And we were left with plenty of questions for the cast and crew, especially after that surprise finale.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell us a little about the origins of the show and where it came from.
CHARLES ROGERS:Sarah-Violet and I both have this history in our family.
Credit: Jessica Miglio/TBS
Were both very interested in personalities on the fringe of narcissism and sociopathy and entitlement.
So, there are personalities and characters that we really like to represent.
And Alia and Michael, what drew you guys to the project?
They wrote on the show and did a great job.
But when I got this one, it didnt even read like a TV show to me.
How do you guys thinkSearch Partyconnects toFort Tilden?
Whats the through line?
ROGERS:They both address ethics…
So, theres something both Sarah-Violet and I love about the gray area that makes people uncomfortable.
Tell me about the final episode and that ending.
What should viewers make of it?
SHAWKAT:So much of what shes projecting turns out not to be real.
Because at the end of it, its not that its all for naught.
Its more like:Well, what does it matter?
What does ANYTHING matter, really?
In a way, Dory really is a narcissist and a slowly revealed one.
We convince ourselves with so much.
And these connections… its kind of anOccams razorthing.
So, ultimately, I think the show is really about Dorys psychology.
Should he have been punished, or is that the point?
SHOWALTER:Hopefully well have a second season and we can continue to answer that question.
We also felt like his character… We sort of developed a character whos a pathological liar.
There is no actual truth, its just whatever you say it is.
Or right or wrong is whatever you just decide to say is right or wrong?
SHAWKAT:Yeah, like Donald Trump.
SHOWALTER:Like Donald Trump and seemingly everyone in his orbit.
The counterweight to Elliott in a lot of ways is Julian (Brandon Michael Hall).
Hes almost like the moral center or the voice of reason Is that how he was intended to be?
SHOWALTER:Kind of, although hes got his own issues.
He sees himself as above the fray.
BLISS:Hes that kind of person who doesnt really see the world in grays.
All these characters, obviously, are millennial creative-class urbanites.
BLISS:I feel like every generation has its way in dealing with it.
Jane Austen writes about it, the narcissism of the 20-something, and navel-gazing has been written about forever.
I think this is just how its expressing itself today.
I think every generation has entitlement and narcissism.
This generation has self-awareness about it, and thats sort of the defined difference.
I actually think millennials arent necessarily all that special, or different from other generations.
I think its just that this is the first generation thats willing to analyze itself for hours on end.
A cheesy question, but: What do you think Dory was really looking for?
So you end up working with the consequences of having chased a feeling.
And finally, Chantal is an interesting name.
Is there a specific reason you guys chose it?
