Search Party Season 4 Ending Explained

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Search Party season 4!

Search Party season 4 tied up loose ends, but the dark comedy left the door open with yet another cliffhanger ending. While the future of the dark comedy remains up in the air, the last episode of season 4 sort of played out like a series finale. That remained the case until the surprising revelation surrounding the central character, Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat), in the last scene. Co-creators Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss never played it safe with their series, but season 4 transformed the plot into a heart-pounding thriller.

Search Party originally followed Dory after she became obsessed with a missing person case involving an old college acquaintance. Upon forming her own investigation, Dory was reluctantly joined by her boyfriend Drew (John Reynolds), and her hipster friends, Elliot (John Early) and Portia (Meredith Hagner). The group then became responsible for the death of a private investigator named Keith (Ron Livingston), which they tried to cover up. As the secrets grew, Dory began to lose her sanity, leading to her involvement in another murder. She and Drew eventually get swept up into a murder trial, but by then, the trust within the friend group had fractured. Though the pair found freedom, Dory was abducted by an unwell superfan named Chip (Cole Escola).

Consisting of 10 total episodes, Search Party season 4 arrived on HBO Max just seven months after the release of the previous season. It primarily featured Dory as she was held hostage by Chip in the small town of Babyfoot, Massachusetts. While being kept in an underground bunker decorated to mirror her NYC apartment, Dory encountered different stages of trauma. The situation took an extremely dark turn, dipping into a horror genre as Dory saw no hope in sight. The subplots centered on Drew, Elliot, and Portia, however, brought a mix of comedy as they experienced new chapters of their lives. The show then came full circle as they reunited to find another missing person, but this time it was Dory.

What Happens In Search Party Season 4’s Ending

When her friends finally found her in Babyfoot, Dory was still under Chip’s spell. Drew, Elliot, and Portia tried to snap Dory out of her brainwashing, finding no choice but to keep her strapped to a motel bed. A memory involving Chantal (Clare McNulty) surprisingly deprogrammed Dory’s mind, allowing her to accept reality. Though it seemed like Dory was ready to turn in Chip before heading back home, she realized she just wanted to be her alter ego Stephanie again. Dory then left her friends behind and headed back to the house that Chip held her hostage in.

While Drew, Elliot, and Portia even wondered why they helped Dory in the first place, Dory confronted Chip. She begged him to brainwash her again so that she could forget her past. Chip unearthed the fact that his brainwashing worked by chance, insinuating that Dory held the power to change. Claiming that they could start a new life somewhere else, Dory attempted to leave the house. Chip’s Aunt Lylah (Susan Sarandon), who happened to actually be his mother, kicked Dory back down the steps. Aside from burning down the house, Lylah attempted to eliminate Dory from the equation because she was a liability to Chip’s freedom.

The penultimate episode toyed with Dory’s survival as the underground bunker filled with smoke. The finale then jumped right into Dory’s funeral, attended by family, friends, and past acquaintances. It was assumed that Dory never made it out of the basement after Lylah tried to cover up her son’s crimes. In reality, Dory was given a new chance at life when she was miraculously brought back to life in an ambulance. The funeral featured at the beginning of the episode turned out to be a complete manifestation in Dory’s mind.

Why Did Dory Return To Chip?

At first, it seemed like Dory returned to Chip so that she could get revenge on her tormentor. Shawkat’s character never backed down from a fight, and Search Party made it clear that Dory was capable of murder. Instead of acting out of rage, Dory returned to Chip due to her desperation. When Dory was Stephanie, she was free from her burdens. Ever since she got linked to Keith’s death and subsequently got her friends involved, Dory’s life spiraled. She feared her own capabilities even more than the consequences of her actions.

Search Party presented a key flashback that revealed Dory’s successful breakout attempt from Chip’s trunk on the way to Babyfoot. Instead of escaping, the broken-spirited woman returned to the trunk, allowing herself to be Chip’s victim. It’s possible that Dory believed that she deserved a punishment. She certainly suffered while being held until Stockholm syndrome set in. When Chip helped her transform into the Stephanie persona, her past self faded away. Dory wanted that quick fix again, even if it meant running back the hands of her abuser.

What Will Happen To Drew, Elliot, & Portia?

Dory wasn’t the only character to go through a period of self-realization in Search Party season 4. The trio of Drew, Elliot, and Portia all encountered hard truths about themselves. Drew attempted to start a new life by working at a theme park, but he was never able to let go of Dory. Meanwhile, Elliot accepted a job as the anchor of a conservative news program that contradicted every one of his beliefs. Last but not least, Portia was cast as Dory in a movie about her and her friend’s tragic story even though she knew her life was being mocked. After experiencing separate existential crises, the trio were met by guilt for not being able to save Dory a second time. The funeral gave them closure, but again, it never really happened in their reality. They would have seemingly moved on if Dory had actually perished, but that’s no longer the case.

Dory’s Shocking Survival Explained

During the funeral sequence in the Search Party season 4 finale, multiple versions of Dory arrived for the various eulogies. The different versions were meant to depict Dory at distinct moments of her life documented in the series. At this point, viewers were led to believe Dory was truly killed from the fire. She apologized in one last heartfelt message to her friends through a left-behind camera. The four versions of Shawkat’s character were then shown to come together as one just before Dory came to life on an ambulance gurney. By proclaiming, “I saw everything,” Dory experienced the other side of death, resulting in an epiphany. With the funeral manifesting in her own mind, Dory preceived how her friends would have reacted to her death. This gave her insight into the affect she had on others, while helping her come to terms with her complicated past.

The Real Meaning Behind Search Party Season 4’s Ending

Dory’s line of “I saw everything” could be perceived as both literal and metaphorical. Dory was forced to relive some of the most important moments of her past. While the character may have seen life after death, her near-death experience could have propelled her to new levels of self-actualization. Dory evolved a lot since season 1, but not always in positive ways. As she began to lose a sense of who she used to be, Dory became afraid of the person deep inside of her. She also questioned her purpose, motivations, and deservedness of a normal life.

In a sense, the old Dory is essentially dead. There’s no viable way that she could return to her old life without a link to a murder trial, kidnapping, and dark past. Just because Dory survived, her issues won’t just disappear. Her acknowledgment of all versions of herself suggests she’s ready to analyze every element of her psyche. Until then, Dory may want to go on the journey alone since she knew how much harm she often brought upon her loved ones. There’s certainly more of Dory’s journey to uncover in Search Party season 5 and beyond.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1746 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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