Search Party is an American dark comedy television series created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter. Primarily set in New York City, 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 first season premiered on TBS on November 21, 2016, and the second season premiered on November 19, 2017. After being renewed for a third season in 2018, it was announced the series would be moving to WarnerMedia’s HBO Max streaming service. The third season premiered on June 25, 2020. A fourth season has also been ordered.
Plot
Search Party depicts the lives of New York City 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 she 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.
Cast and characters
Main
Alia Shawkat as Dory Sief: A lifelong doormat, who is stuck as the personal assistant to a rich housewife and deeply unfulfilled by her stale relationship. When her college acquaintance Chantal goes missing, she makes it her personal mission to find her—and she brings her friends with her.
John Reynolds as Drew Gardner: A sweet, spoon-fed doofus, who has spent his whole life a little too sheltered, Drew must grow a spine if he wants to help Dory solve the mystery of Chantal's disappearance and save their deteriorating relationship.
John Early as Elliott Goss: Gay and hipper than thou, Elliott is a self-diagnosed narcissist, who still finds it in his heart to help find Chantal. Adept at manipulating those around him, he is particularly good at detective work.
Meredith Hagner as Portia Davenport: A flighty, bubbly actress, Portia is swept up in the thrill of helping solve the mystery. Her desperate need for the spotlight makes her excellent at chatting up suspects and getting information – even if by accident.
In June 2015, it was announced Alia Shawkat, John Early, John Reynolds, and Meredith Hagner had all been cast in the pilot, with Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers directing and writing alongside Michael Showalter, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernadez, John Skidmore, Brittany Segal serving as executive producers and producers respectively. In November 2015, TBS ordered the series. In April 2018, a third season was ordered, however in October 2019 it was announced the series would move to HBO Max, where the third season would premiere at the service’s Spring 2020 launch. A fourth season was also ordered.
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.
Search Party received critical acclaim. The first season received positive reviews from television critics. It holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads "Search Party is an engaging, weird, dark, funny mystery elevated by exceptional performances throughout." On Metacritic, the season holds a rating of 81 out of 100, based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". 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." The second season of Search Party received positive reviews from television critics. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.79/10. The site's critical consensus reads "With a never-better Alia Shawkat in the lead, Search Party's second season delves deeper into the deliciously dark dramedy that makes the show so addictively entertaining." On Metacritic, the season holds a rating of 78 out of 100, based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The third season of Search Party received positive reviews from television critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.69/10. On Metacritic, the season holds a rating of 78 out of 100, based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
