Partying Down

(Warning, spoilers for Party Down season 1 & 2)

An odd thought occurred to me while watching the beginning of the second season of the Adrian-recommended Party Down, a show which I have come to enjoy. In the first season, the protagonist was Henry, a former actor and current self-described quitter, who spends his days working for the titular Party Down catering company, drinking, taking drugs, and generally not doing much, while dealing with his teetotalling try-hard Team Leader Ron and hanging out with fellow slacker, struggling comedienne Casey, with whom he later starts a relationship. Most of the humour of the first series centres around Henry and Casey dealing with Ron attempting to mould them into a team and Henry resisting (there are supporting characters too, making the funny).

At the last two episodes at the end of the first season, Ron goes into a downward spiral, begins drinking again and falls apart. Henry, to the surprise of everyone, himself included, steps up, takes responsibility and is able to carry the group through two events. By the beginning of the second season, Henry has become Team Leader and is doing a better job of it than Ron was.

However, Casey is still a slacker. Even as Henry is taking control, Casey is trying to act like she usually does with him: "hey, you want to slack off and drink?" Henry brushes her off, saying he's too busy. Casey is miffed. Later in the 2nd season, Ron returns as a team member, but is irresponsible, drunk, and unreliable.

Basically, here's what I'm thinking: while Tanja and I were watching the first season, Henry and his slacker ways were a source of amusement. He was the hero of the show, ignoring the irritant that was Ron's regime. But once Henry took control, we cheered at his taking responsibility and doing things right. Casey and later Ron, despite taking the same actions as first season Henry did, become annoying and whiny not just to Henry, but to us, the viewer. Talk about a paradigm shift.

So what, then? Are we as viewers merely behind the hero, right or wrong? Should we be resisting the management no matter what? It seems weird, that's all.