I was late to the party where Only Murders in the Building is concerned. I don’t know why it took me so long to catch on, because I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, making me the perfect audience for the series.
But, whatever the reason for my late start, my husband and I binge-watched all four seasons between December and January. It was honestly the most thoroughly entertaining series I think I’ve watched in years.
Judging by the 49 Emmy nominations (with seven wins), the incredibly high approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the fact that it holds the record for the most watched comedy premiere in the history of Hulu, a lot of people agree with my sentiment.
It took Steve Martin 10 years to bring his idea to fruition, and there were changes along the way. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Martin said his original idea involved three elderly gentlemen who wanted to solve crimes, but were just too tired to go outside. As such, they decided to only solve murders in their apartment building. Eventually, one of the old men was changed to be a young woman.
Why is Only Murders in the Building such an engaging series?
- The cast is absolute dynamite!
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez have fantastic chemistry together. You can tell they genuinely like working together, and their back and forth dialogue and physical comedy is perfection.
Each of the key players is 100% committed to their character. Charles’s fussiness, Oliver’s elaborate stories of his life in the theater, Mabel’s insecurities…all of these character traits are consistent, funny, and often touching. Even while we are laughing at them, we have true affection for the three main characters.
2. The writing is sharp, funny, smart and engaging.
Even though Only Murders in the Building has multiple writers on board, the episodes are seamless where the dialogue and plotlines are concerned. That’s the mark of a team that is dedicated to giving us quality programming that will keep viewers coming back for more.
And even though comedy is generally the main focus, the writers aren’t afraid to get sentimental on occasion.
When Mabel is struggling with her mental health, Oliver and Charles are there for her, and when Oliver was facing eviction, he had to suck up his pride and ask his son for money (again). Such is the writing, that we really felt bad for him.
3. Even the secondary characters have their moment in the spotlight.
Can we just talk about Bunny’s story arc here? She started out as a character we loved to hate, because she was so sharp and mean (in a funny way) to our key three. I mean, she tried to evict Oliver from the Arconia!
But in the series’ second season, we got to know her a little more, and began to understand that she really loved the building, and that she was really lonely. It was easy to feel really bad for her when she wanted to join Charles, Oliver and Mabel during their celebration, and basically had the door shut in her face.
It is quite unique the way this show spins its background characters, particularly when they have unpleasant personality traits. We also got to see the other sides of Tim Kono, Ben Glenroy and Uma in this way.
4. How about those guest stars?
Only Murders in the Building does not skimp where guest stars are concerned! Sting, Amy Schumer, Matthew Broderick, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria all played very funny, not necessarily flattering versions of themselves, which is a mark of the show’s quality.
Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, Jane Lynch, Tina Fey, Nathan Lane…the list could go on and on. Very well-respected, incredibly talented actors have been willing to play a part in Only Murders in the Building. It’s just that good.
5. Let's discuss season two’s musical, Death Rattle.
As a theater nerd myself, I found myself positively marveling at the musical numbers and sets for the murder-mystery- turned- musical that was going to be Oliver’s big comeback as a director.
The premise of the stage show was ridiculous, of course, but such care was put into crafting the plot, especially the songs! Meryl Streep’s song as the nanny was genuinely sweet and touching, and Steve Martin’s “patter” song was hilarious AND catchy. I will admit to having spent a day or two after that episode singing, “Which of the Pickwick triplets did it? Who of the crew would commit this crime?” as I washed my dishes or walked my dog.
In truth, there are a million reasons to watch Only Murders in the Building, and this list has only touched on a few. If you haven’t watched it yet, you should get right on that before season five gets to us!