Search Party is a rare find!
I’d go as far to say it’s created its own genre and brought audiences into an unfamiliar viewing experience that breaks the Hollywood mold.
It’s part mystery, part satirical commentary on the hideous selfishness of hipster millennials, a comedy, a deep dive into the mind of a young women Dory Slef (Alia Shawkat) descent from a quirky young woman trying to make it in New York, into a sinister killer that due to very good writing somehow remains a likeable character throughout the whole series, even when her journey towards insanity seems inevitable in the later seasons.
Unlike Dory, her three main co-stars who portray her best friends Elliot Goss (John Early) and Portia Davenport (Meredith Hagner) and boyfriend Drew Garnder (John Reynolds), are designed to be unlikeable and we are meant to hate their vapid shallow personalities from the get go.
The show is a journey for each character to find redemption and become humble as life whacks them over the head with chaos as they all slowly descend into madness and struggle to maintain normality.
Each season of the series follows its own very distinct arc which are too seamless in their progression to just have been made up as each season rolled around. The show is one cliff hanger after another, cleverly woven together to depict the foursomes adventure which begin when they find out their college friend Chantal Witherbottom (Clare Mcnulty) who in reality, they never really gave the time of day when they knew each other, is discovered by Dory to be an official missing person.
The series launches from this point as Dory makes it her personal mission to find Chantal, dragging her three sidekicks into her investigation and as a series of unfortunate events unfold, her mission brings with it many strange, and unforeseen hurdles involving cults, murder, dead bodies, court cases, media frenzies, sassy lawyers, jail, stalkers, kidnappings, and each character's battle within themselves as their lives unravel.
Despite all of the above, oddly, I'd describe ‘Search Party’ as a comedy above anything else. Each character fits a mold of a selfish 20 somethings stereotype we’ve probably all met before, and watching them battle with the chaos their lives throw at them is half the intrigue and more than anything the humour of the show.
After watching all four seasons of the series it becomes apparent that the endless barrage of dangerous, traumatic, aggressive, heart breaking, brainwashing, misdemeanor and extremely illegal situations that the foursome experience, it reveals that each character's arc over the series is teaching them to be humble, and to look outside of their own bubble and wake up to the world that exists outside of their own egos.
What started as kitschy stereotypes of a hipster feminist, the bitchy rich white gay guy, the melodramatic vocal fry actress and the nerdy doting boyfriend who collectively make you want to facilitate a quadruple slap simultaneously to vent your frustration at their blatant annoyingness, slowly, I developed a deep affection for these four people, who through their shared experiences and traumas as a friendship group, each character learns to think beyond themselves and demonstrate how deep friendship love can really be and the beauty of loving without conditions.
‘Search Party’ is not only a riveting story that is superbly written, but it also is very adept at using camera angles, depictions of the characters inner thoughts and artistic visuals to take us into its characters minds and make us understand their psyche’s and in some way, make their heinous behaviour seem logical and relatable.
In these moments we connect with the characters on an empathetic level which is how the writers draw the audience closer to their leads, as although ostensibly becoming dangerous criminals, somehow the characters become more and more likeable as the show progresses.
This show is a work of art. Its character development is obviously very well thought out, the storylines are riveting, insane, and so far out of the realm of expectation that four seasons in and it has not disappointed or floundered in its quality throughout.
If I was to tell you more, than I'd be giving the whole show away, and of course I do not want to ruin it for anyone who might watch it after this recommendation. But for anyone that does give it a go, season four will blow your mind! Just wow.
‘Search Party’ is by far some of the best tv I've come across in years. Highly recommend.
Enjoy and say goodbye to your social life for a few weeks.
Disclaimer – Search Party may cause extreme binge watching and TV addiction. Viewers discretion advised.
10/10
Review by Mel Nicolosi
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