Party Down. Season 2, Episode 7. "Party Down Company Picnic"
There's a fine line between comedy and tragedy. And this is very clear about seven minutes into this (wonderful) episode of Party Down.
Ron is quite a tragic figure. In the recent past we've seen his business and his love life fail. And we've seen him pretty much fall apart as a consequence. Luckily (since this is a comedy) Ron is a pompous character in the mould of Ollie (Oliver Hardy). Horribly things happen to him, but his manner prevents him from being pathetic to us. Instead, we perversely enjoy it as he sets himself up to be knocked down.
The opening scenes of this episode are a perfect example of this. Once again, Ron is trying to make something of himself. He's setting out to earn a promotion at work. Of course, being Ron, he's acting like a jerk about it. And we are only to happy to laugh when Kyle (Ryan Hansen) drives over his briefcase.
Later on, after Ron (squashed briefcase under his arm) has failed to get the promotion, there's a wonderful sequence where he's pondering on the meaning of it all. He grabs a drink from a disinterested waiter, while standing near some outdoor games, and begins a short speech about why some people - no matter how hard they try, no matter how hard they deserve it - always fail at everything. It's a wonderfully touching and heartfelt moment. And then a horseshoe comes flying through the air and whacks him very hard on the shoulder.
As Ron lay on the ground, crying "Why?" over and over, I laughed so hard that I had to pause the episode and take a break to compose myself.
Now, in all respects, this was a(nother) wonderful episode of Party Down. All of the character had great scenes, and Henry reached a major character moment. Plus Kristen Bell returned to (almost) steal the show out from under the stars.
But the Ron stuff was the highlight. In that moment, you can see the genius of Party Down captured. Comedy and Tragedy as opposites of the same coin. All of the characters are broken in some way, and most of the comedy comes from their failings.
But the horseshoe moment, coming as Ron ponders on the cruelty of life, is particularly wonderful.
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Party Down. Season 2, Episode 7. "Party Down Company Picnic"
