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The COVID-19 global pandemic played a part in a lot of major transitions that impacted many of us. During this time, many projects had to take a pause until state and county officials gave the green light for production companies to start filming again. Since many films and television shows’ release dates were pushed back, there hasn’t been a good variety of new content to select from this year. In fact, much of the major content that was released was either a Marvel Cinematic Universe project, a dose of nostalgia, or Britney Spears-related documentaries. However, amid these releases, there is one particular show that has garnered the attention of critics: Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building (2021-).
What Is Only Murders In The Building?
Only Murders in the Building is a Hulu original comedy show that was created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The show centers on three strangers that share a love for true crime and live in the same luxurious apartment building, the Arconia, in present-day New York. One day, the three-team up to make a true-crime podcast after a murder occurs in their building. However, as the episodes progress, the three begin to unravel the lies and secrets that the residents in the building hold, including their own.
The Cast And Their Characters
The Scooby Doo-like trio are Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez). The star power the main cast holds is enough to draw in audiences from all generations. At first glance, it seems unusual to team up two comedic legends with a pop music sensation. However, the chemistry between the three works so well that sometimes it’s possible to forget the generational divide between Martin, Short, and Gomez.
Charles-Haden Savage
Martin’s character is perhaps the blandest of the three. Though, that doesn’t mean Charles is uninteresting in the slightest. On the contrary, Martin presents Charles in an adoring way that is reminiscent of someone’s grandpa due to Charles’s lack of knowledge of slang, habit of signing off on text messages, and the selfies taken with residents of the Arconia. Throughout the first season, the audience sees that Charles is haunted by something in his past as evidenced by continuously making omelets and being visited by Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny.
Oliver Putnam
Short’s character is definitely the most chaotic of the trio. However, it makes sense when considering Oliver’s background in directing theatre. Oliver is eccentric in the best way possible because his mannerisms are so comedic. For example, Oliver carries around a professional boom microphone that has a wind noise reduction cover throughout the season. Carrying around a microphone that large should be obnoxious, however Short’s performance of Oliver makes it endearing.
Mabel Mora
Gomez’s character is the most grounded character of the main cast. Her character helps bring the balance of the orderliness and chaos of Charles and Oliver. Mabel’s dry humor, artistic abilities, and fashion sense make her a favorable character. However, the most interesting parts of Mabel are the secrets that she holds. For example, she claims to be renovating her aunt’s apartment, but to the audience it is unsure just how truthful she is considering she never revealed her past friendship with the murder victim, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi), to Charles and Oliver until later in the season.
The Characters And Their Relationships
With a killer roaming around the Arconia, it is not shocking that the trio of Only Murders in the Building becomes quick friends. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are constantly in one another’s presence because of their podcast and their attempts to solve Tim’s murder. So, it makes sense for the three of them to develop a caring relationship among themselves.
What is shocking, though, is the lack of development and interaction with the characters and their already established relationships. For example, Oliver and his son Will (Ryan Broussard) have a rocky relationship due to Oliver squandering Will’s college fund on his failed theatrical production Splash! Personally, I wish more scenes went more in-depth about this issue. Granted, the runtime for each episode of Only Murders in the Building is about twenty-six to thirty-five minutes. For that reason, there probably isn’t enough time to dive more into the main character and their established relationships.
The Show’s Writing
Admittedly, the writing for Only Murders in the Building isn’t perfect. The writers do a wonderful job at creating a fun case and atmosphere for viewers to try to figure out the killer before the end of the season. However, there were some aspects to the writing that just didn’t work. Some of the jokes that were made don’t really land well. For a show that is filed under comedy, there isn’t a lot of jokes that I found funny. Despite the lack of comedic jokes, the cast — particularly Martin — make up for it in physical comedy in the last episode.
The Aesthetics Of Only Murders In The Building
From the set designs, the wardrobe, and the art featured in the show and opening credits, the aesthetics of Only Murders in the Building is one part of the show that I absolutely adore. As someone who pays attention to the mise-en-scéne in television and film, Only Murders in the Building delivers in creating the perfect vibe.
Let’s take the podcast trio’s respective apartments as the main example. Charles’s apartment reflects his personality, as his apartment is orderly and neat. There is no outright showy art or decorations within his home. Instead, everything flows together in a very calm manner. With Oliver’s apartment, the details within just scream “an Oliver Putnam production.” Oliver’s home is a very theatrical, sociable, and luxurious place that is filled with theatre posters of his past shows and a dining room that resembles a theatre. Mabel’s apartment (or her aunt’s apartment rather), on the other hand, is under construction. This alludes to Mabel’s personality because, unlike Charles and Oliver, she is still trying to figure out her life and who she is.
A smaller example of the brilliant use of mise-en-scéne in Only Murders in the Building is the use of the score and the animated opening credits. The score, which was composed by Siddhartha Khosla, features a key clue to the show that is noticeable if viewers pay close attention. The animated opening credits, which were done by artist Laura Pérez, feature fun easter eggs in each episode related to an aspect of the show. Everything is interwoven together in Only Murders in the Building, and it makes for an immersive viewing.
“The Boy From 6B”
While all the episodes in the first season of Only Murders in the Building are great, episode seven is definitely their best episode yet. Typically, the point of view of an episode is in the beloved trio’s. However, in this special episode titled “The Boy from 6B,” the perspective shifts to Theo Dimas (James Caverly). This episode is important because it answers many of the questions laid out in the majority of the season. It is also an almost entirely silenced episode and uses American Sign Language.
The reason for this is because Theo (and Caverly) is deaf. When it comes to the underrepresented groups within Hollywood, the deaf community is one of the groups that gets little to no representation in mainstream projects. Only Murders in the Building helps prove that the deaf community can certainly lead in television shows and films. In addition, the episode uses deafness in a way that doesn’t feel like a measly plot device or a gimmick.
Even with the many talented guest stars in Only Murders in the Building, such as Jane Lynch and Nathan Lane, Caverly delivers the most captivating performance to the point where it outshines the main cast. Throughout the episode, Caverly gives an emotional performance that helps the audience sympathize with Theo. This episode of Only Murders in the Building helps raise the bar to what Hollywood can do to be inclusive for underrepresented groups.
Will Season Two Shine?
A few days after Only Murders in the Building premiered on Hulu, the show was named the “Most Watched Comedy Premiere in Hulu’s History” (( Magilo, Tony. “‘Only Murders in the Building’ Is the Most-Watched Comedy Premiere in Hulu History (Exclusive).” The Wrap, 03 Sep 2021. )). Since the show attracted a large audience with its premiere, it comes as no surprise that the streaming platform decided to renew Only Murders in the Building for a second season.
However, not much is known about the second season other than the central trio will be returning and that filming begins later this year. Viewers can assume that since season one was left on such a huge cliffhanger that the stakes for season two will be higher for the characters involved. Hopefully, season two can create more opportunities for more development with established relationships and better jokes. The first season of Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Hulu.