'Party Down' Season 3 Is Missing a Fan Favorite — Why Did Lizzy Caplan Leave?

The world was simply not ready for the comedic genius that was Party Down. Created by heavy-hitters John Enbom (The Good Doctor), Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars), and the eternally youthful Paul Rudd, the sitcom ran for two seasons on Starz. In 2009 and 2010 we spent time with a group of wacky misfits who worked at a Los Angeles catering business. Everyone there was passing the time at some of the most chaotic events our eyes have ever seen.

Thankfully, Party Down is finally getting its third season a mere 13 years after the surprise series finale and we can't wait to throw on a crisp white shirt to celebrate. Led by Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Severance) and Ken Marino (The Other Two), the show will bring back a stacked original cast with a few extras. Sadly, one fan favorite will not be rejoining the party. Why did Lizzy Caplan leave Party Down? No need to waiter 'round for an answer. We got you and your drinks covered.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lizzy Caplan was unable to return for the Party Down revival due to scheduling conflicts, as she was scheduled to film FX on Hulu’s Fleishman Is in Trouble at the same time Party Down's third season was going into production. In equally as exciting news, Lizzy is also starring in Paramount Plus's upcoming Fatal Attraction television series (which hopefully will skip the boiled bunny part of the original film).

In a conversation with ET Online ahead of the Party Down Season 3 premiere, Adam Scott talked about what it was like returning without Lizzy. "It was really hard," he said. "Lizzy wanted to do it badly. We of course planned on having Lizzy be a part of this season. It just wasn't possible." When show co-creator John Enbom realized Lizzy was definitely out, he came up with an incredible solution. Insert Jennifer Garner who, along with a few others, is joining the cast for the third season.

Judging by the new cater waiters on the block, Season 3 of Party Down is going to be an epic celebration. First and foremost, the chiseled jawline of James Marsden will be dropping in with a recurring role. We'll also be spending each episode with newcomers Zoë Chao and Tyrel Jackson Williams on top of Jennifer Garner's classic quirky sense of humor.

Apart from Adam Scott and Ken Marino, the show's earlier run featured the brilliant comedy stylings of Ryan Hansen (Bad Judge), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Jane Lynch (Glee), and Martin Starr (Silicon Valley), all of whom are coming back. What really works about this show, other than everything, is the fact that each catered event allows for any number of guest stars to pop in. Season 3 has plenty of home runs in that department.

Vulture reported that "Dan Bakkedahl, Quinta Brunson, Liv Hewson, Fran Kranz, Ki Hong Lee, Lyric Lewis, Bobby Moynihan, Nick Offerman, Judy Reyes, and Calum Worthy have all been announced as guest stars." While all of these folks are great, we can't wait to see Quinta Brunson step out of Abbott Elementary and into a strangely catered party!

Season 3 of Party Down premieres Friday, Feb. 24, at 9 p.m. EST on Starz and will run for six episodes.