Plot Synopsis

SEARCH PARTY is a dark comedy series about four self-absorbed 20-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance, poet Chantal Witherbottom, suddenly disappears, causing them to form a search party. The series opens when Dory discovers that Chantal has gone missing, so she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened -- even though boyfriend Drew and friends Elliott and Portia could not care less. But after the crew makes waves at Chantal's vigil, where Dory is intent on telling the parents that she thinks she saw their daughter, they join forces, even hosting the dinner party from Hell when Dory and Drew invite Portia and Chantal's intense ex-boyfriend over in an effort to get some answers out of him. Dory is a lifelong door-mat who is stuck as the personal assistant to a rich housewife and deeply unfulfilled by her stale relationship. Now she makes it her personal mission to find Chantal -- and bring her friends with her. Her boyfriend, Drew, is a sweet, spoon-fed doofus who has spent his whole life a little too sheltered. He must grow a spine if he wants to help Dory solve the mystery of Chantal's disappearance and save their deteriorating relationship. Dory also gets her two friends to join her: the gay-and-hipper-than-thou Elliott, a self-diagnosed narcissist, who is adept at manipulating those around him, making him particularly good at detective work; and the flighty, bubbly actress Portia, whose desperate need for the spotlight makes her excellent at chatting up suspects and getting information -- even if by accident. Plus, there's Julian, Dory's journalist ex-boyfriend, who seeks the truth -- no matter who it hurts. On Monday November, 21, 2016, TBS launched SEARCH PARTY by showing all 10 episodes of the first season during the week of Thanksgiving -- Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25 -- with two episodes airing back-to-back each night at 11pm ET/PT.

Season 2 of SEARCH PARTY premiered Sunday, November 19, 2017 from 10-11pm ET/PT, as TBS debuted back-to-back new episodes. In the season opener (10pm), "Murder!," after finding the not-so-missing Chantal and killing the not-so-villainous Keith, the gang is faced with the horrifying task of trying to bury a body before the sun comes up. Then in the night's second new episode (10:30pm), "Conspiracy," the gang goes on a mission to cover up Keith's semi-accidental murder and return Chantal to her family, with just a few major roadblocks along the way. Subsequent Season 2 episodes debut on Sundays through December 17 from 10-11pm ET/PT, with back-to-back new episodes each week. Season 2 guest stars include: Jay Duplass, Phoebe Robinson, Judy Reyes, Jessica Chaffin, Michelle Sohn, Jeffery Self, Edward Hibbert, Adrienne C. Moore, J. Smith Cameron, Tymberlee Hill, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Jennifer Kim, Shunori Ramanathan and George Kareman. In addition, the new season features the return of recurring guest stars Christine Ebersole as Mariel Davenporte, Christine Taylor as Gail, Clare McNulty as Chantal and executive producer Michael Showalter as Max.

For its 10-episode third season, SEARCH PARTY moved to HBO Max, where the entire season debuted on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Season 3 finds the gang swept up in the trial of the century after Dory and Drew are charged for the semi-accidental murder of a private investigator. As Elliott and Portia grapple with whether or not to testify as witnesses, the friends are pitted against each other and thrust into the national spotlight. Dory's sanity begins to fracture, and it becomes increasingly clear that the group may not have brunch together again for quite some time.

Season 4 of SEARCH PARTY dropped on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT on HBO Max, as the streaming service released the first three episodes of the new season. Three more new episodes debut on Thursday, January 21 and the last four episodes of the season on Thursday, January 28. In the fourth season, Dory is held prisoner by her psychotic stalker Chip, who is determined to make Dory believe that they are best friends. Meanwhile, Portia is starring in a film about the trial, although not as herself; Elliott has switched party lines to become a far-right conservative talk show host; and Drew is trying to escape his dark past by working as a costumed cast member in a theme park. As the friends begin to connect the dots that Dory might not be touring Europe as her faked social media suggests, they must decide whether to put their traumatic pasts behind them and once again become a search party -- but this time, for Dory. Season 4 guest stars include Susan Sarandon, Busy Philipps, Ann Dowd, Griffin Dunne, and Lillias White. R.L. Stine makes a cameo appearance.
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The entire 10-episode fifth and final season of SEARCH PARTY dropped on Friday, January 7, 2022 on HBO Max. In the new season, Dory enters a very public business partnership with charismatic tech billionaire Tunnel Quinn on the other side of her near-death experience. Dory folds her old friends Portia, Elliott and Drew into the venture as they embark on an altruistic but terrifying journey.