Tonight's TV: Only Murders in the Building - Season One (2021)

The popular comedic mystery series ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING debuted on Hulu in 2021, but I had never seen any of it until a few days ago.

Thanks to a few free weeks of Hulu via a rewards program, I decided to give the show a whirl, and I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it. I'll be starting Season 2 in the near future.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING was created by John Hoffman and Steve Martin, who stars along with Martin Short and Selena Gomez.

For those who have not yet caught up with the show, it takes place mostly in the Arconia, a marvelous old apartment building in New York City.

The apparent suicide of a young man, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), results in an odd trio of neighbors uniting to solve what they believe is actually a murder; they start a true crime podcast sharing their ongoing investigation. The decision on the podcast's focus gives the series itself its amusing title.

Charles (Martin), one of the three neighbors, once starred as a popular TV detective named Brazzos; he tends to pad his speech with borrowed lines from old scripts. Currently he's been living a fairly isolated and lonely life.

Oliver (Short) is a flamboyant theater director who has fallen on hard times and is reduced to asking his veterinarian son Will (Ryan Broussard) for a loan. Eviction from the Arconia due to non-payment of fees may be in his future.

The much younger Mabel (Gomez) is the unlikely third member of the group, who may know a little more about the murder victim than she initially lets on.

I'll pause here to say that while I'm not going to give away major plot points, part of the show's charm is its surprising supporting cast, which I'll be mentioning below; anyone who hasn't seen the show may want to stop reading here and come back after watching!

Within just a couple of episodes the podcast catches the attention of police detective Donna Williams (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), true crime podcaster star Cinda Canning (Tina Fey), and even TV host Jimmy Fallon. Of course, it doesn't hurt publicity for the show that one of the early murder suspects is none other than rock icon Sting, who plays himself on the show.

The exposure on Fallon's show thrills Teddy (Emmy winner Nathan Lane), the deli chain owner Oliver has persuaded to financially back the podcast. But as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel continue to investigate Kono's death, the case evolves in very unexpected directions...

It's the rare show that will make me laugh out loud watching something alone at home, but this show accomplished that multiple times, which I think says a lot about both the script and the cast.

In addition to being fast-paced and at times very funny, I loved that the show's rich scripting and setting feature constant allusions to pop culture and especially musical theater; I've been unable to get "My Boy Bill" from CAROUSEL out of my head since hearing it on the series. Other than the killing going on (!), the show presents an inviting environment.

My only real complaint -- other than some inexplicable decisions in the latter half of the season finale (why weren't paramedics called immediately?) -- was that I would have preferred that certain unnecessary crass bits be edited out of the dialogue. But the show's overall tone is so delightful I was willing to forget those moments and move on.

Something the show does especially well is believably develop the relationships of its three prickly leads, who all have their issues but find their individual worlds lightening as they become friends while solving a dark murder.

Martin and Short are known quantities, and Martin in particular is someone I've enjoyed in various things for many years.  Alongside the "old pros," I found Gomez particularly impressive as a sarcastic "straight woman" to the two older men, and it's really enjoyable watching her friendship with them develop.

As the characters get to know one another and build their relationships, they also begin coming out of their shells; Charles even begins dating a symphony orchestra bassoonist (Amy Ryan).

An episode with starstruck podcast fans (including Ali Stroker) was both funny and realistic. Charles's longtime stunt double, a woman named Sazz (Jane Lynch), was also quite amusing, especially in the moments where she easily imitates his every movement.  His double turning out to be a lookalike woman was quite a good joke.

I also like that the show doesn't require a huge time commitment; each episode runs around half an hour, give or take five minutes in either direction.

The ending of the 10-episode Season 1, a cliffhanger setting up Season 2, ensured that I'll be starting the next season soon! The cast has grown even starrier in ensuing seasons, as several well-known names, including Meryl Streep, have signed up to appear on the show, and it continues to garner critical acclaim.  It was just renewed for Season 5, which will air in 2025.

Recommended.

Tweet