Finder-Spyder

Finder-Spyder is a fictional brand of Web search engine that appears in numerous, otherwise unaffiliated television shows, used in the same manner as the fictitious 555 telephone number in TV and film.^[1][2] Its graphic appearance varies, at times bearing a similarity to Google.^[1] It has been called "an unofficial, open source stand-in for Google and its competitors" (used as a legality-free alternative to a brand-name product),^[1] and "the most popular search engine in the TV universe."^[3] Finder-Spyder is a regular top 10 pick in "best fictional brand" lists by various online media, along with Oceanic Airlines, Morley cigarettes, Acme Corporation, and others.^[4][5][6]

Finder-Spyder offers search engines for Web, images, news, forums, and blogs, also, Phone Trace, a for-a-fee reverse phone number lookup tool.^[7]

Appearances

• The X-Files "My Struggle" (25 Jan 2016): Scully uses FinderSpyder to check the status of Tad O'Malley's webcast homepage.
• Bones "The Geek in the Guck" (16 Oct 2014): Appears as SpyderFinder, "The Best Search Engine on the Web," used by teenage boys in search of porn.
• Breaking Bad "Cat's in the Bag..." (27 Jan 2008): Skyler uses FinderSpyder to find a 'reverse phonebook.'
• Criminal Minds
  • "Zoe's Reprise" (18 Feb 2009)
  • "Pleasure Is My Business" (25 Feb 2009)
  • "Hopeless" (14 Oct 2009)
  • "Cradle to Grave" (21 Oct 2009)
  • "100" (25 Nov 2009)
• Crossing Jordan: "Hubris" (7 Mar 2007)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
  • "Time of Your Death" (4 May 2006)
  • "Meet Market" (1 Feb 2007): At the beginning of the episode, Michael Keppler (Liev Schreiber) uses Finder-Spyder to look up the victim.
• Dexter
• The Finder "Eye of the Storm" (8 Mar 2012)
• Heroes "Hysterical Blindness" (12 Oct 2009)
• Hidden Palms "Party Hardy" (13 Jun 2007)
• Homeland "Grace" (9 Oct 2011)
• Hung Pilot (28 Jun 2009)
• Journeyman
  • "A Love of a Lifetime" (pilot) (24 Sep 2007): Main character, newspaper reporter Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd), uses Finder-Syder on his iPhone to look up Neal Gaines (Christopher Warren).
  • "Friendly Skies" (1 Oct 2007)
  • "The Year of the Rabbit" (15 Oct 2007): Neal Gaines looks up the details of Melissa Waters' death.
  • "The Legend of Dylan McCleen" (22 Oct 2007): Neal Gaines looks up Dylan McCleen.
• Moonlight "12:04 AM" (16 Nov 2007)
• Prison Break
  • Pilot (29 Aug 2005)
  • "J-Cat" (10 Apr 2006)
  • "Unearthed" (30 Oct 2006)
  • "Dirt Nap" (21 Jan 2008): Used by Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell).
  • "Safe & Sound" (22 Sep 2008)
  • "The Legend" (10 Nov 2008)
• Touch
  • "Safety in Numbers" (29 Mar 2012)
  • "Eye to Eye" (1 Mar 2013)
  • "Clockwork" (29 Mar 2013)
• Weeds "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (20 Jul 2009)
• Without a Trace
  • "Baggage" (25 Oct 2007)
  • "Cloudy with a Chance of Gettysburg" (16 Dec 2008)
• The X-Files
  • "My Struggle" (24 Jan 2016) Scully uses FinderSpyder to attempt to access Tad O'Malley's website.

In popular culture

• Finder-Spyder promotional merchandise - T-shirts, hoodies, mugs - is available online from various sellers.^[8]

References