Wading into Search Party's "moral grey area" with Meredith Hagner

Even more so than in previous seasons, the third outing of HBO Max’s Search Party (formerly TBS’ Search Party) challenges its audience’s allegiance to its privileged protagonists. As Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat) and Drew Gardner (John Reynolds) stand trial for murder, you may have found yourself questioning whether or not you wanted them to be found guilty. You might have seen exactly what they did to Keith (Ron Livingston), but Dory does make a pretty compelling case for her innocence…

Well, you’re not alone: Portia Davenport doesn’t know how to feel either, and that confusion plays a major part in her arc in the eventful third season. As Portia, actor Meredith Hagner is having the time of her life diving into the complexities of her affection-starved character. After our post-season debrief with John Early, The A.V. Club jumped at the opportunity to also Zoom with Hagner and unpack Search Party’s whirlwind of twists and turns. We asked the actor about her impressive musical numbers (with live vocals!), her harrowing, honey-drenched scene (with real honey!), and what—if anything—she can tell us about the show’s already-filmed fourth season.

Image Credit: Jon Pack / HBO Max