Get excited, all you social media armchair detectives... Your favorite lovably self-absorbed band of sleuths is back! If you're anything like me, Search Party had you riveted in Season One. Since then, you've probably been waiting to see what becomes of Dory and the gang. The wait is over because Search Party is returning for Season Two!
If you've seen the show, you know how well it lampoons the ridiculous cultural pretensions of the Instagram generation. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Brooklyn, the first season follows 20-something Dory as she takes her blasé yet hilarious friends on a madcap hunt for a college acquaintance who's seemingly disappeared without a trace.
With little more than social media, a little elbow grease, and the help of a scrubby detective named Keith, Dory navigates the landscape of modern-day Brooklyn, complete with trendy brunch eateries, urban rustic communes, and blog slam pieces. And though the situations are heightened and always unexpected, this show often leaves you thinking — "This is my life."
We can look forward to the next chapter of this story becoming even more of a psychological thriller, but it'll definitely still serve us that same smart satire we loved from Season One. In celebration of the return of Search Party, we're counting down all the times that this Zeitgeist-y mystery very much spoke our truths. Read on below, and catch up for TBS' Search Party, which returns 11.19. Binge Season One now!
1. Dory Needing Something More Than Her Unfulfilling Job
We've all had that one starting-out job that's so crappy it's almost hilarious. When we first meet Dory, she's in one of those situations. Working as a personal assistant to a rich married woman named Gail with a million-dollar seltzer idea, her main task is packing up Gail's extremely expensive clothing to send to a thrift store. (So you could argue that it's kinda charity?) And while she might not know what she wants to do with her life, it's definitely not this. Honey, we've all been there. Some of us cope by hitting up happy hours with our friends. Others, like Dory, look for a mystery to solve.
2. The Nice Guy BF
Odds are, you've probably had one relationship that you feel trapped in. For Dory, that's the one with her ukelele-playing boyfriend Drew, who calls her babe in that perfect semi-guttural way ("behb, behb..."). If you start swiping on Bedford Ave, odds are you'd find plenty of "nice-guys" who look just like Drew. And sure — the setup isn't giving her what she needs. Sure, her journalist ex Julian presents a seemingly great alternative to Drew. However, as we get to know him, Drew does ultimately have a redeeming personality and moral compass. Plus, their lives are too intertwined to even consider the work of breaking up with him. Ah, the compromises we make to not die alone!
3. Her Relatable Yet Self-Absorbed Struggling Creative Friends
Living in Brooklyn these days, it feels like you can't infuse Stevia into your cold brew without bumping into a multi-hyphenate trying to build a brand. Enter, Dory's friends! As a self-described stylist-designer-actor-aspiring curator who still finds time to do charity work, Elliott is the kind of person you'd end up meeting at a party in Greenpoint. Then there's Portia, an actress who's enthusiastic about everything, most importantly herself; the type you meet in an improv class. And while you might roll your eyes at these people, you might also be one of them. May he who doesn't aspire to get paid for expressing their special snowflake creativity cast the first stone!
4. The Hilariously Disingenuous Way People Treat Tragedy
When something terrible happens to a town or a community, people have an amazing, jaw-dropping talent for getting things wrong. Especially in the age of going viral, people always seem to make a tragedy about them. Or, of course, to pay tribute in a totally bonkers way. When Dory reveals Chantal's disappearance to Elliott, and he reacts coolly in person, only to tweet later, "Sad news about a sweet girl!" Let's not forget the #IAmChantal hashtag, and the unforgettable scene that is Chantal's vigil. It's just... a lot.
5. The Utility Of Smartphone Detective Work
With the ability to track the whereabouts of our friends on social media, we millennials are constantly able to figure out whether people are hanging out without us. We see Dory and friends using these tools for the greater good. At the beginning of their search for Chantal, they take to Instagram and find out a multitude of helpful clues. If only Sherlock Holmes had a passcode and his iPhone at his disposal, certain mysteries probably would have been solved in a heartbeat.
6. The Impulse To Trust People You Probably Shouldn't
We've all felt compelled to trust questionable people from time to time. And though common sense might identify Dory's P.I. cohort Keith as someone to avoid — he had been tailing her for days prior to their first meeting, after all — you can't blame her for being slightly curious about him. He seems to be one of the only people who understands her dedication to finding Chantal. However, as we see when she gets too close, he might not exactly be the sensitive, smart partner-in-crime she initially took him for. (Also known as every guy I've ever dated.)
7. Dory's Internal Questioning Whether She's Been The Crazy One All Along
If you're an observant person like Dory, you notice the tiny little insane things happening around you every day. The world is a bizarre place! But with all this bonkers activity happening around her — from the random disappearance of an acquaintance, to the pregnancy cult — the fact that nobody else is clocking the absurdity is straight up alarming. It's enough to make you throw up your hands and ask, "Wait, am I the crazy one?!" Dory's experience of this is all too real. Welcome to life in 2017, folks! It's a non-stop circus.
This article is sponsored by TBS' Search Party, returning 11.19. Binge the entire first season, commercial free with no sign-in, on the TBS app.
