"Party Down" can be a very silly and broad show, and often is, but it has its subtle moments as well. One of the series' more understated running jokes is that Henry, despite the fact that his on-screen career washed out and he seems to care next to nothing for catering, is actually very good at his job. We see his acting prowess on display in Season 2's "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday" when he acts out a scene from Roman's sci-fi script, and again in Season 3 when he delivers a heartbreaking monologue to a neo-Nazi (Calum Worthy) in order to get him to pay his catering bill. In both instances, he is performing for an audience — Casey and the other caterers, Evie and his drama students — who have never seen him act before and are genuinely surprised and impressed.
We know Henry is a good actor, but it's rarely noted that he's a good bartender as well. In Episode 5, party planning maven Sloan (Lyric Lewis) is duly impressed by his consistent dirty martinis. And even though he seems put out by having to direct "'Tis Pity She's a Whore," he's pretty good at that too, and by the end of the night has the support not just of his students, but of his hardass vice principal (Dan Bakkedahl). "Party Down" characters are often their own worst enemies, and we have seen Henry shoot himself in the foot before, but his decision to not join the "Star Saga" universe with Evie feels like perhaps the first time he's making the right decision, and not just the easiest.
