What I’m Watching: Search Party (Series Finale)

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 10 “Revelation”

It’s hard to say goodbye to any show and feel satisfied, and I think I’m still processing this finale. The first half was a direct continuation of the latest hijinks related to the zombies, with Dory and Drew failing to understand what was happening and more people turning into zombies with every moment. I liked a few choice quotes, like Portia’s “the pills are bad, babe. The disciples are zombies” and Elliott’s “there’s no such thing as enlightenment, just psychosis.” The two diners who thought it was just street theater surely met a terrible end, and after Marc was making out with another man just days after Elliott had allegedly died, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he met a dark fate since he ate a handful of the jelly beans. It was still a rather horrifying scene, as was the guy giving bridge directions getting eaten as he was about to get to the important part. It was good that Dory didn’t leave Portia behind, and of course that was the perfect opportunity for a masked firesprayer to emerge from a dumpster and turn out to be Chantal. Her arguing with Dory over who had caused the end of the world was futile, but it was fitting that Chantal was there at the end. What ensued was very typical for our characters, indulging in their own self-importance, celebrating Dory and Drew’s wedding and Portia’s “Broadway debut” while Elliott casually considered moving to Los Angeles so that he could be around new people. Getting sprayed and scanned to determine if they were still human and seeing a zombie Gail all happened in an eerily calm way. That final shot of Dory staring at the wall of missing people and then walking away was indicative of just how poorly her good intentions worked out and ended up with her being terribly irresponsible. To assign blame to her for destructive behavior wouldn’t help much because she’s a fictional character, but there’s plenty to unpack here about performative goodness and how much damage it can really do. In any case, it’s been a wild ride, and I’ll look forward to reflecting back on some of the craziest moments of this show.

Series finale: B
Series grade: B+
Season MVP: Alia Shawkat as Dory
Season grade: B
Series MVP: Alia Shawkat
Best Season: Season 1
Best Episode: Pilot

What I’m Watching: Search Party (Penultimate Episode)

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 9 “Lamentations” (B)

This episode was a little nutty, but it does feel very much like this show even if what happened during it – our main characters being changed by a zombie apocalypse that they needed to prevent from truly starting – was mostly unprecedented. Being herded into a van by FBI agents didn’t feel all that secure, and the fact that the two cops who were with them were driving an automated Tunnel car that did not do well with responding to their commands was suspicious and, ultimately, fatal for all inside. Having a zombified Helen be on top of the van was rather alarming, and almost all of the disciples got picked off with ease in the bulletproof arcade thanks to Marty being infected. Laser tag is definitely a pretty terrifying place for zombies to stalk and attack, and it’s a wonder that Elliott and Portia escaped in a bumper car traveling at glacial speed. They didn’t make it in time, however, since a theoretically enlightened Drew and Portia were having the time of their lives and arrived to find an adoring crowd ready to meet the same fate, one that’s going to be far more miserable and uncalming than they realize. Like always, Drew saw what could have been an issue – a troubling outbreak at the hospital – and chose to assume that someone else would deal with it and that he didn’t have to worry about it. Liquorice dying from many diseases after she once again accosted Chantal for doing something she hadn’t done yet with a time traveler was a strange development in that storyline, but hopefully it means Chantal will somehow be involved in saving the world, which would be a cool capper for a series that’s very much based on her irresponsible nature.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 8 “Song of Songs” (B+)

It’s not too surprising that three out of four of the main characters on this show didn’t die in a bus explosion with three episodes to go in its run, but it was a nice surprise that Drew was the one picking them up in his car after they escaped through the manhole underneath. The competitive nature of the friendship that found first Drew and then Portia going out to have sex with Dory and then Elliott following suit because he felt very left out was entertaining but also felt a bit unfocused given the impending end of the world that Dory has been foretelling. After she got her disciples to exhale their negative thoughts and literally shoot a path of color into the sky, we got the very important revelation that Elliott had switched out the pills for jelly beans, meaning that everything was in their heads. That was a good thing, considering the fact that the one who did have the real thing turned into a zombie just like Dr. Benny. Naturally, zombies wouldn’t be so far off-base on a show where time travel to impregnate someone with a world-ending demon has already been introduced just minutes earlier. Chantal’s family is certainly excessive, but they did make the worthwhile observation that she, for once, seems happy. Liquorice’s inability to properly pronounce her name is just one of many red flags, and I’m curious whether her premonitions of doom are somehow connected to Dory’s or just another dangerous off-kilter theory playing out in conjunction with hers.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 7 “Book of the Wars of the Lord” (B+)

This episode took an even darker turn with Dory taking control of the situation and then showing that she really wasn’t with it after taking hostages and commissioning lethal weapons that her disciples could aim at them and the police. Walking out calmly with Tunnel was a clever way to get him to leave first so that she could lock him out, and his downfall was quite drastic and quick. Initially, he didn’t seem at all threatened by a board meeting being convened without him, and only a short time later, he was resigning his position, in part likely to be free of the scandal that was sure to ensue. The hostage antics, especially with the videographer, were somewhat entertaining, and, though they were eventually freed, things didn’t work out too well for them. Portia and Elliott were both so self-obsessed that they couldn’t think of anything other than Dory being attracted to them, and Elliott in particular was offended that no one had thought to include him in their polyamory. I enjoyed Marc’s appearance, brought there by the no-nonsense hostage negotiator to talk Elliott down but who instead encouraged him to take all the time he needed to make the pill. It does seem that those enlightenment jelly beans made with gas may have combusted, though I can’t imagine that our three main characters actually died on the bus. We only see a brief glimmer of Chantal and Liquorice, but that relationship is just as unhealthy and peculiar as what Dory is doing.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 6 “The Gospel of Judas” (B+)

This show manages to attract top-tier talent, and I’m not sure if we’ll even see more of the group played by Lou Diamond Phillips, Illeana Douglas, Michael Ian Black, and Scott Adsit, but what a spectacular list of actors! There are obviously a few cults that exist in this show’s universe, and it’s not just Dory’s colored disciples who are fervently tied to a particular cause. The discovery that Dory was being poisoned was a disturbing one, especially when it turned out to be Portia who had the vial in her possession, though her reaction indicated that she wasn’t actually responsible. All that seemed to be forgotten when Dr. Benny leapt out of the window following her unfortunate run-in with the mutant rat, suggesting that there is something seriously wrong with whatever Tunnel is cooking up. His mind was elsewhere when he was on the phone trying to get hired affirmation, and Dr. Benny landing on his car severely disrupted any sense of calm he might have achieved. Elliott is also likely to be very disturbed given the lengths he had to go to in order to get Dr. Benny to give him what he needed, though he’s never been terribly good at acknowledging reality or processing anything he’s been through in his life. He did commit, but Drew also was unusually productive, seeking out answers and then forcing the people he met to finally give him a last name after they kept telling their very long and detailed story.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 5 “Acts of the Apostles” (B+)

I’m glad that Elliott and Marc are finally realizing just how creepy their kid is, but naturally the “return process” wouldn’t be so easy, using great guest star get John Waters to superb effect. I love that Elliott had to have intense prosthetic makeup applied so that he could pose as Dr. Carpet, who apparently might have had a wild night with Dr. Balthazar and then had to show the interns how to sacrifice rats, which he did in a truly horrific way. His discovery may not have been good for getting rid of his horror child, but it was important given that, as expected, Tunnel isn’t actually close to creating a pill that can offer enlightenment. Dory was right to be upset that they were just jelly beans, but that did lead to another frightening flash of how Dory was legitimately scared of what was going to happen to humanity if they didn’t reach that point first. Portia and Drew just need to be honest with each other about their affection for Dory since they could be a productive thruple, which will likely just revert back to Portia and Drew once Dory decides that they’re not serious enough about what they’re doing. Getting sliced by someone who was very upset about her ruining her life was a jarring opening, but it’s not quite as concerning as the fact that her acolytes decided that they needed to show their loyalty and become their colors. I’m not sure exactly what that entails, but Dory’s friends aren’t going to be happy with the level of commitments her new followers are showing.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 4 “Leviticus” (B+)

I’m not sure what was stranger in the opening scene – Dory going live from the bathtub or Portia being on the toilet in the bathroom while she did it. Portia drinking her bath water and feeling something within her was freaky and quite unappetizing, and both she and Drew seem very enamored with this newfound prophet. Dory didn’t want to reduce the experience to what Tunnel was marketing it as, and it’s clear that Elliott doesn’t have a clue what she’s supposed to be saying. His idea to market it as a random selection when Tunnel had in fact chosen key influencers to make sure that they could reach the widest possible audience was smart, and it was odd to see Dory introduce them as if they were team captains. She did a remarkable job of breaking down Elodie, and was probably a bit too harsh to the guy who decided to up and leave. “Rollerskating is not a point of view” was a particularly biting line, and those who are hypnotized by her really are buying what she’s selling, which of course isn’t something transactional but instead something transcendental. Seeing all of them with blood on their faces was an eerie ending, indicative of the fact that she’s really seeing these things, even if she doesn’t quite understand what they mean. She’s already drawing people into something that most closely resembles a cult, and hearing that they’re all going to die violently isn’t going to make anyone feel good or eager to learn more.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 3 “Kings” (B+)

Just when it seems like this show can’t get any more entertaining, we’re treated to another opportunity to see Chantal, who has become one of its most absurd and fantastic characters. I love that her therapist, played by the always fantastic Jackie Hoffman, can’t stand her and didn’t want any of her patients to see her leaving, and that she ordered her hot dug “cup-style” as if the vendor in the park would know what that meant. I’m intrigued to see more of Kathy Griffin’s Liquorice Montague, who is the latest eccentric personality to seduce Chantal. Dory showing up to Drew’s office and questioning him about the nature of the work that he was doing led to a different result than I had expected, though Drew hasn’t historically been great at controlling his impulses. The visit to Tunnel’s office was a formidable experience, and of course he would be able to casually convince them all that they were going on a nine-hour journey to the center of the Earth when in fact they were merely traveling two floors down. Dory suggesting a pill made a lot of sense, and she made an important point that, if Tunnel did succeed in doing what he wanted, he wouldn’t be interested in maintaining any of the luxury and wealth that he had. Portia’s jealously over seeing Drew and Dory also produced an unexpected romance, one that’s sure to leave much more of a mark on Portia than the already-enlightened Dory. Marc and Elliott should be so much more concerned about their son than they are, but naturally they wouldn’t think twice about their pool guy drowning in four feet of water with their son home alone with him.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 2 “Exodus” (B+)

I’m liking the biblical titles given to the episodes so far this season, and this was an appropriate way to herald Dory’s bold escape into the woods via poisoned banana bread. Streaming from the phone that she apparently took with her to an audience of confused but ultimately mostly perplexed individuals was an intriguing new way for her to communicate with the world, especially considering how introverted she mostly was before she got a taste of fame during her trial. Just showing up to see her friends was jolting, and they weren’t very happy about it, but they did really seem to open up and see a bit of the bliss she was talking about when they stopped to have a dance party after breaking in to their old apartment, something that would only feel normal on this show. Telling them that they should all forgive themselves and admitting that she did kill April showed that she’s not holding anything back, and I was right that she was fully supportive of Portia being with Drew, enough so to ask him how the sex was. Her nighttime social media scroll was interrupted by an invitation from Tunnel Quinn, and if there’s a more perfect person for this show than Jeff Goldblum, I’m not sure who it is. The insane creepiness with Elliott and Marc’s kid reached a new level in this episode, first with Elliott’s shoes being glued to him and then with him freaking Marc out by showing up with a plugged-in toaster while he was in the bath. Something needs to be done about that kid right away.

What I’m Watching: Search Party (Season Premiere)

Search Party: Season 5, Episode 1 “Genesis” (B+)

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been able to enjoy four full seasons of this show with one great last opportunity to say goodbye, something that most series aren’t able to plan for ahead of time. Season three was highly entertaining and season four was very twisted, and I’m glad that the finale ended up with Dory roaring back to life after we had just seen her funeral over the course of that entire episode. If this premiere is indicative of anything, it seems that we’re in for another season four, with Dory apparently aware of an apocalyptic future that no one wants to affirm could exist because they’re all too busy keeping her committed because of the genuinely troubling things she’s saying. The other extremely creepy development is Drew and Marc adopting an almost robotic kid from the genetic breeding ground run by John Waters, and it’s not much of a surprise that they don’t notice how odd and truly unnerving he is. Marc’s cooking leaves much to be desired, and there was so much fakeness at that dinner party that it’s incredible that anyone actually managed to discuss anything real. Drew and Portia sleeping together does feel like a why-not kind of last resort for both of them, and while I don’t think that revelation would bother the new Dory all that much, it’s definitely not going to be received as a good thing. This is going to be a dark journey, but I’m all in to see how it ends.

What I’m Watching: Search Party (Season Finale)

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 10 “The Shadows” (B+)

All I kept thinking during this episode was what a dark turn it was to have Dory die in a fire, and how unexpected it was to have the main character of a series die. Unfortunately, there’s no indication that this show will be back for a fifth season, which I’m worried may not happen since its season four renewal was so long ago, before season three even premiered. I did notice that we didn’t see Dory die and there was no mention of how it happened, and that was a helpful clue for the startling final scene in which she didn’t actually die and apparently just had a moment to visualize what could have happened if she had. Even if this all wasn’t real – which is what I suspect – it was a powerful and typically peculiar way to say goodbye to the character, with Portia giving a speech mostly about herself, Elliott sort of pandering to right-wing patriots, and Drew singing a heartfelt song that he acknowledged Dory would have hated. I appreciated the opportunity to see past characters like Dory’s parents, Portia’s mother, Julian, and Gail. It was also great to see Chantal affirm that she really didn’t know any of them but still feel like she should say something nice to the group. I don’t know what to make of the clairvoyant or Chip’s final very threatening message, but Dory’s last-words video was unexpectedly poignant. I do hope that she is still alive and that we’ll see her and this group again. This show is unapologetically bizarre but it really does work so well.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Alia Shawkat as Dory

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 9 “The Inferno” (B+)

Well, this show just took a very dark turn. I was so curious when we saw Dory get out of the trunk at the gas station and thought for a moment that this whole season was just an imagined dream, something that would have left me with conflicted feelings but very intrigued. Instead, she seemed to come to that same place she was at when she went back to the house and begged Chip to help her forget everything again, aware that she deserved punishment for everything that she had done. Her friends weren’t having any of that at the restaurant, with Drew offering perhaps the most dismissive response about how they have it relatively easy compared to starving people, while Portia and Elliott at least presented somewhat intellectual thoughts about what gives them purpose. Chip was also judgmental of Dory because he could now articulate why it was that he took Dory in the first place, and she only wanted to use him for her own purposes. Lylah turned out to be the one with the least emotion, pushing Dory down the stairs to her presumed death! I can’t imagine it’s going to end that way, but her friends did seem particularly unalarmed by the sirens of the fire truck and were more than happy to get in their car and drive away, unaware that she was potentially suffocating to death. The most cringeworthy moment of this episode came when Cindy executed her musical proposal, assisted by all of Drew’s family, and then she proclaimed that he had said yes when he expressed to her the need for more time. There’s no way that’s going to work out.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 8 “The Imposter” (B+)

I had been wondering whether we’d see Chantal again after only meeting her for just a moment in the flashback following her apparent departure from the show when she was arrested at the end of last season. I enjoyed her lawyer’s incredible frustration when she indicated that she didn’t want to leave and suggested that she should first consult a lawyer, for some reason not comprehending who he was. Her family didn’t treat her terribly well, but she was more interested in having goose than accepting that her mistakes had led to them all losing their jobs and being blacklisted. Being inspired by drugs and hallucinations of her favorite authors to write a book was an interesting way to connect back to what we’ve been seeing, particularly when she threw it out the window and killed Charlie. I enjoyed Kate Berlant’s brief appearance as the editor who asked her never to write anything again, and Wilma was far more inspired by what she thought had been written by a child. Chantal really didn’t have much of a plan for going on the show when they were expecting a ten-year-old girl, but somehow she managed to win over the audience. I like that she saw Dory’s wanted poster but was too self-centered to even notice it, and that all of this triggered Dory’s memories so that she could remember all that happened. That will probably jolt her back to a better place of understanding, but I doubt she’ll be too happy with the friends who have been holding her captive.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 7 “The Infinite Loop” (B+)

What a great title for this episode, which featured a plotline that I doubt would have made as much sense on any other series. The young woman working at the ice cream shop indicated her general intelligence level with her question about New York, and her unhelpful answers served to create tremendous confusion, particularly when she couldn’t tell the difference between Chip posing as his Aunt Lylah and the real thing. I remember seeing that Susan Sarandon would be appearing this season, and casting her as Lylah was a terrific choice. She clearly has her own baggage, which includes her secret parenting of her supposed nephew, and the way she dryly reported on the dungeon conditions of her home was pretty entertaining. I did not expect that Dory would end up being thrown in yet another trunk by her friends, and that they’re now the ones holding her hostage and tied to a bed since she thinks of them as treacherous elements who made her life miserable. There’s not much hope for any of them since they’re all equally disconnected from reality, and Drew’s efforts were not any more positively received than Elliott’s misguided tough love and Portia’s panicked whining. There are only three more episodes of this season, and I suspect that people may now be looking for Dory and discover that she has been kidnapped, but not by Chip or Lylah. I’m looking forward to those antics even if I believe that Dory may be beyond saving at this point, and that only bad things can happen from here.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 6 “The Thoughtless Woman” (B+)

It’s so hard to read Dory and to figure out if she’s just playing games with Chip or she’s really been convinced by all the mind work he’s done on her. Taking her out into the world was a bold and surely risky move, and I don’t even think that leaving her alone with the keys in the ignition was meant to be a test. He freaked out when the ice cream place that made his beloved caramel balsamic swirl – which sounds disgusting, by the way – and Dory managed to salvage the situation by suggesting another place which made her much happier, mostly because it’s a welcome change in her diet. Running into Marc was a worrisome development, but it didn’t even seem like Chip noticed, though he managed to post her name and location to social media very quickly after she reacted very poorly to being identified. It was a welcome “break in the case” for her friends, who did manage to finally see through the elaborate deception that was put on for them at the factory by Chip’s publicity-fearing parents. Portia’s “we actually did it, we put our minds to it and found Dory” was a bit too congratulatory, but they are indeed close now to finding her, even if she may not be eager to come with them if they do show up to rescue her. The role of Chip’s father was a good fit for Griffin Dunne from “This Is Us” and “House of Lies,” and Deborah Rush from “Orange is the New Black” and “Billions” was a great choice to play his mother. I’m curious to see how much following up they’ll do on these troubling allegations. I don’t often comment about the song choices on this show, but the closing number was really perfect.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 5 “Doctor Mindbender” (B+)

I had excused the dim-witted trio of Drew, Elliott, and Portia believing that Dory had written a letter that sounded nothing like her because of their gullible tendencies, but you’d think the police would be a bit more discerning than to trust that kind of correspondence which almost gives away the fact that she was being held hostage. Fortunately, the newly-formed search party wasn’t about to accept that, even if Drew did want to be politer than his friends, but after getting helpful information in the least helpful and most poorly-communicated manner, they got themselves into yet another regrettable situation with no clothes or money and a long walk back to civilization. Recognizing Chip’s face on the food Portia was desperately trying to open was a positive ending note, and maybe that will lead them at least to where Chip is currently holding Dory and actively brainwashing her. I assumed he would be angry about the fact that she admitted to killing Keith and April, but he’s just convinced himself it’s not true, something he’s now trying to do with her too. Telling her that she was holding a pear and not a murder weapon was indeed trippy, and April’s postcard in which she talked about being a “jumpy girl” before the doll’s head fell off was just as joltingly problematic yet somehow still seemed to soothe a very troubled Dory. What I’m not sure is if she’s resigned herself to this alternate reality or if she’s still fighting back, but Chip’s use of that very real voicemail will definitely make her feel at least temporarily closer to her kidnapper than to the people who call themselves her friends.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 4 “Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig” (B+)

So much for Ann Dowd being an enduring part of this show. Her refusal to accept any part of her situation didn’t resonate with the very resigned Dory, who didn’t bother to ask any helpful questions other than identifying the state where she was being held captive. I would have thought that Paula Jo would have done herself in by insisting on the many food allergies she had, but, while she appeared to asphyxiate on a nugget cooked in peanut oil, it was her demand to be kept separately from Dory the murderer that did her in. Though it does seem to have resulted in her death, it may be worse for Dory, who chose that moment to beat herself up for her past actions and confess that she did in fact kill Keith, something that will likely lead to the intense setup we saw in the season three scenes where Dory was being forced to recount everything that really happened. The movie version of this story didn’t actually feel too fake, and Portia is hardly the only one who needs acting notes. Busy Phillips’ Donna is over-the-top in a very different way than Portia, and I think this whole starring role thing isn’t going to last too long. Elliott is finding lots of fame with the network, and though he wouldn’t have wanted Charlie to be ousted or killed by a falling book, he’s not exactly doing much to stop it. Drew going through his storage locker for three hours was a good use of time, and let’s hope they can be slightly more motivated than they seem to track down Chip and the missing Dory.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 3 “Escape to Nowhere” (B+)

I’m glad that each of Dory’s best friends, who came to her in a hallucination in a moment of need, are finally starting to realize that all isn’t right and that maybe Dory didn’t just run off to Europe. Elliott finding out from his irate wedding planners that no one died at his wedding wasn’t quite as startling as Drew seeing his sweater in Dory’s Italy picture, and hopefully they’ll talk about those inconsistencies and come to a helpful conclusion. Portia is also coming around to the idea that Dory isn’t so terrible as she begins what’s going to be an incredibly cringe-worthy job playing her former best friend in a project that she already feels is far too fictionalized. Dory was always the most intrepid of the group, and so I don’t have too much faith in the other three, especially considering their recent life choices. Making up a friendversary and starting a food fight to get back into that shower was quite resourceful, and she really is starting to understand how Chip works and what’s going to get him to do exactly what she wants. I’m not sure that’s going to be too useful going forward after her successful escape attempt ended in a car crash and Chip just tracking her down again. I do hope that the very nosy neighbor played by Ann Dowd from “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Good Behavior” will show up to unknowingly help her escape again, and I’m continually impressed by this show’s superb casting.

What I’m Watching: Search Party

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 2 “Something Sharp” (B+)

Dory is trying her hardest to find a way out of her captivity and seems to be making Chip much angrier in the process. Forcing him to give her a shower always enabled her to escape, but now he’s threatened deadly retaliation if it happens again and is not going to be nearly as enthusiastic about preparing her something other than the same exact meal three times a day. The sight of those many stickers on the door and wall as a marker of time was haunting, and Chip’s repeated insistence on his many degrees that confirm his sanity are hardly convincing. The fact that he’s keeping up her social media to make it seem like she is indeed traveling through Europe is a surefire way for no one to express enough interest to affirm their authenticity. Portia also called not to ask her permission but to tell her that she was going to do what she wanted no matter what she said, and that’s not exactly the best position for any kind of relationship. There would have been something far too meta about Portia playing herself – which only she would be interested in – and the notion of her portraying Dory instead is just bizarre and should be plenty awkward. Elliott selling his soul for a paycheck and fame wasn’t too surprising, but it will be hard even for him to give up this ultra-conservative act. Drew’s situation is the most unexpected, since he’s now going by Andrew, posing as a foreigner with no discernable accent and engaging in a relationship with a woman playing a princess while having the truthful time of his life being a character in costume.

What I’m Watching: Search Party (Season Premiere)

Search Party: Season 4, Episode 1 “The Girl in the Basement” (B+)

I really like this very odd show, and I’m happy that this season will air over a longer stretch of time this year, following previous rollouts of one week, two episodes per week, and the entire season in just one day. Three episodes at once with four the third week feels fine to me, and, while I’m writing this review, I’m already looking forward to the next two installments that I’m about to watch. I was worried that the main storyline might be a bit creepy and disturbing, with Dory now being held captive with a shaven head and chains all around her by her delusional wannabe best friend Chip. While there is definitely something unnerving about it, Dory did embrace her notorious celebrity status in a big way in season three and literally got away with murder. Now, it’s intriguing to see how she’s trying to manipulate the man holding her hostage, and I assume that her cleverness is only going to get her into more trouble. What I enjoyed most about this episode was the way we saw Elliott, Portia, and Drew react to the note that was so clearly not left by Dory but that they didn’t even suspect might have been written by someone else. It’s going to take them a while to even realize that Dory has been kidnapped and not gone off to discover herself in Europe. I’m not sure how they’re going to spend their time this season, aside from Elliott doing his talk show and some weird drunken threesome make-out sessions, but I am very excited to see what they do and just hapless they are as their friend could really use their help.