Search Party- Season 4

 

5/10

NOTE: This review doesn't contain spoilers, but it could spoil the end of season 3 if you haven't seen it yet.

Dory (Alia Shawkat) is kidnapped by a psycho named Chip (Cole Escola). Meanwhile, the the rest of the gang try to move in on from the events of last season.

I really liked the last three seasons, but this was a huge let down. This show has always been a dark comedy, but this one went toooo dark. In the previous seasons, the reeeaaaalllyy dark moments were few and far between padded by the wackier comedy elements. This is episode after episode of a woman trying to escape or at the mercy of a very sick person. Sure, Dory has done some pretty awful stuff and you could say she's deserving of a punishment, but this shouldn't have been it. The situation is too much and uncomfortable and not in a fun way. Rather, it feels actual drama dark and not over-the-top comedy dark. Also, it's kind of boring. Dory's story is really stretched out. 

It doesn't help that there are a lot of leaps in real world logic in order to help Chip keep doing what he's doing. I know the comedy in this can be a bit exaggerated in it's humor, but this season in general really felt like it's pushing things.

Chip feels like a mistake. Escola does a good job and he is a fully realized character, but he isn't deserving of so much screentime. There isn't enough about him to be entertaining. He has specific issues and personal demons and they're repeated one too many times. Besides, it isn't very entertaining watching a character who's legit the-writers-don't-pull-their-punches sick.

This is too bad, the rest of the main cast's storylines are funny and provide new material for them, plus there there is a hell of a final episode.

In Elliott's storyline, SNL's Chloe Fineman continues to do a great job as shameless conservative TV host Charlie Reeney. Unfortunately, she isn't in this too much. I won't spoil who she is or what she's doing since they keep her out of any of the advertising, but Rebecca Robles also has a very fun recurring part.

Yeah, I can't recommend this season. Some may argue that I'm silly for complaining about a dark comedy being dark. But everything has it's limitations and this show just flew too close to the sun.