Haiku and Review: Search Party, Season 5

Well, it took me a while to finally catch up to the final season of Search Party. Initially I wanted to see one a week, to dole out these precious episodes because there would be no more, but I have to admit, my forced metering soon became an unforced metering.

My biggest complaint of the season: even though by the end of the show, we are literally talking about the end of the world as we know it, the emotional stakes between the characters couldn’t have been less compelling. Also, there was a curious lack of humor — if not for John Early’s usual brilliance, this season could’ve been purely a drama. And as a drama, well, no. I don’t watch Search Party for drama.

The second and third seasons of this show were the best — the second for dealing with the consequences of the murder, and the third for its comedy. Shalita Grant‘s lawyer character, Cassidy, in the third season was the sixth-man MVP (in basketball parlance) — just thinking about her still makes me laugh:

So if that snippet makes you as happy as it does me, then I’d urge you to watch the first two seasons, and then watch the third just so you can get to this part of the episode. Yeah, it’s that worth it.

I actually enjoyed the fourth season, mostly for the breakout performance of Cole Escola; there’s also a scene revolving around a roundabout (pun intended!) that might be the show operating at its comedic peak.

Anyway, even though the fifth and final season was a letdown, it wasn’t enough of a letdown for me to not write a little haiku for each episode (and two for the last episode ever!). So here they are. All in all, I’m thankful this show existed — I’d never seen John Reynolds, Meredith Hagner, or John Early before Search Party, and now I’m a fan for life.

S05E01
Drew seizes the day.
El and Jeff, baby daddies.
Dory, savior.

S05E02
Dory’s great escape.
Drew and Portia, echoing.
Murderous laughter.

S05E03
D and D, again.
To the “center” of the “Earth.”
A Tunnel’s vision.

S05E04
Portia’s Dory drink.
Very Lyte influencers.
Dory sees the blood.

S05E05
Brunch and the sultan.
Undercover Elliott.
Blue enlightened beans.

S05E06
Colorful foreheads.
Dr. Carpet finds beetles.
Poisons everywhere.

S05E07
Virgin hostage Drew.
Is Elliott hideous?
To Acapulco.

S05E08
Saved by the manhole.
They all take turns with Dory.
Jellybeans of…joy?

S05E09
The Walking Party.
Slowest go-kart in the world.
Dory delivers.

S05E10

Zombies take Brooklyn.
Brain dead Portia, just leggy.
Flame throwing Chantel.

Portia sings the sun.
Dory and Drew tie the knot.
Wall of the missing.

Haiku: Search Party, Season 4, Episodes 7-10

Season 4 – Episode 7 – “The Infinite Loop” /
Lylah, in the flesh. /
The rotary to nowhere. /
Dory trunked, again. /

Season 4 – Episode 8 – “The Imposter”/
Dining with dead scribes. /
Chantal’s tripping, killing book. /
A sticky applause. /

Season 4 – Episode 9 – “The Inferno” /
When you know, you know. /
The lost generation gang. /
It will end in fire. /

Season 4 – Episode 10 – “The Shadows” /
The gang’s eulogies. /
Four Dorys, now at peace…then /
she saw everything.

Haiku: Search Party, Season 4, Episodes 4-6

Season 4, Episode 4: Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

Portia’s earnest act.
Dory and Paula, captives.
Search party gang – go!

Season 4, Episode 5: Doctor Mindbender

Reprogrammed Dory.
The truthy diorama.
Don’t ride with strangers.

Season 4, Episode 6: The Thoughtless Woman

Lylah, Stephanie.
Touring Sticky’s, arm in arm.
Rude selfie with Marc.

Haiku: Search Party, Season 4, Episodes 1-3

Season 4, Episode 1: The Girl in the Basement

Dory in a trunk
Dory back at “home”, with Chip
The gang’s drunk kisses.

Season 4, Episode 2: Something Sharp

Portia playing Portia
Elliott flipping to Red
Andrew, tall white guy.

Season 4, Episode 3: Escape to Nowhere

Dory’s great escape
from window to car to Chip
Andrew back to Drew.

Dream: Search Party

Ever have a dream you wish would never end?  That’s what I experienced last night, when I was at some kind of a party with the actors of Search Party.

Search Party, if you didn’t know, is a TV show about to start its fourth season.  I came to it very late, but a few weeks ago I got caught up.  And because of the new season, the show’s been on my mind quite a bit.  It’s one of the funniest shows out there, though as the seasons have gone on, the comedy has had company with a bit of the macabre.  Which sometimes makes it even funnier?  Anyway, I adore it, and I wish more people would see it.

I guess the dream took place at a restaurant, though I’m not really sure.  All I know is that Dory, played by Alia Shawkat, was the one I spoke to first, and we sat down at a table.  I told her how much I loved the show, and she gracefully accepted my praise with total sincerity, so this is more like the first-season Dory.  Then Drew, played by John Reynolds, moped in – and he looked tired and didn’t look like he wanted to talk to anyone.  Then Elliott, played by John Early, sat right down, and every time I tried to say something, he’d talk right over me!  Initially this frustrated me greatly, but then I realized he was just being Elliott and then I was okay.  And now here’s the strange part – Portia, played by Meredith Hagner, was not there and instead it was Anna Chlumsky, looking very much like her intense, brittle Veep character.  Now Portia is my favorite character on Search Party so I just couldn’t quite understand why this was happening – like I knew I was dreaming and wanted Portia there, but no, I couldn’t make her appear.

And then we were all in a different restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and everyone had a proper dish in front of them except for Drew, who had like a Lean Cuisine-type of meal, except it was way bigger, black and white, and had the insignia of the restaurant, so I guess it was more like a pre-packaged meal that they sold?

I’ll never know, as I woke up then (but not before Drew, hangdog as ever, let out a massive sigh of disappointment).  But wow, it was so nice hanging out with my favorite foursome (even though Portia wasn’t there, she was, in spirit!).