It takes a lot to surprise TV fans these days, but Search Party is a great binge-watch that is shocking, strange, and creative. So far in 2026, thriller fans have already enjoyed the twists and turns of Netflix’s miniseries His & Hers, which premiered on Jan. 8th, 2026. March will see the premiere of Scarpetta on Prime Video, a TV adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s book series that stars Nicole Kidman as a forensic pathologist. And there will no doubt be countless other exciting series about disappearances, quaint towns, and mysteries that unravel one episode at a time.
But, in the meantime, whether you’re looking for a show to pass the time during a huge snowstorm, a quiet weekend at home, or a weeknight evening, you can’t go wrong with Search Party. While a miniseries can be fun, and plenty tell succinct and smart stories, it’s nice to become invested in a TV series that has several seasons.
‘Search Party’ Is an Underrated Thriller That Gets Weirder (And Better) With Every Season
While there are a lot of underrated thriller TV shows, Search Party just might be the most unique. Search Party aired for five compelling seasons from 2016 to 2022 and moved networks halfway through. After Season 1 and 2 aired on TBS, Season 3, 4, and 5 streamed on HBO Max.
The best thrillers for a weekend binge need an interesting premise and smart characters, and they can’t just rehash the same old storylines and settings. Since Search Party has a total of five seasons and 50 episodes, it’s a bit of a longer binge, and it can’t be compared to anything else. Yes, it starts with a missing character, but there’s so much more going on here.
The best thing about Search Party is how little seasons 2 through 5 resemble the initial premise. When you first tune in, you think you’re getting a mystery about Dory Sief’s (Alia Skawkat) attempts to find Chantal Witherbottom (Clare McNulty), an old classmate who goes missing. It’s definitely best to know nothing about what happens after that, but the mystery deepens, and the show becomes even more intense. Just when you think things can’t get any odder, they do, and it’s honestly impressive.
Search Party‘s tone moves from light-hearted to bleak and scary, depending on the season (or, sometimes, on the scene). It has elements of comedy and horror stories, and at times, it’s one of the darkest shows on HBO Max. Episodes explore big themes like death, trauma, fame, spirituality, and becoming an adult, and Search Party Season 5 has a particularly intriguing premise that finds the characters rethinking what they know about each other and the world around them.
Along with enjoying the wild nature of the show’s storylines, it’s hard not to become immersed in vibrant characters like Dory’s friends Elliot Goss (John Early) and Portia Davenport (Meredith Hagner). While her boyfriend, Drew Gardner (John Reynolds), plays a big role in every season, Elliot and Portia are much more memorable because they’re so hilarious. Despite the chaos going on around them, they love life and embrace fun whenever they can.
Search Party is just as much fun as the popular Netflix thriller series You, but with more relatable main characters. Sure, viewers definitely won’t agree with a lot of the decisions that Dory and her friends make, but that just means that watching them is never boring. By the end of the series, it’s clear they just want to be loved and happy. We can all relate to that, right? And even though the show has a new storyline each season, it’s still ultimately a coming-of-age tale.
If Search Party sounds fascinating, there’s good news: Seasons 1 through 5 will be added to Netflix on Feb. 5th, 2026. So, along with the other great new releases coming to Netflix next month, like The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4, add Search Party to the list and get lost in Dory’s world.
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2022-00-00
- Network
-
TBS, HBO Max
- Writers
-
Starlee Kine, Matt Kriete, Andrew Pierce Fleming, Christina Lee, Anthony King, Jordan Firstman, Craig Rowin, Sabrina Jalees
Source: EW.com
Source link
Add Comment