diff --git a/app/controllers/tmdb_controller.rb b/app/controllers/tmdb_controller.rb
index d305900f..c53b0db5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/tmdb_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/tmdb_controller.rb
@@ -77,20 +77,17 @@ def actor_search
 
   def two_actor_search
     if params[:actor] && params[:actor2]
-      @actor = I18n.transliterate(params[:actor])
-      @actor2 = I18n.transliterate(params[:actor2])
-      if params[:page]
-        @page = params[:page]
-      else
-        @page = 1
+      params[:actor] = I18n.transliterate(params[:actor])
+      params[:actor2] = I18n.transliterate(params[:actor2])
+      if !params[:page].present?
+        params[:page] = 1
       end
-      if params[:sort_by].present?
-        @sort_by = params[:sort_by]
-      else
-        @sort_by = "popularity"
+      if !params[:sort_by].present?
+        params[:sort_by] = "popularity"
       end
+      # binding.pry
       # tmdb_handler_two_actor_search(@name_one, @name_two)
-      tmdb_handler_discover_search(nil, nil, nil, nil, @actor, @actor2, nil, nil, @sort_by, @page)
+      tmdb_handler_discover_search(params)
     end
   end
 
@@ -135,14 +132,19 @@ def director_search
   end
 
   def discover_search
-    #format date/year hash passed in params
-    params[:date].present? ? params[:year] = params[:date][:year] : params[:year] = nil
+    puts "params: #{params}"
+    #format date/year hash passed in params. otherwise year is passed directly on paginated pages
+    params[:year] = params[:date][:year] if params[:date].present?
 
     @cleaned_params = params.slice(:sort_by, :year, :genre, :actor, :actor2,
       :company, :mpaa_rating, :year_select, :page)
 
+    puts "cleaned params: #{@cleaned_params}"
+
     @passed_params = @cleaned_params.select{ |k, v| v.present?}
 
+    puts "passed params: #{@passed_params}"
+
     if @passed_params.any?
       parse_params(@passed_params) #module to help parse
 
diff --git a/app/views/tmdb/discover_search.html.erb b/app/views/tmdb/discover_search.html.erb
index 66be9f14..8797e765 100644
--- a/app/views/tmdb/discover_search.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/tmdb/discover_search.html.erb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 <h1>Advanced Search</h1>
 
-<% if !@movies.present? %>
+<% if !@movies.present? && !@not_found.present? %>
 
 <h2>All fields are optional. Search by whatever you want.</h2>
 
diff --git a/app/views/tmdb/two_actor_search.html.erb b/app/views/tmdb/two_actor_search.html.erb
index eb376e9d..ab740ddf 100644
--- a/app/views/tmdb/two_actor_search.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/tmdb/two_actor_search.html.erb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 <h1>Find Common Movies Between 2 Actors</h1>
 
 
-<% if !@actor.present? && !@actor2.present? %>
+<% if !@actor.present? && !@actor2.present? && !@not_found.present? %>
 
 <p>Enter two actors and see the movies they've been in together.</p>
 
@@ -13,38 +13,35 @@
     <%= submit_tag "Search", id: "search_button_two_actor_search", class: "form-control-submit search-form-submit" %>
   <% end %>
 
-<% else %>
-
-  <% if @not_found.present? %>
-    <h2>Hmm. <%= @not_found %></h2>
-    <p> Check your spelling and try again.</p>
-    <p class="button-main"><%= link_to "Search Again", two_actor_search_path %></p>
+<% elsif @not_found.present? %>
 
-    <% else %> <!-- # @not_found.present? -->
-      <h2><%= "Those two actors have been in #{@movies.size} movies together:" %></h2>
-      <br>
+  <h2>Hmm. <%= @not_found %></h2>
+  <p> Check your spelling and try again.</p>
+  <p class="button-main"><%= link_to "Search Again", two_actor_search_path %></p>
 
-      <div id ="two_actor_search_loop">
-        <%= render partial: 'movies/movie_partial_loop', object: @movies %>
-      </div> <!-- movies_actor_search_loop -->
+<% else %>
+  <h2><%= "Those two actors have been in #{@movies.size} movies together:" %></h2>
+  <br>
 
-      </br>
-      <p class="button-main"><%= link_to "Search Again", two_actor_search_path, id: "two_actor_search_again_link" %></p>
-      </br>
+  <div id ="two_actor_search_loop">
+    <%= render partial: 'movies/movie_partial_loop', object: @movies %>
+  </div> <!-- movies_actor_search_loop -->
 
-      <%= "Page #{@page} of #{@total_pages}" %></br>
+  </br>
+  <p class="button-main"><%= link_to "Search Again", two_actor_search_path, id: "two_actor_search_again_link" %></p>
+  </br>
 
-      <% if @previous_page.present? %>
-        <%= link_to "Previous page", actor_search_path(actor: I18n.transliterate("#{@actor}"), page: "#{@previous_page}") %></br>
-      <% end %>
+  <%= "Page #{@page} of #{@total_pages}" %></br>
 
-      <% if @next_page.present? %>
-        <%= link_to "Next page", actor_search_path(actor: I18n.transliterate("#{@actor}"), page: "#{@next_page}") %>
-      <% end %>
+  <% if @previous_page.present? %>
+    <%= link_to "Previous page", actor_search_path(actor: I18n.transliterate("#{@actor}"), page: "#{@previous_page}") %></br>
+  <% end %>
 
-    <% end %> <!-- # @not_found.present? -->
+  <% if @next_page.present? %>
+    <%= link_to "Next page", actor_search_path(actor: I18n.transliterate("#{@actor}"), page: "#{@next_page}") %>
+  <% end %>
 
-<% end %> <!-- # if !@actor.present? && !@actor2.present? -->
+<% end %> <!-- # @not_found.present? -->
 
 </br>
 
diff --git a/lib/tmdb_handler.rb b/lib/tmdb_handler.rb
index e874462e..30f59558 100644
--- a/lib/tmdb_handler.rb
+++ b/lib/tmdb_handler.rb
@@ -187,13 +187,21 @@ def tmdb_handler_discover_search(params)
     if @actor.present?
       @actor1_url = "https://api.themoviedb.org/3/search/person?query=#{@actor}&api_key=#{ENV['tmdb_api_key']}"
       @actor1_search_result = JSON.parse(open(@actor1_url).read, symbolize_names: true)[:results]
-      @actor1_search_result.present? ? @actor1_id = @actor1_search_result.first[:id] : @not_found = "No results for '#{actor}'."
+      if !@actor1_search_result.present?
+        return @not_found = "No results for '#{actor}'."
+      else
+        @actor1_id = @actor1_search_result.first[:id]
+      end
     end
 
     if @actor2.present?
       @actor2_url = "https://api.themoviedb.org/3/search/person?query=#{@actor2}&api_key=#{ENV['tmdb_api_key']}"
       @actor2_search_result = JSON.parse(open(@actor2_url).read, symbolize_names: true)[:results]
-      @actor2_search_result.present? ? @actor2_id = @actor2_search_result.first[:id] : @not_found = "No results for '#{actor2}'."
+      if !@actor2_search_result.present?
+        return @not_found = "No results for '#{actor2}'."
+      else
+        @actor2_id = @actor2_search_result.first[:id]
+      end
     end
 
     if @actor1_id.present? && @actor2_id.present?