work never lets up no matter how many bones he breaks, and that’s why we love him. So let’s grab some chicken skewers and enjoy Ron’s most unpleasant, awful, and humiliating moments from the comfort of our couch.
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I couldn’t get into Party Down, but he’s great and pathetic on The Other Two.
Rewatched the originals recently to get ready for the revival (which now I need to get around to), and I do think my single biggest laugh was the High School Reunion episode’s stinger noted here. I’d forgotten how great a bit of physical comedy that was, between his shrieks of “call an ambulance” amidst heaves, his pathetic fetal position, and the spectacular and ever-growing pool of vomit. Just perfection.
I did the same, and this was a highlight for me as well. Molly Parker just devastated and crying next to him after considering him as her rebound is icing on the puke encrusted cake.
Now do Roman.
You can’t OD on pot
Literally anything he ever says about women. We weren’t really aware of the term “incel” in 2009, but holy god his misogny looks even worse now.
Is one of the most humiliating moments him dipping his balls in something?
one of the greatest tv characters of all time, but i can’t help but think…why not wait a few weeks and put this out after the entire season is over? he’s gonna do more!
FAKE NEWS. The final episodes will be a redemption arc and rise to power like you’ve never seen before!
Ron is the grandson of Palpatine!
Ken Marino’s had an interesting career. He’s tall, dark, handsome, well-built – but best at playing a total boob.It’s hard to even find, but he did a “Bachelor” satire called “Burning Love” that is really funny.
“Ron does have comfort with sex”“Ron faces death in the face”“Ron might lose his penis van”Honestly it’s ok if the reviewer’s first language isn’t English, but presumably, that’s why EDITORS EXIST
“Like Sysusphis”Really? Really?!?