''Search Party'' is an American

dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and

Michael Showalter Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer. He first came to recognition as a cast member on MTV's ''The State'', which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the ''Wet Hot ...

. Primarily set in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, the series follows a group of friends who become involved in the search for a missing young woman and the events that result from their involvement. The series premiered on TBS on November 21, 2016. After being renewed for a third season in 2018, it was announced the series would be moving to

WarnerMedia Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

streaming service. The fourth season premiered on January 14, 2021 and a fifth and final season premiered on January 7, 2022.

Plot

''Search Party'' depicts the lives of

resident Dory Sief, her passive boyfriend Drew Gardner, flamboyant show-off Elliott Goss, and flighty actress Portia Davenport. Serving as a contrast to the group is Dory's ex-boyfriend Julian Marcus, a journalist whose blunt nature frequently puts him into conflict with others. The first season focuses on the disappearance of Dory's college acquaintance Chantal Witherbottom, whom Dory sets out to find, with Drew, Elliott, and Portia reluctantly joining her investigation. While her friends also deal with difficulties in their own lives, Dory focuses on her pursuit of Chantal, believing her to be in danger. The second season focuses on the death of Keith Powell, a private investigator who is killed as a result of Dory mistakenly believing him to be a threat to Chantal. As the group struggles to return to their normal lives, they also attempt to cover up Keith's death, which affects them in various ways. The third season focuses on Dory and Drew being tried for murdering Keith, which Dory denies any involvement in, forcing them to battle against the evidence suggesting they caused his death. A media circus soon circles around the trial, while the friends have their relationships tested and Dory's sanity gradually deteriorates. The fourth season focuses on Dory's abduction at the hands of Chip Wreck, a psychotic man unhealthily obsessed with her. The abduction sends Drew, Elliott, and Portia searching for Dory as Chip attempts to manipulate Dory against her friends. The fifth season follows Dory's transformation into a cult leader. Supported by a Big Tech Pharma company and flanked by a group of social media influencer disciples, Dory and her friends attempt to achieve a transcendent state of enlightenment.

Cast and characters

Main

Alia Shawkat Alia Martine Shawkat ( ; ar, عليا مارتين شوكت; born April 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Old Man'', '' State of Grace'', Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom '' Arrested Devel ...

as Dory Sief * John Reynolds as Drew Gardner * John Early as Elliott Goss *

Meredith Hagner Meredith Kathleen Hagner (born May 31, 1987) is an American actress. She began her career portraying Liberty Ciccone on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (2008–2010), which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Yo ...

as Portia Davenport *

Brandon Micheal Hall Brandon Micheal Hall (born February 3, 1993) is an American actor. On television, he starred as the lead of the ABC sitcom '' The Mayor'' (2017) and the CBS comedy-drama ''God Friended Me'' (2018–2020). Hall also appeared as a series regular o ...

as Julian Marcus (seasons 1–2; guest seasons 3–4) *

Recurring

* Clare McNulty as Chantal Witherbottom *

Jeffery Self Jeffery Self (born February 19, 1987) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Early life Self is a native of Georgia, who grew up in the South. After attending middle school, Self persuaded his parents to let him be homeschooled to avoid deal ...

as Marc, Elliott's on and off boyfriend *

Ron Livingston Ronald Joseph Livingston (born June 5, 1967) is an American actor. He is known for playing Peter Gibbons in the 1999 film ''Office Space'' and Captain Lewis Nixon III in the 2001 miniseries '' Band of Brothers.'' Livingston's other roles include ...

as Keith Powell (seasons 1-4) *

Bonnie Milligan Bonnie Milligan is a musical theater performer and television actor, known for her "Belting (music), belting" style of singing and wide vocal range. In 2012, Milligan was described as "scene-stealing" in the the Flea Theater, Flea Theater's produ ...

as Katherine Witherbottom, Chantal's sister *

Connor Ratliff Connor Ratliff (born August 27, 1975) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his podcast '' Dead Eyes'', is the star and creator of the long running stage and streaming show ''The George Lucas Talk Show'', and is associated with Upri ...

as Ted, Chantal's sister Katherine's fiancé *

Catherine Lloyd Burns Catherine Lloyd Burns is an American actress and author. She is best known for her role as Caroline Miller, the title character's teacher in the television series ''Malcolm in the Middle''. Acting She has appeared in multiple television sho ...

as Linda Witherbottom, Chantal's mom *

Christine Taylor Christine Joan Taylor Stiller (born July 30, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for playing Marcia Brady in ''The Brady Bunch Movie'' and ''A Very Brady Sequel'', as well as roles in films like '' The Craft'', '' The Wedding Singer'', '' ...

as Gail, Dory's wealthy boss * Phoebe Tyers as April, Dory and Drew's neighbor (seasons 1-4) * Claire Tyers as June, April's twin sister (seasons 2–3) *

Tymberlee Hill Tymberlee Hill is an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles on comedy programs such as '' Marry Me'', ''Drunk History'', ''The Hotwives'', '' Search Party'' and '' Perfect Harmony''. Career Hill grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia ...

as Joy Hartman, a police detective (seasons 2–3) * Jennifer Kim as Agnes Cho (seasons 1–2) *

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has co- ...

as Mariel Davenport, Portia's mother (seasons 1–2, 4) * Rosie Perez as Lorraine De Coss (season 1) *

Parker Posey Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations. Posey made her film debu ...

as Brick (season 1) *

as Max (seasons 1–2) *

Kate Berlant Kate Elizabeth Méndez Berlant (born 1987) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Her stand-up comedy and improvisational work are often surrealist and absurdist. Early life Kate Elizabeth Méndez Berlant was born in Los Angeles in 1987 ...

as Nia Carpourtalas, Elliott's editor (seasons 1–2, 4) *

J. Smith-Cameron Jean Isabel Smith (born September 7, 1957), credited professionally as J. Smith-Cameron, is an American actress. She spent a majority of her career in theatre but began transitioning to film and television later in life. She is known for her suppo ...

as Mary Ferguson (seasons 2–3) * Judy Reyes as Deb, Keith's ex-wife (seasons 2–3) *

Jay Duplass Lawrence Jay Duplass (born March 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker, actor and author widely known for his films '' The Puffy Chair'' (2005), ''Cyrus'' (2010), and ''Jeff, Who Lives at Home'' (2011), made in collaboration with his younger brother, ...

as Elijah (seasons 2–3) *

Griffin Newman Griffin Newman (born February 19, 1989) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for starring as Arthur Everest in the Amazon Studios television series '' The Tick'', as the voice of Orko in the Netflix animated series '' Masters of the Un ...

as Gavin, Chantal's ex-boyfriend (seasons 1, 5) *

Michaela Watkins Michaela Suzanne Watkins (born December 14, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for starring on the Hulu series '' Casual'' and on the short-lived sitcoms '' The Unicorn'' and ''Trophy Wife'', as well as being a cast memb ...

as Polly Danzinger, a prosecutor in Drew's and Dory's murder trial (season 3) * Shalita Grant as Cassidy Diamond, Dory's rookie defense attorney (season 3) *

Louie Anderson Louis Perry Anderson (March 24, 1953 – January 21, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author and game show host. Anderson created the cartoon series '' Life with Louie'' and the television sitcom '' The Louie Show'', and wrote fou ...

as Bob Lunch, Drew's defense attorney (season 3) *

Chloe Fineman Chloe Rose Fineman (born July 20, 1988) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Fineman became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series '' Saturday Night Live'' starting in its 45th season in September 2019, and was promoted to r ...

as Charlie Reeny, Elliot's co-worker (seasons 3–4) *

Cole Escola Cole Escola (born November 25, 1986) is an American comedian, actor, and singer. They are best known for their cabaret work and their appearances on the television series '' Jeffery & Cole Casserole'' (2009–2010), ''Difficult People'' (2015– ...

as Chip Wreck, Dory's stalker (seasons 3–4) * Jim Santangeli as Garrett (season 3) *

Kathy Griffin Kathleen Mary Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American comedian and actress who has starred in television comedy specials and has released comedy albums. In 2007 and 2008, Griffin won Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality show '' Kathy ...

as Liquorice Montague (season 5) *

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. ...

as Tunnel Quinn, a billionaire tech mogul (season 5) * Larry Owens as Ritchie, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) *

Angela Trimbur Angela Denise Trimbur (born July 19, 1981) is an American actress, writer, dancer, choreographer, and former reality television participant. Personal life Trimbur was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on July 19, 1981. She attended Neshaminy H ...

as Elodie, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) * Greta Titelman as Leonore, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) * Michelle Badillo as Winnie, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) * Grace Kuhlenschmidt as Pepper, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) * Joe Castle Baker as Marty, an influencer and Dory's follower (season 5) *

Aparna Nancherla Aparna Nancherla (born August 22, 1982) is an American comedian and actress of Indian descent. She has appeared on '' Inside Amy Schumer'' and has written for ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' and '' Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell''. Nancherla ...

as Benny Balthazar, a doctor working in the Lyte pill's formula (season 5)

Guest stars

Judy Gold Judy Gold (born November 15, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster, television writer, author and producer. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work as a writer and producer on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Life and care ...

as Paulette Capuzzi (season 1) * Alysia Reiner as Trina, the main star of the crime drama Portia is a series regular in (season 1) *

Tunde Adebimpe Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe (born February 26, 1975) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, actor, director, and visual artist best known as the lead singer of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio. Early life Adebimpe was born into a Nig ...

as Edwin (season 1) *

Sunita Mani Sunita Mani (born December 13, 1986) is an American actress, dancer and comedian. She is best known for her television roles as Trenton in the USA Network drama ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2017) and Arthie Premkumar in the Netflix comedy '' GLOW'' (2 ...

as Pia (season 1) *

Jo Firestone Joanna Firestone (born December 8, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer. She played Sarah Conner on the television series '' Joe Pera Talks with You''. Biography Joanna Firestone was born in 1986 to Jewish parents Fred an ...

as Carla, rehab patient (season 2) *

Chelsea Peretti Chelsea Vanessa Peretti (born February 20, 1978) is an American comedian, actress, television writer, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for portraying Gina Linetti in the comedy series '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' and writing for '' Parks and ...

as Patsy Monahan (season 3) *

Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...

as William Badpastor (season 3) * Annette O'Toole as Diana Fontaine (season 3) *

Ann Dowd Ann Dowd (born January 30, 1956) is an American actress. She has played supporting roles in numerous films, including ''Green Card'' (1990), ''Lorenzo's Oil'' (1992), ''Philadelphia'' (1993), '' Garden State'' (2004), '' The Manchurian Candidate' ...

as Paula Jo Bridgewater (season 4) *

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

as Lylah (season 4) * Christopher McDonald as Bill (season 4) *

Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is kn ...

as Richard Wreck (season 4) *

Deborah Rush Deborah Rush (born April 10, 1954) is an American actress. She has worked in television, film and on Broadway. In 1984, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Michael Frayn's comedy ''Noise ...

as Gertrude (season 4) *

Busy Philipps Elizabeth Jean "Busy" Philipps (born June 25, 1979) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series '' Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), ''Dawson's Creek'' (2001–2003), ''Love, Inc.'' (2005–2006) and '' ER' ...

as Donna DiMarco (season 4) *

R. L. Stine Robert Lawrence Stine (; born October 8, 1943), sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor. Stine has been referred to as the "St ...

as himself (season 4) *

Lillias White Lillias White (born July 21, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is particularly known for her performances in Broadway musicals. In 1989 she won an Obie Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical ''Romance in Hard Times''. In ...

as Wilma (season 4) *

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

as Sheffield (season 5) *

Rosemary Harris Rosemary Ann Harris (born 19 September 1927) is an English actress. She is the recipient of such accolades as a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In ...

as Beatrice Hamsdale (season 5) *

Julio Torres Julio Torres (born February 11, 1987) is a Salvadoran writer, comedian, and actor. He is best known as a writer for ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO series '' Los Espookys''. He previously ...

as Quique (season 5)

Episodes

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2017)

Season 3 (2020)

Season 4 (2021)

Season 5 (2022)

Production

In June 2015, it was announced

, John Early, John Reynolds, and

had all been cast in the pilot, with Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers directing and writing alongside

, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernandez, John Skidmore, Brittany Segal serving as executive producers and producers respectively. In November 2015, TBS ordered the series. and the second season premiered on November 19, 2017. In April 2018, a third season was ordered, however in October 2019 it was announced the series would move to

, where the third season would premiere at the service's Spring 2020 launch. A fourth season was also ordered, which premiered in 2021. On February 9, 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a fifth season. On November 9, 2021, the fifth season was given a premiere date of January 7, 2022, revealed to be its last.

Filming

The shooting of the first season began in the summer of 2015 in New York. For the filming of the second season the production returned to New York. Filming for season 3 began in September 2018 and wrapped that November. Production on Season 4 began in December 2019 and wrapped in late February 2020.

Themes

While the show is a dark comedy, ''Search Party'' has undergone various shifts of tone and genres in each season. The first season is a mystery, revolving around the disappearance of Chantal Witherbottom and the story nods to classic detective stories such as

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories The ''Nancy Drew Mystery Stories'' is the long-running "main" series of the ''Nancy Drew'' franchise, which was published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. There are 175 novels — plus 34 revised stories — that were published between 1930 and ...

, as underlined by the promotional art designed by Sam Hadley. It also includes comedy-drama elements, since the mystery plot is echoed by Dory's search for meaning and purpose. The creator Charles Rogers stated that the show explores "what it means to be "a good person"" and "the difference between wanting to be seen as a good person and being an actual one". The first three seasons also have a running theme around the toxic nature of deception, both deceiving others and

self-deception Self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument. Self-deception involves convincing oneself of a truth (or lack of truth) so that one does not rev ...

. ''

Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic Desautez is de ...

'' labeled the first series as an existential quest. According to Charles Rogers, the title highlights this multiplicity:

We wanted a title that conveys this blend of comedy and drama, but all our propositions were incongruous or far-fetched. Until we figured out that the most simple phrase used to talk about organized searches when a person's missing, "search party", was perfect : "search" represents mystery and "party" is the fun part. The heroes of the show don't really know what they're doing. For them, it's a light and entertaining thing. They shouldn't get involved in such detective work...

The second season features psychological thriller elements, as underlined by the Alfred Hitchcock-inspired promotional art. Alia Shawkat asserted that the main theme of the season is "Hitchcock's paranoia". Dory and Drew's trial in the third series introduces a "courtroom drama" narrative, influenced by the works of

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the Ame ...

. Charles Rogers stated that the legal plot was inspired by the real-life trial of

Amanda Knox Amanda Marie Knox (born July 9, 1987) is an American author, activist, and journalist. She spent almost four years in an Italian prison following her wrongful conviction for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, a fellow exchange student with ...

, who was convicted of murder in 2007. Moreover, the satire is mostly focused on fame and the media, with Rogers referencing the satirical crime film ''

The Bling Ring ''The Bling Ring'' is a 2013 crime film written and directed by Sofia Coppola featuring an ensemble cast led by Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, and Claire Julien. It is based on the 2010 ''Vanity Fair'' article "T ...

'' and the cult dark comedy film ''

To Die For ''To Die For'' is a 1995 satirical black comedy film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Buck Henry based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard, which in turn was inspired by the story of Pamela Smart. It stars Nicole Kidman, Joa ...

'', whose postmodern style is echoed throughout the season thanks to the inclusion of fictional true-crime shows and interviews of the main characters. The fourth season was described by Sarah-Violet Bliss as "being the kind of 'captive' genre" and drew comparisons to '' Misery''. Critics described the fifth season as surreal science fiction and zombie horror.

Reception

The first season received positive reviews from television critics. ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that it was "tightly made and effective on multiple levels". ''GQ'' wrote that it is "a flawless oddity, a once-in-a-lifetime piece of art. It's not the weekend's best show, it's the year's best." It holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus reads "''Search Party'' is an engaging, weird, dark, funny mystery elevated by exceptional performances throughout." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the season holds a rating of 81 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". The second season of ''Search Party'' received positive reviews from television critics. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus reads "With a never-better Alia Shawkat in the lead, ''Search Partys second season delves deeper into the deliciously dark dramedy that makes the show so addictively entertaining." On

, the season holds a rating of 78 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The third season of ''Search Party'' received positive reviews from television critics. It holds a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus reads "''Search Party'''s third season changes the satirical scenery without losing any of its bite, while giving its capable cast plenty of moments to shine." On

, the season holds a rating of 78 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

References

External links

Search Party
on

*
Official screenplay of the season 3 finale
{{TBSNetwork Shows 2016 American television series debuts 2022 American television series endings English-language television shows TBS (American TV channel) original programming HBO Max original programming Television series about missing people Television series by Studio T Television shows set in New York City