“But you told the truth, and the truth set you free…” Search Party debuted as a dark and provocative mystery and, even though each season has subscribed to that model, the show has evolved and become radically different each year. It’s not unusual for plot-heavy series to play chicken with their narrative in this way, but Search Party triumphs through each step of the progressively dark path that Dory heads down. Search Party season 3 actively had the audience question if Dory is even a good person and if she deserves freedom for the lives that she took. Dory’s subtle transformation (and Alia Shawkat’s phenomenal performance) and the tension that it creates in the audience are Search Party’s greatest magic tricks. Search Party season 4 once more reinvents itself, but with a cyclical nature that inherently brings everything back to the beginning. Dory is the priority in Search Party, but every season has shown her entire group of friends in various levels of flux where they’re left to question not only their friendship, but also themselves. Characters have had to confront who they truly are over the course of the first three seasons, but this year forces everyone into inauthentic roles that challenge them in deeper ways than ever before. Dory is trapped in an actual Stockholm syndrome hostage situation, but Portia, Elliott, and Drew suffer comparable identity crises where they must hide behind facades that begin to feel normal. The previous seasons have had everyone panicking over the future, but now there’s a new tension that’s formed from how these characters are lulled into a false sense of normalcy. They don’t even know that there’s a problem to solve. Search Party is still a wickedly funny show that knows exactly when to shift from one extreme to another, but this season really ramps up the suspense as Dory finds herself in actual danger. There are moments this season—many of them—that are genuinely scary and Search Party allows itself to veer into horror territory more than ever before, but in a way that feels natural with the increasing nihilism that’s infected the black comedy. There’s psychotic behavior and disturbing set pieces in this season that people would be talking about for years if they happened in a David Fincher film. A more suspenseful score as well as stylized lighting and camera angles all reflect this newfound intensity. There are also nods to A Clockwork Orange, Silence of the Lambs, and Psycho, which are all major influences on this season. Search Party does an excellent job with the pacing of this tense plot and how big certain moments become. There are a few instances where the story verges on implausibility, but it never ruins the illusion or insults the intelligence of the audience. It’s a very patient season. If Search Party’s last season explored the danger around “cult of personality” figures and how true crime monsters can be deified, then this season examines the level of obsession that can grow out of the opposite party. Dory becomes a victim, but her past behavior unintentionally gives Cole Escola’s Chip (a.k.a. “The Twink”) vindication and helps him reach this unstable place. Before this season I would have said that it’s impossible to imagine Escola tap into the kind of energy that Kathy Bates channels in Misery, but they reach a terrifying place here. It’s a role that would be so easy to go over the top with or reduce to a caricature, but Escola makes sure that Chip remains unpredictable and frightening, yet also vulnerable in an unsettling way. So much of this season comes down to Chip’s bond with Dory and this turns into a phenomenal showcase for Shawkat. She’s routinely done her best work in this show, but in this season she sets a new standard. Dory gets dragged through an avalanche of emotions while in Chip’s care and Shawkat rises to the occasion while she navigates through this nuanced role. There is so much that she needs to convey and the scenes between Chip and Dory grow more electric and uncomfortable as the season continues. Everyone’s antics this season also only confirm how Search Party is truly the perfect viewing for anyone in their early thirties. I’m still astounded by the clarity and authenticity that’s reached in the malaise and free floating fear of Dory and company as they attempt to figure out what they want out of life and determine where they belong. This season asks difficult questions and it’s just as much about the fragility of Gen Yers and Millennials as it is a comedy about a kidnapping. Search Party proves that Dory entertains dark and bad impulses, but it also highlights how maybe that’s kind of normal. She’s exhibited serious doubts about herself and this season doesn’t just acknowledge this, but it argues that everyone is flawed and vulnerable to a comparable degree. Doesn’t receiving enjoyment out of Dory’s poor decisions as she digs herself deeper into this mess also reflect a similar level of malfunction? These new Search Party episodes painstakingly explore this difficult road to acceptance and recovery. This season tackles the pain that consumes people and searches for a way to live with it, accept it, and heal, rather than hide away in delusion.
