"Search Party" Has Officially Been Renewed for Season Five

Thank goodness.

Those of you who have finished watching Search Party Season 4 would know that the ending was pretty damn wild. 

We don't want to spoil anything for people who aren't quite up-to-date, but if the season finale had you yelling at your television in frustration, we certainly wouldn't blame you (this writer is guilty).

If you're not entirely familiar with the devilishly satircal show, it follows a group of four privileged, self-absorbed twenty-somethings who unwittingly become involved in a death and are forced to cover it up.

Of course, the show has evolved a lot from its first season, and our favourite group of millennials Dory (Alia Shawkat), Drew (John Reynolds), Portia (Meredith Hagner) and Elliott (John Early) have experienced, uh, some personal growth.

*Spoilers for Season 4 of Search Party below.*

Okay, we're about to delve into serious spoiler territory, so let this be your final warning if you haven't watched S4 yet.

Still with us? Great. 

To quickly recap, Season 4 centres on Dory, who is being held prisoner by her psychotic stalker Chip (Cole Escola) at his aunt Lylah's (Susan Sarandon) house in the small town of Babyfoot. He's determined to make Dory believe that they are BFFs by holding her captive and, well, torturing her. (Side note: This isn't the best way to make friends.)

Meanwhile, Portia has been cast in a film about the gang's murder trial, except she's set to play the role of Dory. 

On top of that, Elliott has switched party lines to become a far-right conservative talk show host, while Drew is trying to escape his past by working as a costumed cast member in a theme park.

However, the friends eventually begin to connect the dots that Dory might not be touring Europe as her faked social media posts suggest, so they decide to search for her.

At the end of the season, Chip and his aunt Lylah left Dory locked in the basement as the house burned down. In the final episode, we saw Drew, Portia and Elliott saying their goodbyes at Dory's funeral. 

Except, in the very last moments of the episode, Dory wakes up in an ambulance and claims that she died and "saw everything."

Just finished Season 4 of Search Party and boy what a wild and great season it was

— Adam Feldman (@FeldmanAdam) February 4, 2021

*End of spoilers.*

Season 4 was also filled with some hilarious guest appearances from Busy Philipps (Busy Tonight), and Emmy-winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale). 

Given the intense season finale, it's only natural that viewers have been stressing over whether the show would be renewed for another season.

stared at my computer for a full 2 minutes, immobile, jaw on the floor after finishing season 4 of search party

— tits akimbo (@barlybonklin) February 9, 2021

So, has Search Party been renewed for Season 5? 

It sure has.

Earlier today, it was announced that HBO Max has renewed Search Party for a fifth season, which will also be landing on Stan for Aussie viewers.

At this stage, no exact premiere date for the upcoming season has been revealed, but Stan stated that it'll be "coming soon." So, hopefully we don't have to patiently impatiently wait for another year and a bit.

No plot details for S5 have been confirmed just yet, but creators and executive producers Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers did let some details slip in an interview with Variety.

"The friends and what they reflect is always a way to support or counterpoint Dory's plight and so in that regard, if there was another season, it would be around this topic of what it would be like to be on the other side of death and to have an epiphany," Rogers told the publication.

Well, at least we know one thing for certain: Dory's journey isn't ending with Season 4.

Header Image: Stan